Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a controversial executive order on September 15 that requires California utilities to secure a third of their power from renewable sources by 2020.

Most renewable energy projects, especially solar and wind, are frought with difficulties and are much less reliable sources of energy than traditional power plants. Nonetheless, the environmental lobby has enormous influence in government, particularly in California where politicians from both parties are eager to be "green." In fact, Schwarzenegger touted his order as a major move toward creating green jobs and a reliable energy source for California’s 38 million residents. “This is really a great day because we are creating major action to create more green jobs and more green energy,” said Schwarzenegger while standing amidst a field of solar panels.

But California Democrats were less enthusiastic about the order. Three days earlier they had passed legislation mandating a virtually identical plan, but Schwarzenegger has indicated that he will veto the legislation because it would limit how much energy California could import from nearby states like Nevada. “The poorly drafted, overly complex bills passed by the Legislature are protectionist schemes that will kill the solar industry in California and drive prices up like the failed energy deregulation in the late 1990’s,” said Matt David, one of Schwarzenegger’s spokespersons.

Democrats have long sought limits on the amount of renewable power that may be imported from other states. They favor an approach that would have California utilities building renewable energy plants in California, and they cite estimates that predict the addition of 200,000 jobs. “We think the governor is making a big mistake by vetoing the bills,” opined Robert Balgenorth, president of the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California. “Right now tens of thousands of construction workers are unemployed here in California.”

A published report by the House of Representatives Committee on Government Reform says California did not build any new power plants between 1986 and 1998. During that period, many utility companies began to build plants outside of California in anticipation of a shift in regulatory policies. Currently, California imports hydroelectric power from the Northwest and solar power from Nevada. Much of the solar energy from Nevada comes from Brightsource, a company that has been linked to Gov. Schwarzenegger and Robert F. Kennedy through a private investment group called VantagePoint Venture Partners.

According to Yakout Mansour, chief executive officer of the California Independent System Operator, a company that manages the state’s power grid, Democratic legislation would have made it more difficult to exchange renewable power between western states. “The restrictions on the way the electricity for renewables is set to be delivered are just unreasonable and produces ways of actually making it even more difficult to deliver to California.”

Nancy Ryan, executive director for policy at the California Public Utilities Commission, believes the system is going to need about $115 billion in upgrades over the next decade if it hopes to meet Schwarzenegger’s renewable energy standards.

Michael E. Telzrow is Executive Director of the National Railroad Museum and a Contributor to The New American magazine.

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Bonnie said:

Where to begin California need to regulate and limit its power consumption. Might I suggest beginning by limiting residents of Hollywood and Beverly Hills to 500 kW per month? To also help the environment, gasoline consumption needs to be capped for these same people at 10 gallons per week per household. Additionally, trips to the hair salon need to be limited to once a month (you ever read the list of ingredients of the stuff they use in those salons?).

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September 21, 2009
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Larry Brown said:

	... Solar power and wind power are both intermittent sources of energy--electricity needs to be generated at the instant it is needed. For a 24/7 energy source see: http://www.emref.net/HeavisidePlan/
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September 22, 2009 | url
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