Taking Solar to the Extreme in San Diego

The inescapable takeaway from a write-up in Energy Current about reactions to the recently proposed draft energy blueprint for San Diego is that at least one county supervisor must have sunstroke.

The plan is, at worst consistent with the rest of California's stated energy objectives, and, at best, pretty aggressive. Not so, says San Diego Supe Dianne Jacob who panned the blueprint for setting anemic solar energy goals.

According to Energy Current:

"That draft said the region should use energy more efficiently, modernize its electric grid and boost reliance on green power to the point that sun, wind and other clean sources account for half of local electricity by 2030.

But the plan focuses far more on large, remote commercial solar and wind farms than on the small panels people put on their roofs. "

-and-

"SANDAG's draft policy suggested boosting the amount of sun power generated by residential rooftop panels from 50 megawatts today to 210 megawatts by 2020 and 249 megawatts by 2030. "

Jacob's response? Not enough rooftop solar.

Currently rooftop solar is capable of supplying 1% of the region's power needs. The county blueprint calls for increasing that 400%.

Jacob's response reminds me of the great story about Los Angeles philanthropist Dorothy Chandler accepting a check from a wealthy donor for one of her civic improvement charities, glancing at it, and-- to the donor's horror- tearing up the check in front of a room full of A-list attendees, and saying, "It's not nearly enough."

Official warns against wimpy solar goal [Energy Current via Yellow Brix via North County Times]