Solar facilities produced 4,093 megawatts of power in California on Saturday March 8, a spike from the previous day’s record of 3,926 megawatts, according to the California Independent System Operator. That’s enough energy, ISO says, to power about 3 million homes. California’s generated solar power has more than doubled since June 2013 and more than quadrupled since 2012, according to the group. The record also means that on Saturday, 78 percent of the state’s 5,231 megawatts of installed solar was producing energy.
California is a leader in solar energy, especially as of late. Last year, California doubled its rooftop solar installations, which jumped from 1,000 to 2,000 megawatts. The state also leads the way in solar jobs — California hosts a third of the nation’s total solar jobs and has added 3,523 since 2012. Solar employers in California don’t expect the job growth to stop anytime soon, either — they’re predicting 10,500 new solar jobs in the state this year.
In addition to solar, California has about 5,890 megawatts of wind generation, ranking it second in wind generation in the U.S. behind Texas.
– source thinkprogress.org