Greentech Lead America: California solar power generation has reached a new all-time high output of 2,071 megawatts at 12:59 p.m. Friday, June 7, said officials at the California ISO, the state agency that balances customer demand on regulated power utilities with power generation from commercial vendors.
“This new record is remarkable considering the amount has more than doubled since last September when solar peaked at 1,000 megawatts,” said Steve Berberich, California ISO president and CEO. “We are excited by this trend and expect to hit more record peaks on a regular basis.”
California is the largest producer of solar power in the nation. The peak demand for electricity on Friday was about 36,000 megawatts and solar power supplied more than five percent of demand for electricity, Cal ISO officials said.
A study published this year by Crossborder Energy shows solar customers with net metering will deliver a financial benefit of more than $92 million annually to all California ratepayers, not just those with solar.
According to a July 2012 California Solar Initiative report issued by the California Public Utilities Commission, two thirds of home solar installations are now occurring in low and median income neighborhoods.
picture source: tripadvisor.com