California is home of a lot renewable energy. The state is among the leaders in the production of solar, wind and geothermal electricity, and it ranks fourth in conventional hydroelectric power. It is the result decades of investment in renewable energy. Californians have good news: Renewable energy projects are more affordable than ever and more readily available. There are many options.
Biomass
As the five-year anniversary of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change approaches, many countries are reassessing their energy strategies and including the use of renewable energy. The fourth largest source of energy in the world, biomass can provide a great solution to many different needs. In 2016, 14.4% global primary energy consumption was made up of biomass.
Wind
California can increase its renewable energy by installing more wind turbines. According to the U.S. Department of Energy California currently has 4,656 megawatts of power-scale wind. However, the state also ranks fifth in the nation for small-scale and distributed wind energy systems. According to the California Energy Commission wind now accounts for 36 percent state's renewable power capacity. The state ranks ahead of solar power.
Solar
In California, there are two types of solar renewable energy: solar thermal and solar photovoltaic. Solar thermal plants require a license from the state's Energy Commission, and solar photovoltaic installations are encouraged by the Renewables Portfolio Standard and building efficiency standards. California is a major market for solar energy, as well as the state's leadership in developing solar and wind technologies. In fact, the state has already installed over 500,000 solar power systems, making it one of the fastest-growing renewable energy sectors in the world.
Battery storage
California leads the nation in battery storage. The state will have 1.391 gigawatts connected to the grid by 2021's second quarter, which is a 50-percent increase on Q1 2018. In order to achieve the state's zero-carbon power system goal, there will be more battery storage facilities. Developers are also attracted to battery storage because it can offset costs associated with installing solar and wind energy system.
Natural gas
California must make changes to its energy mix to increase the use of renewable energy in order for it to be a major source. California would be dependent on climate-warming fossil energy like coal without these changes. According to a University of California Berkeley report, it's possible to produce 90% of the nation’s electricity without emitting greenhouse gases. To achieve this goal utilities would need to increase their use renewable energy storage. They would also have to decrease their natural gas use by around 70%.