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Californias biggest utilities break own record for solar power
Key Excerpts from Article on Website of Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, California's leading newspaper)
Posted: September 5th, 2016
http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/technology/article899650...
Californias booming solar industry had a record day this week when the states largest utilities generated more power than ever from the sun. The states largest power grid, the California Independent System Operator, or ISO, on Tuesday managed enough solar energy to power 2 million homes. Its 8,030 megawatts recorded at 1:06 p.m. from solar sources stood out as double the networks best day in 2014. It also was 2,000 megawatts more than its solar peak from last year. Its a great milestone for California and the solar industry, said Sean Gallagher, vice president for state policy at the Solar Energy Industries Association. He said California represents about half of the nations solar industry in megawatts produced. The utilities have been racing to meet the states increasingly stringent renewable fuels mandates, which require them to produce a third of their power from renewable sources by 2020 and half by 2030. With those goals in mind, PG&E has added over the last two years two of the largest photovoltaic solar installations in the world. The companys Topaz Solar Farm in San Luis Obispo County, connected to the grid last year, can generate up to 300 megawatts from the sun. When its finished, its capacity is expected to hit 550 megawatts. Meanwhile, PG&Es Agua Caliente solar project in Yuma County, Ariz., brings in another 300 megawatts. It was completed in 2014.
Note: California's success with solar power pales in comparison with the entire country of Germany, which produced 22 gigawatts of electricity back in 2012, nearly three times the record amount produced by California in 2016.
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