China's first wind-solar power storage demonstration project comes on stream

[txlibdem]

10. Here's some data to help you

The Insitute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) has released a second version of its study titled Energy Self-Reliant States. In it they look at various ways that U.S. states could generate clean electricity locally (rooftop solar PV, onshore wind, offshore wind, etc). Just from the name of the institute, it's pretty obvious that they aren't in favor of centralized solutions to our energy problems, but at least they aren't all ideology: They back up their claims with a lot of data.

...

All 36 states with either renewable energy goals or renewable energy mandates could meet them by relying on in-state renewable fuels. Sixty-four percent could be self-sufficient in electricity from in-state renewables; another 14 percent could generate 75 percent of their electricity from homegrown fuels. [...]

More than 40 states plus the District of Columbia could generate 25 percent of their electricity just with rooftop PV. [...]

much of the West and Midwest can be entirely self-sufficient by harnessing in-state [onshore] wind power [...]

http://www.treehugger.com/corporate-responsibility/the-100-mile-diet-for-electricity-the-institute-for-local-self-reliance-argues-for-decentralization.html

The above link has a map for onshore wind potential and a separate map for solar potential. For instance, Texas can get over 500% of its electrical energy needs from wind power alone; North Dakota's wind resource is 14,000% of their electrical energy needs.

Note that the states of Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida show zero percent wind resource and yet the article claims that an interstate grid system is not needed. Go figure. So while I disagree on their misguided "distributed grid" philosophy, it's instructive to see how many states could get 100% of their electricity needs from wind and/or solar.

California could get 31% from onshore wind and 52% from rooftop solar PV for a total of 83% of their electricity needs. This does not include offshore wind, nor desert solar farms, geothermal, tidal nor wave power.