Posted on 07/03/2009 5:53:38 AM PDT by reaganaut1
California officials are beginning to worry that the state's focus on transitioning to renewable-energy sources could lead to power shortages in the near term.
The state has been so keen to develop renewables that relatively few conventional power generators, such as gas-fired plants, have been built lately. That risks a possible energy shortfall in certain places if the economy rebounds any time soon.
California's utilities are barreling ahead to try to meet a state mandate to garner 33% of their power from renewable sources by 2020, and some officials are concerned the effort might push up electricity prices and crimp supplies.
The state auditor warned this week that the electricity sector poses a "high risk" to the state economy. A staff report from the state energy commission also warns that California could find itself uncomfortably tight on power by 2011 if problems continue to pile up.
Utilities complain that the ambitious renewable-energy mandates, combined with tougher environmental regulations on conventional plants, are compromising their ability to deliver adequate power. "Conflicting state policies are a problem," said Stuart Hemphill, senior vice president of procurement at Southern California Edison, a unit of Edison International of Rosemead, Calif.
The stresses being felt in California could be a harbinger of problems to come in other states. The federal Waxman-Markey climate-change bill, passed by the House of Representatives on June 26, would require states to obtain about 15% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020. Currently, about 4% of U.S. electricity comes from renewables, excluding hydropower.
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State energy agencies recently concluded it could cost $114 billion or more to meet the 33% mandate, more than double what it might have cost to achieve an earlier 20% requirement. Consumers will bear those costs, one way or another.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Just a dumb question? Why would hydrpower be excluded?
“Just a dumb question? Why would hydrpower be excluded?”
Kills fish
When CA’s power goes belly up I hope the don’t try to steal power from AZ’s nuke plant.
Yeah, I know they are on the same grid and not much can be done short of cutting all the power lines to CA.
California has lost all forward gears.
It's because the environazis intend to dismantle dams, some of which are major power sources.
For the sake of the country, let’s all hope that California continues on this suicidal path. Here in Texas, we killed 11 coal plants last year, and killed a nuke just last week. It takes time to get these plants on line and there will be some serious suffering as the shortages multiply. I just California to be the trailblazer for the country...as that might buy us a few years head start to get some capacity going again.
Here is an analysis of the principal mechanism: An Analysis of Arnold Schwarzenegger's Environmental Policy. Read the whole thread; as it contains research that was the genesis of the above article.
LMAO, Edison is headed by the founder of the NRDC, the very NGO that was the principal cause of these environmental restrictions.
Gee. Actions have consequences. Who would have thought. This state is such a terrible condition it is unimaginable. The country can not be far behind.
Yet Texas set up the Competative Renewable Energy Zones in the wind corridor of west Texas in 2006 and awarded contracts, last spring, to build two transmission lines to connect SA and DFW to the wind corridor.
Everyone likes to talk about Pickens' Pampa Wind Project but his is only one of many wind farms that will eventually built out there. Undoubtedly someone will build gas and coal fired plants out there also. That is a non-attainment area and smog generated out there doesn't count against Texas' smog problem.
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