Comments on: Schwarzenegger mandates 33% renewables by 2030

By: David B. Benson

David B. Benson — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 01:21:06 +0000

California already has the major share of U.S. geothermal.

By: Ronald

Ronald — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 01:13:34 +0000

I’ve read that Cali. has one percent the wind power potential of the United States. That’s land wind, I don’t know about offshore. North Dakota has 36 percent of the US’s wind power potential, but it’s stranded, powerlines are to far to run.

By: Bob Wallace

Bob Wallace — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 08:03:29 +0000

Solar is no problem. We’ve got lots of sunny desert just waiting for thermal solar.

We’ve got acres and acres of rooftops awaiting PV to supply that hot afternoon peak stuff we need.

We’ve got excellent offshore wind potential from Cape Mendocino northwards. And lots of good wave action there as well. (They tend to go together. ;o)

We’ve got tidal in the big bays like San Francisco. I assume Morro and San Diego as well. Almost impossible to sail against the tide there.

If hot dry rock drill-down geothermal pans out then there’s plenty hot rocks around. And France’s hot dry plant is now connected to their grid, so it seems to be a real possibility.

Overall the US has more solar, wind, geothermal than it can use.

It’s a development thing….

By: Asteroid Miner

Asteroid Miner — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 04:38:15 +0000

IS there that much wind, solar and geothermal available in California? It is very doubtful, even in California. If yes, there isn’t that much available to the rest of the country. Notice that Arnold will be long gone by 2030, so the fact that sufficient wind, solar and geothermal are not available will not hurt Arnold.

By: hapa

hapa — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:26:48 +0000

bob: this is an industrial economy, there needs to be smooth non-local supply. (a) it’s cheaper, (b) it’s geographical reality, and (c) demand peaks and supply shortages (aka, “clouds”) are brutal to local-only.

By: Bob

Bob — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 19:23:59 +0000

Looks good on paper, as long as the Governor is not using this as a way of ramming the Sunrise Powerlink down the throats of the CPUC.

Renewable energy is great. We need locally generated solar that does not need to travel hundreds of miles over transmission lines through fire-prone backcountry.
Bob B.
Leucadia

By: hapa

hapa — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:41:36 +0000

arnold’s doctrinaire (racist) placing of blame for the bank(er) fiasco on “fannie and freddie” should knock him out of the running for any public office. contempt for the truth, contempt for the public, contempt for the general welfare.

By: Bob Wallace

Bob Wallace — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:14:54 +0000

Having a lot of natural gas generation capability is not necessarily a bad thing. Until we have good energy storage systems we will need backup for those times when demand exceeds generation from green sources.

Natural gas goes from idle to full production quite quickly. As we increase renewables from 14% to 33% we can park some of those NG plants, holding them in reserve for emergency power.

By: Susan Kraemer

Susan Kraemer — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:56:28 +0000

Joe,

It would be smart of Obama to appoint Arnold, to prevent him from running for Boxers seat in 2010 as he is rumored to be. Of course, you can’t trust Republicans, even ones who love to seen as green, so it would be risky.

Unlike in the Senate, (where he could be plied with oil money like the other Republicans) in the cabinet — wouldn’t he be less vulnerable to bad influences?

Could he be roped in just as a mouthpiece, sort of? Or would he have real control of policy in that position?

I sense that Gov. Crist in FL is a more sincere green Republican.

By: Susan Kraemer

Susan Kraemer — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:48:27 +0000

(seconded, Michele)

I have an insert in today’s PG&E bill that shows (in Northern CA) we already are currently at:

Renewable 14% (solar, geo, wind, bio)
Hydro 17% (Hydro will diminish from climate change – less snowmelt)
Nuclear 22%
Natural gas 44% (!!!)
Coal 2%

Amazing what an RPS and decoupling utilities accomplishes. Nationwide, under Obama, lets hope we can finally pass these, and extend the wind PTC longer.

But oddly, California has a rule (CPUC rule 18) actually forbidding the electranet. You are not allowed to supply others with your excess solar electrons, for money. It is frustrating sustainable developers and anyone who wants to finance solar farming our roofs by selling part of the harvest.

Terminate this rule, Arnold!