Several countries, states, and U.S. utilities are pledging to get to a 100% clean electricity system. This is quite the challenge, but this Saturday, April 30th was a step in this direction. For the first time ever, California was powered by 100% clean energy. Statewide energy demand reached 18,672 megawatts at 2:45 pm, with 37,172 MW available. A continuous tracker provided by California Independent System Operator (CAISO) reported that 101% of the power provided came from clean energy.
Two thirds were provided by solar power loaded into the energy grid, about 12,391 megawatts, with the remaining coming from wind, geothermal, and other renewable sources. This lasted for about 15 minutes.
Environment California state director Laura Deehan writes that “Now we need to get our state running on 100% clean energy for the whole day, the whole week, and the whole year. It’s time to move to 100% clean energy, 100% of the time.”
California has a clean energy target mandated of 100% clean electricity by 2045. Though this step was surely an accomplishment, California still has a lot of progress to make to reach this lofty goal. Some environmentalists and solar energy developers note disappointment from recent federal actions in opposition to achieving clean energy goals. The Department of Commerce launched the antidumping investigation which has “pinched off the bulk of the nation’s solar module supply” and delayed solar and energy storage projects, for example.
While the progress made on Saturday in California is a glimpse into the state’s clean energy goals and plans for an emissions-free future, there’s still a long way to go.