To the editor: Each month, California throws away sufficient photo voltaic and wind power to energy half 1,000,000 houses — not as a result of we don’t want it, however as a result of our system is designed to waste it. Whereas Sacramento celebrates expanded photo voltaic capability, we’re forcing photo voltaic panels to “nap” throughout their most efficient hours whereas holding costly gasoline vegetation operating. (“Solar power glut boosts California electric bills. Other states reap the benefits,” Nov. 24)
The issue is structural. Our regulated monopoly utilities are incentivized to construct infrastructure the place it maximizes their returns, not the place the grid wants it most.
The answer? Begin by reining in utilities’ blank-check spending on questionable upgrades. Then remodel the California Unbiased System Operator right into a forward-looking grid operator the place each watt of fresh power reaches its vacation spot.
California revolutionized wholesale electrical energy markets after the 2000s disaster; we shouldn’t wait for an additional disaster to repair transmission. At the moment, these prices merely go via the system with no incentive for effectivity, since neither utilities nor grid operators earn rewards for optimization.
Whereas synthetic intelligence can assist handle the grid, with out significant transmission reforms on the state degree, even the neatest expertise turns into window dressing. We’d like a market that rewards effectivity over waste, not one which rubber-stamps pure gasoline investments whereas photo voltaic and wind sit idle.
Till we align our grid operators’ incentives with our clear power targets, we’ll hold paying premium costs for soiled energy whereas our photo voltaic panels take their costly naps.
Jalal Awan, San Francisco
The author is an analyst on the Utility Reform Community.
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To the editor: California ratepayers spend a whole lot of hundreds of thousands yearly holding gasoline energy vegetation on-line that function solely sporadically. That’s as a result of our grid wants surplus power sources obtainable when demand surges — very like holding additional hearth vehicles prepared for emergencies.
The truth that a small quantity of photo voltaic power doesn’t make it to the grid on cool spring days isn’t alarming. All power sources face curtailment, together with gasoline vegetation that sit idle the overwhelming majority of the 12 months.
What issues is having sufficient clear power obtainable to fulfill power wants on sizzling summer season days, and photo voltaic is important for this.
However California nonetheless has work to do. Generally we’ve got no different choice however to curtail solar energy whereas fossil fuels are nonetheless getting used elsewhere within the state just because we lack the transmission traces to maneuver clear power the place it’s wanted.
The answer for each affordability and reliability isn’t to gradual photo voltaic improvement; it’s to speed up transmission building and battery storage to match our clear power buildout.
Melissa Romero, Sacramento
The author is deputy legislative director of California Environmental Voters.
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To the editor: As a longtime subscriber and home-owner with rooftop photo voltaic since 2005 (and batteries since 2019), I learn with curiosity your article on photo voltaic curtailment, which made it sound like solar energy is over-developed.
It appears to me the criticism is basically about photo voltaic farms, and principally as a consequence of insufficient grid and storage improvement, not rooftop photo voltaic that typically retains manufacturing native.
What we actually must do is to advertise extra storage, together with batteries for houses, grid-smart storage in electrical automobile batteries and pumped water storage, an previous expertise that already provides greater than 90% of present grid storage (but is hardly talked about within the press). Science journal had a great article about it last January.
Rooftop photo voltaic with batteries additionally has stored my house working easily via a number of public security energy shutoffs by Southern California Edison — together with one over a earlier Thanksgiving Day after we had 12 visitors.
The world wants extra photo voltaic and wind energy changing fossil fuels. Sadly, the utilities are compelled to search out earnings for themselves and their shareholders and transfer towards renewables solely when they’re compelled to or they discover a technique to generate income.
Jed Fuhrman, Topanga
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To the editor: Let’s get artistic! There are alternatives for utilizing extra renewable electrical energy.
Information facilities are crying for energy (sure, battery storage might be needed for night-time use).
Additionally, the surplus energy from photo voltaic can be utilized to function desalination vegetation alongside the coast. These might produce extra potable water, fixing a serious price inhibitor of that energy-intensive course of and the long-running battle for water between the farmers and concrete areas.
With that, there may be no must construct costly new infrastructure via the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta to move extra water from Northern California to Southern California. What are we ready for?
David Bach, Sacramento
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To the editor: It isn’t a foul factor to have extra solar energy from rooftop photo voltaic. Rooftop photo voltaic produces power the place it’s used and reduces the necessity for centralized energy era and long-distance transport.
That may be a downside just for energy utilities, which have been working additional onerous to kill rooftop photo voltaic to allow them to hold their earnings.
Rooftop photo voltaic saves large quantities of latest land from being eaten up by photo voltaic farms. It’s ecologically extra sound to place photo voltaic panels on roofs and never on large land-eating farms.
Hannes Ziegler, Redlands
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To the editor: California’s monetary losses from solar energy underscore the idiocy of capitalism.
We pay neighboring states to take our solar-generated electrical energy. This, in flip, results in larger electrical energy prices for Californians whereas enriching middlemen via arbitrage, and decreasing electrical energy charges within the neighboring states.
These states can then profit financially by shutting down their very own photo voltaic installations, whereas holding coal and gasoline vegetation working.
In a extra rational system, all utilities could be publicly owned, as would an in depth array of electrical automobile chargers. Throughout instances of extra solar energy manufacturing, as an alternative of paying different states to take our electrical energy, Californians might have free entry to all state chargers for electrical vehicles, buses, and vehicles—- one other incentive to go electrical.
Banks, hedge-fund middlemen and different cash leeches must discover one thing socially helpful to do.
David Klein, Northridge
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To the editor: So, our sensible California legislators have allowed renewable power to turn into one more company theft of its residents.
Essentially the most financial method to renewable power — rooftop photo voltaic — has been de-incentivized in favor of big photo voltaic farms that cowl delicate desert habitat and should have their power offered out of state at a loss to Californians.
That is company welfare. It’s time to get up and get cheap. These companies — not simply power producers — have to be reined in. The U.S. Supreme Courtroom’s 2010 Residents United choice should be overturned.
No profit-oriented company goes to take human welfare into consideration.
Betsy Rothstein, Lengthy Seashore
