San Diego Utility a Leader in Renewable Energy

San Diego Gas & Electric announced that it produced 1,042 megawatts of renewable electricity on its power grid one day last week, the most ever.

The amount generated last Wednesday at 12:51 p.m. didn’t include energy produced by 61,000 SDG&E rooftop solar customers.

• Related: ‘Godzilla’ El Nino Likely Means Wetter and Cooler Winter

“A combination of bright sunshine and strong wind conditions in the San Diego and Imperial Valley helped to generate the record-setting amount of green energy for our customers,” said Scott Drury, chief energy supply officer for SDG&E. “We are proud to have delivered 33 percent renewable power over the last twelve months -- the first utility in California to do so.”

Stephanie Donovan of SDG&E told City News Service that the utility usually produces around 900 to 1,000 megawatts of renewable energy in a given day, but production fluctuates throughout the day based on prevailing weather conditions.

• Related: $5 Million Gift Will Create Climate Change Center

The California Independent System Operator also reported a statewide record for renewable generation of 6,341 megawatts on the same daym about an hour after SDG&E’s peak. That eclipsed the previous all-time statewide peak of 6,330 megawatts set one week earlier.

--City News Service; Image via SDG&E