What is the problem with not being able to use up all the electricity generated by solar power generation?
Since the Paris Agreement, many countries have been trying to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their own countries, and as part of this, some are shifting from existing power generation methods using fossil fuels to power generation methods that do not emit carbon dioxide, such as solar and wind power. As a result of these measures, some areas have begun to be able to cover most of their electricity with solar power, but on the other hand, they are facing another challenge due to excessive power generation, and local news site SFGATE explains the problem using the example of California.
California can't use all its solar power. That's a huge problem.
California’s Growing Solar and Wind Problem – EcoBlock
https://ecoblock.berkeley.edu/blog/californias-growing-solar-and-wind-problem/
California is one of the states that is ambitiously moving toward so-called ' carbon-free ' electricity energy sources, and state law requires that 60% of electricity will come from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power by 2030, and that this proportion be increased to 100% by 2045. In fact, on April 3, 2022, renewable energy will temporarily account for 97.6% of the state's electricity supply, making it clear that the state is steadily moving toward achieving its goal.
California's power grid reaches 97.6% renewable energy share - GIGAZINE
However, California is facing a problem of excess electricity generation. According to SFGATE, solar power plants in California are expected to curtail (slow down or stop) more than 3 million megawatt hours of electricity production in 2024, enough to power 518,000 average California homes for a year.
In addition, power plants have to pay other states to take back their surplus electricity, meaning that the more electricity they generate, the less profit they make. This is because the infrastructure to store and transport solar power is not in place.
This situation, where only power generation capacity is improving while storage and supply capacity are not keeping up, is seen in other states besides California as well, and some experts have even warned that if things continue as they are, we may enter an era where the more electricity we consume, the more money we receive.
California has the most solar panel construction in the United States and is also home to some of the largest solar power plants in North America. California is known as the mecca for solar power generation, with the state expected to account for a quarter of the solar power generated in the United States by 2023, but its power storage and supply facilities are not as well developed as its power generation facilities.
In addition, taking into account the costs of building and generating electricity from solar power plants, electricity rates in California are about two to three times the national average. In addition, as mentioned above, if electricity is sold to other states, the electricity rates of residents of other states may be cheaper than those of Californians or may even be free, creating an unfair situation.
SFGATE pointed out, 'The obvious solution is to build more batteries, but the technology lags behind solar power generation, and infrastructure hasn't kept up. California Governor Gavin Newsom has touted that the number of batteries in the state has increased by 1,250% since he took office, but there's still a long way to go.'
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