Gas Plants: Too Dangerous & Costly
Between fires and smog days, gas plants suck the life out of the frontline communities who live near them. We need to protect the livelihoods of working families, and invest in a clean energy economy that works for everyone.
Power up clean energy. Power down dirty gas.
We aim to transition off of dirty and dangerous gas plants in California, and to create a regenerative and just clean energy economy.
Communities on the front lines of climate change demand an urgent transition off of gas that prioritizes vulnerable working families.
About Regenerate California
Regenerate California is led by the California Environmental Justice Alliance (CEJA) and the Sierra Club who, together, share a vision for California where we run on 100% clean renewable energy – ensuring our children grow up breathing clean air and the most impacted communities have access to renewable energy and local jobs.
We have a vision to transition off of dirty and dangerous gas plants in California, and to create a regenerative and just clean energy economy.
Regenerate California is building a powerful movement to power up clean energy and power down dirty gas, and is supported by many environmental justice organizations, environmental groups, social justice organizations, and clean tech groups. We represent impacted communities throughout California from San Diego to Northern California.
IT’S TIME FOR A CHANGE
We envision a 100 percent clean and renewable energy future that brings economic and environmental benefits to working families most impacted by dirty energy policies.
We want to ensure an equitable transition off of fossil fuels so that we protect our planet from further climate disasters, and our kids can grow up breathing clean air, with a sustainable environment and access to renewable energy and good local jobs. A healthy future and a healthy planet starts with healthy communities in a healthy economy. Communities of color that have suffered the brunt of the burden of the fossil fuel economy must be at the table and leading the movement for energy democracy and local control of power. Communities have a right to self-determination, including access to new, family-supporting clean energy jobs. Building local renewable energy in toxic hotspots throughout California is one key element in the greater process of transforming the most impacted communities into thriving, healthy, economically prosperous communities.
LATEST RELEASE
Environmental Justice Leaders Urge California Air Resources Board To Set Target To Phase Out Existing Gas-Fired Power Plants in the State’s Most Far-Reaching Climate Plan
Especially while facing a vicious heat dome and suspension of water and air quality protections
Thursday, September 1, 2022
A tale of two Californias: Despite Gov. Newsom’s July call to remove new gas capacity from the Scoping Plan, the Governor’s office issued an emergency proclamation on 8/31 that allows polluting gas plants to run more frequently and intensely than their permits allow to meet current energy shortfall, inflicting unconscionable harm to those most exposed to climate pollution – working families and people of color.
SACRAMENTO, CA – As California stares down the barrel of another extreme heat event, gas-fired power plants fail yet again to show up with the electricity the state was expecting from them. To avoid future energy crises caused by extreme heat, environmental justice leaders are urging the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to plan for retirement of unreliable gas plants and make room for clean energy in the 2022 Scoping Plan, the roadmap to meeting the state’s climate goals.
References
- “Gas Plants Will Get Crushed by Wind, Solar by 2035, Study Says,” David Baker, Bloomberg, September 9, 2019.
- “California Starts Closing the Door on Natural Gas,” Larry Buhl, Capital & Main, July 31, 2019.
- “What Comes Next After Batteries Replace Gas Peakers?,” Julian Spector, Greentech Media, July 01, 2019.
- “Where Batteries Are Replacing Power Plants,” Alan Neuhauser, U.S. News & World Report, May 21, 2019.
- “Declining Battery Storage Costs Raise Questions About the Role of Natural Gas,” Renewable Energy World, July 17, 2018.
- “Turning Down the Gas in California,” Union of Concerned Scientists, Jul 13, 2018.
- “Energy Storage Poses a Growing Threat to Peaker Plants,” Charles Newbery, Transform, October 01, 2018.
- “Have We Reached Peak Peaker? ‘I Can’t See Why We Should Build a Gas Peaker After 2025’,” Emma Foehringer Merchant, December 12, 2017.
- “Is 100% Renewable Energy Possible?,” Elena Krieger, PhD, PSE Healthy Energy, March 28, 2015.