BELOW SUPERNAV drop zone ⇩

California forced to throw out excess solar energy

  • There's so much solar energy that it's being thrown out
  • 2022: 2.4 million megawatt-hours of electricity went unused in California
  • Expert: Need to be smart; not reverse course on solar energy development

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241114185800

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241115200405

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241118165728

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241118184948

(NewsNation) — As solar panel installations soar in several states, a strange reality is setting in: There’s so much solar energy on the grid that it’s sometimes being thrown out.

California, which leads the nation in solar power energy, is among those states to have too much leftover energy that is now being wasted.

In 2022, 2.4 million megawatt-hours of electricity went unused in California. About 95% of that was solar energy, the Washington Post reported.

Rolling back incentives

In response, California is rolling back incentives for having rooftop panels and slowing the pace of installations.

It’s all causing fears of a slowdown in renewable energy development as well as an increase in electricity costs.

Some believe a surplus of solar energy is a problem several states could face in the future.

“We can make it more affordable and stable if we’re smart and manage the transition rather than have policies that go back and forth,” said Brad Heavner, a California Solar and Storage Association policy director. “We need to be smart and conscious and not reverse course on solar energy development.”

California is not alone. Other states have adopted solar energy.

Nevada generates 23% of its power from solar while Arizona generates around 10%. Both Nevada and Arizona are seeing the same problem that California is having.

New federal funding

With that said, President Joe Biden announced $7 billion in federal grants for residential solar projects on Monday. The initial installation cost for solar energy is extremely high, making it fairly inaccessible for most Americans.

“It’s a big deal. This new ‘Solar for All‘ program means that 900,000 households will have solar on the rooftops for the first time and soon. Millions of families will save over $400 a year in utility bills,” Biden said.

West

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

Site Settings Survey

 

MAIN AREA MIDDLE drop zone ⇩

Trending on NewsNation

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241119133138

MAIN AREA BOTTOM drop zone ⇩

tt

KC Chiefs parade shooting: 1 dead, 21 shot including 9 kids | Morning in America

Witness of Chiefs parade shooting describes suspect | Banfield

Kansas City Chiefs parade shooting: Mom of 2 dead, over 20 shot | Banfield

WWE star Ashley Massaro 'threatened' by board to keep quiet about alleged rape: Friend | Banfield

Friend of WWE star: Ashley Massaro 'spent hours' sobbing after alleged rape | Banfield

Cloudy

la

56°F Cloudy Feels like 56°
Wind
3 mph S
Humidity
93%
Sunrise
Sunset

Tonight

Overcast. Areas of dense fog. Low 51F. Winds light and variable.
51°F Overcast. Areas of dense fog. Low 51F. Winds light and variable.
Wind
3 mph N
Precip
8%
Sunset
Moon Phase
Waning Crescent