California Bill Sets New Green Target for Renewable Energy (The Desert Sun)
If California is to achieve its ambitious goals for ramping up renewable energy while cutting greenhouse gas emissions, it must revamp its energy planning processes so that renewables, not fossil fuels, become the primary focus, a Coachella Valley assemblyman said.
Amendments to Assembly Bill 177 introduced earlier this year by V. Manuel Pérez, a Coachella Democrat, would kick-start that transformation by giving the state a new clean energy target — 51 percent by 2030 — and promoting renewable development at the Salton Sea, which in turn could help fund the dwindling lake’s restoration.
Utilities have opted for cheaper, but more intermittent wind and solar projects to meet the 33 percent goal, backed up by natural gas-powered “peaker” plants such as Competitive Power Ventures’ Sentinel plant now online in North Palm Springs said V. John White, executive director of the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies, a Sacramento-based group working on climate change issues.
Meanwhile, technologies that are more expensive but could provide more stability for the grid — geothermal and solar thermal — have been ignored, he said.
“Geothermal is unique in the world of renewables; it’s base-load power. You don’t have to have spinning reserves,” said Vince Signorotti, vice president for resource and real estate assets at EnergySource, an El Centro company that owns a geothermal plant at the Salton Sea. “When solar and wind aren’t working, you have gas plants ramping up. Those are peaker plants; they have a carbon footprint. We don’t.”
Kevin Kelley, general manager of the Imperial Irrigation District, added geothermal development at the Salton Sea could easily put California over its 33 percent renewable energy target or higher, providing more transmission lines can be built in the region.
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