Report reveals how unorthodox power market drastically lowered utility bills — here's how it defied expectations
A new study published in Renewable Energy and reported by Electrek found that from late winter to early summer, solar, wind, and hydropower consistently generated more electricity than the state needed, averaging 4.84 surplus hours per day and reaching a peak of 10.1 hours.
California adopted more clean energy practices, with solar power up 31%, wind energy growing by 8%, and battery storage more than doubling since 2023. Big battery systems, including lithium-ion storage, played a huge part by holding on to extra solar power during the day and sending out up to 12% of the state's electricity at night.
Some feared that depending more on renewables would make electricity unreliable or drive up costs, but that wasn't the case. No blackouts occurred, and electricity prices fell by over 50% compared to the previous year.
A research team from Stanford University, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the University of California, Berkeley studied these trends and found that running California's grid primarily on renewables is not only possible but also costs.
"The main grid in the world's fifth-largest economy was able to provide more than 100% of the electricity that it used from only four clean renewable sources: solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal," said Mark Z. Jacobson, a Stanford professor and co-author of the study.
For Californians, this means cheaper power bills and a more stable energy supply. Burning gas dropped by 40% during this time, meaning fewer emissions in the air and less need to bring in fuel from outside the state.
California isn't the only place making big moves in clean energy. Texas hit record highs in wind and solar power generation, while Iowa and South Dakota now get more than 60% of their electricity from renewables. At the same time, new tech such as floating solar panels and better battery storage is helping keep power grids stable and lowering costs.
With more states stepping up their investments, running on mostly clean energy isn't just an idea for the future; it's already happening.
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One reader of the Electrek article said, "Just because renewables covered demand at some points doesn't mean it's sustainable long-term."
Another reader made their point, saying: "Consumers pay more per kWh in states with higher renewable generation. Love clean energy, but it's pricey."
And one commenter said: "No mention of the effect of AI and Bitcoin on the grid. Hopefully, Bitcoin will go away and all that energy can be used for cheaper power for homes and EV charging."
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