GUEST OPINION

A kick in the joules by the green energy cult!

Santa Barbara County and most of the cities within the county joined a government-centric green energy consortium known as Central Coast Community Energy (3CE).

The goal of this energy consortium is to beat the state of California to the finish line as it relates to an all-green energy portfolio as California has committed itself to 100% renewable, green, greenhouse gas-free energy as its only source of power.

What that means in practical terms is that even those energy sources that create no emissions, such as hydroelectric and nuclear, must go because they are not considered renewable even though they are greenhouse gas-free. Of course, the main target of these goals is to eliminate any and all fossil fuels used to generate electricity.

A funny thing happened on the road to this green nirvana, and that has to do with the fact that somebody in the governor’s office did the math and realized that the state must do everything in its power to keep Diablo nuclear power plant operating well into the future because the California grid can’t afford to lose 10% of its base power load. What does that mean? Diablo provides 10% of our power 24/7/365. Conversely, wind and solar only provide intermittent energy at best because the sun doesn’t always shine, and the wind doesn’t always blow.

Moreover, solar power generated in California during its peak hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. poses its own challenge because solar can at times generate more power than we can use during those same hours.

This has to do with the fact that most power is now consumed in the evenings rather than during peak sunshine. How to solve this dilemma? Create the ability to store wind and solar energy for when we need it most. There are several means to do this that are currently technically feasible. The city of Goleta is trying a battery storage complex. The problem? These