While many are worried about the intermittency of solar and wind power, this article (based on this research) contends that it's actually better at coping with shutdowns. The researchers note that mid range batteries, built to provide energy for lots of folks for just a few hours, are pretty good at coping with short term outages. And long-term outages are best avoided by having lots of sources around, and importing energy where possible. I do notice that there is some geothermal or hydroelectric in the background, though.
Of course the potential for renewables to improve human health and clean up the environment are huge. Seven million people die a year because of air pollution, and many asthma cases are tied to that as well.
One curiosity: "Transitioning to all clean, renewable energy could also decrease energy demand in California by 60 percent." Apparently a lot of energy actually goes into producing more energy, and once we get through the transition to renewables (which will not be easy) overall demand should drop. Interesting...
