One of the largest solar-and-storage power generating facilities in the U.S. has come online in Southern California, immediately providing 7% of all of L.A.'s power needs, the Los Angeles Times reported. With the plant's opening, 64% of the city's power now comes from renewable sources.
The Eland solar-and-storage facility "demonstrates our commitment toward our renewable and clean energy transition," said Janisse Quiñones, chief executive officer for the L.A. Department of Water and Power, according to the Times. "We're not backing down from that."
The sprawling facility is located in Kern County, which sits about 100 miles north of Los Angeles. It covers enough land to contain 13 Dodger Stadiums, including parking lots, according to the Times.
"This is the largest project for LADWP when it comes to solar and battery, and that is a huge accomplishment for us because it takes away the fear of doing more of these — and we need about 10 more of these to hit our goals," Quiñones said.
Los Angeles has pledged to use 100% cleaner, renewable energy sources by 2035.
The massive complex includes 1.36 million solar panels and 172 lithium-iron phosphate batteries, which are used to store energy produced during the day for distribution at night.
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By the end of 2023, 469 hybrid renewable-energy facilities were in operation across the U.S., an increase of 21% over just the year prior, according to a study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
According to the United Nations, 75% of all planet-warming pollution comes from burning dirty, nonrenewable fuels derived from oil, coal, and natural gas, with 90% of all carbon dioxide pollution coming from these sources.
In order to reverse the trend of rising global temperatures, it is necessary to significantly reduce the amount of planet-heating pollution entering the atmosphere. With electricity generation accounting for a quarter of all such pollution, according to the EPA, hybrid renewable-energy facilities like Eland are a powerful and important tool for reaching those goals.
Importantly, renewable energy projects like the Eland facility now can compete on a direct economic basis with power from other sources "with or without tax credits," according to Kevin Smith, CEO of Arevon, the company that built the Eland hybrid plant.
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No way 🙅 Making these projects even more competitive, Eland was brought online just two years after shovels first hit the ground, years faster than power plants using natural gas or nuclear power, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Smaller-scale solar projects also increasingly make economic and environmental sense.
By installing solar panels on your home, you can drop your energy bill to practically $0 while also reducing planet-warming pollution. EnergySage offers free tools that make it easy to compare quotes from vetted solar installers in your area while also taking maximum advantage of tax credits and other incentives while they last, saving customers up to $10,000.
Running your home on solar also makes it cheaper to run electric appliances like heat pumps. If you're looking for an affordable heat pump that is right for you, Mitsubishi can help.
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