U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Distributed Energy Program

California — DE Information

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Resources

Natural Gas

Natural gas prices
Natural gas production and use
Natural gas summary statistics (PDF 455 KB) — Shows dry production, gas consumption, deliveries to consumers, number of wells, average gas prices, and net interstate movements of gas (i.e., net import or export).

Renewable Energy and Load Reduction

Biopower
Geothermal energy
Solar energy
- Solar electricity (PV)
- Concentrating solar power
Wind energy
- Detailed wind resource map
Energy efficiency

Case Studies

Examples of DE installations, arranged by technology.

Power Generation

Fuel cells
- Brewery uses digester gas to run fuel cells — In the September/October edition of Distributed Energy.
Gas-fueled reciprocating engines

Two power plants (with real-time monitoring and dispatch) brought on line in less than seven months — Chowchilla II and Red Bluff plants, Stewart & Stevenson Services Inc., California.

Microturbines
- 50 microturbines generate 1.5 MW from landfill gas
Renewable energy projects — A summary and full list of operating facilities in the state.
Biopower
- Wood waste gasifier for greenhouse heat and power (MS Word 28 KB) — Hoopa Valley Indian Tribe, Hoopa Valley, California.
Solar electricity
- 50-kW PV system provides grid support at substation — Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Kerman Substation, Kerman, California.
- 3.3-kW PV system, one of 200 systems in San Diego area — Cupaiuolo residence, Vista, California.
- 1.14-MW PV system covers three acres of jail's rooftop — Santa Rita Jail, Alameda, California.
Concentrating solar power
- Nine solar trough plants — Solar electric generating systems in Daggett, Harper Lake, and Kramer Junction, California.
Wind power
- 10-kW wind turbine shaves electric bill at remote home — Pearson residence, Pleasanton, California.
- Wind turbine cuts bills up to $200 per month in all-electric house; 7-year payback estimated — Colley residence, Tehachapi, California.
- 10-kW wind turbine in below-average wind location saves up to $120 per month in electric bills — Gilliam residence, Scotts Valley, California.
Hybrid power
- Net-metered 10-kW wind turbine with solar modules — Schiebel residence, Tehachapi, California.
- 1.5-kW wind turbine and 1-kW PV array power off-grid home — Jostad residence, Cayucos, California.
- 10-kW wind turbine and 1.2-kW PV array power tribal community center — Community Center, Manzanita Band of Kumeyaay Indians, Boulevard, California.

Energy Storage

102-kWh battery bank supplements off-grid PV system (PDF 183 KB) — Channel Islands National Park, Santa Rosa Island, California.
5.3-MWh battery energy storage system for peak shaving and backup power (PDF 180 KB) — GNB Lead Reclamation Facility, Vernon, California.

Load Reduction

Geothermal heat pump installations (PDF 161 KB) — Includes analysis of monitoring data.
Efficient large home strives for zero net energy use — Zero-Energy Home, Livermore, California.
Low energy requirements for LED traffic lights make battery backup feasible, improving motorist safety — California Energy Commission, California.
Navy building uses passive solar to minimize cooling loads — Building 850, Port Hueneme, California.

Utility Contacts

Electric utilities and wholesalers — From DOE's Energy Information Administration.
Nonutility power producers — From DOE's Energy Information Administration.
Electric utility companies in California — A 1996 list provided by the California Energy Commission.

Permitting and Environmental Regulations

California Energy Commission (CEC):
California Air Resources Board (CARB) — Information about the California distributed generation certification program and other statutes.
Report on streamlining the DER permitting process (PDF 426 KB) Download Acrobat Reader. — Concerning the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review procedure, which applies to DER generating facilities.
Air Pollution Emission Impacts Associated with Economic Market Potential of Distributed Generation in California — A report by Distributed Utility Associates on air emission impacts of distributed generation.

Other Information

Distributed generation grants in California
Financing options for renewable energy systems — From the California Energy Commission.
Energy efficiency financing in California — This California Energy Commission program provides financing for schools, hospitals, and local governments through low-interest loans for feasibility studies and the installation of energy-efficiency measures.
Distributed Generation Strategic Plan — California Energy Commission, June 2002. This plan is being used to coordinate activities related to the deployment of distributed generation in California.
Revisiting the 'Buy versus Build' Decision of Publicly Owned Utilities in California Considering Wind and Geothermal Resources (PDF 343 KB) — Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, October 2001.