California

To avoid blackouts, California may tap fossil fuel plants

Published

2 years ago

July 1, 2022

To avoid blackouts, California may tap fossil fuel plants

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Trying to keep away from energy blackouts, California could flip to the one power supply it is in any other case determined to eliminate: fossil fuels.

What You Want To Know

A sweeping power proposal Gov. Newsom signed Thursday places the state within the enterprise of shopping for energy to make sure there’s sufficient to go round throughout warmth waves that pressure the grid

The invoice goals to hurry up the constructing of extra renewable power and storage services by eradicating native governments from allowing selections

California will get most of its power from renewable sources through the day, however does not but have the storage to dispatch sufficient solar energy after the solar goes down

Some critics say the tactic of getting there’s at odds with the state’s broader local weather objectives, as a result of it paves the way in which for the state to faucet growing older gas-fired energy crops and add backup mills fueled by diesel

A sweeping power proposal Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Thursday places the state within the enterprise of shopping for energy to make sure there’s sufficient to go round throughout warmth waves that pressure the grid. However some critics say the tactic of getting there’s at odds with the state’s broader local weather objectives, as a result of it paves the way in which for the state to faucet growing older gas-fired energy crops and add backup mills fueled by diesel.

The talk highlights the problem some states are going through as they scramble to handle warmth waves fueled by local weather change with out compromising on their pledges to transition to non-fossil gasoline power sources like photo voltaic and wind.

California will get most of its power from renewable sources through the day, however does not but have the storage to dispatch sufficient solar energy after the solar goes down. The invoice goals to hurry up the constructing of extra renewable power and storage services by eradicating native governments from allowing selections. Provide chain points are additionally slowing down constructing.

Democratic state Sen. Dave Min famous the difficult place the state is in by doubtlessly needing to depend on fossil fuels and their planet-warming emissions to take care of the warmth waves pushed by local weather change.

“That’s the apparent conundrum that we’re in,” mentioned Min, who represents Huntington Seaside, a coastal neighborhood house to a gas-fired energy plant.

The issue isn’t distinctive to California. In New Mexico, a coal-fired energy plant was slated to shut its final two items Thursday. However a serious utility requested the state to maintain one unit open by means of September to fulfill calls for throughout sizzling summer time months since photo voltaic and battery storage initiatives that have been meant to switch the misplaced capability have been delayed.

State power officers warned earlier this 12 months that the state dangers an power shortfall equal to what it takes to energy 1.3 million properties on the summer time’s hottest days. Newsom and lawmakers are determined to keep away from a situation like August 2020, when lots of of 1000’s of individuals briefly misplaced energy as a result of there wasn’t sufficient provide to go round.

Newsom’s resolution facilities on making a “strategic reliability reserve” run by the Division of Water Assets. The water company has been provided that function as a result of it’s a main producer and consumer of energy by means of its dams and operation of the state’s water pumping system. This summer time, the division might reimburse utilities if they’ve to purchase additional energy and add short-term energy mills, together with these powered by fossil fuels. Any diesel-powered mills could not be used previous 2023.

Past that, the water division would be capable of construct new power storage and zero-emission producing stations. It might additionally spend state cash shopping for energy from coastal gas-fired crops which are set to shut in 2023. The crops have been first set to shut in 2020. Likewise, the division might hold shopping for energy from the state’s final remaining nuclear plant if it stays open past its 2025 closure.

Newsom mentioned in a signing assertion that he would direct state businesses to “guarantee clear power sources are prioritized over fossil fuels.”

Sen. Henry Stern, a Democrat from Los Angeles County, mentioned whereas the invoice doesn’t permit for the extension of fossil gasoline crops, it’s a query lawmakers must deal with.

“What this invoice is doing is shopping for time,” he mentioned.

Republican state Sen. Shannon Grove, who represents fossil fuel-rich Bakersfield, mentioned the laws proves California wants oil and gasoline.

“If we don’t have these gas-powered crops to fireside up once we want them, you will be unable to flip the swap and get electrical energy,” she mentioned.

Environmental teams, in the meantime, mentioned the state would not must depend on fossil fuels as a backup if it had moved quicker to construct up renewable sources and expressed concern that the invoice does not put sufficient guardrails on the water division’s energy. The division wouldn’t should adjust to California’s landmark environmental regulation to maneuver ahead with new initiatives.

“The state is saying we have to depend on fossil energy they usually’re not absolutely admitting that it is due to this lack of ambition,” mentioned Alexis Sutterman, power fairness supervisor for the California Environmental Justice Alliance.

Andrew Campbell, govt director of the Vitality Institute on the College of California, Berkeley’s Haas College of Enterprise, mentioned the water division’s new authority to purchase energy is “very expansive and open ended” and one thing that “actually deserves scrutiny.”

California, he mentioned, is probably going on the forefront of a problem that can in all probability hit different U.S. states as they transfer away from fossil fuels and increase how a lot power is required from the grid.

“Growing {an electrical} system that may be very clear and doing that reliably is a problem that hasn’t been solved wherever,” he mentioned. “And California, as a result of it’s thus far together with renewable power growth, is hitting that problem earlier than another locations.”

Source link

Click to comment

California

Northern California driver dies after vehicle found in floodwaters, 1 other found dead

Published

2 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

Northern California driver dies after vehicle found in floodwaters, 1 other found dead

PIX Now morning edition 11-23-24

09:29

SONOMA COUNTY – A man died when he was found in a flooded vehicle after an atmospheric river dumped heavy rain in Northern California, authorities said.

In Sonoma County’s Guerneville, first responders responded to a report around 11:30 a.m. Saturday for a vehicle that was seen in floodwaters near Mays Canyon Road and Highway 116.

The caller believed that at least one person was inside the vehicle.

When crews arrived, they said the vehicle was recovered but a man was pronounced dead at the scene. He has not been identified.

The Russian River, which flows through Guerneville, reached the flood stage on Friday evening and exceeded what was forecasted.

This area went into a flood warning around 2 p.m. Friday and was still in place as of Saturday afternoon.

Guerneville is about 75 miles north of San Francisco.

Around 8:45 a.m. Saturday in Santa Rosa, a man was found dead in Piner Creek just south of Guerneville Road, the police department said. His death is being investigated.

Brandon Downs

Brandon Downs is a digital content producer at CBS Sacramento.

Source link

California

Laura Richardson completes a political comeback, winning tight race to represent South L.A. in the California Capitol

Published

11 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

Laura Richardson completes a political comeback, winning tight race to represent South L.A. in the California Capitol

Laura Richardson emerged the victor of the competitive, costly and feisty election to win a South Los Angeles seat in the state Senate — completing her political comeback more than 10 years after a tumultuous tenure in the House of Representatives.

Richardson narrowly won the race against Michelle Chambers, a community justice advocate who faced accusations of misconduct in prior public office. The Associated Press called the race Friday after weeks of ballot counting.

The contest between two Democrats with similar social policies but differing views on crime and business attracted huge spending by special interests.

Independent expenditure committees poured more than $7.6 million into the race, making it the most expensive election for state Legislature this year, according to California Target Book, a political database. Negative campaigning dominated the race as business interests and labor unions battled for their favored candidate.

Richardson, a moderate Democrat, will join a Democratic supermajority in the Legislature. But Republicans are on track to flip three legislative seats this year, one in the Senate and two in the Assembly.

Richardson’s biggest supporters were businesses, including PACs funded by oil companies, and law enforcement associations that said they advocated for candidates who shared their beliefs on free enterprise and public safety. Meanwhile, Chambers’ biggest portion of support came from healthcare workers and teachers unions, who spent millions of dollars backing her.

Chambers wrote in a statement she was “proud of the campaign we ran,” thanking supporters who canvassed, phone-banked or cast votes for her “vision of better jobs, better wages and a California that works for everybody, not just the wealthy and well-connected.”

“This was the closest state senate race in the state, but unfortunately it appears that we will fall just short of victory,” she added. “Our people-powered efforts were not quite enough to overcome millions of dollars in outside spending on lies from the oil and tobacco industry and their allies.“

Richardson will succeed Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) in the 35th District, which encompasses the cities of Carson, Compton and stretches down to the harbor. Bradford, who had endorsed Chambers, said he believed both candidates were “qualified to do the job.”

Bradford, who championed reparations legislation during his tenure, hoped the future senator would be “willing to meet with all factions of the community, because it’s a great diverse need in this district.”

“I’m also deeply sad to see how negative this campaign was, probably one of the most negative campaigns I’ve experienced in my 30-plus years of being involved with elections,” he said. “I just hope that we can come together after such a negative campaign, regardless of who the victor is, and understand that we have to work together.”

Richardson and Chambers took aim at each other’s past controversies. For Chambers, who had picked up the endorsement of various state and local elected officials, opposition groups seized on a criminal misdemeanor charge from 30 years ago. She was also accused of bullying and intimidation from her time as a Compton City Council member, allegations that she has repeatedly denied.

Richardson faced criticism over her tenure in Congress, where a House Ethics Committee investigation found her guilty in 2012 of compelling congressional staff to work on her campaign. The committee report also accused Richardson of obstructing the committee investigation “through the alteration or destruction of evidence” and “the deliberate failure to produce documents.”

Richardson admitted to wrongdoing, according to the report, and accepted a reprimand and $10,000 fine for the violations. She previously said that during her time in Congress, Republicans frequently targeted members of the Black Caucus. After she lost her reelection bid for a fourth term, Richardson said she worked at an employment firm to improve her managerial skills and has recognized previous mistakes.

“It’s been said voters are very forgiving, and if you stand up and you accept responsibility and you improve in the work that you do — we need people who’ve been through things, who understand what it’s like to have had difficulties,” she previously told The Times. “And so that’s exactly what I did. I didn’t shy away from it.”

Source link