California has a lot of renewable energy. California ranks fourth in conventional hydroelectricity production, while it is one of the top producers of solar, wind, geothermal and geothermal electricity. It is the result decades of investment in renewable energy. Californians now have renewable energy options that are cheaper and more accessible than ever. Whether you want to use solar panels or solar heat pumps, or install battery storage to store excess energy, there are many options available.
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. Biomass is the fourth-largest energy source in the world, and it can be used to fulfill a wide range of needs. Biomass accounted for 14.4% of the world's primary energy consumption in 2016.
Wind
California should install more wind farms to boost its renewable energy. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, California currently has 4,656 megawatts of utility-scale wind. The state is also fifth for distributed and small-scale wind energy systems. According to California Energy Commission, wind makes up 36 percent of California’s renewable energy resources. This is a better ranking than solar power.
Solar
California has two types of solar energy: solar photovoltaic and solar thermal. 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. In addition to the solar industry, the state is a leader in developing wind and solar technologies, and California is a key market for these new energy sources. It has over 500,000 solar power plants, making it one the fastest-growing sectors of renewable energy in the world.
Battery storage
California is the leading state in battery storage. California is projected to have 1.391 megawatts (GW), connected to the grid in the second quarter of 2021. This is 50 percent more than Q1 2018. As the state continues to move towards a zero-carbon power system, more battery storage facilities are needed to help meet the state's goals. Developers will find that battery storage can be a viable option as it can help offset the installation costs for solar and wind power systems.
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 need to make changes in order to reduce its dependence on climate-warming fossilfuels like coal. Recent research from the University of California Berkeley shows that it is possible, by 2035, to produce all of the nation’s electricity while avoiding greenhouse gas emissions. Utility companies would have to dramatically increase the use of renewable energy storage in order to reach their goal. They would also need reduce natural gas use by 70%.