The path to carbon-free electricity
It’s about time. Clean energy benefits our climate, as well as our health and our wallets.
It’s about time. Clean energy benefits our climate, as well as our health and our wallets.
California's largest utilities already are slated to generate enough renewable power to get close to meeting the state's current mandate of 50 percent from renewables by 2030.
Senate Bill 100, an ambitious clean energy plan put forward by Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, drew praise from Palm Springs Mayor Rob Moon and Council member Geoff Kors Wednesday, who said the push for clean energy would create jobs and conserve resources.
Solar is going to play a much bigger role than most models predict. So far, official predictions have fallen woefully short of the rise of solar photovoltaic (PV) energy:
California has been marching toward higher levels of clean energy for years, and state officials said the transformation is happening even faster than expected. The state generated 29% of its power from solar, wind, geothermal and other renewable sources in 2016.
If lawmakers approve Senate Bill 100 before the end of their session in September, it would make California the biggest economy on earth committed to getting 100 percent of its power from wind, solar and other clean alternatives.
What disturbs the old guard…is that cities are endorsing a future in which coal and natural gas are obsolete. The doomsaying from fossil fuel defenders will only get more shrill as that inevitable fate gets closer.
California’s clean energy sector keeps smashing records, as clean energy jobs in California alone outnumber coal jobs nationwide by an order of magnitude. In March, solar supplied more than half of the state’s power for a few hours.
“California continues to be the world leader in renewable energy and reducing carbon emissions. SB 100 moves California one step closer to eliminating our dependence on fossil fuels. To achieve this goal, California needs balanced energy portfolios that include an appropriate mix of all available renewable resources.”
“Solar power development at all levels is a significant economic force in California, creating over 100,000 jobs, driving innovation and reducing the cost of energy. Thanks to Senator de León and his distinguished colleagues in the legislature, SB 100 is a bold initiative that will accelerate economic opportunities and further improve our environment. The world is watching California as it leads the global transition to a clean, reliable, affordable energy future.”