The creation of new power plants, or lack thereof, is also a "man-made" issue because of inability to zone, gain state and local support and inability to make it financially feasible.
Integrated Resource Planning today, especially in a non-real time pricing market, properly accounts for "virtual capacity" through Demand Response. It's tried, true, and works, especially in NYISO, ISO-NE, PJM, and ERCOT. It simply works.
There is nothing in AB32, nor any other Carbon Emissions bill that seeks to limit the amount of miles someone drives, much less the amount of energy they consume. It simply won't happen that way.
However, if you choose to use a crapload of power at peak times, the MARKET, the REAL energy MARKET, should appropriately charge you more.
It's all a supply and demand game as you know. Factor in real time pricing into any market and you will have market based incentives to reduce use during peak times. It's smart, makes sense, and is easy to do.
AND IT'S VOLUNTARY!
In theory, there could be just one single little plant, and people could bid and you would consider that a ‘market’ system.
It would be market if you had competition, offering consumers a variety of choices. As it is, it is politics. Consumers are limited, on purpose, options by law.
I don’t call forced limitations of choice ‘free’.
That’s my argument with it. Not the generation/use part, but the elitist electrical fascism of it.