California can expect to see a large increase in the cost of its electricity in exchange for uncertain benefits. If wind, solar are the energy sources of the future--with reliability and low costs--then why the need for subsidies and mandates
California lawmakers have set a goal of relying entirely upon zero-emission energy sources for the state's electricity by 2045. The bill requires that 50 percent of California's electricity be supplied by renewable resources by 2025 and 60 percent by 2030, and 100 percent "zero-carbon" electricity by 2045, which can include nuclear power. Scientists, however, debate whether 100-percent zero-emission energy is feasible without cost-efficient storage technologies or new technological advances.