California’s push toward a carbon-free future has led to a concerning excess of solar power—so much so that commercial grid operators are being forced to stop production.
Dr. Phillippe Phanivong, a postdoctoral scholar for the EcoBlock project, highlights the severity of this issue in a recent Los Angeles Times article. Noting an “alarming” 500% increase in the state’s solar curtailment from 2017 to 2022—despite a 40% boost in renewable energy generation—he asks, “Can we even get to 100% renewable energy with this growth rate of curtailment?”.
Meanwhile, other states are reaping the benefits of this energy surplus, leaving California ratepayers with soaring electricity bills.