Energy in California: 40 Years of Leadership

 

Forty years ago, demand for energy in California was increasing an average of 8 percent a year with experts predicting the state would need up to 90,000 MW of new capacity by the early 1990s and to build 120 power plants by 2000 if that trend continued. 

To avoid the energy and environmental crisis this scenario would lead to, the California Legislature created what is now the California Energy Commission and tasked it with helping the state use efficiency and conservation to meet growing energy demands, support cutting-edge research technologies, and develop renewable energy resources as a way to balance energy and conservation needs.

To celebrate the Energy Commission's accomplishments, here is a look back at its history and a glance forward at what is in store for the future.