We compare the energy sources for the major California utilities with each other, as well as with the overall California sources, and the US overall sources. For each, we calculate the emissions per kWh. Undisclosed sources are taken to be on average the same as efficient natural gas sources.
Emissions for Combined-Cycle Natural Gas plants are taken as 0.922 pounds of CO2 per kWh, and Coal is taken as 2.21 pounds of CO2 per kWh.
The utitilites are Southern California Edison (SCE), Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E), Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), San Francisco Public Utility Commission (SFPUC), and for comparison we add the UC Regents (UC).
The columns are in percentages: Utility, Coal, Gas, Renewables, Nuclear, Hydro, and Unspecified: and Emissions per kWh.
| Util | Coal | Gas | Ren | Nucl | Hydro | Unsp. | Em |
| US | 29.9 | 32.1 | 9.6 | 20.0 | 7.4 | 0.3 | 0.96 |
| CA | 4 | 34 | 29 | 9 | 15 | 9 | 0.48 |
| SCE | 0 | 20 | 32 | 6 | 8 | 34 | 0.50 |
| PG&E | 0 | 20 | 33 | 27 | 18 | 2 | 0.20 |
| LADWP | 18 | 31 | 30 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 0.75 |
| SDG&E | 0 | 39 | 44 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0.52 |
| SMUD | 0 | 44 | 19 | 0 | 35 | 2 | 0.42 |
| SFPUC | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 99 | 0 | 0.00 |
| UC | 0 | 0 | 45 | 0 | 32 | 23 | 0.21 |
We note that the California emissions average is half of the US average.
The Orange County and San Diego utilities SCE and SDG&E emissions are about the state average. SCE has 46% clean energy, and SDG&E has 44% clean energy. SCE has improved from its 41% unspecified power last year to 34% this year.
PG&E has reduced its Unspecified Power from 14% to only 2%. With 78% clean power, it isn’t really necessary for it to offer a Green Energy plan.
The LADWP is hampered by out-of-state coal contracts that do not expire until 2024.
The San Francisco city utility uses hydropower from the Hetch Hetchy dam.
The US Renewables outside of Large Hydro are Wind 6.3%, Biomass 1.6%, Solar 1.3%, and Geothermal 0.4%.
California Renewables are Wind 10%, Solar 10%, Geothermal 4%, Eligible Hydroelectric 3%, and Biomass and Biowaste 2%.
The UC goal for its campuses is emissions neutral, including emissions offset projects. It is committed to using only clean energy sources for its 10 campuses and 5 medical centers by 2025.
