Californian Energy

Carbon Dioxide production fell by nearly a third between 1975 and 2000

They made these advance by introducing policies on transport, electricity production, energy efficiency and renewable energy industries

California has 26 million cars which emmits 40 million tonnes of CO2 a year

Tough laws on car manufactures making them cleaner

By 2009 the industrie the must reduce car emmisions by 25%

And truck emmisions by 18%

The target is to take non petrolium fuels to take up 30% of the market by 2013 

Carbon dioxide cost companies $8 per tonne increasing by 5% per year which investment in coal fired power plants in less attractive

The government has prevented companing from signing long term contracts with coal fired power stations

In 2006 12% of its electricity came from geothermal, wind, solar power, biomass and small HEP schemes

19% came from large scales HEPs

The new renewables program provides a subsidy for each unit of electricity produced by new solar or wind energy

2010 the target is to produce 1/5th of the states energy from renweables rising to 1/3rd by 2020

California has introduced energy efficiency programs which have saved 12,000 MW and will save a further 2800 MW

This is to avoid building 5 new power stations in the next 5 year which is equal to saving 11 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emmisions per year 

Claifornial is located on the ring of fire

Geothermeral stations produce nearly 5% of Californials ebergy and 40% of the worlds geothermal energy

It is curently producing 1900 MW  with the potential of producing 4000 MW of energy

It also provides hot water for space heating, swimming pools and greenhouses

California has 14,000 wind turbines however they only produce 1800 MW which is just 1.5% of the states electricity

95% of the turbines are located in Altamont Pass, Tehachapi and San Gorgonio

3/4 of the the anual wind power is produced in the spring and summer

Under the New Renewables Program, 1000MW of new capacity was added between 2004 and 2010

There are however a number of issues such as; Large land tracts, can lead to erosion, visual intrusion, disturbes wildlife and more birst die 

Solar provides 1% of th states energy and 0.5 million houses have solar water heaters

There are 9 solar power stations in the Mojave Desert wich can provide between 14MW to 80MW of energy

Conditions in the Mojave Desert are perfect because it has 360 days of sunshine a year and has only 150mm of rain a year

The Mojave Solar Park will occupie 250 hecters of desert and will produce 553MW of energy

The Solar Inititave plans to give $3.2 billion back to solar energy investors this will increase the energy production by 3000MW which is equivelent to 6 gas fired power statations

HEP caused segnificant environment issues which has inmpacted the river system, aquatic plants and animals this includes

- Modifiying runoff patterns and river flow

- removing water for electricity production

- temperature of the river changes downstream from dams

- blocking migration patturns of fish

- rapid changes is the levels of water in resivours

The states HEP power plants generate around 16% of the electricity

As well as producing electricity they control flooding, provide recriational amminites and are a source of water for drinking and irragation

There are 3 large scale dams in the Sierra Nevada these are; Shasta, Oroville and Folsom 

Biomass produce 1 to 2% of the states energy with 28 small plants with a combined output of 550MW of energy

With new plans it will source an additional 2000MW of energy in the next 10 years

Every tonne of biomass fuel used saves 0.4 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide from gas fired power stations

However its transport to power plants are more expensive

Large quantities can be sources from dead wood that accumliates in forests removing can reduce forest health and reduce the rist of forest fires/ wild fires