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Project: big solar renaissance
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Summary:
Even though Californians use less electricity per capita than residents of any other state, our total population and commercial demand for electricity keep on growing. In order to meet this demand growth and achieve our climate emission reduction targets ---in addition to developing all available wind, geothermal, solar PV, and biomass power we can, plus installing all cost-effective energy conservation and efficiency improvements --- we still must get busy and harvest the most abundant energy resource we have: California's storied sunshine, or what we call "Big Solar". Ironically, California was the original incubator of large concentrated solar power technologies in the 1970's. Today those same technologies have been employed in other nations to commercially generate electricity, mainly in Europe. However we possess the high-quality solar resources and the advanced technology required to take advantage of this clean and vitually limitless energy resource. What is lacking is what we and successful solar power plant builders are committed to providing: Political and economic will to make it happen. |
Recent Developments:
- Big Solar Planning and Development
A. Outreach
On April 22, CEERT organized a tour of FPL’s historic solar thermal facilities at Kramer Junction for interested CEERT affiliates and other friends. FPL generously hosted 20 people at their facility and provided an educational presentation and tour of the project, showcasing its size, biological sensitivities and technological features.
In April, CEERT organized a round-table discussion with over 15 LA-based environmental and environmental-justice groups about the benefits of renewables transmission and large-scale renewables projects planned for the Southern California desert. Johanna Wald of NRDC and Carl Zichella of Sierra Club gave a presentation on the RETI process, the Center for Biological Diversity’s Ileene Anderson exhibited GIS maps the Center had developed in cooperation with CEERT and NREL on various land uses and plans for the region, and Communities for a Better Environment presented about the Priority Reserve and the Vernon gas-fired power plant.
On June 24, CEERT will be hosting a tour of EnXco’s wind-farm site in Montezuma Hills.
B. BLM Solar Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS)
On May 29th, BLM released a Notice of Intent to draft a Solar Energy Development Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) covering applications for rights-of-way in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. Until the completion of the process, which is estimated to take 22 months, BLM has stopped accepting new applications. CEERT has filed comments in the process, met with Governor Schwarzenegger, and spearheaded an effort to address the deficiencies in the PEIS from a position that balances the concerns of the solar industry and the environmental community. This will be a major focus for CEERT in the coming months, as it impacts all projects planned for the promising Mojave resource zone. |
Solar and Clean Energy Initiative: Heading Toward Nov 2008 Ballot?
The Solar and Clean Energy Act of 2008 (a proposed initiative measure) has recently been submitted to the Attorney General's office for the preparation of a ballot title and summary. If qualified to appear on the November 2008 statewide ballot and passed by the voters, the Act as proposed would significantly raise the percentage (RPS) of the electricity used in California that must be generated from solar and clean energy in the future. If the initiative is passed, both privately owned and municipally owned utilities would be required to comply with renewable energy laws, and the measure would limit increases in consumers' electricity bills.
While we strongly support those purposes and the idea of taking this question to the voters and getting strong direction from them to build more solar generation, we have some critical reservations about whether the draft of the initiative can accomplish its goals based on what we know about the public utility industry and our experience with the problems faced by renewable energy businesses. We have met with and submitted suggestions to the proponents that we feel would make significant improvements in the language, and we are hopeful but not sanguine that those changes will be incorporated. It would be a shame if the key environmental advocates who have been working on renewable resources could not be united on this important effort.
Additional Resources on the Solar and Clean Energy Initiative of 2008 :
If you'd like to see what the initiative proponents have to say, click here.
To read the language of the proposed initiative on the Secretary of State website click here.
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