2. Presentation Overview
Climates in California
Six Effects of Climate Change
California and Renewables
Targets for the Future
What Can Japan Learn From CA?
3. Climates in California
Northern Coast/Inland:
Typically wetter and colder temperatures with
distinctive seasons, winter rainfall
Central Valley:
Typically dry and chaparral-like biomes with less
rainfall than the North. Hot summers, dry
winters
Southern Coast:
Warmer winters and cooler summers from
offshore currents; summer fog
Southern Inland/Desert:
Very little rainfall, dry all seasons with hot
summers and cold winters, minimal moisture;
arid
As an expansive land mass, the state has a variety of different climates and
biomes, providing as a home to a wide variety of wildlife and plants.
SF
SD
LA
SAC
4. Climate: Then and Now
The natural process of climate change has been accelerated by
human-induced activities over the last few decades.
Global warming will have detrimental effects on some of CA’s
largest industries:
• Agriculture & Wine
• Tourism
• Skiing
• Recreational and commercial fishing
• Forestry
Struggle to meet electricity demand in summer months due to
increased A/C and water usage
5. Agricultural Sector
• CA is the world’s 5th largest supplier of food, cotton fiber, and other
agricultural commodities.
• The unique Mediterranean climate allows the state to grow over 450
different types of crops.
• CA is the largest exporter of almonds in the world and the number one dairy
state in the nation.
• CA also produces over 86% of lemons consumed in the U.S. as well as
accounts for 94% of the nation’s processed tomatoes.
• CA is the 4th largest wine producer in the world.
• CA is also the nation’s leading producer of strawberries with the value of the
CA strawberry cop to be about $700 million with related employment of
more than 48,000 people.
CA plays a significant role in U.S. and global food supply. This
is why climate change have destructive effects on the state!
6. Six Effects of Climate Change
1. Air Pollution
2. Extreme Heat
3. Drought
4. Flooding
5. Extreme Weather
6. Spread of Infectious Diseases
7. 1. Air Pollution
Air pollution plays a significant role in the positive feedback loop that climate
change creates.
• More than 90% of the population already live in areas that violate
state air quality standards
• Asthma sicken ~881,500 kids and ~2,294,800 adults per year
(with the highest polluted areas being in the major cities)
• Smoke pollution from wildfires worsen “bad air days” while the
number of fires is expected to increase by as much as 55% by
late century
2014 CA Wildfire Season:
Number of fires: 7,865
Total area: 555,044 acres (2,246 square km)
Total cost: at least $184.02 million (2014 USD)
8. 2. Extreme Heat
Warming trend affects not only human health but also organisms sensitive
to small temperature changes.
• Forecasted to have 100 more days per year with temperatures above
90F (32C) in LA and above 95F (35C) in Sacramento by the end of the
century
• 2014 was the warmest year on record in CA by an unprecedented
margin
• Extreme temperatures could cause 2~3 times more heat related deaths
(In 2006’s deadly heat waves, CA had 655 deaths in a 2 week period)
• Many CA native fish species (Coho Salmon, Steelhead Trout) are
becoming outnumbered by non-native species (carp) because many of
the native species are Coldwater fish and cannot survive in the warmer
temperature waters
9. 3. Drought
The combination of a reduced amount of rainfall and high temperatures
lead to an even drier climate that requires more water that is unavailable,
destroying the agricultural industry.
• ~93% of the counties in CA face higher risks of water shortages by
mid-century
• Dry conditions fuel out-of-control wildfires across the state destroying
residences and nature
• Water demand predicted to exceed water supply as early as the year
2050
• Dwindling snowpack levels threaten main sources of water (1/3 of CA’s
water supply)
10. 4. Flooding
High temperatures and little rainfall contribute to a hardening of soils not
allowing any rainfall to penetrate the ground. This rainfall flows freely into
sewer systems or urban areas and causes environmental disturbances.
• Combined sewer overflows are a health risk for three communities,
including Sacramento and San Francisco
• California has been declared a disaster area six times in total since
2000 due to damage from storms and flooding
• Rapid SLR (Sea Level Rise)- During the past century, sea levels
along the coast have risen about 7 inches (17.78 cm) affecting
homes and infrastructure along the coast as well as disturbing
coastal marine life
11. 5. Extreme Weather
Steadily increasing frequency and magnitude of “freak storms” and
extreme meteorological events.
In 2011, CA experienced:
• Record-breaking heat in 11 counties and a total of 15 broken
heat records
• Record-breaking rainfall in 26 counties and a total of 60
broken rainfall records
• Record-breaking snow in 6 counties and a total 19 broken
snowfall records
12. 6. Infectious Disease
Increase in temperatures attracts a multitude of disease-causing
bacteria causing harm to humans as well as other organisms.
• Increasing dust promotes the spread of Valley Fever, a
potentially fatal disease that affects ~150,000 people a year
and is caused by inhaling the microscopic spores of
Coccidioides immitis (soil dwelling fungus). It is especially
prevalent in the dusty Central Valley.
• Warmer weather boosts the spread of the West Nile virus;
higher temperatures also can increase the rate of foodborne
and algae-borne diseases
13. California:
An Energy-Conscious State
California has the most
ambitious renewable energy
targets of any U.S. state.
Being one of the larger states
in the nation, Californians see
climate change as a very real
and current threat and are
eager to develop solutions to
address it.
14. Leaders in Renewable Energy
California leads the pack with its share of electricity from renewable
sources more than doubling from 12% in 2008 to 25% today.
The state is also home to the largest geothermal, wind, solar thermal, and
solar photovoltaic power plants in the world.
California currently employs nearly 200,000 people in clean energy
industries and plans to spend $120 billion over the next five years on
clean energy.
The State expects to have photovoltaic panels on a million rooftops by
2017, and with the help of innovative incentive programs and rapidly
declining solar costs, another million installed by 2020.
(CA leads the nation with 403,504 solar projects and 3,217 MW
installed)
“California has installed more solar in the last 18 months than in the previous 18 years”
16. Who Does What?
CA State Legislature
Made up of the CA State Assembly and the CA State Senate that work together (both
Democrats and Republicans) to come to conclusions regarding proposed bills.
CA Energy Commission
The state’s primary energy policy and planning agency that promotes and supports
energy efficiency and conservation and forecasts future energy needs.
CA Air Resources Board
“Clean air agency” of CA with goals of attaining and maintaining healthy air quality,
protecting the public from exposure to toxic air contaminants, and providing
approaches for complying with air regulations.
CA Public Utilities Commission
Regulatory agency that regulates privately owned public utilities in the state including
elecric power, telecommunications, natural gas and water companies.
17. Policies in Place
California Global Warming Solutions of 2006 (AB 32)
• First program in nation to take a comprehensive long-term approach
to addressing climate change in a way that aims to improve the
environment and natural resources while maintaining a robust
economy.
• Requires California to reduce its GHG emissions to 1990 levels by
2020.
• AB 32 also requires a Scoping Plan (that must be updated every 5
years) that lays out CA’s strategy for meeting the goals.
18. Policies in Place (cont’d)
33% of Electricity from Renewables by 2020
• CA is on path to meeting 33% by 2018 and projections show a 40%
procurement by 2020.
• Because the cost of solar and other renewable sources is expected
to decrease, 50% of electricity procured being from renewables by
2030 should be the bare minimum.
19. New Targets
SB 350
• Increase previous goal of 33% to 50% renewable energy by 2030.
SB 350 will bring:
• $51 billion in annual savings from 2030 on ($4000 per household per
year)
• Carbon emissions footprint will drop by over 102 million tons per year
which will be a reduction of 42% from 2015 levels
• 739 fewer deaths each year due to carbon emissions
• Creation of 1.2 million job years by 2030, including 870,000 job years
in the wind and solar industries
20. New Targets (cont’d)
Transportation
• Reduce amount of oil used by vehicles by up to 50%, and double
energy efficiency of existing buildings (SB 350)
• Require 6 million zero-emission vehicles be on the road in 2030.
• Encourage switching to cleaner car fuels through a combination of
financial incentives, fuel-efficiency, and low-carbon emission
standards.
SB 32
• Lower GHG emissions to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030. Goal
should be met before existing goal of 80% below 1990 levels by 2050.
21. Timeline of Targets
2006 2020 2030
AB 32
Reduce GHG
emissions to
1990 levels
by 2020
33% Electricity from RE
40%
Electricity
from RE
2018
SB 350
50%
Electricity
from RE
SB 32
GHG
emissions
40% below
1990 levels
2050
SB 32
GHG
emissions
80% 1990
levels
Clean Power Plan
Carbon pollution from
power sector 32% below
2005 levels
22. Programs
Green Tariff Shared Renewables
Go Solar California
California Solar Initiative
There are several programs in place in California that oversee
that the state is on track to meet certain goals as well as
contributing to the “greening” of the state by implementing new
incentives to go green and point the state into a more
environmentally sustainable direction.
23. Programs (1 of 3)
Green Tariff Shared Renewables
Program designed to allow PG&E, SCE, SDG&E customers to receive
50-100% of their electricity demand come from solar generation.
2 parts:
1. “Green Tariff:
Customers may pay the difference between their current
generation charge and a charge that reflects the cost of
procuring 50-100% solar generation for electricity needs.
2. “Enhanced Community Renewables”
Customer agrees to purchase a share of a local solar project
directly from a solar developer, and in exchange will receive
credit from their utility for the customer’s avoided generation
procurement and for their share of the benefit of the solar
development to utility.
24. Programs (2 of 3)
Go Solar California
Go Solar CA is a campaign joint effort of the CA Energy Commission and
the CA Public Utilities Commission.
Goals (Budget of $3.35 billion):
1. To encourage Californians to install 3,000 MW of solar energy systems
on homes and businesses by the end of 2016
2. To install 585 million therms of gas-displacing solar hot water systems by
the end of 2017. (1 therm= 100,000 British Thermal Units (BTU))
Go Solar California provides a “one stop shop” for information on solar
program thermal systems as well as info on program rule, eligible
equipment and standards, and how to find an eligible and licensed solar
contractor.
25. Programs (3 of 3)
California Solar Initiative
Budget: $2.167 billion between 2007-2016
Funding: Electric ratepayers and overseen by CA Public Utilities
Commission
Goal: To install ~1,940 MW of new solar generation capacity (As of 2013
there was 490 MW of concentrated solar power and 5,183 MW of PV
capacity in generation).
What is it?
A solar rebate program for CA consumers that are customers
of the investor-owned utilities (Pacific Gas and Electric, San Diego
Gas and Electric, Southern California Edison). It is a key component
of the Go Solar CA campaign.
26. California Solar
Initiative
Components/What it does:
• Fund solar on existing homes, existing or new commercial, agricultural,
government, and non-profit buildings. (Fund both PV and other solar
thermal generating techniques)
• Fund solar hot water (solar thermal systems) on homes and businesses.
• Solar rebate program for low income residents that own single-family
homes and meet a variety of income and housing eligibility criteria (Single
Family Affordable Solar Homes (SASH) program)
• Solar rebate program for multi family affordable housing (Multifamily
Affordable Solar Housing (MASH) program)
• Solar grant programs to fund grants for research, development,
demonstration and deployment of solar technologies CSI RD&D
program
27. Solar Businesses
SolarCity
This allows homeowners to pay less each month when they adopt solar
power than they previously paid for electricity from the utility company.
Established in San Mateo, CA,
SolarCity is an American provider of
energy services that introduced a
new solar leasing option for
homeowners that significantly
reduces or eliminates the upfront
cost of installing solar power.
28. Solar
Businesses
SunEdison
Established in Maryland Heights, Missouri in 1959, SunEdison started out
as a silicon wafer manufacturing company (under the name MEMC
Electronic Materials) but changed it’s name and focus to solar energy
under their new name, SunEdison, in May of 2013.
With its acquisition of the wind-energy company First Wind in 2014 (for
$2.4 billion), SunEdison established themselves as one of the major
renewable energy development companies in the world.
They also acquired Vivint Solar, a rooftop panel installer, in July 2015 at
$2.2 billion allowing them to expand into the U.S. residential solar market.
29. Battery Energy Storage System
(BESS)
• Primus Power Modesto Wind Firming Energy Farm- Battery,
Zinc Chlorine Redox Flow (Modesto)
• SDG&E Greensmith Li-ion Energy Storage System
Demonstration- Battery, Lithium Ion (San Diego)
• UC San Diego BMW Energy Storage System- Battery Lithium
Ion (San Diego)
• Tesla Motors Powerwall Home Battery
30. Energy Storage
Businesses
Stem
• Change the way energy is being
consumed and helps businesses
better manage energy costs
• Makes way for a more efficient
electrical grid
• Products display real-time usage
of energy, storing and deploying
energy efficiently
• Allows consumers to be more
conscious regarding their energy
usage
Imergy (2004)
• Industry’s first battery using recycled
vanadium which lowers
manufacturing costs.
• High performance: doesn’t degrade
over time, non-flammable, non-
explosive, huge range in temp
• Doesn’t lose efficiency, endlessly
reusable
• Also has work overseas in India-
selling batteries to SunEdison to pair
with solar systems
In the residential solar sector, storage is expected to see a tenfold growth by 2018
31. Effects on Economy
The new targets and policies have impacted the economy positively by
providing a new wave of jobs in the energy industry.
Some downsides (short term effects):
• Some residents living in areas with limited sunlight who convert to
100% solar may end up finding it difficult to pay a higher price
including cost of installation (solution: partial conversion to solar)
• Manufacturing operations will have to lay off employees or reduce
wages to keep up with energy costs
32. Can Japan Learn from
California?
Focusing not only on energy and its integration
with renewable energy sources, but also looking
into reducing pollution brought on by climate
change may be a beneficial move other countries
may make.
CA also has it’s own obstacles…
Similarities
• Land mass size
• Range of climates
• Nature-conscious mindset
Differences
• Different avenues for
influencing political
change
• CA places heavy
emphasis on root
causes of change in
parallel with tactics to
address
34. Sources
1) Zero net energy homes (new homes) by 2020- West Village article
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/what-its-like-to-live-smart-energy-efficient-home-future-180956001/?no-ist
2) Climate Change Might Break Carbon Dating
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/climate-change-might-break-carbon-dating-180956062/
3) US Department of Energy
https://www.energycodes.gov/adoption/states/california
4) Governor proposing ambitious RE goals
http://www.desmogblog.com/2015/01/06/california-sets-ambitious-new-renewable-energy-target
5) Save $51 billion
http://www.triplepundit.com/2015/05/ca-govs-renewable-energy-plan-will-save-51b-year/
Bloomberg News, Fuel Targets
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-27/california-energy-chief- calls-brown-s-fuel-target-a-moon-shot-
7) First mention of SB 350
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/California-Is-On-Track-For-a-Major-Renewable-Energy-Boost
8) green tariff shared renewables
http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060017807
9) GTSR explanation:
http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/energy/Electric+Rates/The_Green_Tariff_Shared_Renewables_GTSR_Program.htm
10) SB 43
http://cleantechnica.com/2014/05/13/solar-power-renewables-will-californias-sb-43-ensure-access-solar-everyone/
11) Los Angeles Times
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-olsen-hochschild-california-solar-energy-20150312-story.html
12) SolarCity
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SolarCity
13) Obama and severe emission reduction targets by 2022
http://news.yahoo.com/obama-mandate-steeper-emissions-cuts-us-power-plants-090146615--politics.html
14) SunEdison
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SunEdison
15) CA Strategists Push for 100% Clean Energy
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-j-berger/california-energy-strateg_b_6051616.html
16) Go Solar CA
http://www.gosolarcalifornia.ca.gov/about/csi.php
17) AB 32
http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/ab32/ab32.htm
18) Climate Change and Threats
http://www.nrdc.org/health/climate/ca.asp
19) Climate US News
http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/at-the-edge/2015/04/14/climate-change-and-the-california-drought
20) Union of Concerned Scientists Blog
http://blog.ucsusa.org/obama-final-clean-power-plan-833
21) Cover Image
https://www.google.co.jp/search?q=green+california&espv=2&biw=1013&bih=579&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAWoVChMI-tmNxvKixwIVhBWmCh3fbgkG#imgrc=spTGnuzEyPVROM%3A
22) Image Slide 4
https://www.google.co.jp/search?q=California+on+a+map&espv=2&biw=778&bih=579&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAWoVChMI7aDyj8WlxwIVw2KmCh0w0ADM#tbm=isch&q=California+renewable+state&imgrc=CioxZwvFeFlJ0M%3A
23) Go Solar California Image
https://www.google.co.jp/search?q=california+solar+initiative&espv=2&biw=1097&bih=622&site=webhp&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAmoVChMI6peVu-qxxwIVhNqmCh0GsACW
24) SolarCity Image
https://www.google.co.jp/search?q=california+solar+initiative&espv=2&biw=1097&bih=622&site=webhp&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAmoVChMI6peVu-qxxwIVhNqmCh0GsACW#tbm=isch&q=solar+city+
25) SunEdison Logo
https://www.google.co.jp/search?q=california+solar+initiative&espv=2&biw=1097&bih=622&site=webhp&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAmoVChMI6peVu-qxxwIVhNqmCh0GsACW#tbm=isch&q=sunedison+
26) California Solar Initiative Image
https://www.google.co.jp/search?q=california+solar+initiative&espv=2&biw=1097&bih=622&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAmoVChMIpbnQ0fSxxwIVSxuUCh3RMwAg#imgrc=_
27) Overview of CA Legislative Process
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/bil2lawx.html
28) Effect on the economy
http://careaboutenergy.org/wp-content/uploads/Energy-Policy-and-Opportunity-in-Los-Angeles.pdf
29) Imergy
http://www.imergy.com/press-releases
30) CA Agriculture
http://www.dairymoos.com/interesting-facts-about-california-agriculture/
Editor's Notes
Remind that questions are welcomed at any time
CA is known to have a variety of different climates because of it’s large land mass area and is home to a wide range of animals and plants.
N.C/Inland: known to be typically wetter with older temperatures year round with 4 distinctive seasons, along with plenty of rainfall during the winter months.
C.V: Known for it’s dryness and chaparral like biome with less rainfall than the North gets. They usually go through fairly hot summers and have dry winter months.
S.C: Much warmer winters than it’s northern counterparts and cooler summers because it’s position on the coast allows for offshore currents and summer fog.
Desert: Receives very little rainfall, dry all seasons with summers sometimes in the extreme high temperatures. Cold and dry winters are a characteristic achieved by the minimal moisture; very arid
Although C.C. is indeed a natural process of the earth, the anthropogenic effects the earth faces is causing it to accelerate and the effects to increase in magnitude over the last few decades. Some of these anthropogenic effects include high emissions of environmentally toxic substances and our wasteful culture/mindset.
The resulting global warming will affect some of CA’s biggest industries including Ag/wine, tourism, skiing, fishing, and forestry.
Meeting the increasing demand for electricity will also become a task that becomes harder and harder to achieve with time.
For the first effect of climate change, I have focused on air pollution.
Air pollution is a sticky situation once we get involved in it because reducing emissions in a growing economy or a growing population is not an easy task. Here are some quick facts regarding air pollution:
More than 90% of the population in CA already reside in areas that violate state air quality standards.
Asthma sicken approximately 2 million adults per year in the highest polluted areas
Smoke pollution from wildfires worsen ‘bad air days’… this problem will only worsen with the number of fires expected to be on the rise by as much as a 55% increase by late century.
I think we have all felt the recent effects of climate change and global warming even here in Japan with the extraordinary temperatures this summer.
Although this heat is hitting us humans, it is having devastating effects on organisms that are more sensitive to small changes in temperature.
Some quick facts about this heat we are experiencing are:
We could have 100 more days with temps above 90F in LA and above 95F in Sac by the end of the century
2014 was the warmest year on record by a lot….so far. We’ll see how the records will be for this year.
A continuation of these highs could lead to 2-3 times more heat related deaths
Many native CA fish species such as steelhead trout and coho salmon are on the brink of extinction because they are coldwater fish and cannot handle the warmer temperature waters. Other non-native species such as carp are overtaking their original habitats as they are able to adapt to these higher temperatures.
Personally, I feel that the drought has most directly affected me throughout my years living in CA because it is something that is very evident and I can feel. The news is always reporting on how much water we have left or how much the agricultural sector is suffering.
Having high temps and an already dry climate allows CA to be the perfect place for a drought to occur.
Approximately 93% of the counties in CA face higher risks of water shortages by mid-century
Dry conditions fuel crazy fires across the state demolishing residences and wildlife
The water demand is expected to exceed the water supply as early as the year 2050…which is only 35 years away!!
Snowpack levels are also at all time lows and this creates a problem for us because 1/3 of our water supply originates from snowpack. However, with these high temps, the snow melts too quickly, turns into rain or water and dries out the soil much quicker than snowmelt, contributing to more drought conditions.
Having a combination of high temps and limited rainfall actually contributes to a hardening of soils which doesn’t allow for any rainwater to penetrate the ground leading it to run off into nearby sewer systems or other urban areas.
Combined sewer overflows are a health risk for 3 communities, including Sac and SF
CA has been declared a disaster area 6 times in total since 2000 because of the damage it has received through storms and consequent floods.
Rapid SLR is also another topic that is often overlooked but is an isssue that will increasingly become a problem. During tha past centurt, sea levels along the coast have risen about 7 inches affecting homes an infrastructure along the coast. This causes disturbances to people who have built homes along the coast but also to coastal marine life.
There have been many storms that are sometimes referred to as “freak storms” for their intensity the last couple of years in CA due to the climate change occurring. Even in the absense of storms, CA has experienced unusually hot summers and brutally cold winters.
In 2011 alone, the state experienced:
Record-breaking heat in 11 counties and a total of 15 broken heat records
Record-breaking rainfall in 26 counties and a total of 60 broken rainfall records
Record-breaking snow in 6 counties and a total 19 broken snowfall records
The high temperatures are not only unpleasant to deal with especially in these summer months but they also provide a breeding ground for bacteria harmful to humans. Some of these bacteria also harm plants and are detrimental to agriculture.
Increasing amounts of dust from the arid landscapes promote the spread of Valley Fever, a potentially fatal disease that affects about 150,000 people a year. It has been well documented in the central valley and cases have been on the rise.
Warmer weather also boosts the spread of the West Nile virus and the high temps also increase the rate of foodborne and algae borne illnesses.
Now, I’ll segway into the energy and policies section of my presentation…
So as I think many of you may know CA is known for being very energy-conscious and also is known for having the most ambitious renewable energy targets in the U.S.
This is most likely due to the sheer size of the state and the mindset that many Californians have regarding climate change and seeing it as a real threat that they are eager to develop solutions for.
CA has installed more solar in the last 18 months that in the previous 18 years showing that they are very serious about making hard changes in order to meet new goals that have been put in place in the state.
The state leads the pack with its share of electricity stemming from renewable sources more than doubling from 12% in 2008 to 25% today.
CA also has the largest geothermal, wind, solar thermal, and solar PV power plants in the world.
The state also currently employs over 200,000 people in clean energy and plans to spend $120 billion over the next 5 years solely on clean energy.
Also, CA expects to have solar panels on a million rooftops by 2017, and another million installed by 2020.
Here’s a short clip of a super “green” and eco friendly apt complex focused on sustainability and reducing the carbon footprint. They install only high efficient appliances and solar panel all roofs.
It is located in my university, UC Davis and I also live here.
Here I’ll explain a little bit about who is in charge of making energy related policies
The CA state legislature is made up of 2 groups: the CA state assembly and the CA state senate. They work together (regardless of dem/rep) to come to conclusions regarding bills that have been introduced and proposed to them.
The CA energy commission is the state’s primary energy policy and planning agency and it also seeks to promote and support energy efficiency across the state. The energy commission also forecasts the state’s future needs and tries to plan for them.
In the following few slides I will mention ‘SB’ and ’AB’ but to clarify what they stand for; SB stands for senate bill which means that a bill or proposed idea was introduced in the state senate and AB means that it originated in the state assembly.
The CA global warming solutions of 2006, more commonly known as AB 32 is the nation’s first program to take a long term approach in addressing climate change in a way that aims to improve the environmental and use of natural resources while maintaining a robust economy.
AB 32 requires CA to reduce its GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 as well as a scoping plan that must be updated every 5 years to make sure that the goals will be met with the current strategies put into place.
Another policy is the goal of procuring 33% of CA’s electricity from renewable sources by the year 2020.
The state is actually on it’s way to meeting 33% by 2018 and 40% by 2020; much more ahead of schedule than previously believed.
Because the cost of solar and other renewable energy generating sources is expected to decrease, 50% of electricity from renewables by 2030 should be seen as the bare minimum.
Here are some policies that have been put in place in more recent times:
SB 350 lays out that there will be a need to increase from 33% to 50% of energy from renewables by the year 2030.
SB 350 will bring:
$51 billion in annual savings from 2030 on ($4000 per household per year)
Carbon emissions footprint will drop by over 102 million tons per year which will be a reduction of 42% from 2015 levels
739 fewer deaths each year due to carbon emissions
Creation of 1.2 million job years by 2030, including 870,000 job years in the wind and solar industries
Changes are occurring as well in the transportation sector which demonstrates CA’s integrative approach. For example:
Reduce amount of oil used by vehicles by up to 50%, and double energy efficiency of existing buildings (SB 350)
Require 6 million zero-emission vehicles be on the road in 2030.
Encourage switching to cleaner car fuels through a combination of financial incentives, fuel-efficiency, and low-carbon emission standards.
SB 32 is another policy that highlights lowering GHG emissions to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030 which should be met before the goal of having emissions 80% below 1990 levels by 2050.
Here is a timeline I roughly put together to make it a little more visually comprehendible.
I think having several goals within a couple years of each other will help the state keep on track and hopefully encourage other states in the U.S. to follow in suit.
In addition to targets and goals that CA is on track to meet, the state has implemented some programs to help keep themselves on track. I have picked 3 programs for the sake of time and briefness but there are many more active programs in CA.
The programs I will discuss include the
Green Tariff Shared Renewables
Go Solar California
California Solar Initiative
The Green tariff shared renewables program is a system designed to allow the customers of PG&E (Pacific Gas and Electric), SCE (Southern CA Edison), SD&E (San Diego---) by choice to receive 50-100% of their electricity demand from solar generation. It is capped with a maximum enrollment of 600MW statewide.
There are 2 parts of this program:
The first part, “green tariff” consists of allowing the customers to pay the difference between their current generation charge and a charge that reflects the cost of procuring 50-100% solar generation for electricity needs.
The second part, “enhanced community renewables” outlines a program where a customer agrees to purchase a share of a local solar project directly from a solar developer, and in exchange receives credit from their utility for the customer’s avoided generation procurement and for their share of the benefit of the solar development to utility.
The 2nd program, Go Solar CA is a campaign joint effort of the CA energy commission and the CA public utilities commission.
The goal of GoSolar CA is:
To encourage Californians to install 3,000 megawatts of solar energy systems on homes and businesses by the end of 2016.
To install 585 million therms of gas-displacing solar hot water systems by the end of 2017. (1 therm= 100,000 British Thermal Units (BTU))
Go Solar California provides a “one stop shop” for information on solar program thermal systems as well as info on program rules, eligible equipment and standards, and how to find an eligible and licensed solar contractor.
California Solar Initiative is also a fairly well known solar rebate program designed for CA consumers that are customers of the investor-owned utilities.
It is a part of the Go Solar CA campaign with funding from electric ratepayers and a goal to install 1940 MW of new solar generation capacity.
The CA Solar Initiative consists of many parts as it encompasses and oversees many tasks. Some of these tasks include:
Funding solar on existing homes, existing or new commercial, agricultural, government, and non-profit buildings. (Fund both PV and other solar thermal generating techniques)
Funding solar hot water (solar thermal systems) on homes and businesses.
Solar rebate program for low income residents that own single-family homes and meet a variety of income and housing eligibility criteria (Single Family Affordable Solar Homes (SASH) program)
Solar rebate program for multi family affordable housing (Multifamily Affordable Solar Housing (MASH) program)
Solar grant programs to fund grants for research, development, demonstration and deployment of solar technologies CSI RD&D program
Here I will briefly into 2 solar businesses that are performing well in the last few years and dominating the solar industry in CA:
The first will be SolarCity, founded in San Mateo (in Northern CA).
They are a provider of energy services that introduced the concept of solar leasing for homeowners that significantly reduces or eliminates the upfront cost of installing solar power.
SolarCity makes it feasible for homeowners to pay less each month when they adopt solar power, allowing making the switch to solar a more appealing one.
The 2nd business, SunEdison was originally a silicon wafer manufacturing company under a different name (MEMC Electronic Materials) but changed their name to SunEdison when they changed their company focus to solar energy in May 2013.
SunEdison purchased the wind-energy company, First Wind in 2014 which transformed the company into becoming the leading renewable energy development company in the world.
Acquiring Vivint Solar in 2015 aldo allowed them to expand them into the U.S. residential solar market.
There are many battery energy storage systems in CA as it is becoming more important to be able to store the energy that is generated during the daytime for use later on. There are more energy storage systems that exist in CA but many of them are still in the project or experimental stage so I have chosen to briefly mention only the commercial systems.
Primus Power: provides flexible capacity for the region and compensate for the variable nature of wind and solar energy
SDG&E Greensmith: Research and development facility used to evaluate the performance and reliability of a variety of grid-connected Li-ion battery technologies; they are investigating PV-battery integration capabilities.
UCSD BMW System : Fully sponsored by BMW, consists of used mini-E electric vehicle batteries, and will have about 108kW of power capacity and 2-3 hours of energy storage. System will be integrated with PV solar
The business of monitoring how energy is being consumed and allowing people to make smarter choices regarding how much they are using and when they are is booming. Finding ways to store solar energy that is captured during the day for use during the night is becoming increasingly desirable.
Stem:
Change the way energy is being consumed and helps businesses better manage energy costs
Makes way for a more efficient electrical grid
Products display real-time usage of energy, storing and deploying energy efficiently
Allows consumers to be more conscious regarding their energy usage
Imergy:
Industry’s first battery using recycled vanadium which lowers manufacturing costs.
High performance: doesn’t degrade over time, non-flammable, non-explosive, huge range in temp
Doesn’t lose efficiency, endlessly reusable
Also has work overseas in India- selling batteries to SunEdison to pair with solar systems
The effect that this “Green” wave has brought upon CA’s economy is one that is mostly positive.
The most obvious and major impact that has been caused by this movement is the creation of jobs in the energy industry, supplying many people with new opportunities for work.
However, some downsides also exist. For example:
Residents finding it difficult to pay a higher price for renewable energy sources
Gasoline, diesel and other fuel prices will increase under AB 32 due to the cap and trade markets of 2015 (CA already has the highest prices of gasoline of any of the Western states)
Manufacturing operations will have to lay off employees or reduce wages to keep up with energy costs
The main question here is: Can Japan Learn From CA and how so?
Let’s look into a few specifics of what CA and Japan have in common as well as characteristics they differ in.
Similarities
Land mass size
Range of climates
Nature-conscious mindset
Differences
Different avenues for influencing political change
CA places heavy emphasis on root causes of change in parallel with tactics to address
Because CA and Japan do seem to share the same land area as well as a nature-conscious mindset, I believe that there are things that can be modeled after CA. That being said, some tactics that work in one area may not work with the same amount of efficiency or magnitude due to the differences the countries have.
Although CA has progressed far in the renewables and clean energy sector and in attempting to slow down climate change through limiting our actions, CA still faces many obstacles. There are many sides to this argument because residents feel that there has not been enough done or action has been taken at too late of a time for any real benefit to be had. The problem of where funding should go first (water needs, electricity, carbon emissions, renewables) is always a heated topic because of the sense of emergency that Californians feel from the changing climate.
I believe that because CA is feeling the effects of climate change and global warming now instead of knowing that they will feel the effects later on, they are more prone to take immediate action to address these pressing issues.
