Calif. Solar Power Output Hits Record High
SAN CLEMENTE (CBSLA.com) — California is now the largest producer of solar power in the nation.
KNX 1070's Chris Sedens reports the distinction comes as Southern California Edison announced it would be shutting down the troubled San Onofre nuclear power plant.
Calif. Solar Power Output Hits Record
The state's solar power grid hit its all-time high on Friday, more than doubling its output from last September and almost equaling the megawatts of nuclear power the state lost in January 2012 when small amounts of radiation began leaking from San Onofre.
Total statewide electric demand on Friday was about 36,000 megawatts, according to CAL ISO, which means solar power supplied more than 5 percent of California's overall demand for electricity.
That amount of energy is enough to power more than 1.5 million homes across the state, according to officials.
Southern California Edison announced Friday it will retire San Onofre's twin reactors due to uncertainty about the future of the plant, which faces a number of regulatory hurdles and investigations.
