Posted on 05/29/2021 5:02:27 AM PDT by Kaslin
Last summer, when a heat wave rolled across the western United States, California residents experienced energy blackouts as a result of a difficult-to-manage power grid. Even after that experience, which put residents’ health at risk due to excessive heat exposure, California continued its push to ban fracking, shut down nuclear power plants, and rely solely on renewable energy. Now, anew report from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) states that “California is at risk of energy emergencies during periods of normal peak summer demand and high risk when above-normal demand is widespread in the west.”
The report says that there is a 400-megawatt shortfall expected at peak demand. This shortfall will come despite an addition of over 3 gigawatts, the majority of which will come from solar power, and an additional 675 megawatts of new battery storage systems. These increases are still expected not to be enough when California needs energy most and show that California hasn’t learned its lesson.
The issue last year, and likely this summer as well, was that when energy demand rose to peak demand—when people returned home after work in the late afternoon and the heat of the day remained—solar power production dropped off dramatically. While increased battery storage may help to overcome the lack of solar power production, California is still going to face difficulties with managing their energy grid this summer.
The NERC report does state that the increase of solar power and battery storage should help mitigate issues in the late summer, the time when California experienced the blackouts last year. But the reality is that currently, California is in a bad position to handle even normal summer energy grid demands.
California, as the sole state with a “high risk” status from the NERC report, paints a concerning picture of our nation’s energy future if the climate activists get their way and aggressive climate policies are embraced at the federal level. The Biden administration has certainly followed this aggressive climate policy path, particularly with the recent U.S. Paris Climate Agreement pledges of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 50-52% by 2023 and having a net zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.
Meanwhile, while often hailed as a “leader” and “example for other states” by climate activists, California has thrown itself headlong into embracing renewable energy and vilifying any other types of energy. But this has also already made their electricity generation unreliable and it’s only going to get worse if they continue down this policy path. Governor Newsom is pushing to ban fracking by 2024. The sole operational nuclear power facility in the state, which produces almost10 percent of the state’s energy, is scheduled to close beginning in 2024 as well. These are dangerous steps for California and puts Californians at risk.
Ironically, this isn’t even the best way to fight climate change and bring down emissions. Innovations that have made traditional fuel sources cleaner have driven our reduced emissions and improved environment.
Fracking made natural gas inexpensive, allowing it to overcome coal as the main source of electricity generation for our nation, a change which has helped us to greatly reduce emissions and keep energy costs low. Nuclear power, while playing a smaller role in our nation’s electricity generation at around20 percent, is carbon-free, cheap, and reliable. Our nuclear power capacity has remained stable at 20 percent for the last three decades but new technology coming online will reduce initial project costs and open up opportunities for additional nuclear power generation. Nuclear power has an important role to play in our clean energy future.
The rolling blackouts across the state last summer should have been a wake-up call for the state. Even now, this NERC report is warning state leadership once again that their energy policies are putting their residents at risk. California needs to change its course and show true leadership by recognizing the limitations of renewable energy and finding innovative ways to both reduce emissions and provide reliable, affordable energy to its residents. A first step will be to stop attacking nuclear power and fracking and stabilize their energy grid by incorporating these reliable and clean energy sources.
IOW, the left has it planned out already.
When they *warn* you of some sort of disaster like this, count on them creating it.
There is no doubt in my mind that they do.
Just have to train the californicate people to turn off their AC and go stand under a windmill to get some breeze. They might get hit in the head with a chopped up bird but that is a small price to pay for going green.
Good. This will be a test run for their future.
“the Citing the urgency of climate change, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has issued Executive Order N-79-20 to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and “more quickly move toward our low-carbon, sustainable and resilient future.”
The Order sets 2035 for a 100 percent ban on the sale of internal combustion engines for passenger cars and pickup trucks within California, with later target dates for similar bans on medium- and heavy-duty trucks, and off-road vehicles and equipment.
The Order next focuses on fossil fuel extraction and refining activities in the state, directing that no hydraulic fracturing permits be issued after 2024 and that state agencies “expedite regulatory processes to repurpose and transition upstream and downstream oil production facilities,” and also “manage and expedite the responsible closure and remediation of former oil extraction sites.”
Citing the urgency of climate change, California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-79-20 on Sept. 23, 2020, to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and “more quickly move toward our low-carbon, sustainable and resilient future.”
Key Provisions
The Order sets 2035 for a 100 percent ban on the sale of internal combustion engines for passenger cars and pickup trucks within California, with later target dates for similar bans on the sale of internal combustion engine medium- and heavy-duty trucks, and off-road vehicles and equipment. Used internal combustion engine vehicles may still be sold. The Order supports “zero emissions technologies” such as electric vehicles, and accelerated deployment of affordable fueling and charging options for zero-emission vehicles, particularly in low-income and disadvantaged communities.
The Order next focuses on fossil fuel extraction and refining activities in the state, directing that no hydraulic fracturing permits be issued after 2024 and that state agencies “expedite regulatory processes to repurpose and transition upstream and downstream oil production facilities,” and also “manage and expedite the responsible closure and remediation of former oil extraction sites.” The Order further directs agencies to assure appropriate decommissioning and remediation activities, and to impose financial bonding requirements to cover anticipated costs. The Order does not impose a deadline for ceasing operations or removing upstream and downstream oil production activities”
How can that be California is a socialist utopia!
Talk to a communist. They blame California’s woes on deregulation.
Wouldn’t a fan do? Never mind you need electricity for that, unless you use one of those hand-hold fans, that women used several hundred years ago?
Need some more wind and solar...that won’t work...but it sounds good...liberalism 101...
Thankfully, our Governor has addressed this concern head-on, decisively issuing an Executive Order mandating that all vehicles sold in the state be electric-powered by the year 2035. We have a special kind of leadership here in the Golden State...
The Golden State you remember is no longer America
“The Order sets 2035 for a 100 percent ban on the sale of internal combustion engines for passenger cars and pickup trucks within California, with later target dates for similar bans on the sale of internal combustion engine medium- and heavy-duty trucks, and off-road vehicles and equipment. Used internal combustion engine vehicles may still be sold. The Order supports “zero emissions technologies” such as electric vehicles”
What’re you going to do with electric vehicles in an energy shortage.
You have a special kind of VOTER!
Agreed. In most parts, I am behind enemy lines. And the “regulations” mount year after year, as the attack continues.
Mr. Emperor sir. Those are very fine clothes indeed!
Thank you! Correct. Very few normal adults around these days.
Right??
My sister-in-law lives there.
I can sympathize with you.
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