Fwd: [GW-ACT-LEADERS] CEC Decision Means U.S.-Wide Rooftop PV Capacity Has Great Relevance to RPS Go
This is a huge decision, with relevance to PATH/TrAILCo and related West Virginia issues.
If on-site urban photovoltaics can come in at 9-11 cents per kilowatt (compared to the current cost of 5-6 cents for new coal plants), and if local utilities can avoid the cost of multi-billion dollar transmission lines, new fossil fuel plants are not needed, at least not for peaking power. As carbon emissions costs get factored in (adding 20-50 % to the cost of coal-fired electricity), the challenge for generators will be to decide how to ramp down and phase out existing fossil fuel plants.
JBK
Edward Mainland emainland@COMCAST.NET 7/19/2009 8:00 PM >>>
Landmark decision: In June California's Energy Commission ruled that PV solar arrays on rooftops and parking lots may now be considered a viable alternative to gas turbine projects. The decision's relevance to RPS goals is clear, according to Bill Powers (see below) who says it has far-reaching implications for renewable energy development in California and the nation. California's investor-owned utilities now will have more difficulty ignoring or neglecting this resource, which Bill estimates nationally as more than one million MW (more than twice the average U.S. electrical load). Utilities no longer can so easily promote more gas peaker plants, large remote solar thermal projects and new transmission lines in wild lands at the expense of distributed power closer to consumers. For CEC, the urban PV alternative is now the potential "first in line" generation resource. Proponents of any new gas-fired generator or large, remote renewable facility arguably must now pass a much more rigorous urban PV litmus test to gain CEC project approval. See below an exchange between Bill Powers and Carl Zichella. See also Bill's attached article in "Natural Gas & Electricity Journal". -- Ed M.
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A little info. closer to home. Solar Industry just released that AEP Ohio just entered into contract with Wyandot Solar to purchase all the output from a new 10.08 MW facility to be built in Ohio.
It is getting closer to home OH, NJ, and PA have all got utility sized solar!
Kevin Fooce fooce@hotmail.com 304-593-2875
EMAILING FOR THE GREATER GOOD Join me
Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:00:18 -0400 From: jkotcon@wvu.edu To: ec@osenergy.org Subject: [EC] Fwd: [GW-ACT-LEADERS] CEC Decision Means U.S.-Wide Rooftop PV Capacity Has Great Relevance to RPS Go
This is a huge decision, with relevance to PATH/TrAILCo and related West Virginia issues.
If on-site urban photovoltaics can come in at 9-11 cents per kilowatt (compared to the current cost of 5-6 cents for new coal plants), and if local utilities can avoid the cost of multi-billion dollar transmission lines, new fossil fuel plants are not needed, at least not for peaking power. As carbon emissions costs get factored in (adding 20-50 % to the cost of coal-fired electricity), the challenge for generators will be to decide how to ramp down and phase out existing fossil fuel plants.
JBK
Edward Mainland emainland@COMCAST.NET 7/19/2009 8:00 PM >>>
Landmark decision: In June California's Energy Commission ruled that PV solar arrays on rooftops and parking lots may now be considered a viable alternative to gas turbine projects. The decision's relevance to RPS goals is clear, according to Bill Powers (see below) who says it has far-reaching implications for renewable energy development in California and the nation. California's investor-owned utilities now will have more difficulty ignoring or neglecting this resource, which Bill estimates nationally as more than one million MW (more than twice the average U.S. electrical load). Utilities no longer can so easily promote more gas peaker plants, large remote solar thermal projects and new transmission lines in wild lands at the expense of distributed power closer to consumers. For CEC, the urban PV alternative is now the potential "first in line" generation resource. Proponents of any new gas-fired generator or large, remote renewable facility arguably must now pass a much more rigorous urban PV litmus test to gain CEC project approval. See below an exchange between Bill Powers and Carl Zichella. See also Bill's attached article in "Natural Gas & Electricity Journal". -- Ed M.
To unsubscribe from the CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS list, send any message to: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS-signoff-request@LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG
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James Kotcon -
kevin fooce