California's Solar Energy Potential

The Golden State's Golden Opportunity

California is attempting to be the national leader – and perhaps, global leader – in renewable energy production. Chief among the green technologies making this possible is solar power. While California already boasts one of the largest solar fleets in the U.S., its untapped solar potential is considerable. Using ArcGIS, this report will highlight key California territories with the potential to generate high volumes of solar energy, but have not yet been developed for solar production. This will allow policymakers to visualize the valuable solar opportunities that could be used to propel the state towards reaching its desired energy goals.


The Goal

On November 16, 2022, California released the world's first plan to achieve 'net-zero' carbon emissions by 2045. "Today, the California Air Resources Board (CARB)  released its updated proposal  to implement the most ambitious climate action of any jurisdiction in the world, taking unprecedented steps to drastically slash pollution and accelerate the transition to clean energy. No economy in the world, much less the soon-to-be  4th largest , has put forth such a comprehensive roadmap to reach carbon neutrality" (State of California, 2022).

In addition to achieving carbon neutrality, the aggressive climate plan also seeks to:

  • Cut air pollution by 71%;
  • Slash greenhouse gas emissions 85% by 2045;
    • That includes a 48% reduction of greenhouse gasses by 2030, surpassing the statutory mandate to reduce emissions 40% below 1990 levels in 2030;
  • Reduce fossil fuel consumption to less than one-tenth of what we use today, a 94% drop in demand for oil and 86% drop in demand for all fossil fuels;
  • Create 4 million new jobs;
  • And Save Californians $200 billion in health costs due to pollution (State of California, 2022).

Progress

California has long been a bastion for clean-energy policies. In 2005, the state conducted its first assessment towards the study of carbon emissions and the environmental impacts incurred from their production. As a result, California passed the California Global Warming Solutions Act (AB-32) later that year as an initial step towards carbon reduction.

In 2009, the state - in conjunction with the Natural Resources Agency - released its first Climate Adaptation Strategy. This project outlined 345 goals across seven sectors for state agencies to improve their climate resilience.

By 2018, the state had released its third Climate Adaptation Strategy which identified over 1,000 goals for 11 sectors across California. While these events are certainly highlights in California's environmental policy solutions, the state has been highly active in climate progress activities since 2005 and beyond (State of California, 2023).


Solar's Role

A key technology in California's climate-friendly agenda is solar power. Using the power of the sun, photovoltaic panels are able to harness the seemingly-limitless pot of solar energy and transform it into electricity for human consumption. Below is a video showcasing how these technologies work to reduce carbon emissions whilst providing clean energy solutions for millions of people.

How Solar Photovoltaic Power Plant Works


Current Solar Facilities

Data Source: (ESRI_Canada, 2022)

As displayed in the map above, there are hundreds of solar energy plants scattered throughout California - 459 to be exact. This is perhaps why it is no surprise that California leads the way in solar power generation compared to all other states.

According to a report published by Choose Energy (2023), California's solar energy production in the month of April, 2023 was 6.36 million megawatt-hours, making up over 29% of all U.S. solar power production. For comparison, Texas was ranked 2nd among all states with 2.6 million megawatt-hours and 12% of total U.S. production.


Untapped Potential

Data Source: (DianaClavery_uo, 2023)

The updated map above shows California's fleet of solar facilities compared to the geographic areas that can statistically generate the most solar energy. The darker green an area is, the more solar energy can be produced there. As you can see, while California's existing arsenal of solar plants is impressively large, the locations of the facilities are not at their most opportune placement.

Specifically, the counties of Inyo, Kern, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, and Riverside all possess thousands of acres worth of land primed for solar power generation and have yet to be tapped appropriately.


The Road Ahead

California is holding itself to an impressively high standard. Although it has led the way with environmental advocacy in many regards, its new climate agenda will require hitherto unseen efforts across multiple sectors. To accomplish its proposed goals, it will need to capitalize on every advantage it can possible identify. For this reason, it is imperative that the state of California leverage its unique geography to expand solar energy production into the territories highlighted in this study and take its clean energy objectives to new and improved heights.

References

45SURF Hero’s Odyssey Mythology Photography. (2010). Flickr. Flickr. Retrieved July 11, 2023, from https://www.flickr.com/photos/herosjourneymythology45surf/

Angelo Paolo Usi. (2016, January 26). How Solar Photovoltaic Power Plant Works [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved July 10, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLgOoMSlS3Y

Choose Energy. (2023, July). Solar Generation by State | Choose Energy Monthly Report. Retrieved July 10, 2023, from https://www.chooseenergy.com/solar-energy/solar-energy-production-by-state/

Dhara. (2023). 11 Epic California Road Trips for Your Golden State Itinerary! Roadtripping California. https://roadtrippingcalifornia.com/california-road-trips/

DianaClavery_uo. (2023). Untapped Solar Potential. In ArcGIS. Retrieved July 10, 2023, from https://pennstate.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=56f91702feaf417d955a7948b68af5fa

ESRI_Canada. (2022). Renewable Energy Power Plants, 1 MW or more - North American Cooperation on Energy Information. ArcGIS. Retrieved July 10, 2023, from https://pennstate.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=71bec67acfdb49b0aeb6019736739dca

Raynor, J. (2019, January 2). A Refresher on How a Bill Becomes a Law. Spectrum News 1 Charlotte. https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/charlotte/news/2019/01/02/a-refresher-on-how-a-bill-becomes-a-law

State of California. (2022, November 16). California Releases World’s First Plan to Achieve Net Zero Carbon Pollution | California Governor. California Governor. Retrieved July 10, 2023, from https://www.gov.ca.gov/2022/11/16/california-releases-worlds-first-plan-to-achieve-net-zero-carbon-pollution/

State of California. (2023). A Timeline of California’s Climate Adaptation Policy - California Climate Adaptation Strategy. A Timeline of California’s Climate Adaptation Policy. Retrieved July 10, 2023, from https://climateresilience.ca.gov/overview/timeline.html

Terrapass. (2021, May 12). What Are the Best Ways to Find Carbon-Neutral Products? Terrapass. https://terrapass.com/blog/what-are-the-best-ways-to-find-carbon-neutral-products/