SB100

Dear Editor:

Black soot from trucks, seas of freeways, and the perpetuation of unstable warehouse jobs are the circumstances my future is faced with as a young first generation Mexican student.  At school, we are taught to think critically about the problems our society faces, and one common issue that weaves the struggles I’ve mentioned above is climate change and environmental injustice, specifically caused from burning fossil fuels.

July 28 (UPI) -- About half of the population in the state of Kansas could now be drawing energy from wind power as the U.S. sector gains momentum, an industry report showed.

A quarterly report from the American Wind Energy Association found the sector is gaining traction. Compared with last year, there were 40 percent more wind energy projects under construction or advancing through the development stage during the second quarter.

California legislators' bid to speed up the pace of renewable energy adoption is moving into the political spotlight.

Having reached a two-thirds vote last week on a bill to extend the state's cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gases through 2030, lawmakers are now turning their attention to state Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León's (D) S.B. 100.

Right now, much attention is focused on the California Clean Energy Act of 2017 (“SB 100” for short). SB 100 would accelerate the state’s primary renewable energy program—the Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS)—which was created to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and improve air quality. The RPS currently requires every utility in the state to source 50% of its electricity sales from renewables by 2030.

LOS ANGELES — California is not only fighting to protect its legacy of sweeping environmental protection, but also holding itself out as a model to other states — and to nations — on how to fight climate change.

The price of solar cells, for example, plummeted in recent years, allowing states like California — a role model for climate policy at the state level — to substantially increase investment in that technology.

Other major factors that will keep driving the change to renewable energy are the plummeting price of solar and wind power across the country — a recent study from financial advisory firm Lazard found both to be cheaper in most circumstances than new coal-fired generation — and lifestyle benefits associated with it.

The Golden State has soaked up enough rays to generate 67.2 per cent of its energy from renewable sources last month, smashing previous records. When combining California’s largest grid with hydropower facilities, renewable energy rose even further to 80.7 per cent of total energy generation on 13 May.

Wetter weather and continued growth in renewable energy sources resulted in some big changes in electricity generation in California in 2016, according to numbers recently released by the California Energy Commission.

Natural gas still accounted for the largest single share of in-state power generation but the amount deployed dropped 10% last year.

The argument that renewables will inherently destabilize the grid is nonsense, nothing more than a reflexive objection from those who see their fossil fuel investments dwindling.