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California set to double down on energy conservation
image credit: Photo 36807880 / California © Lunamarina | Dreamstime.com
A week ago, California’s regulators announced a handful of proposals to mitigate demand issues next summer. The changes, which will be put to a vote on December 2nd, call for more procurement, demand response, and energy conservation. Specifically, it’s been recommended that the state double its load reduction compensation rate to $2 per kWh, and that it implement a $22.5 million smart thermostat incentive program.
To me, this pair of proposals seem like the kind of low-hanging fruit where energy efficiency most thrives now. It’s a relatively low-cost, straightforward stop gap measure that buys time as the state figures out how to seriously ramp up its reliable generation. So, why not?
The tougher question California faces moving forward is how to reduce carbon emissions without continuing to sacrifice power dependability. A logical start would be to scrap the planned retirement of the Diablo nuclear plant, which produces a whopping 23 percent of the state’s clean energy. Taking that sentiment a step further, California really should build more nuclear plants.
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