PG&E Pacific Gas and Electric Power Content for 2012
For 2012, PG&E, representing a fair part of Northern California, has the leading amount of power produced from Natural Gas at 27%. The next larger share is Nuclear at 21%. Next is renewables at 19%. Large Hydro comes in at 11%. The Unspecified share, which is from out of state, is at 21%.
Adding the greenhouse gas free sources of 21% + 19% + 11% gives 51% clean power.
The Nuclear power is coming from the two nuclear reactors in the Diablo Canyon Plant north of Pismo Beach, with about 2200 MegaWatts total.
By state requirement, renewables will rise to 33% by 2020.
SMUD Sacramento Municipal Utility District Power Content for 2012
The leading source of power for the SMUD is Natural Gas at 36%. Next is Renewables at 24%. After that is Hydro at 17%. Unspecified is at 23%.
The greenhouse gas free power is 24% + 17% giving 41% clean power.
In 2013, they plan to reduce Unspecified to an amazingly low 2%, by stepping up Natural Gas to 53%, Hydro to 20%, and Renewables by a pinch to 25%. More utilities should try to follow this example to be accountable. However, it is said that buying out of state at spot prices can be cheaper than fixed contracts. It would be interesting to find out if this is a really true using this case.
SF PUC San Francisco Public Utility Commission Power Content for 2012.
Until the recent fire around the Hetch Hetchy valley in Yosemite National Park, I did nor recall that San Francisco got its power and water from the water behind the Hetch Hetchy dam. The SF PUC report for 2012 shows 99% of its power comes from Large Hydro. Renewables were at 1%. The power of the plants below the Hetch Hetchy is 405 MegaWatts.
All of their power is greenhouse gas free, and all accounted for.
If you are charging an electric car or running on the battery of a plug in hybrid, you are truly producing no CO2 pollution in San Francisco.
While the dam can be seen as having the effect of providing clean power now that we know about climate change, it did flood a beautiful valley in Yosemite. Despite that, it is nice to take a lakeside walk in the undeveloped valley to get away from the people, cars, and large developments of Yosemite Valley.
SCE Southern California Edison Power Content for 2012
The leading identified source is Natural Gas at 21%. Renewables were next at 20%. Coal is identified at 7%, as is Nuclear power at 7%. Large Hydro is identified at 4%. However, due to the shutdown of the two San Onofre nuclear reactors, Unspecifed out of state power has ballooned from 15% in 2011 to 41% in 2012.
The 2012 greenhouse gas free sum is 20% + 7% + 4% giving 31%.
SDG&E San Diego Gas and Electric Power Content for 2012
I have not been able to find this on the web yet, but will add this when it becomes available.
California Power Content for 2012
We start with the CO2 producing sector of Natural Gas at 43.4% and Coal at 7.5%, for a total of 50.9%. The greenhouse gas free sectors are Renewables at 15.4%, Large Hydro at 8.3%, and Nuclear at 9.0%, for a total of 32.7%. The out of state Unspecified Sources was at 16.4%. This is hinted at on the State website as mainly hydro in the North and Natural Gas in the South.
