California’s growing pains while breaking records

According to the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), on Thursday, June 21st, large-scale solar power set a generation record for the day of 112,356 MWh.

Breaking records

This record is separate from two other records. The most recent was instantaneous solar generation record 10,539 MW at 1:40 pm on April 27, 2018. Just weeks earlier California set a record for peak percentage of demand that was served by solar. That occurred on March 4, 2018, when 49.95 percent of the peak demand was met with solar power.
 

Another factor, not even included in the amazing statistic is how much residential and commercial solar was powering homes and businesses and the power wasn't measured, because it was all used before it even made it to the electrical meter, as CAISO does not have any visibility into solar power located at homes and businesses located behind a customer’s meter.

This means that the peak of 10.5 GW doesn’t account for as much as 6.5 GW of additional power being generated. And the percent demand served by solar increases as well when considered the significant electricity usage offset before the meter is even used. So when you see a record like 10.5 GW being generated, it is more like 17 GW.
 

Even though grid operators in the United States typically do not include behind-the-meter solar power, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration has begun including estimates of such generation. One thing for sure is California will continue to break records, as the solar installations continue to grow.

Handling growth spurts 

Supporters believe that the Trump administration to disrupt California's energy policies would hold up in court.  Kellie Smith, the consultant for the state Assembly's energy committee who wrote Holden's bill, said outside interference is "the absolute most remote possibility." But just in case, she included a provision that would allow California utility companies to exit the new regional market if they weren't allowed to penalize dirty out-of-state energy sources — a sort of nuclear option, since it would leave California without an electricity market and upend two decades of state policy.

"We really would pull out. In a heartbeat we would," Smith said.  "I think the chance of that happening — it's like a fraction of a percent." Critics believe other states are ready to fight. Utah lawmakers approved $1.65 million for a possible lawsuit against California over its rules that increase the price of imported coal power. Some Utah officials believe this is unfair to the state's coal industry. Utah's actions "raise the risk that regionalization could put California's climate policies in the crosshairs," said Matthew Freedman, a staff attorney at the Utility Reform Network, a San Francisco-based watchdog group that disagrees with a regional market.

Supporters of Holden's bill are discussing benefits of a regional market that begins with Oregon and Washington. This is because they share California's commitment to fighting climate change, including Nevada. A research by the California Independent System Operator discovered that an energy market covering results in $1.5 billion in yearly savings for Californians by 2030, and a 3 to 4 percent decrease in regional climate pollution. Check this out for more info.