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The Emerging Market for Small Renewables in California

WIND MEASUREMENTS

  • 05 2011 09

    California, USA --The long battle between public and private power is flaring up again. California is the hot spot because the state legislature has lined up on the side of Community Choice Aggregation (CCA), a form of public power lite in which communities choose power sources but distribution is left to the incumbent utilities.Several communities have tried but none succeeded until the Marin Energy Authority (or Marin Clean Energy) started operations last year.  MEA started with 8,500 customers but is adding news customers continually. It estimates it will reach 70,000 customers by 2012. The total potential is about 100,000 customers, or more if other communities join them.

    “We are filling a niche market for mid-sized renewable energy generation in the 20 to 60 MW range,” said Dawn Weisz, interim director of MEA.  “When we went out to solicit renewable power offers, Pacific Gas & Electric told us we would not get any bids. We were looking for 40 MW. We were offered over 600.  Almost all was solar.”  Three firms are short-listed: LS Power, Sun Power and enXco.

    Sursa: renewableenergyworld.com