On March 4, 2018, solar in California broke a record. Then, on the 5th, it broke another one. Read more >
Photo: Recurrent Energy
For a Moment, 50+ Percent of CA’s Energy Came From Solar
John Rogers, senior energy analyst, Clean Energy
April 18, 2018 11:19 AM EDT
A grid operation control room. Photo: CAISO
Solar and Wind Need a Larger Electric Grid—and California Might Just Create One
Laura Wisland, senior analyst, Clean Energy
March 27, 2018 12:19 PM EDT
Over the past decade, thousands of megawatts of clean renewable energy have been installed in the West thanks to the declining cost of wind and solar power and state policies like the Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS). Since solar and wind power are by their nature intermittent, large quantities of weather-dependent generation require new solutions to maintain grid reliability while keeping costs low. Read more >
Photo: WClarke/Wikimedia Commons
How Do Big Oil Companies Talk about Climate Science? Four Takeaways from a Day in Court
Kristy Dahl, climate scientist
March 22, 2018 2:09 PM EDT
In front of a standing room only courtroom audience, the case of The People of California vs. B.P. P.L.C. et al. took an important step forward yesterday. In this case, the cities of San Francisco and Oakland, CA, are aiming to hold five major fossil fuel companies responsible for climate damages, particularly with respect to sea level rise. So how did the big oil company defendants present their version of climate science? And how did it compare to the scientific consensus? Together with my UCS colleague Deborah Moore, Western States Senior Campaign Manager, I was lucky enough to get a seat in the courtroom. Here are four of our takeaways from the day: Read more >
The wildfires in northern California in 2017 destroyed more than 8,000 structures, exacerbating the existing housing crisis and creating a jobs shortage for low-income workers, especially farm workers, domestic workers, and workers in the tourism industry. Photo: National Guard
Why Climate Change and Equity Matter for Infrastructure: An Interview with Chione Flegal of PolicyLink
Jamesine Rogers Gibson, Western states senior climate analyst
February 13, 2018 9:46 AM EDT
I recently sat down with Chione Flegal, Senior Director at PolicyLink, a national institute advancing racial and economic equity, to discuss climate risks to vulnerable communities, and the important role “climate smart” infrastructure can play in achieving healthy, thriving communities in the face of climate change. Read more >
An Unseasonably “Hot” February for California’s Clean Energy Landscape
Laura Wisland, senior analyst, Clean Energy
February 12, 2018 10:29 AM EDT
Major policy action for California’s electricity sector mimics the seasons: winter is a relatively quiet, reflective time and major policy developments start to bud in the spring. But lately, the weather in California and electric sector policy developments seem unseasonably hot. For example, it’s currently 75 degrees outside my office in Oakland. And this post details some of the things happening in the policy world that also seem particularly “hot.” Read more >
