Off-and-on energy

As California increases dependency on renewable energy sources, further development of traditional sources like fossil fuels will be necessary as a backup.

A hidden cost of California’s legal mandate to produce one-third of the state’s energy through renewable resources by 2020 are gas-fired generators necessary to provide a fallback to wind- and solar-energy installations—“intermittent resources” that can suddenly cease producing power, according to the Los Angeles Times.

In just half an hour, cloudy or still conditions can cause a shortage of 1,000 megawatts of energy, threatening the grid’s stability. As a result, fossil-fuel plants must be on call to fill the energy gap in mere seconds to avoid blackouts.

The state’s current electricity system can handle such fluctuations, but they are likely to occur on a grander scale by 2020; the California Independent System Operator estimates the state will need to double its reserve capacity by then.