nuclear-news

In its final strategy, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) sticks to “preferred resources” to provide much of the electricity to the Los Angeles/ San Diego area: energy efficiency technologies such as demand response, upgrades to the grid, energy storage and renewable energy. 

Under the plan, the two utilities must use at least 575 MW of “preferred resources” and 300-900 MW from “any source” which could be renewables or natural gas. They did approve 1500 MW of new natural gas last year, which environmental groups say is more than enough.

The Natural Resource Defense Council modeled the energy needed and found there’s no need for more natural gas because of 733 MW of lower energy consumption from building and appliance standards and utility efficiency programs. And since then, even more stringent appliance efficiency standards have been approved by the US Department of Energy for microwaves and commercial refrigerators.

Renewable sources could provide at least two-thirds of the energy and potentially 100% to replace the enormous 2.2 gigawatt nuclear plant, which delivered electricity 1.4 million homes, they say.

Besides the climate and health benefits associated with greater use of clean energy, the state will avoid building multiple natural gas plants. While nuclear provided emissions-free electricity, more gas plants would make it hard for California to meet its climate change targets and existing plants in the area already contribute to some of the dirtiest air in the US.