Wind Power News: California
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
4,000-acre wind farm gets Board approval
The Kern County Board of Supervisors approved a nearly 4,000-acre wind farm west of Rosamond at its March 28 meeting. The Keyhole Wind Energy Project, from EDF Renewables, would place up to 45 turbines, producing up to 100 megawatts of electricity, on 3,920 acres a half-mile north of Rosamond Boulevard and west of 170th Street West. The Los Angeles Aqueduct crosses the southeast portion of the project, which stretches northwest of Rosamond Boulevard and 179th Street West. The site is . . . Complete story »
Researchers spot whales near California wind farm zones
“There are quite a lot of large whales out there, quite a number.” Complete story »
The great US offshore wind-power boom has begun to falter
Plans for massive offshore wind farms that President Joe Biden hopes will power as many as 10 million American homes by 2030 are starting to wobble. On Monday, New Jersey utility Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. said it’s deciding whether to pull out of Ocean Wind 1, a proposed project in the Atlantic Ocean that would generate 1.1 gigawatts – enough for 500,000 homes. Less than two weeks earlier, New England utility Avangrid Inc. said its similarly sized Commonwealth Wind project . . . Complete story »
Wind turbines off CA coast? Big engineering feat generates anxiety
The Biden administration has chosen two sections off the California coast – near Morro Bay and Humboldt County – to build massive wind turbines, which could help the state become carbon neutral by 2045. But coastal waters here are vital to industries like shipping, fishing, and telecommunications. And they sustain delicate marine ecosystems. The U.S. Interior Department is weighing these other interests before the turbines can be built, according to Katy Stech Ferek, Wall Street Journal reporter. “It’ll be a really interesting . . . Complete story »
In the next 10 years wind turbines could be constructed in the Humboldt Bay
Within the next ten years, wind turbines could produce renewable energy for Humboldt county. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management conducted an environmental assessment of the wind energy area within Humboldt bay and found no significant impacts. Auctioning the area to developers is the next step and is said to be happening soon. Humboldt bay is said to be the perfect spot to house wind turbines and produce renewable energy, but many concerns come with bringing a new industry into . . . Complete story »
Tesla Megapack battery caught fire at PG&E substation in California
The fires in the energy storage systems at Moss Landing are reminiscent of incidents involving Tesla Megapacks in Australia. They also underscore the challenges of adopting new technology to improve the efficiency of the power grid, and to make greater use of electricity from intermittent, renewable resources like wind and solar. Complete story »
California is awash in renewable energy — except when it’s most needed
As California suffered through an epic heat wave this month, state officials pleaded with residents to conserve electricity. Almost simultaneously, power grid operators were rejecting thousands of megawatts of solar and wind energy that could have provided a cushion to get through the crisis. The explanation illustrates one of the paradoxes confronting California as it rushes to transition to a clean-energy economy: The state has built up so much renewable energy production in recent years that it can rarely use . . . Complete story »
Mojave Desert tribes aim to turn a sacred mountain into a national monument
Of particular concern are 62,371 acres within the proposed monument boundary that have no special protective designations and are vulnerable to mining operations and large-scale wind and solar energy projects. A year ago, the Bureau of Land Management dealt a significant blow to Crescent Peak Renewables LLC, the American subsidiary of Sweden-based Eolus Vind AB, which wants to build a wind farm on 9,100 acres within the proposed monument’s boundaries. The BLM’s Las Vegas office gave the proposed Kulning Wind Energy Project a “low priority” status — a classification indicating that it is unlikely to be authorized. Complete story »
Berkeley to move businesses to solar and wind energy plan
The city of Berkeley will enact an opt-out policy to switch all Berkeley businesses to a 100% renewable energy-sourced utility plan beginning in October. The energy provider for the plan will be East Bay Community Energy, or EBCE, and the electricity will be wind and solar powered. The policy will represent a roughly 2.3% increase in rates per kilowatt-hour, according to an Aug. 16 citywide press release. “With the cost of solar and wind energy production decreasing, the negligible increase . . . Complete story »
Lake County Planning Commission to discuss cell and wind tower projects
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Planning Commission will meet this week to discuss several projects, including one involving a cell tower in Clearlake Oaks and towers to measure wind speeds in Lower Lake. The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 25, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport. The agenda is here. To participate in real-time, join the Zoom meeting by clicking this link. The webinar . . . Complete story »
