Opinion: Is Southern California Edison about to break from its climate commitments?
With practically 200 million Individuals frying underneath excessive warmth, and water off the coast of Florida reaching sizzling tub temperatures, Individuals can see the local weather disaster with their very own eyes. We all know we should minimize fossil fuels as quick as doable. But the Edison Electrical Institute — the commerce affiliation that represents privately owned utilities offering energy to greater than 235 million folks throughout all 50 states — is planning to oppose a crucial a part of President Biden’s efforts to deal with the local weather disaster.
The disturbing factor is: I’m funding this effort to delay local weather motion. When you stay in Southern California, you’re most likely funding it too.
As a buyer of Southern California Edison, the electrical utility that provides a lot of Los Angeles County and others surrounding it, my vitality funds circulate upward to Edison Worldwide, the guardian firm of SCE. Its CEO, Pedro Pizarro, is the present chair of EEI. So, whereas Southern California Edison boasts that it’s “main the transformation of the electrical energy trade,” it’s actually main the electrical energy trade backward to soiled fossil fuels.
In Might, the Biden administration proposed to restrict carbon air pollution from energy crops, as is required underneath legislation. The federal authorities’s proposal would make present coal and gasoline crops burn cleaner fuels or set up gear to seize local weather air pollution. It might additionally require new fossil gas crops to restrict their carbon air pollution. The proposal provides the trade greater than a decade to determine its plans — an especially beneficiant timeline.
If something, these guidelines are too lax. The proposal exempts greater than 80% of at the moment’s fossil gasoline energy crops, a lot of which function in communities’ backyards and are among the dirtiest and costliest within the nation.
However whereas the planet burns, the electrical utility affiliation needs weaker guidelines and is planning to oppose the Biden administration’s proposal.
It’s notably egregious to look at this play out on Southern California Edison’s watch. The commerce group’s opposition is totally out of line with SCE’s personal local weather commitments to be 80% clear by 2030 and 100% by 2045. It’s additionally inconsistent with California legislation, which can maintain the utility to that 2045 deadline. Underneath Gov. Gavin Newsom’s management, it’s already clear that our state is not going to be constructing new gasoline crops. SCE has no justification for opposing Biden’s plan.
Sadly, we’ve seen this type of habits from utilities for many years. As my analysis has documented, electrical utilities have labored to unfold local weather denial and delay local weather motion for the final 50 years.
Since 2000, electrical utilities have persistently argued that they will proceed constructing new fossil gas crops as a result of they are going to be capable of use “clear coal” and “carbon seize” applied sciences. My analysis discovered that the utility trade has talked extra about these fossil gas options than all renewable vitality applied sciences mixed. But now, the Edison Electrical Institute plans to argue that carbon seize will probably be too “troublesome.”
The reality is that electrical utilities might revenue from the clear vitality revolution — if they’d solely get out of their very own approach. As Individuals transition to electrical autos and warmth pumps, demand for electrical energy will develop. Electrical utilities have an opportunity to win huge.
Backing outdated, soiled vitality is a loser’s wager. Throughout the nation, practically each coal plant may very well be shut down tomorrow, changed with wind and photo voltaic, and it could save clients cash. In reality, constructing photo voltaic and batteries is half the price of new fossil gasoline crops. And, as we take care of excessive warmth, wildfires and winter storms, batteries are proving to be more practical at retaining the lights on than costly and unreliable fossil gasoline crops.
Throughout the planet, the indicators of local weather breakdown are rising extra disturbing by the day. In June, extra of Canada’s boreal forest burned than within the final 20 years mixed. Sea ice in Antarctica has shrunk to report lows. Final month was the most well liked month ever recorded. It’s unconscionable for a utility govt to learn the information and foyer towards local weather motion.
With local weather disasters taking part in out in his personal yard, Pizarro of Edison Worldwide has repeatedly mentioned that clear vitality and electrification are the one path ahead, and that he’s “extremely optimistic” that the utility trade could make the speedy transition “as a result of frankly we don’t have a alternative as a society.”
These daring phrases have to be adopted with daring motion. He and his fellow utility executives are confronted with a alternative: They will stand behind the commerce group’s effort to kneecap local weather motion, or they will honor their commitments and reject that excessive stance. This week, main local weather teams despatched a letter calling on utility executives to publicly surrender the commerce group’s place. Those that refuse must be ashamed.
With the general public remark interval for the proposed federal guidelines closing on Aug. 8, there’s nonetheless time for Southern California Edison and the utility commerce affiliation to do the appropriate factor.
There are occasions when life provides you the chance to behave consistent with your values, to be on the appropriate aspect of historical past. Pizarro, a high trade chief, says he needs to steer on local weather. Now’s his probability to point out he means it.
Leah C. Stokes is an affiliate professor of environmental politics at UC Santa Barbara, a senior advisor at Rewiring America and the writer of “Brief Circuiting Coverage.” @leahstokes
