California rolling blackouts again? Shades of a few years past when I was interviewed by CNN.
At that time, I invoked industry to take up the mantle and use solar power to help alleviate and support the standard grid. What has been learned since? Do we see some improvements that will prevent the general blackouts which occurred years ago?
While some blamed deregulation and the power companies, we can also see by this interview with Charles Feldman of CNN that it had much to do with the state’s lack of support of new generating technologies, as well as politics or anything else involved in the equation.
So how far has California come from there? Well, for one, Californians elected a governor who is totally pro-solar in Arnold Schwarzenegger. Then, we know that Palo Alto has become the darling of the nanotech of solar with new companies like Nanosolar and Miasole establishing operations there that promise to turn the solar world with disruptive technologies. Plus, the fact is that with the utilities more aware of the potential for catastrophe and the public’s lack of patience should this occur again, they have taken steps to permit greater import in times of crisis.
Finally, the California Energy Commission has created programs that will turn California into the next Germany in terms of government support, thanks in large part to the Governator’s support.
In the end, we are still looking at potential planned rolling blackouts. Perhaps a little less helter skelter than last time, however still showing that we have a long way to go before we reach energy security, safety and independance in the largest state in the USA.
Sass