OK, so we know that job growth in the clean energy or renewable energy sector has outpaced the rest of the economy. However, a recent report from the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) suggests that the clean energy sector has far outpaced job growth in the California economy, despite two major … [continued]
Yes, that’s right: grid parity is here, well in California at least…and a lot faster than most ever thought possible. The weighted average highest cost of solar and other renewable power contracts accepted by California utilities in the state’s Renewable Auction Market (RAM) auction amounted to 8.9 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for 20-year power purchase contracts, the Vote Solar Initiative reported March 30. Though this doesn’t include transmission costs, $0.089/kWh is well below the average residential electricity cost of 15 cents per kWh in California in 2011, and that’s the weighted average highest cost of the accepted offers to the state’s electricity distributors.
Some other top cleantech posts from the past couple weeks or so: Wind Power 1. Vestas published an interesting video on the chemistry of wind turbine blades (above) — interesting. 2. “A consortium led by GICON Grossmann Ingenieur Consult GmbH has developed a floating platform designed to be used for offshore … [continued]
San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) reported on March 1st that “20.8 percent of the energy delivered to retail customers in 2011 was provided by renewable energy sources, such as wind, geothermal, biomass, hydroelectric and solar facilities.” That’s 9% more than in 2010! Can you imagine if the country as a … [continued]
Did you know that the landing on the moon was staged? Or that swallowing seeds will cause fruit to grow in your stomach? Or that the cost of solar power has gone up 63% since 2001?
If you are tied to reality, you’d know that all three of these statements are utterly false. And while most people know that the moon landing was real and that seeds don’t grow in your stomach, the last falsity is an easy one to slip by people who don’t follow energy — which is almost everyone.
In fact, the installed cost of solar has come down nearly 40% since 2001. […]
California, as most of you know, has a renewable energy target of 33% by 2020, one of the best around. However, if current trends are any indication of where the state is headed, it could blow past that target. According to a state regulator speaking this week on the matter, California’s proposed solar projects in 2011 were a whopping 4.5 times what the state needs to meet its 33% target.
Last December California Solar Initiative (CSI) funding for non-profits ran out too soon. Schools, churches, and other non-profits were using up their utility rebates for solar too fast. This week, Democratic Governor Jerry Brown signed into law a bill that pumps additional money into the program.
The CSI program has resulted in nearly 1 GW of rooftop solar, employed over 36,000 people and leveraged $4.5 billion in private capital. There are now more solar roofs in California than four other nations worldwide.
These roofs will pump out solar power for about 40 years, with the latter
