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California extends 100 pct renewables streak to 17 out of last 18 days

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The state of California – by some estimates the fifth or sixth biggest economy in the world – has extended its run of reaching a peak of more than 100 per cent renewables to 17 out of the last 18 days.

According to Stanford University’s Mark Jacobsen, the author of several landmark reports on how the world can switch to wind, water and solar for its power needs, says those output from those sources have exceeded demand for between one quarter of an hour and six hours on those 17 days.

California’s 100 per cent renewable peaks are driven by solar during the middle of the day – it still face the challenge of how to deliver the rest of the capacity needed to meet that goal.

Last month, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) adopted a plan that mandates the construction of more than 56GW of new renewable capacity by 2035. It expects to reach 113 per cent renewables (with the excess being exported), by 2045.

Giles Parkinson is founder and editor-in-chief of Renew Economy, and founder and editor of its EV-focused sister site The Driven. He is the co-host of the weekly Energy Insiders Podcast. Giles has been a journalist for more than 40 years and is a former deputy editor of the Australian Financial Review. You can find him on LinkedIn and on Twitter.

Giles Parkinson

Giles Parkinson is founder and editor-in-chief of Renew Economy, and founder and editor of its EV-focused sister site The Driven. He is the co-host of the weekly Energy Insiders Podcast. Giles has been a journalist for more than 40 years and is a former deputy editor of the Australian Financial Review. You can find him on LinkedIn and on Twitter.

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