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California utilities struggle to meet renewable-power requirement
LA Times ^ | 7/10/10 | Tiffany Hsu

Posted on 07/10/2010 8:37:44 AM PDT by NormsRevenge

California boasts some of the toughest standards in the nation for boosting the use of renewable power. Getting utilities to meet those mandates is proving to be even tougher.

State law requires the Golden State's three large investor-owned utilities to procure 20% of their retail electricity sales from clean sources by the end of 2010. But with less than six months left to meet that requirement, even government watchdogs don't expect the power companies to make it.

Pacific Gas & Electric Co., Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric Co. are likely to end this year with a combined 18% of their retail sales coming from clean sources such as wind, solar and geothermal power, according to the California Public Utilities Commission.

"It's highly unlikely that they'll make the exact number by the end of this year," said Commissioner James D. Boyd with the California Energy Commission, which is administering the program along with the public utilities agency. "I hate to be a naysayer, but … even though many contracts have been entered, the actual construction and thus the delivery of electricity has lagged."

Utility executives said they've moved aggressively to ink deals with renewable power producers throughout California. But some of those firms have had difficulty securing financing in a troubled economy. Others have hit technological snags or run into permitting and land-use hurdles that have delayed their timetables by months or even years. Transmission bottlenecks are another obstacle.

...

"Some of the contracts the utilities have signed are really pie in the sky," said Arthur O'Donnell, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Resource Solutions in San Francisco. "They might sign anything down the pike just to get the regulators off their back."

(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: ab32; california; callegislation; energy; renewable; struggle; utilities
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The Leftist Agenda to Cripple America Continues..
1 posted on 07/10/2010 8:37:47 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
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Thank You, Gubinor SchwarzenKennedy and DemocRats in State Gubamint HellBent on Failure or Bust.


2 posted on 07/10/2010 8:38:48 AM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed .. Monthly Donor Onboard)
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To: NormsRevenge
Some of the least bright lights in CA have threatened to boycott Arizona....boycott what in AZ? Californians might want to remember where a great deal of the electricity comes from.(turn the faucet off) for LA and San Diego and surrounding towns.....
3 posted on 07/10/2010 8:48:49 AM PDT by yoe ("N" is for NO for Progressives in government.)
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To: NormsRevenge

Wishing or legislating something to be the right way to go is dealt another blow.


4 posted on 07/10/2010 8:49:22 AM PDT by Mouton
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To: NormsRevenge

So when the power companies fail to overcome the laws of physics despite the politicians’ demands, what happens? Fines, which will put them out of business? Criminal charges, which will put them out of business? Loss of govt payment for govt use of power, which will put them out of business? Or nothing, which the CA govt can allow because it will show they have no clothes?

Brownout/blackout time CA. You deserve it.


5 posted on 07/10/2010 8:52:40 AM PDT by piytar (Re: AlGore's latest - Karl Rove, you magnificent #######!)
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To: NormsRevenge

I am just waiting for the “skittle crapping unicorn” mandate.

These people are damned delusional.


6 posted on 07/10/2010 8:53:18 AM PDT by rlmorel (We are traveling "The Road to Serfdom".)
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To: yoe

I’ve been advocating a 1000% tax on all CA power being generated in or routed through AZ. Screw San Francisco, LA, Berkley, and CA in general!


7 posted on 07/10/2010 8:55:20 AM PDT by piytar (Re: AlGore's latest - Karl Rove, you magnificent #######!)
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To: NormsRevenge
The trick, experts said, is developing a standard that prevents utilities from dragging their feet while ensuring that consumers get green power that's reliable and affordable.

Let me paraphrase.

The trick experts say, is passing laws that will make free energy appear by magic, without concern for market forces.

Using these same standards we can end war and hunger as well as have a utopian climate.

8 posted on 07/10/2010 8:59:22 AM PDT by mylife (Opinions $1 Halfbaked 50c)
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To: yoe

The Constitution was expressly created to prevent things just like this. Instead, this rat bastard government ENCOURAGES it.

Unbelievable.


9 posted on 07/10/2010 8:59:42 AM PDT by rlmorel (We are traveling "The Road to Serfdom".)
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To: piytar

It will be called...bailout. Guvmint owned power plants.


10 posted on 07/10/2010 9:10:29 AM PDT by Wyostk8
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To: NormsRevenge
or run into permitting and land-use hurdles that have delayed their timetables by months or even years.

Even when you cave into the green bas***** they put road blocks in the way. They don't want renewable energy, they want NO energy at all.

11 posted on 07/10/2010 9:12:24 AM PDT by calex59
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To: rlmorel

Utilities and Govt against the rate paying, taxpaying citizens. Both Govt and Utilities get their money by tax and monopoly granted by the govt. They could give a rat’s butt about the cost to the rate payer or the taxpayer, business or private citizen.
They are wasting investment money on projects that don’t pay and will differ the ones that are economical..nuclear and fossil. We will end up deeper in financial do do with nothing to show for it, but some clapped out windmills and derelict mirrors in the desert.


12 posted on 07/10/2010 9:13:14 AM PDT by Oldexpat
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To: NormsRevenge

Looks like the thing that needs to be renewed MOST in Can’taffordya, is not the power requirements.


13 posted on 07/10/2010 9:16:00 AM PDT by PSYCHO-FREEP ( Give me Liberty, or give me an M-24A2!)
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To: NormsRevenge

Guy Caballero hiring the best for the job, illegal aliens:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFzsYkdQwok


14 posted on 07/10/2010 9:37:48 AM PDT by Beowulf9
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To: NormsRevenge

Go nuclear and enter the new century. France has paved the way, long ago.


15 posted on 07/10/2010 9:45:51 AM PDT by bboop (We don't need no stinkin' VAT)
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To: piytar

AZ power goes (nearly all or all, depending on how one works the balances, and enforced by poor transmission capacity between north and south) to Southern Cal.

Northern Cal imports their shortfall from Canada/Washington State, which is nearly all Hydro.


16 posted on 07/10/2010 10:03:02 AM PDT by buwaya
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To: NormsRevenge
In the mean time...we're sitting on top of enough oil to last the US 300 YEARS (really).

http://www.kiplinger.com/businessresource/forecast/archive/The_U.S._s_Untapped_Bounty_080630.html

As for coal, we only have 240 years left

http://www.coalcandothat.com/content.php?view=403

Whose says superstition and witch doctors are a thing of the past?

17 posted on 07/10/2010 10:12:39 AM PDT by Red Dog #1
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To: Red Dog #1
In the mean time...we're sitting on top of enough oil to last the US 300 YEARS (really).

You may be right BUT we are talking about electricity here and we only get about 2% of our electricity from oil and most of that is for portable power and just a few peaker plants. We don't wish and don't ever want to go back to using oil for generating electricity.
18 posted on 07/10/2010 11:14:49 AM PDT by truthguy (Good intentions are not enough.)
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To: truthguy
My point was that the “energy crisis” is almost wholly manufactured nonsense. Please also note the 240 year coal supply mentioned in my post.
19 posted on 07/10/2010 12:42:04 PM PDT by Red Dog #1
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To: buwaya

True, but if AZ turns off SoCal, the entire fragile CA power grid will collapse...


20 posted on 07/10/2010 3:05:36 PM PDT by piytar (Re: AlGore's latest - Karl Rove, you magnificent #######!)
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