Since the last time heat waves threatened rolling
blackouts around the state in 2001, California has installed 177 MW of solar photovoltaic power systems on nearly 20,000 homes,
businesses, schools and government buildings (1). Given that solar power
systems generate electricity at a time California needs it most—while the sun is out and air
conditioners are on full-blast—this 5,900% increase in the amount of solar power
installed in California over the past four years will make a real
difference on a day like today.
Further, thanks to the California Solar Initiative
adopted by the California Energy Commission this past January,
California has set a goal of building 3,000 MW of
solar power on a million roofs by 2016 (2). Meeting this goal would mean 6% of
California’s summer-time peak load would be met with
clean, reliable solar power helping give grid operators a healthy margin between
energy supply and demand.
|
|
Amount
of solar power (MW) |
Number
of solar roofs |
%
increase from previous time period |
% of
Today’s Forecasted
Peak Demand
(52,000 MW) |
|
1998-2000 |
3 |
450 |
- |
.01% |
|
2001-present |
177 |
19,200 |
5,900% |
.3% |
|
2007-2016
(estimated goal) |
3,000 |
1,000,000 |
1,600% |
6% |
In addition to
installing more solar power, California also needs to do more to conserve energy
and build other types of renewable energy resources like wind turbines and
geothermal power plants. While
California’s homes and appliances are more efficient than ever, because our
population is growing and we are building larger homes and filling them with
more electrical appliances, our overall energy consumption is on the rise. The
solution to this problem is to continue to tighten conservation and efficiency
measures while also building more clean renewable
energy such as solar power.
(1) Based on data collected by the California Energy Commission’s
Emerging Renewables Program and data from the California Public Utilities
Commission on the Self-Generation Incentive Program.
(2) On January
12, 2006, the
Public Utilities Commission adopted the California Solar Initiative, a $3.2
billion program designed to provide rebates to a million homeowners, businesses,
schools and government buildings. A companion policy, SB 1, is currently moving
through the California Legislature establishing additional policies needed to
meet the state’s million solar roofs goal. These policies are: increasing the
cap on net metering from the current 0.5% to 5% (SB 1 would lift the cap to
2.5%); mandating that all new homes come with solar power as a standard option
for homebuyers to choose (SB 1 would require this to begin in 2011); and
mandating that the state’s municipal utilities adopt their own solar
rebate programs similar to the state’s (SB 1 would make it a goal that the
municipal utilities adopt their own solar programs).
