First appeared in Mercury News
California now gets about 5 percent of its electricity from
wind power, according to data released Tuesday by the California Wind Energy
Association.
The majority of California's electricity -- 42 percent --
comes from natural gas, followed by nuclear power and hydropower. According to
2010 figures from the California Energy Commission, wind made up 4.7 percent of
the state's electricity mix and solar was 0.3 percent.
But in 2011, wind projects that generate 921 megawatts --
enough electricity for more than 400,000 homes -- were installed across the
state, which the wind association says should put it above the
long-sought-after 5 percent threshold. California has set an ambitious goal of
getting 33 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2020, and utilities
are increasingly signing contracts for renewable projects.
"2011 was a banner year for wind generation in
California," said Nancy Rader, executive director of CalWEA, based in
Berkeley. "Wind has come a long way and is helping to drive California
closer to reaching its goal of 33 percent renewable energy."
In California, the vast majority of wind turbines are
clustered in three regions: the Altamont Pass between Livermore and Tracy,
Tehachapi near Bakersfield and the San Gorgonio Pass near Palm Springs. While
solar panels are visible on homes across the state, massive wind farms tucked
away in windy mountain passes that many Californians never see produce much
more energy.
"California is one of the strongest wind markets in the
nation," said Mark Tholke, vice president of Origination for EnXco, which
has several wind projects in Solano County. "The wind industry has been
quietly chugging along as the workhorse of renewable energy for the last
several years."
NextEra, a Florida-based energy company that has several
wind projects nationwide, is in the process of "repowering" hundreds
of wind turbines along the Altamont Pass in eastern Alameda and Contra Costa
counties.
Nearly 2,000 wind turbines in the Altamont Pass are being
replaced with about 100 huge state-of-the-art turbines that, at 430 feet, stand
taller than the tallest coast redwood trees. Each of the new turbines,
manufactured by Siemens, generates 2.3 megawatts of electricity. NextEra's
repowering project will be done in three phases and is scheduled to be
completed by 2015.
Other projects are in the pipeline, including Iberdrola
Renewables plans for a 200 megawatt Tule Wind Power Project for eastern San
Diego County.
Much of the growth in wind power is because of the federal
production tax credit, or PTC. The PTC gives a tax credit for electricity
production from utility-scale wind turbines but is scheduled to sunset at the
end of 2012. While several wind projects across the country should come online
in 2012, developers have been reluctant to go forward with plans for 2013 and
beyond over fears the credit will not be extended.
"Wind supports 400 manufacturing facilities in 43
states," said Ellen Carey of the American Wind Energy Association.
"The production tax credit enjoys bipartisan support, and we have reason
to be optimistic."
