California Clean Energy Policy: Lagging behind other states (Diablo: gated, cost)

[Bill the Butcher]

Disclosure: This study appears to be from a right leaning think tank and was conducted with the support and help of Power the Future, a non-profit advocacy group for carbon energy.

That said attached is the article. Pretty easy read. I've also linked a second article published a couple years earlier that has some other relevant information with regards to the specific states that are outperforming CA in reducing CO2 emmissions.


https://www.pacificresearch.org/wp-c..._final_web.pdf

https://www.pacificresearch.org/wp-c...ergy_F_Web.pdf

From the first article it appears the main culprit for a deceleration in the reduction of emmissions compared to other states appears to coincide with the 2012 shutdown of San Onofre. And Diablo Canyon is scheduled to being shut down in 2024 which could further hurt our goal of decreased CO2 emissions.

The first article also breaks down the emmissions reductions between California, Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative states or RGGI states (most of the north east/new england states) and all other non-RGGI/CA states. California lags behind the other two. RGGI does pretty well.

The second linked article shows West Virginia, Ohio and Florida as states leading in CO2 reduction. With the first two really leading the way around 20% and Florida right around the RGGI average.

My thoughts:

I have not investigated beyond the first article and only read part of the second. But my first thought is that West Virginia being a coal state was probably pretty dirty to begin with. Meaning even just a slight reduction in energy derived from coal would show a large decrease in C02 emissions.

California on the other hand was more of a cleaner energy state before 2007 and AB32 was enacted. Meaning you can only cut down so much before you start to see a dramatic decrease in emissions reductions. Analogy being a 300 lb person can lose a lot more weight at the start of an excersise and diet program than a 145 lb person.

The articles also go in-depth into the potential consumer cost savings that could be achieved if California abandoned most of it's green energy policies.

[Bill the Butcher]

Whomp, whomp.