This paper explores the merits of decentralized electric generation in California. Its focus is on solar photovoltaic and wind technologies because of their
predominance in California; but the arguments are relevant to a broad mix of renewable technologies, all of which are essential to a clean energy future.
This paper also describes obstacles to implementing decentralized generation in California and outlines several policies, such as feed-in tariffs and Community Choice energy programs, that would help overcome these obstacles.
“One of the great side effects of moving to renewable power is that we will replace vulnerable, brittle centralized systems that are too big to fail with spread out democratic energy sources small enough to be resilient.Community Power makes a compelling case for moving in this direction.”–Bill McKibben, Co-founder of 350.org; author of a dozen books on the environment, including The End of Nature.