Source: Time magazine – June 8,2009

On May 21, the American Clean Energy and Security Act – also known as the Waxman Markey Bill, after its democratic authors – passed through a House committee. If approved, the 1,000 page bill would institute the nations first federal cap and trade system for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

• The steadily tightening cap would slash emissions 83% below 2005 levels by 2050.
• By 2020, all electric utilities would be required to produce up to 15% of their power using renewable sources and greatly improve energy efficiency.
• Of the tradable carbon credits, 15% would be auctioned off, the rest donated to businesses like cement and steel plants to soften the bill’s economic impacts.

The #1 U.S. greenhouse gas emission pollution is from electric power generation, (2.45 billion metric tons per year!),  #2 is transportation (autos,buses,etc) (2 billion metric tons per year.)

California energy policy report updates calls for increasing the renewable energy goal to be 33% by 2020.

Source: http::/www.gosolarcalifornia.ca.gov/solar101/big_pictures.html

 In California, the 2004 electricity supply came from

40.8%  -Natural Gas
21.3%  – Coal
14.9%  – Large Hydro  ( Dams,  Rivers, etc)
12.8%  – Nuclear   (FYI-No new nuclear plants since 1978, they are getting old!)
4.8%    – Geothermal
2%       – Biomass (corn/ethanol. garbage/methane gas,etc)
1.6%    – Small Hydro (Rivers, Lakes, wave motion,etc)
1.5%    – Wind
0.3%    – Solar (All solar types – PV and Thermal)

That adds up to be 23% of California’s energy is created using renewable sources.
The entire US generates only 7% of its energy from renewable sources. And needs to be more…especially Solar!.