Canary Media: Can California pull off its clean energy ambitions? (Podcast)
On The Carbon Copy podcast this week:
California is at a crossroads. The state already has nearly 1.8 million rooftop-solar systems, 5 gigawatts of batteries and 1.6 million electric cars. But it is also facing some serious challenges.
The list is long: controversial policy changes, extreme weather threats and backlogs — lots and lots of backlogs.
It is facing serious delays in interconnecting utility-scale solar and storage projects, which is keeping fossil-gas-fired power plants open that were supposed to shut down years ago. And that’s not even counting the gigawatts of offshore wind, geothermal power, long-duration energy storage and other clean, firm resources called for in the state’s long-term plans — none of which have been built yet.
This week, Jeff St. John, Canary Media’s director of news and special projects, sits down with three prominent people who are trying to move the state forward:
State Senator Josh Becker
Grid Alternatives Bay Area Executive Director Arthur Bart-Williams
California Solar and Storage Association Executive Director Bernadette Del Chiaro
This conversation was recorded live at Canary Live Bay Area.