San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) in southern California will begin a program in which the utility company will provide another 100 megawatts (MW) of photovoltaic (PV) solar electricity to its customers.
The plan — which includes 26 MW of utility-owned energy installed on SDG&E property and the other 74 MW to be bought from other independent solar power producers — was approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on September third. It has the potential to more than double the amount of solar power that is currently produced within the utility’s territory. That figure currently stands at approximately 80 MW.
The initiative is aimed at smaller projects. According to IStockAnalyst, the projects will range from 2-5 MW and will compliment the 1 MW or smaller solar projects that are being installed as part of the California Solar Initiative. One MW of energy is enough to power 650 average American homes. James Avery, senior vice president of power supply for SDG&E, had the following to say about souther California’s newest PV initiative:
“Today’s decision reflects the ongoing need for a flexible portfolio of solar resources and options that will help SDG&E derive one-third of its energy from renewable sources by 2020.”
In addition to the new PV initiative, SDG&E is also soliciting power purchase agreements for solar power projects at other sites in the area.
1. The existence of plug-in cars might be a big boon to electrical utilities so they can afford to broaden smart grid & renewable energy base.
2. Better still, plug-in cars will charge mostly overnight with the untapped electricity without having to build another power plant.
3. To the best of my knowledge, EVs manage to power houses for upwards of 3 days or so. Also, for a majority of motorists, their driving time is said to stand at around 1 hour, meaning the low-risk of overload.
4. As such, the success of plug-in cars will most likely further quicken the process of energy independence & job creation. Let’s just imagine oil money spills into the smart grid & renewable energy base.