Renewables Provide 15% of Supply During CA Emergency
In early February of this year, California's over reliance on fossil fuels for generating electricity led to the state calling an emergency and urging Californians to conserve electricity and natural gas.
Because of heating and power demands in the Northeast US due to the extreme cold weather, natural gas was in short supply in Southern California, leading California’s Independent System Operator (CaISO) to call a statewide “Flex Alert”. The alert is the lowest level in CaISO’s emergency notifications.
There was no shortage of generation from new renewables Thursday. Geothermal, biomass, biogas, and small hydro generated a steady 1,700 MW throughout the day or nearly 6 percent of peak demand. Meanwhile solar photovoltaics (solar PV) peaked at 1,800 MW around noon and wind power reached 2,700 MW during the evening peak period. Altogether, renewables generated nearly 15 percent of total consumption on 6 February. Wind energy provided nearly half of all renewable generation during the 24-hour period; geothermal, nearly 25 percent; solar PV, 12 percent.
So is it time for California to go 100% renewable? Post your thoughts in the comments.
Source: Renewable Energy World
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