Pedro Pizarro on California’s Growing Demand for Energy

If California is to achieve its ambitious goal of providing 100% carbon-free electricity to its residents by 2045 (which was mandated in 2018 by Senate Bill 100) it will take more than legislation. Edison International CEO Pedro Pizarro, whose company provides electricity to over 15 million customers in southern California, sat down with our CEO Dave Welch to discuss the important role that hashtag#technology and hashtag#investment play in transitioning to a hashtag#netzero power grid.

"I'm grateful for folks in the venture capital community like [NosTerra Ventures] who are helping to make that happen with new technologies,” Pedro said. “Investment is critical. It’s a lot about public private partnership.”

To achieve an aggressive goal of net zero, we’ll need to enlist the markets. The conversion of our energy system is likely the largest market transformation that will happen in our lifetime. This will require investments in new technologies like battery storage and a diverse array of clean energy sources, including next-generation geothermal, hydrogen fuels, and natural gas-fired power plants coupled with carbon capture and storage. We’ll also need ambitious levels of investment and innovation — to match our climate ambitions.

We're grateful that Pedro took the time to discuss what it will take to keep the lights on for millions of Californians while reducing our carbon footprint!

📚 Background reading:
• https://lnkd.in/g9Zpy_f5
• https://lnkd.in/gFkfctex

[Archival photography courtesy of Frank Schulenburg and The Oaked Ridge]

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