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

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

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 9, 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

Bend, Oregon

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing

The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.

2 hours ago - Strong Towns

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.

3 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive

Green Skid Row mural satirizing city limit sign in downtown Los Angeles, California.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents

The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.

4 hours ago - Los Angeles Public Press