Friday, July 13, 2012

Stunning Fact: Customer Generated Solar at 122,516 Sites In California Signals Historic Transformation Of Grid


Changing how and where electricity is generated, distributed solar generation is roaring in California.  The California Public Utilities Commission reports that 1,255 megawatts of solar installed at the premises of 122,516 customers is now operating in the Golden State.  And the capacity and customer premises totals are increasing about 25% per year.  The California PUC Report is available here:                                              
http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/NR/rdonlyres/F656D3CA-7724-48FB-81C7-6BDD3AE19CB3/0/SolarReport.pdf.


California is nurturing an historic transformation of the electric grid itself.  And what is happening in California will not stay there. More states will follow.

 Hawaii and New Jersey are pushing forward the distributed generation alternative to the traditional central-station-transmission electric grid with solar but other on-site generation like combined heat and power.  Low-priced gas is fueling CHP commercial gains and improving the economics of fuel cells. If fuel cells make a commercial breakthrough, the transition to a radically decentralized electric grid would reach a tipping point and accelerate greatly.



1 comment:

  1. Promise tax subsidies coupled with forced rate payer purchases and the system gamers and crony capitalists will gladly work with centrally planned statist governments to the economic detriment of the public.

    "It is impossible to introduce into society a greater change and a greater evil than this: the conversion of the law into an instrument of plunder."
    Frederic Bastiat

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