Known for its high-efficiency solar panels and comprehensive installation services, SunPower had established itself as a significant player in the renewable energy sector.
Thanks for your analysis, Steve. I'm less charitable regarding California solar. Per CAISO in June 2024, the total was 18,517 MW of solar capacity, the greatest of any state. The whole California solar subsidy process is better described as a Ponzi scheme. Unless the residential installation includes large amounts of costly energy storage (e.g. multiple Tesla Powerwalls) the result of additional rooftop solar installations is increased curtailment of large-scale solar installations under CAISO control. Curtailment is expensive.
The amount of solar being curtailed as a consequence of overbuilding is absurd. CGNP estimated the curtailment cost in 2018 to be equal to the cost of exporting California's excess mid-day power to adjacent states. Assemblyman Brian Dahle discussed the billion-dollar per year cost in 2018 in his California SB 100 floor speech.
Year MWh Approximate Annual Cost ($)
2018 461,054 $1,000,000,000
2019 961,343 $2,090,000,000
2020 1,587,497 $3,440,000,000
2021 1,504,840 $3,260,000,000
2022 2,449,247 $5,310,000,000
2023 2,659,527 $5,770,000,000
2024 2,827,489 $6,130,000,000
Total 13,399,762 $27,000,000,000
To put the total January 2018-June 2024 curtailment of 13,339,762 MWh in context, Diablo Canyon's typical annual production is about 18,000,000 MWh. These multi-billion-dollar costs are shifted to California electricity ratepayers without solar installations, further driving up electricity prices.
I witnessed this curtailment when I observed a very large rural California solar installation with all of the panels facing away from the Sun in the late afternoon during the daily demand peak. A nearby smaller installation had the panels facing towards the Sun. I photographed both installations. Wind can also be curtailed.
Thanks for your analysis, Steve. I'm less charitable regarding California solar. Per CAISO in June 2024, the total was 18,517 MW of solar capacity, the greatest of any state. The whole California solar subsidy process is better described as a Ponzi scheme. Unless the residential installation includes large amounts of costly energy storage (e.g. multiple Tesla Powerwalls) the result of additional rooftop solar installations is increased curtailment of large-scale solar installations under CAISO control. Curtailment is expensive.
The amount of solar being curtailed as a consequence of overbuilding is absurd. CGNP estimated the curtailment cost in 2018 to be equal to the cost of exporting California's excess mid-day power to adjacent states. Assemblyman Brian Dahle discussed the billion-dollar per year cost in 2018 in his California SB 100 floor speech.
Year MWh Approximate Annual Cost ($)
2018 461,054 $1,000,000,000
2019 961,343 $2,090,000,000
2020 1,587,497 $3,440,000,000
2021 1,504,840 $3,260,000,000
2022 2,449,247 $5,310,000,000
2023 2,659,527 $5,770,000,000
2024 2,827,489 $6,130,000,000
Total 13,399,762 $27,000,000,000
To put the total January 2018-June 2024 curtailment of 13,339,762 MWh in context, Diablo Canyon's typical annual production is about 18,000,000 MWh. These multi-billion-dollar costs are shifted to California electricity ratepayers without solar installations, further driving up electricity prices.
I witnessed this curtailment when I observed a very large rural California solar installation with all of the panels facing away from the Sun in the late afternoon during the daily demand peak. A nearby smaller installation had the panels facing towards the Sun. I photographed both installations. Wind can also be curtailed.