Archive for August, 2008

Sources of Electricity in California: help us break the trend.

Tuesday, August 12th, 2008

 

Together we can send a strong message to California’s leaders that we are ready to get serious about Renewable Energy!

2007 Total System Power in Gigawatt Hours

Fuel Type

In-State Generation

Northwest Imports

Southwest Imports

Total System Power

Percent of Total System Power

Coal*

4,190

6,546

39,275

50,012

16.6%

Large Hydro

23,283

9,263

2,686

35,232

11.7%

Natural Gas

118,228

1,838

16,363

136,063

45.2%

Nuclear

35,692

629

8,535

44,856

14.8%

Renewables

28,463

6,393

688

35,545

11.8%

Biomass

5,398

837

1

6,236

2.1%

Geothermal

12,999

0

440

13,439

4.5%

Small Hydro

3,675

4,700

18

8,393

2.8%

Solar

668

0

7

675

0.2%

Wind

5,723

857

222

6,802

2.3%

Total

209,856

24,669

67,547

302,072

100.0%

 

*Note: In earlier years the in-state coal number included coal fired power plants owned by California utilities

Source: gosolarcalifornia.ca.gov

As always, if you are interested in lowering the cost of solar energy for your home by buying in a group, sign up at 1bog.org today.

Take action: Critical vote on California Solar Bill August 7th

Tuesday, August 5th, 2008

It’s action time.  One of the most important solar bills in the California legislature faces a critical vote in the Senate Appropriations committee on Thursday, August 7.  We need your help to get it through.

AB 1451 (Leno) would extend the current property tax exemption for solar installations-due to sunset in 2009–to match the California Solar Initiative, and make some tweaks to make it more useful for builders incorporating solar in new home construction.  It’s also critical for the utility-scale solar industry, leveling the playing field with fossil-fuel plants and reducing solar’s cost by about a penny per kWh.

All told, AB 1451 makes everything we are trying to do with energy in the state, from AB 32 to the California Solar Initiative to the Renewable Portfolio Standard, cheaper and easier.

We can’t afford to lose this one.

Take action here votesolar.org and here Solar Nation

Also, if you are interested in lowering the cost of solar energy for your home by buying in a group, sign up at 1bog.org today.