By Steve Scauzillo, San Gabriel Valley Tribune | Link to article Snowmelt entering Big Creek’s hydroelectric powerhouses has slowed to a trickle. Reservoirs sit at their lowest levels ever. The 102-year-old central-California complex owned and operated by Southern California Edison lost 80 percent of its hydroelectric power this year, a direct result of a persistent […]
Drought is killing California’s hydroelectric power. Can solar make up the difference?
September 9, 2015
Renewable energy bill far from perfect, experts say
September 7, 2015
By Sammy Roth, The Desert Sun | Link to article “Sometimes the legislative process takes a while to catch up to new information and new developments,” said V. John White, executive director of the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies, a trade group. “The governor has not done a really good job of articulating […]
Four Powerhouse Bills to Help California get to 50 Percent Renewable Energy
August 17, 2015
By Lauren Navarro of Environmental Defense Fund | Link to article California is deep into the dog days of summer, and pressure is mounting on the state’s electric grid to keep up with demand. Luckily, California’s legislature is working to bring more clean energy resources to the grid, diversifying how we power our homes and […]
Alexander Sherriffs and William B. Marcus: Clean-energy economy for the Valley
August 8, 2015
By Alexander Sherriffs and William B. Marcus – Opinion Columns & Blogs | Link to article The San Joaquin Valley is a remarkable place. It has played a vital role in the development of the economy and the character of the state. The Midway-Sunset and Kern Oil Fields produced over 5 billion barrels of oil […]
California is ahead of the game as Obama releases Clean Power Plan
August 4, 2015
By Tony Barboza of LA Times | Link to article President Obama’s plan to cut carbon pollution from power plants over the next 15 years will force states to address climate change by pushing them to act more like California. The Clean Power Plan announced Monday poses significant challenges for states that rely on coal-fired […]
What We Can Learn from Germany’s Windy, Sunny Electric Grid
August 3, 2015
By Andrew Campbell of Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley | Link to article Today’s release of the final Clean Power Plan by President Obama ushers in an exciting period of change on US power grids. Wind and solar energy will get a big boost through the plan. The plan recognizes that to sustain public […]
Obama to Unveil Tougher Environmental Plan With His Legacy in Mind
August 2, 2015
Coral Davenport & Gardiner Harris / NY Times | Link to article In the strongest action ever taken in the United States to combat climate change, President Obama will unveil on Monday a set of environmental regulations devised to sharply cut planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from the nation’s power plants and ultimately transform America’s electricity […]
Creating Western regional energy market could help state meet climate goals
August 1, 2015
Carl Zichella, Sacramento Bee | Link to article Gov. Jerry Brown visited the Vatican recently to meet with Pope Francis and world leaders to discuss climate change. The issue has dominated this year’s legislative agenda, and the governor has made bold statements about combating climate change while also setting ambitious goals to reduce greenhouse gas […]
Ivanpah Solar Production Up 170% in 2015
June 17, 2015
Breaking Energy, Pete Danko | Link to article The Wall Street Journal has returned attention to the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, the $2.2 billion Department of Energy-backed concentrating solar power plant whose slow start became the subject of some controversy after a Breaking Energy story last fall. The Journal reported that “15 months after […]
