Energy Assignment 2: Renewable Energy in California

In this portion of the assignment you are going to research the type of energy currently used in your country. You will likely find that there are multiple types used (and you can mention this) but please try to focus on the primary type used. Explain how this is used, the cost, the impact, etc. It may be one of the three that you researched yesterday or may not be….It doesn't matter. 

California has historically been a leader on clean energy investments, driven in large part by its Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS), which requires all utilities in the state to source 33 percent of their electricty sales from clean, renewable sources such as wind, solar, geothermal and biopower (by 2020)
In 2009, 11.6% of all electricty came from renewable resources such as wind, solar, geothermal, biomass and small hydroelectric facilities.

Natural gas is the main source for electricty generation at 45% of the total in-state electric generation system power. (2012)
Natural gas-fired power plants account for more than one-half of State electricty generation.
Natural gas has become the fuel of choice for new power plants since 1990s.

The natural gas power production process begins with the extraction of natural gas, continues with its treatment and transport to the power plants, and ends with its combustion in boilers and turbines to generate electricity.

Initially, wells are drilled into the ground to remove the natural gas. After the natural gas is extracted, it is treated at gas plants to remove impurities such as hydrogen sulfide, helium, carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, and moisture. Pipelines then transport the natural gas from the gas plants to power plants. Power plants use several methods to convert gas to electricity. One method is to burn the gas in a boiler to produce steam, which is then used by a steam turbine to generate electricity. A more common approach is to burn the gas in a combustion turbine to generate electricity.

Environmental Impacts of Natural Gas:

-can destroy natural habitats for animals and plants
-possible land impacts: soil erosion, landslides, loss of soil productivity
-when power plants remove water from lake/river, fish and other aquatic life can be killed, affecting animals and people who depend on these sources
-air emissions: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen oxide

In California the cost of Natural Gas is 5.23dollars per Thousand Cubic Feet