Do you have an engineering degree or a journalism?

Also true!

Why isn't all this renewable infrastructure being built in California? Why export power generation and its down sides to places like Wyoming while reaping all the benefits.

Thanks for the response, I didn’t realize France had required this but that’s pretty sick.

I also recently found out about wave power as well. And according to eia.gov, theoretical energy potential of waves off the coasts of the US could potentially make up as much as 64% of total US utility-scale electricity generation as of 2021. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/hydropower/wave-power.php

My question is how viable will this be in the future and what would the impact on marine life be? Also would implementing this at a large scale impact our ports?

(Thanks for the AMA btw)

It's a great article you linked to. From my perspective, If you can you can and if you can't you can't. I am the son of Mexican Immigrant parents who came here with nothing and gave their children values of hard work, honesty and resiliency. But I also know that the world is changing rapidly and economically it's a lot harder for people. I have children in their 30's and many successful clients in their 20's and am in tune to what they are going through

The more rooftop solar gets built, definitely, the fewer land-use conflicts and the less destruction of wildlife habitat. But will also caution that every detailed study I've seen still finds a huge need for large solar and wind farms to meet climate goals, even in very optimistic scenarios for rooftop solar. See, for instance: https://www.latimes.com/environment/newsletter/2021-01-07/how-rooftop-solar-could-save-americans-473-billion-dollars-boiling-point.

Will have more discussion of this very question in the next part of Repowering the West. Feel free to follow along here: https://www.latimes.com/projects/repowering-the-west/.

Thank you for the question!

It'll also keep cars cooler in the summer by providing shade. We won't need to crank the A/C quite so much when we get into them.

I'm not an expert in foreign policy or international finance. My guess here would be as good as yours.

Very much hear you on that!

Ooh interesting, I'd never heard about this before! Have written about the potential for solar over canals: https://www.latimes.com/environment/newsletter/2021-04-22/solar-power-water-canals-california-climate-change-boiling-point. But bike paths are a new one for me. Any articles or literature you can point me to?

Thanks for the response and the link!

Hey there, you raise a very good point -- huge potential for solar over parking lots without destroying wildlife habitat. France actually just required this: https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2023/02/06/france-solar-parking-lots/.

Even in a best case scenario for solar on parking lots, rooftops and other spots within the built environment, though, researchers say there will still be a huge need for large solar farms to meet climate goals. I wrote about that reality here: https://www.latimes.com/environment/newsletter/2021-01-07/how-rooftop-solar-could-save-americans-473-billion-dollars-boiling-point.

But the more that can go on parking lots and rooftops, the fewer conflicts and challenges overall. Thank you for the good question!

Given the ties to China, do you think a war with China - either financially or physically - would create the same type of rapid inflation?

I dont really. I will start from there. My ADHD-ridden brain is heavily right-sided. I hope i can make something off it!

I Personally feel afraid to fail(irrationally, since if i don't try, i certainly do), im always hyper-aware of being just not that hood, or not as good as others, and i don't have the guts to ask money for what i do.

One of the bigger insecurities that me and many people trying to pierce into the industry is jow to properly value our work, what methods of payment, what times are usually standard, ect. Can you shed any insight on this issues?

Definitely to the extent that "disturbed" lands of all kinds can be repurposed for renewable energy generation, that likely makes things easier, in terms of avoiding conflicts (and harm) building on undisturbed wildlife habitat in particular. Abandoned mines, Superfund cites, fallow farm fields, etc. -- not to mention rooftops, warehouses, over parking lots and other spots within the built environment. I'd never heard former strip malls brought up, but that could be interesting!

Even with a ton of rooftop solar and stuff built on disturbed sites, I don't think the land use conflicts go away -- see this piece I wrote in 2021: https://www.latimes.com/environment/newsletter/2021-01-07/how-rooftop-solar-could-save-americans-473-billion-dollars-boiling-point. But a lot could be avoided.

Thank you for the good question!

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Think about all the walmarts, targets, hyvees, trader joes, with 200+ car parking lots. I feel like you could create a significant amount of energy by doing this. It may not look pretty, but at least it would serving a greater purpose than just parking.

LOL. Nope, one more boomer who believes in "I have never seen a u-haul behind a hearse". I believe in financial significance. Money is a tool to be used to help you live your best life - whatever definition of your best life is. For many of the people I serve, all they want is financial dignity.

Hey there, this is a really interesting question, thank you! Short answer is I'm not sure, although I'm not sure anything significant has changed thus far. Even during the height of work-from-home in 2020, the challenges California experienced on its power grid were pretty much the same as before the pandemic -- rising electric demand on hot summer evenings as people continued to blast their home air conditioners, even as the sun went down and solar generation dropped. I've written about that phenomenon quite a bit, including here: https://www.latimes.com/environment/newsletter/2022-09-15/boiling-point-california-epic-heat-wave-over-what-we-learned-boiling-point.

Sorry not to have a better answer to your question. I'll keep thinking about it!

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In that context let me ask you if a more aggressive promotion of rooftop solar (both residential and business) could be a possible solution

Yes -- not only did I read this study, I wrote about it! For anyone interested, my story is here: https://www.latimes.com/environment/newsletter/2022-10-06/solar-and-wind-farms-can-hurt-the-environment-a-new-study-offers-solutions-boiling-point.

Thank you for the good question!

what are your thoughts on installing solar panels above bike paths?

I feel like this gets thrown around a lot but is rarely put into effect, at least in America. But one of the biggest downsides to solar is the tearing up of land and the environment. But America already has a long history of doing just that for parking lots. Why are we not making or funding businesses with oversized parking lots to cover a majority of their parking spots with Solar panels? The land has already been tore up just for parking, may as well also throw solar panels over them in a canopy fashion, no?

Hey there, thanks very much for the question! You're in luck...I recently wrote a whole story about this: https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2023-01-17/want-to-solve-climate-change-this-california-farm-kingdom-holds-the-key.

Hope you'll take the time to dig in, when you've got it. Short answer is that while some farmers have been happy to strike deals with solar and wind developers, others see renewable energy as a threat to their agricultural way of life -- especially solar farms that take farmland out of production. They're worried about lost jobs, reduced tax revenues and losing water that their communities will never get back. I've heard other concerns that are less based on factual reality, but these ones raise legitimate points.

Like I said, hope you'll read the story to learn more! Please do let me know what you think.