L.A. Looks To Move Beyond Coal With Wind

The Southern California region is rich in renewable assets, so the LADWP is attempting to become the nationwide leader in developing and integrating wind power.

1 minute read

March 10, 2008, 11:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


The article features remarks made by LADWP Senior Consultant James Caldwell, Jr. at the recent GreenXchange Global Marketplace Conference in Los Angeles:

"...today, wind produces roughly 1.5 percent of the U.S.'s electricity. I'm here to argue the proposition that we can and should generate roughly 20 percent of U.S. electricity with wind, within the planning horizon."

"the utility itself has a much more difficult role of aggregating all of these loads on the customer's side, and aggregating all of these energy sources on the supply side, and somehow making those meld in a way that keeps the lights on, keeps the clocks running at 60 cycles a second, and keeps the reliability that we know today. That's not going to be any easy transition."

"...the U.S. content of wind turbines is going to have to increase. We can't continue to import the cells from Europe, the blades from South America, towers from China, and expect to have the sort of economic development potential that we're going to need in order to get the political will to do this here and to contain the price pressures, given things like the Euro versus the dollar."

Tuesday, February 26, 2008 in VerdeXchange News

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight