A bill announced by a North Bay state legislator would provide alternate energy sources for residents across the state who are affected by power shutoffs during wildfires.
Senate Bill 99, introduced Monday by Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, would establish a grant program for local governments to provide energy from alternative sources like solar power when utilities like PG&E shut off power to large swaths of the state in an effort to prevent wildfires.
“Power shutoffs during our ever-increasing fire seasons are imposing enormous costs on California, prompting a rush to buy carbon-emitting backup generators to serve critical facilities,” Dodd said. “But ensuring continuous power should not come at the expense of our environment.”
Dodd first introduced the bill during the last legislative session but it was deprioritized once the coronavirus pandemic began.
The bill is supported by climate advocacy groups like the Climate Center, the Center for Sustainable Energy and the Clean Coalition.
“With adequate planning, clean energy alternatives can power the grid, providing a more reliable and sustainable source of electricity for our state,” Dodd said.
13 comments
I thought the objective was NOT to power the grid during high wind events. Electricity is electricity whether it comes from PG&E or “clean alternatives”. Firing up the grid when PG&E shuts it down sounds like a great way to start fires and take on the blame.
If this proposed bill were limited to individual solar arrays with power walls at each residence/businesse, it could work. The telling word Dodd uses is “grid”. I agree, the entire crappy grid cannot be powered as that is the source of ignition. Good post, Nombre!
State senator Bill Dodd seems unaware that electricity is electricity, regardless of when, where, or how it’s created or generated. Electrical utilities worldwide turn off the power when the risk posed by sparks becomes too great.
State senator Bill Dodd seems also unaware of the concept of economies of scale. A single large electrical generation plant will always be more efficient than many smaller plants. If generating electricity at the neighborhood substation level was better, then utilities would have done so decades ago.
I have a semi-related concern which is the seeming rush to eliminate natural gas as as source of energy. At present we an abundance of natural gas and burn a lot of it off in the oil fields. Meanwhile, cities such as San Jose are requiring that there be no natural gas hookup at all to new construction. Natural gas is a very efficient and clean source of heat. It’s also an excellent fuel for small electric generators for a home or commercial building.
Agree 100%. I think Berkeley is also not allowing NG in any new construction?
Dodd achieved what he set out to do and that was use the terms carbon-emitting” and “expense of our environment”, thus pushing forward the green new deal agenda.
Don’t be surprised if at some point during the Biden/Harris setback we start hearing about smaller, substation sized nuclear power plants and then touting it as their idea.
Seems like all this will do is shift the liability to local government when their new and improved power generation methods fail and start the fire that wipes out a neighborhood. Maybe Mr. Dodd is under the impression that electricity generated from alternative sources is somehow magical and incapable of starting fires? Let’s see how many other politicians think this is a good idea?
Ah senator, what’s your plan for night time ?
One bad Bill introduces another.,
Key take away is “for local governments to provide energy”.
That means control……
Local Government have already banned wood burning stoves, as well as Natural Gas heat (new developments).
It is also either illegal or at least extremely cost prohibitive (due to fees/taxes/permits) to set up your house as “Off the Grid” unless you are in an extremely rural area.
They are basically making the populace “dependent” on the .Gov.
I used to laugh at the “Agenda 21” fanatics…… But if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck…..
All electric homes will create additional loading of electrical grid. Eventual upgrading of that grid’s capacity will be expensive, something politicians have zero concept of. But they can’t be bothered by future costs they’re creating, they merely want short term “we’re the greenest” bragging rights.
Think of it as raising knee jerk stupid, to an art form.
No. We don’t need more government involvement.
What does the California Public Utilities Commission do? Are they still in existence?
These are the kind of idiots that we are electing to office. In order to get rid of these idiots, the rest of the idiots need to STOP VOTING FOR THEM
PG&E will do what they want and when and the CPUC & Newsom will just stand by and watch … they’re in PG&Es back pocket all the way.
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