Statistics

Transmission Losses and Power Plants

According to the U.S. Department of Energy's California Energy Commission (CEC), California gets 78% of its electricity from in-state sources, however electricity imported from Intermountain coal plant – located in Utah – is considered "in-state" by the CEC because these plants are under the auspice of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) and the California Independent System Operator (CAISO). The energy from these plants suffers significant transmission losses. Energy losses on a large electrical system range from about 5% to 8%. The most efficient energy delivery systems are those that don't require transmissions over long distances, instead generating power on-site or close to where it will be used. This is called "distributed generation."

Coal and Climate Change

In 2006 alone, 46,235 GWh generated from coal for California created approximately 18 million tons of CO2. If cities want to truly make a difference in the fight against climate change, they must stop using energy derived from coal. Click here to see proposed coal plants across the country.

Sources:
California Energy Commission: Energy Sources
EnergyVortex.com

According to the Energy Information Administration, there are approximately 2.095 pounds of CO2emissions produced per kilowatt-hour.* For the 46,235 GWh of electricity that California received from coal in 2006, more than 18 million tons of CO2 was produced.

*The carbon content of coal varies, but this is an average.

Sources:
The Energy Information Administration
The California Energy Commission: Gross System Power