I hadn't seen this — thank you for sharing!

Just going to drop in here for anyone reading and note that I've been covering energy and climate change for nearly a decade, and there's an extremely robust scientific consensus around the dangers of rising temperatures. I'd encourage folks to check out all of our coverage at the L.A. Times: https://www.latimes.com/environment

Hey there, thank you for the question. I'm not aware of any significant CPUC reform efforts right now, at least anything that would result in different results to the recent net metering decision. It's certainly fueled a lot of public frustration, though.

For those not sure what we're talking about, here's some background: https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2022-12-15/california-just-slashed-rooftop-solar-incentives-what-happens-next

Not as far as I know, but that's an interesting question. Very long way to go to scale up.

I mean, it already is -- nuclear plants account for about 20% of U.S. electricity production. Whether that number goes up or down will depend on whether current plants stay open, and the success or failure of companies working to develop advanced nuclear reactors that are smaller and easier to build.

I've been covering California Gov. Gavin Newsom's efforts to extend the closure date of the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant, currently the state's largest electricity source. Here's the latest: https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2022-11-21/biden-gives-pge-1-billion-to-keep-diablo-canyon-nuclear-plant-open

Ha, thanks much for that. And yes, there's been some pioneering work on solar over water done in India, although still at a relatively small scale, as I understand it. Wrote about the potential in California here: https://www.latimes.com/environment/newsletter/2021-04-22/solar-power-water-canals-california-climate-change-boiling-point

Definitely -- more rooftop solar could limit the need for large solar farms, although almost certainly not eliminate it. See, for instance: https://www.latimes.com/environment/newsletter/2021-01-07/how-rooftop-solar-could-save-americans-473-billion-dollars-boiling-point

Not an EV, unfortunately. But I'm hopeful to replace my current sedan with something electric when the time comes!

Hey there, I really appreciate your weighing in. This is really a difficult problem. I launching this reporting project, Repowering the West, to try to help people think through how we can best solve climate change while also avoiding too much damage from renewable energy development. I hope you'll check it out and let me know what you think: https://www.latimes.com/projects/repowering-the-west/

Hey there, thank you for the question! I'm not super familiar with agrivoltaics from my own reporting, unfortunately (at least not yet), but have read a lot about them. Would point you to this great Associated Press piece: https://apnews.com/article/climate-science-business-lifestyle-environment-and-nature-8f388056808946fbc1aa9a4d6bbc812e.

Hope that's helpful!

Definitely big upsides in terms of water savings and avoiding tearing up pristine land for renewable energy generation. The downsides come in terms of the community's response -- how do farmers and farmworkers feel, and what are the impacts to local tax revenues, jobs, etc.? That's what my whole piece is about -- hope you'll read and let me know what you think! https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2023-01-17/want-to-solve-climate-change-this-california-farm-kingdom-holds-the-key

Definitely, there can be economic benefits for family farmers to lease arrangements with wind or solar developers -- I saw that in California's Imperial Valley, and talked to some folks who have done it: https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2023-01-17/want-to-solve-climate-change-this-california-farm-kingdom-holds-the-key.

As for my integrity, I'll leave that for you to judge, based on my reporting. But I would say I've spent an enormous amount of time looking at the potential downsides and pitfalls of renewable energy, and the question of how to avoid climate catastrophe without causing too much other damage along the way. That's the whole thesis of Repowering the West, which I hope you'll check out: https://www.latimes.com/projects/repowering-the-west/.

Ooh, also an intriguing query!

Hey there, thank you for the comment! Definitely, there is not a shortage of places to put stuff. What I've been trying to confront in Repowering the West is the reality that almost anywhere you try to put stuff, opposition bubbles up -- for reasons that may seem legitimate or not so much, depending on your point of view. Much of that "empty land," for instance, is crucial habitat for imperiled wildlife.

Would encourage you to follow along with my reporting, and please let me know what you think! https://www.latimes.com/projects/repowering-the-west/

Yes, I've heard of him -- thank you for asking! I've read a decent amount about agrivoltaics, but haven't done much reporting myself. Eager to learn more.

California has actually done this! See L.A. Times coverage from a few years ago: https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-solar-panels-20180509-story.html.

I don't know if this has gotten serious consideration in Arizona, but definitely other local governments looking at the concept. Thank you for the good question!

Yes, definitely -- the Inflation Reduction Act (climate bill signed into law by President Biden last year) includes significant new financial incentives for going solar: https://www.consumerreports.org/home-garden/alternative-energy/how-the-residential-clean-energy-solar-tax-credit-works-a1771685058/.

That said, individual U.S. states have at times gone in the opposite direction, reducing incentive payments for rooftop solar. That's what happened in California last year, which I wrote about here: https://www.latimes.com/environment/newsletter/2022-12-22/how-californias-new-rooftop-solar-rules-will-affect-you-boiling-point.

Hope that's helpful. Thank you for the question!

I personally hadn't seen this -- super cool, thank you for sharing!

Hey there, thank you for the comment! Yes, as discussed elsewhere on this thread, huge potential for solar carports -- and the more of that, the less conflict over large-scale renewables. But still, all the research I've seen shows a huge need for big solar and wind farms even in a super optimistic scenario for solar panels within the built environment. See, for instance: https://www.latimes.com/environment/newsletter/2021-01-07/how-rooftop-solar-could-save-americans-473-billion-dollars-boiling-point.

Hope that's helpful!

Really good question! This is a topic I really need to learn more about, but the short answer is not super well, at least not in a lot of places. I got into the grid challenges just a bit, and cited some valuable recent research, in this piece: https://www.latimes.com/environment/newsletter/2021-11-04/future-of-rooftop-solar-up-for-grabs-in-california-boiling-point.

Big picture, building all the renewable generating capacity we'll need -- from big solar farms to lots more rooftop panels -- and also electrifying transportation and heating will require huge investments in the electric grid to make it bigger, more resilient, more flexible and more able to accommodate flows in both directions. That means from big power plants to consumers, but also from consumers back to the grid -- from rooftop solar panels, dedicated energy storage systems and also electric vehicle batteries.

Hey there, great question -- I've heard about this but not sure it's been done here. Definitely huge potential for solar on land around highways. Good story about that from Canary Media: https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/solar/gigawatts-of-solar-could-be-built-in-the-open-land-around-u-s-interstate-highways.

Hey, that's a super interesting concept -- I've never heard of anything like it. Doesn't mean it's not out there, though. Please let me know if you ever find anything like it!

Hey there, thank you for the good questions! I'd definitely say that the lowest-conflict places for solar are within the built environment -- on warehouse and residential rooftops, over school parking lots, etc. Just a couple weeks ago I visited one of the largest rooftop solar installations in the country, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. More to come on that in Part 3 of Repowering the West: https://www.latimes.com/projects/repowering-the-west/.

I don't know as much about the repair/replacement issues, unfortunately. That's a topic I should probably learn more about!

Ha, all good!

Ahhh this is interesting. Thank you!