Like many states, California has a number of ambitious green goals, including:
- Creating 33% of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2020
- Reaching 50% renewable energy capacity by 2030
- Slashing greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050
These are all aggressive targets. But at least one organization out there believes that the above goals fall well short of what is possible.
The Solutions Project has mapped out a plan to help California reach 100% renewable energy as early as 2050. And far from being painful, moving to a truly green economy would offer nothing but benefits.
The Road to 100% Renewable Energy in California
According to the Solutions Project, California could generate all of its electricity from clean renewable energy sources like wind, water, and sunshine – by 2050.
The nonprofit has even published a beautiful infographic that breaks down some of the numbers (similar infographics exist for every state in the country).
Some highlights from the California report:
- Moving to green power sources would create more than 600,000 new jobs over the next 40 years.
- The state could avoid more than $102 billion in unnecessary healthcare costs (as a result of less pollution in the air). Savings like that make the transition cost-effective. The payback period would be about 7 years for the entire state.
- Developing all of this renewable energy capacity would only require 3% of California’s usable land (i.e. – you wouldn’t have to clear away existing forests).
- Residents would save about $2,500 a year in electricity bills. Inputs like wind, water, and sunshine are essentially free. This is in stark contrast to fossil fuel – a resource that must be found, mined, and processed on a continuous basis.
Are Renewable Energy Goals Realistic?
The state renewable energy goals currently in place certainly have their critics. Skeptics believe that these targets are unrealistic – and prohibitively expensive.
But according to the numbers above, California’s renewable energy goals aren’t ambitious enough. And at Sunline Energy, we tend to agree.
100% renewable energy capacity is 100% possible.
How do we know?
Because we see this in our line of work every day. Our clients consistently enjoy solar payback periods of 4 to 6 years. And many of our customers shrink their carbon footprints to zero.
Even SDG&E has managed to meet the state’s 2020 renewable energy deadline a full 6 years ahead of schedule.
And all of this is with today’s technology.
As solar, wind, and hydroelectric become more efficient (and even cheaper), the transition to a truly green economy will only accelerate.
We believe that California can reach 100% renewable energy in our lifetimes. To learn what role you can play in this transition, contact us today for a free consultation.
