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95-551: Created in 1974 and headquartered in Sacramento , the commission's core responsibilities include advancing state energy policy, achieving energy efficiency, investing in energy innovation, developing renewable energy, transforming transportation, overseeing energy infrastructure, and preparing for energy emergencies. The commission is a division of the California Natural Resources Agency , which

190-727: A 10-acre (4.0 ha) orchard and a herd of 13,000 cattle. Fort Sutter became a regular stop for the increasing number of immigrants coming through the valley. In 1847, Sutter Sr. received 2,000 fruit trees, which started the agriculture industry in the Sacramento Valley. Later that year, Sutter Sr. hired James Marshall to build a sawmill so he could continue to expand his empire, but unbeknownst to many, Sutter Sr.'s "empire" had been built on thin margins of credit. In 1848, when James W. Marshall discovered gold at Sutter's Mill in Coloma (some 50 mi or 80.5 km northeast of

285-851: A commissioner of the Energy Commission from 2000 to 2010. On 17 January 2001 a state of emergency declared during the California electricity crisis allowed the state to buy electricity for the financially strapped utility companies. The emergency authority allowed Davis to order the California Energy Commission to streamline the application process for new power plants. Alongside this, the California Energy Commission introduced an emergency load management program that supplied upwards of 1,000 businesses with fast responding electricity control systems. This allowed these businesses to reduce cumulative electricity loads during

380-1129: A day or two of light rainfall in May or October. The normal annual mean temperature is 61.8 °F (16.6 °C), with the monthly daily average temperature ranging from 47.3 °F (8.5 °C) in December to 75.9 °F (24.4 °C) in July. Summer heat is sometimes moderated by a sea breeze known as the "delta breeze" which comes through the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta from the San Francisco Bay , and temperatures cool down sharply at night. The foggiest months are December and January. Tule fog can be extremely dense, lowering visibility to less than 100 feet (30 m) and making driving conditions extremely hazardous. Chilling tule fog events have been known to last for several consecutive days or weeks. During Tule fog events, temperatures do not exceed 50 °F (10 °C). Snowfall

475-417: A massive adobe structure with walls 18 feet (5.5 m) high and three feet (0.91 m) thick. Representing Mexico, Sutter Sr. called his colony New Helvetia , a Swiss-inspired name, and was the political authority and dispenser of justice in the new settlement. Soon, the colony began to grow as more and more pioneers headed west. Within just a few short years, Sutter Sr. had become a grand success, owning

570-612: A month 761 structures were re-built, many of them in brick. In spite of all these hardships the new city's location just downstream from the Mother Lode in the Sierra Nevada proved irresistible, and it grew rapidly during the early 1850s, attracting a population of 10,000. The Great Flood of 1862 from December 1861 to January 1862 caused the worst flooding in Sacramento's history. In 1861, Governor Leland Stanford , who

665-429: A near worst-case scenario of high temperatures, and reduced hydroelectric and nuclear power. Thanks to a combination of clean energy and conservation, the state suffered no shortages. In 2007, the commission set up relatively strict laws that forbid the signing of new energy supply contracts between utilities and coal-fired power plants . This was a major initiative to stem greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. In 2013,

760-685: A new store at 12th and K street, the US$ 2 ;million Senator Hotel was opened, Sacramento's drinking water became filtered and treated drinking water, and Sacramento boxer Georgie Lee fought Francisco Guilledo , a Filipino professional boxer known as Pancho Villa, at L Street Auditorium on March 21. Early in World War II, the Sacramento Assembly Center (also known as the Walerga Assembly Center)

855-540: A range of applications. One of the main buildings for PV research at NREL is the Solar Energy Research Facility (SERF). Examples of research conducted at the SERF include semiconductor material research, prototype solar cell production, and measurement and characterization of solar cell and module performance. Additionally, the roof at the SERF is able to house ten PV panels to evaluate and analyze

950-544: A rate of 450–900 kg (0.5–1 ton) per day of dry biomass. Unit operations include feedstock washing and milling, pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, fermentation, distillation, and solid-liquid separation. The heart of the Thermochemical Users Facility (TCUF) is the 0.5-metric-ton-per-day Thermochemical Process Development Unit (TCPDU), which can be operated in either a pyrolysis or gasification mode. NREL has produced many technologies that impact

1045-401: A small Chinatown mall remains as well as a museum dedicated to the history of Sacramento's Chinatown. The Newton Booth Historic District, named for Newton Booth , is located on the southeast corner of Sacramento's original 1848 street grid. The oldest part of the town besides Sutter's Fort is Old Sacramento , which consists of cobbled streets and many historic buildings, several from

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1140-402: Is able to measure the performance of PV cells and modules with regard to a standard or customized reference set. This allows NREL to serve as independent facility for verifying device performance. NREL allows industry members to test and evaluate potential products, with the hope that it will lead to more cost effective and reliable technology. The overall goal is to help improve the reliability in

1235-617: Is also an active organizer and sponsor in the DOE's Solar Decathlon . NREL provides information on solar energy, beyond the scientific papers on research done at the lab. The lab provides publications on solar resources and manuals on different applications of solar technology, as well as a number of different solar resource models and tools. The lab also makes available a number of different solar resource data sets in its Renewable Resource Data Center. NREL's Golden, Colorado campus houses several facilities dedicated to PV and biomass research. In

1330-596: Is also home to NREL's Distributed Energy Resources Test Facility (DERTF). The DERTF is a working laboratory for interconnection and systems integration testing. This facility includes generation, storage, and interconnection technologies as well as electric power system equipment capable of simulating a real-world electric system. The center is the first facility in the United States with a controllable grid interface test system that has fault simulation capabilities and allows manufacturers and system operators to conduct

1425-634: Is an ongoing partnership between NREL and private sector solar manufacturing companies. It started in 1991 as the Photovoltaic Manufacturing Technology (PVMaT) project and was extended and renamed in 2001 due to its success as a project. The overall goal of research done under the PV Manufacturing R&;D Project is to help maintain a strong market position for US solar companies by researching ways to reduce costs to manufacturers and customers and improving

1520-479: Is capable of providing testing and evaluation to the PV industry with indoor, outdoor, and field testing facilities. NREL is able to provide testing on long-term performance, reliability, and component failure for PV systems. NREL also has accelerated testing capabilities from both PV cells and system components to identify areas of potential long-term degradation and failure. The Photovoltaic Device Performance group at NREL

1615-400: Is composed of four technical groups and a technical lead for partnership development with industry. Partnership development includes work performed at NREL under Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADA), Technical Service Agreements (TSA), Analytical Service Agreements (ASA), and Work for Others (WFO) contract research for DOE's industry partners." The main focus of the research

1710-611: Is performed under the National Center for Photovoltaics (NCPV). A primary mission of the NCPV is to support ongoing efforts of the DOE's SunShot Initiative, which wants to increase the availability of solar power at a cost competitive with other energy sources. The NCPV coordinates its research and goals with researchers from across the country, including the Quantum Energy and Sustainable Solar Technologies (QESST) Center and

1805-511: Is rare in Sacramento, which is only 25 ft (8 m) above sea level . In the downtown area, only three significant snow accumulations have occurred since 1900, the last one being in 1976. During especially cold winter and spring storms, intense showers do occasionally produce a significant amount of hail, which can create hazardous driving conditions. Snowfall in the city often melts upon ground contact, with traceable amounts occurring in some years. Significant annual snow accumulations occur in

1900-471: Is still possible to view portions of the " Sacramento Underground ". The city's current charter was adopted by voters in 1920. As a charter city , Sacramento is exempt from many laws and regulations passed by the state legislature . The city has expanded continuously over the years. The 1964 merger of the City of North Sacramento with Sacramento substantially increased its population, and large annexations of

1995-545: Is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County . Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California 's Sacramento Valley , Sacramento's 2020 population of 524,943 makes it the fourth-most populous city in Northern California, the sixth-most populous in the state , the ninth-most populous state capital, and

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2090-468: Is the second most flood-susceptible city in the United States after New Orleans. National Renewable Energy Laboratory The National Renewable Energy Laboratory ( NREL ) in the US specializes in the research and development of renewable energy , energy efficiency , energy systems integration, and sustainable transportation. NREL is a federally funded research and development center sponsored by

2185-416: Is to convert biomass into biofuels/biochemical intermediates via both biochemical and thermochemical processes. The National Bioenergy Center is currently divided into certain technology and research areas: Some of the current projects are in the following areas: The Integrated Biorefinery Research Facility (IBRF) houses multiple pilot-scale process trains for converting biomass to various liquid fuels at

2280-493: Is under the direction of Cabinet Secretary Wade Crowfoot. One of its prominent responsibilities is maintenance of the California Energy Code . Charles Warren and Al Alquist , California politicians , co-authored the 1974 Warren–Alquist State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Act that created the commission. The act required that, prior to constructing or modifying an electric generating plant,

2375-655: The 35th most populous in the United States . Sacramento is the seat of the California Legislature and the governor of California . Sacramento is also the cultural and economic core of the Greater Sacramento area , which at the 2020 census had a population of 2,680,831, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in California. Before the arrival of the Spanish , the area was inhabited by

2470-679: The California electricity crisis within 15 minutes of receiving an emergency alert. On 21 August 2006, the Governor signed Senate Bill SB 1, which directs the California Public Utilities Commission and the CEC to implement the California Solar Initiative program consistent with specific requirements and budget limits set forth in the legislation. In 2013, these efforts were tested in

2565-857: The Department of Energy and operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, a joint venture between MRIGlobal and Battelle . Located in Golden, Colorado , NREL is home to the National Center for Photovoltaics, the National Bioenergy Center, and the National Wind Technology Center. The Solar Energy Research, Development and Demonstration Act of 1974 established the Solar Energy Research Institute, which opened in 1977 and

2660-590: The Natomas area eventually led to significant population growth throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Sacramento County (along with a portion of adjacent Placer County ) is served by a customer-owned electric utility, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD). Sacramento voters approved the creation of SMUD in 1923. In April 1946, after 12 years of litigation, a judge ordered Pacific Gas & Electric to transfer

2755-632: The Nisenan , Maidu , and other indigenous peoples of California . In 1808, Spanish cavalryman Gabriel Moraga surveyed and named the Río del Santísimo Sacramento (Sacramento River), after the Blessed Sacrament . In 1839, Juan Bautista Alvarado , Mexican governor of Alta California , granted the responsibility of colonizing the Sacramento Valley to Swiss -born Mexican citizen John Augustus Sutter , who subsequently established Sutter's Fort and

2850-569: The Sacramento Public Library , and K Street , a historic street home to apartments, retail, and historical buildings. In addition, Downtown Sacramento is home to several hotels including the Citizen Hotel, housed in one of the first skyscrapers built in the city. East Sacramento is a neighborhood in between Midtown and Sacramento State. This neighborhood is well known for being home to McKinley Park and Rose Garden and

2945-534: The Sacramento River . Sutter Jr. and Brannan had United States Army Captain William H. Warner assigned to draft the official layout of the city, which included 26 lettered and 31 numbered streets (today's grid from C St. to Broadway and from Front St. to Alhambra Blvd.) Relations between Sutter and his son became embittered after Sacramento became an overnight commercial success. (Sutter's Fort, Mill, and

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3040-759: The UC Davis School of Medicine . In 2013, the Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau stated that the city receives 15.3 million visitors per year, and is home to the California Museum , Crocker Art Museum , California State Railroad Museum , California State Capitol Museum , the Sacramento Convention Center Complex , and Old Sacramento State Historic Park . Nisenan (Southern Maidu ), Modoc , and Plains Miwok American Indians have lived in

3135-1437: The farm-to-fork movement, which promotes the consumption of locally-grown food). After 4,000 displeased citizens signed a petition protesting the change, officials agreed to include both slogans on the water tower. The city groups most of its neighborhoods into four areas: Additional prominent regions and neighborhoods in the region include American River Parkway, Arden-Arcade, Arden Fair, Cal Expo, Capital Avenue, Coffing, College Glen, College Greens, Cordova, Creekside, East Fruitridge, Elder Creek, Elkhorn, Elvas, Erikson Industrial Park, Excelsior Sunrise, Foothill Farms, Franklin, Frates Ranch, Gateway Center, Gateway West, Glenwood Meadows, Hansen Park, Heritage Park, Johnson Business Park, Johnson Heights, Mayhew, Metro Center, Mills, Natomas Corporate Center, Natomas Creek, Natomas Crossing, Natomas Park, Newton Booth, Noralto, Northpointe, Norwood, Oak Knoll, Old North Sacramento, Parker Homes, Point West, Raley Industrial Park, Regency Park, Richardson Village, Richmond Grove, Rosemont, Sierra Oaks, Sports Complex, Strawberry Manor, Sundance Lake, Swanston Palms, Town and Country Village, Upper Land Park, Village 5, Village 7, Village 12, Village 14, Village Green, Walerga, Walsh Station, West Del Paso Heights, Westlake, Willowcreek, Wills Acres, Winn Park, Woodside, and Youngs Heights. Capitol Mall connects West Sacramento and Downtown Sacramento. Some notable landmarks on this road include

3230-446: The 1850s and 1860s. Buildings have been preserved, restored, or reconstructed, and the district is now a substantial tourist attraction, with rides on steam-powered historic trains and horse-drawn carriages. The Poverty Ridge Historic District is within Sacramento's original 1848 street grid and bounded to the west by 21st Street, to the north by S Street, to the east by 23rd Street, to the south by W Street and U.S. Route 50, and includes

3325-557: The Bay Area PV Consortium. NCPV also partners with many universities and other industry partners. NREL brings in dozens of students annually through the Solar University-National lab Ultra-effective Program (SUN UP), which was created to facilitate existing and new interactions between universities and the laboratory. The lab maintains a number of research partnerships for PV research. Some of

3420-723: The Blessed Sacrament.)" The valley and the river were then christened after the "Most Holy Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ," referring to the Catholic sacrament of the Eucharist . John Sutter Sr. first arrived in the area on August 13, 1839, at the confluence of the American and Sacramento Rivers with a Mexican land grant of 50,000 acres (20,000 ha). The next year, he and his party established Sutter's Fort,

3515-639: The Downtown Plaza shopping mall, the district opened in 2016 along with Golden 1 Center . Downtown Commons, otherwise known as DOCO, is home to the Sawyer, a 16-story skyscraper with a 250-room hotel and 45 condominiums, a Macy's anchor store, an IMAX theater, and retail space with a variety of restaurants and shops. Downtown Sacramento is home to the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center and Theater , Sacramento City Hall,

3610-571: The Fabulous Forties, home to some of the most expensive, largest, and architecturally unique homes in the city. East Sacramento was home to Ronald Reagan during his term as Governor of California and this neighborhood was prominently featured in Greta Gerwig's film Lady Bird . The Opium Wars of the 1840s and 1850s, along with the California gold rush, brought many Chinese people to California. Most arrived at San Francisco, which

3705-439: The PV industry. NREL also seeks to raise public awareness of PV technologies through its deployment services. NREL provides a number of technical and non-technical publications intended to help raise consumer awareness and understanding of solar PV. Scientists at NREL perform research into energy markets and how to develop the solar energy market. They also perform research and outreach in the area of building-integrated PV . NREL

3800-584: The Sacramento River. A Spanish writer with the Moraga expedition wrote: Canopies of oaks and cottonwoods, many festooned with grapevines, overhung both sides of the blue current. Birds chattered in the trees and big fish darted through the pellucid depths. The air was like champagne , and ( the Spaniards) drank deep of it, drank in the beauty around them. "¡Es como el sagrado sacramento! (It's like

3895-732: The Thin-Film Partnership and the PV Manufacturing R&D Project. The Thin Film Partnership Program at NREL coordinates national research teams of manufacturers, academics, and NREL scientists on a variety of subjects relating to thin-film PV. The research areas of the Thin Film Partnership Program include amorphous silicon (a-Si), copper indium diselenide (CuInSe2 or CIGS) and, cadmium telluride (CdTe), and module reliability. NREL's PV Manufacturing Research and Development Project

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3990-770: The Tower Bridge, Old Sacramento, and the California State Capitol Building. Capitol Mall is considered to be the business district of the city. Skyscrapers such as the Wells Fargo Center and U.S. Bank Tower , two of the tallest buildings in the city, are located on Capitol Mall and are home to several major companies. The street is also home to major festivals such as the annual Farm to Fork Festival. Sacramento's historic Japantown once occupied much of today's Capitol Mall, spanning 4th street from K to P streets. The area suffered from

4085-442: The application of research in renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies in practical settings. In recognition of its efforts in innovation and technology transfer, NREL has received numerous R&D 100 Awards. These awards acknowledge advancements in scientific research with potential market applications. Additionally, NREL offers an external user access program. This program is designed to enable researchers from outside

4180-491: The area for perhaps thousands of years. Until the settlers arrived who would eventually make Sacramento their home, these tribes left little evidence of their existence. Their diet was dominated by acorns taken from the plentiful oak trees in the region and by fruits, bulbs, seeds, and roots gathered throughout the year. In 1808, the Spanish explorer Gabriel Moraga encountered and named the Sacramento Valley and

4275-415: The area turned out to be a bane. By December 1848, John Sutter Jr., in association with Samuel Brannan , began laying out the City of Sacramento, 2 miles (3.2 km) south of his father's settlement of New Helvetia. This venture was undertaken against the wishes of Sutter Sr., but the father, being deeply in debt, was unable to stop it. For commercial reasons, the new city was named "Sacramento City" after

4370-455: The areas of PV R&D include the physical properties of PV panels, performance and reliability of PV, junction formation, and research into photo-electrochemical materials. Through this research, NREL hopes to surpass current technologies in efficiency and cost-competitiveness and reach the overall goal of generating electricity at $ 0.06/ kWh for grid -tied PV systems. NREL identifies the following as cornerstones to its PV R&D program:

4465-707: The assembly center site is now part of the Foothill Farms-North Highlands subdivision. The Sacramento-Yolo Port District was created in 1947, and the ground was broken on the Port of Sacramento in 1949. On June 29, 1963, with 5,000 spectators waiting to welcome her, the Motor Vessel Taipei Victory arrived. The Nationalist Chinese flagship docked at the Port of Sacramento , being the first ocean-going vessel in Sacramento since

4560-448: The block bounded by 20th Street, 21st Street, S Street, and T Street. The Poverty Ridge Historic District was considered to be Sacramento's wealthiest neighborhood from 1868 to 1947. Sacramento has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate ( Köppen Csa ), characterized by hot, long, dry summers and cool winters with a decent amount of rainfall. Most of the annual precipitation generally occurs from November to April, though there may be

4655-491: The city. Between October and December 1850, Sacramento was hit with a cholera epidemic that killed 1,000 residents, including Mayor Bigelow and 17 of the city's 40 physicians. Up to 80 percent of the populace left town. On November 2, 1852, a fire known as the Great Conflagration burned more than 80 percent of the structures in the city. It is estimated that the total damage was around six million dollars. Within

4750-472: The commission embarked on a program to expand Ethanol E85 retail distribution throughout the state of California. This project will install E85 dispensing equipment at 19 existing gasoline stations to take advantage of the existing fueling infrastructure. The $ 1.35   million contract was awarded to Pearson Fuels of San Diego . The commission expects the E85 vehicle fuel market in California eventually to be

4845-482: The commission was to certify the need for the plant and the suitability of the site of the plant. In 1976, the California legislature amended the Warren–Alquist Act to require the commission, prior to any new nuclear generating plants being built, to certify that there is sufficient capacity to store spent fuel rods , and to establish a moratorium on the certification of any new nuclear generating plants until

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4940-511: The construction of a new state capitol building which was finished in 1874. Sacramento is the fastest-growing major city in California, owing to its status as a notable political center on the West Coast and as a major educational hub, home of California State University, Sacramento and UC Davis . Similarly, Sacramento is a major center for the California healthcare industry , as the seat of Sutter Health , UC Davis Medical Center , and

5035-522: The development of advanced transportation technologies and systems that maximize energy savings and on-road performance. The Internet of Things (IoT) is a revolutionary concept that interconnects everyday objects and devices through the Internet. By embedding sensors and communication capabilities into these physical entities, the IoT enables data collection, analysis, and real-time communication, ushering in

5130-670: The development of sustainable mobility technologies and strategies for passenger and freight transportation, with a focus on decarbonizing the transportation sector and combating climate change. The only national laboratory solely dedicated to energy efficiency and renewable energy, NREL helps its industry partners create innovative components, fuels, infrastructure, and integrated systems for battery electric, fuel cell, and other alternative fuel on-road, off-road, and non-road vehicles, including emerging technologies for aviation, rail, and marine applications. NREL's integrated modeling and analysis tools help overcome technical barriers and accelerate

5225-663: The director of the laboratory and the president of its operating contractor, Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC. He succeeded Dan Arvizu , who retired in September 2015 after 10 years in those roles. In fiscal year 2020, congressional appropriations for the Department of Energy contained $ 464.3 million for NREL. This total included the following amounts for its renewable energy technology programs: The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) engages in technology transfer, working with private sector partners to facilitate

5320-445: The effects of climate change on vegetation in the future. Treepedia , a project run by MIT using Google Maps ' street-view data to calculate tree coverage in cities, ranked Sacramento the greenest city of 15 studied in the US, and third globally, after Vancouver and Singapore . A prominent water tower bore the slogan "City of Trees" until 2017 when it was repainted with the words "America's Farm-to-Fork Capital" (referring to

5415-550: The federal government has approved and established a means for the disposal of high level nuclear waste . A legal challenge to this amendment by two electric utilities resulted in the United States Supreme Court case Pacific Gas & Electric Co. v. State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission , which upheld the amended act. Arthur H Rosenfeld was a member of the U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu's Energy Advisory Board and

5510-482: The foothills 40 mi (64 km) east of the city, which had brief and traceable amounts of snowfall in January 2002, December 2009, and February 2011. The greatest snowfall ever recorded in Sacramento was 3 inches (7.6 cm) on January 5, 1888. On average, there are 76 days with a high of 90 °F (32 °C)+, and 14 days with a high of 100 °F (38 °C)+; On the other extreme, there are 8.5 days where

5605-408: The forced eviction of its Japanese residents during WW2 and never recovered, resulting in the remaining properties taken through eminent domain to create the grand promenade of today's Capitol Mall . The Nisei Memorial Hall at 4th and Q remains the last remaining property associated with Sacramento's former Japantown. One of the newest districts in the city is Downtown Commons . Formerly home to

5700-467: The fort), numerous gold-seekers came to the area, increasing the population. In August 1848, Sutter Sr.'s son, John Sutter Jr. , arrived to assist his father in reducing his debt . The Sutters struggled to contain the effects of thousands of new gold miners and prospectors in the area, many of whom squatted on unwatched portions of the vast Sutter lands or stole various unattended Sutter properties or belongings. For Sutter, his employee's discovery of gold in

5795-483: The help of the city, agreed to build a new arena in the downtown area. With a final estimated cost of $ 558.2 million, Sacramento's Golden 1 Center opened on September 30, 2016. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city covers 100.1 square miles (259 km ). 97.81% of it is land, and 2.19% of it is water. Depth to groundwater is typically about 30 feet (9 m). Much of

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5890-507: The historic Sacramento Rail Yards . From 1862 until the mid-1870s, Sacramento raised the level of its downtown by building reinforced brick walls on its downtown streets and filling the resulting street walls with dirt. The previous first floors of buildings became basements , with open space between the street and the building, previously the sidewalk , now at the basement level. Over the years, many of these underground spaces have been filled or destroyed by subsequent development. However, it

5985-787: The institute was designated a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy by President George H.W. Bush, and its name was changed to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Renewed interest in energy problems improved the laboratory's position, but funding has fluctuated over the years. In 2011, anticipated congressional budget shortfalls led to a voluntary buyout program for 100 to 150 staff reductions, and in 2015 budget cuts led to staff layoffs and further buyouts. Martin Keller became NREL's ninth director in November 2015, and currently serves as both

6080-480: The laboratory to utilize the Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF), providing them with an opportunity to collaborate with NREL’s staff in the development and evaluation of energy technologies. The goal of the photovoltaics (PV) research done at NREL is to decrease the "nation's reliance on fossil-fuel generated electricity by lowering the cost of delivered electricity and improving the efficiency of PV modules and systems ." Photovoltaic research at NREL

6175-421: The land to the west of the city (in Yolo County ) is permanently reserved for a vast flood control basin (the Yolo Bypass ), due to the city's historical vulnerability to floods. As a result, the contiguous urban area sprawls only four miles (6.4 km) west of downtown (as West Sacramento, California ) but 30 miles (48 km) northeast and east, into the Sierra Nevada foothills, and 10 miles (16 km) to

6270-429: The largest in the United States, with approximately 55,000 new flex-fuel vehicles purchased in the state each year. In 2015, California legislation passed a bill (SB 350) that sets a goal of having 33% of electricity produced from renewable resources by 2020, and 50% by 2030. The California Energy Commission was given the task of monitoring and enforcing regulation on utility companies, to help them meet this goal. Since

6365-400: The late 1910s. It was the first US city to be designated a City of Trees by the Arbor Day Foundation in 1978. In the early 21st century, the tree cover is well above that of the average tree cover of other major cities in the United States and the rest of the world, with the main species being the London plane . Other species are being introduced to increase diversity and to help cope with

6460-472: The manufacturing process. It is estimated that the project has helped to reduce manufacturing cost for PV panels by more than 50%. Examples of achievements under the PV Manufacturing Research and Development Project include the development of a manufacturing process that increase the production of silicon solar modules by 8% without increasing costs and the development of a new boron coating process that reduces solar costs over traditional processes. NREL

6555-595: The national Capitol, was started in 1860 and completed in 1874. In 1861, the legislative session was moved to the Merchants Exchange Building in San Francisco for one session because of the massive flooding in Sacramento. From 1862 to 1868, part of the Leland Stanford Mansion was used for the governor's offices during Stanford's tenure as the Governor; and the legislature met in the Sacramento County Courthouse. The legislative chambers were first occupied in 1869, while construction continued around them. With its new status and strategic location, Sacramento quickly prospered. It

6650-504: The nature of energy generated from renewable resources such as wind and solar power do not produce the amount needed to meet peak demand times, the NREL suggests several energy storage and regulation options that could increase the flexibility of renewable energy sources to meet the country's needs efficiently. Sacramento Sacramento ( / ˌ s æ k r ə ˈ m ɛ n t oʊ / SAK -rə- MEN -toh ; Spanish: [sakɾaˈmento] ; Spanish for ' sacrament ')

6745-443: The nearby San Francisco Bay Area , as well as immigration from Asia and Latin America. In 1985, Hugh Scrutton, a 38-year-old Sacramento, California, computer store owner, was killed by a nail-and-splinter-loaded bomb placed in the parking lot of his store. In 1996, his death was attributed to the Unabomber, Theodore Kaczynski . After acquiring the majority stake in the Sacramento Kings , the team's new owner, Vivek Ranadivé , with

6840-674: The new state's capital. From California's statehood beginning September 9, 1850 through 1851, the legislature met in San Jose. It moved to Vallejo in 1852 and Benicia in 1853, before ending up in Sacramento in 1854. During the 1850s the city was consolidated with the County of Sacramento. In the Sacramento Constitutional Convention of 1879 , Sacramento was named the permanent state capital. The Classical Revival -style California State Capitol , similar to

6935-473: The passing of the bill, The Energy Commission has been tracking the changes made by the state overall, and providing updates on the progress. As of June 2017, California has increased its consumption of renewable electricity generation to 29%, and the commission states that California is on track to meet the goal of 50% by 2030, if not exceed it. In a Fortune news article, Tony Early, the CEO of PG&E, predicts that

7030-570: The performance of commercial building-integrated PV systems. Additionally, R&D in PV materials and devices, measurement and characterization, reliability testing are also conducted at the SERF. At the Solar Radiation Research Laboratory, NREL has been measuring solar radiation and meteorological data since 1984. The National Bioenergy Center (NBC) was established in October 2000. "The National Bioenergy Center

7125-537: The population of 4,739 was transferred to the Tule Lake concentration camp. The site was then turned over to the Army Signal Corps and dedicated as Camp Kohler . After the war and the end of the incarceration program, returning Japanese Americans were often unable to find housing and so 234 families temporarily lived at the former assembly center. Camp Kohler was destroyed by a fire in December 1947, and

7220-619: The recently opened Science and Technology Facility, research is conducted on solar cells, thin films, and nanostructure research. NREL's Outdoor Test Facility allows researchers to test and evaluate PV technologies under a range of conditions, both indoor and outdoor. Scientists at NREL work at the Outdoor Test Facility to develop standards for testing PV technologies. At the Outdoor Test Facility NREL researchers calibrate primary reference cells for use in

7315-579: The settlement at the Rancho Nueva Helvetia . Following the American Conquest of California and the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo , the waterfront developed by Sutter began to be developed and incorporated in 1850 as the City of Sacramento. In 1852, the city offered its county courthouse to the state of California to house the state legislature, resulting in the city becoming the permanent state capital in 1854 and ushering in

7410-520: The south into valley farmland. The city is at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River and has a deep-water port connected to the San Francisco Bay by a channel through the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta . It is the shipping and rail center for the Sacramento Valley . Sacramento has long been known as the "City of Trees" owing to its abundant urban forest . The city has more trees per capita than any other city in

7505-539: The steamship Harpoon in 1934. In 1967, Ronald Reagan became the last Governor of California to live permanently in the city. The 1980s and 1990s saw the closure of several local military bases: McClellan Air Force Base , Mather Air Force Base , and Sacramento Army Depot. In 1980, there was another flood. Despite military base closures and the decline of agricultural food processing, Sacramento has continued to experience population growth in recent years. Primary sources of population growth are an influx of residents from

7600-526: The temperature remains below 50 °F (10 °C), and 15 freezing nights per year. Official temperature extremes range from 18 °F (−7.8 °C) on December 22, 1990, to 116 °F (46.7 °C) on September 6, 2022; a station around 5 mi (8.0 km) east-southeast of the city dipped to 17 °F (−8.3 °C) on December 11, 1932. The average annual precipitation is 18.14 inches (461 mm). On average, precipitation falls on 58 days each year in Sacramento, and nearly all of this falls during

7695-410: The tests required for certification in a controlled laboratory environment. It is the only system in the world that is fully integrated with two dynamometers and has the capacity to extend that integration to turbines in the field and to a matrix of electronic and mechanical storage devices, all of which are located within close proximity on the same site. NREL pioneers world-class research accelerating

7790-560: The title of Sacramento's electric distribution system to SMUD. Today SMUD is the sixth-largest public electric utility in the U.S. and is a leader in innovative programs and services, including the development of clean fuel resources, such as solar power . The year following the creation of SMUD, 1924, brought several events in Sacramento: Standard Oil executive Verne McGeorge established McGeorge School of Law , American department store Weinstock & Lubin opened

7885-421: The town of Sutterville , all founded by John Sutter Sr., eventually failed). Residents of Sacramento adopted a city charter in 1849, which was recognized by the state legislature in 1850. Sacramento is the oldest incorporated city in California, incorporated on February 27, 1850. On January 10, 1850, a flood occurred that devastated the city. The rushing waters uprooted homes and drowned livestock. The city

7980-481: The usage of renewable energy will be closer to 70% by 2030, and so the challenge these experts predict we will face is the storage of this immense amount of renewable energy. The co-founder of Opower Alex Laskey describes the need to design a new grid system, and the need for policies to determine the rules and regulation of the market for innovated grid, as well as the "need to make energy efficiency and power grid plans simple enough for consumers to understand them.” Since

8075-503: The wind industry at a global level. The National Wind Technology Center (NWTC) is home of 20 patents and has created software such as (FAST), simulation software that is used to model wind turbines. The NWTC is located on NREL's Flatirons Campus, which is at the base of the foothills just south of Boulder , Colorado. The campus comprises field test sites, test laboratories, industrial high-bay work areas, machine shops, electronics and instrumentation laboratories, and office areas. The NWTC

8170-646: The winter months. Average January rainfall is 3.66 in (93 mm), and measurable precipitation is rare during the summer months. In February 1992, Sacramento had 16 consecutive days of rain, resulting in an accumulation of 6.41 in (163 mm) for the period. On rare occasions, monsoonal moisture surges from the Desert Southwest can bring upper-level moisture to the Sacramento region, leading to increased summer cloudiness, humidity, and even light showers and thunderstorms. Monsoon clouds do occur, usually during late June through early September. Sacramento

8265-443: The world. The first recorded use of the term was in 1855, and it was popular by the early 20th century. It was not always so: it was at first called the "City of Plains" because of the lack of trees, but soon afterward there were cottonwood trees planted, and eucalyptus varieties were imported to dry out swampland . Later, locust trees , and willows were planted along streets, then elms , then palm trees , then fruit trees in

8360-473: Was almost destroyed. Due to the efforts of Hardin Bigelow , Sacramento's first elected mayor, the construction of the city's first levee was completed in early 1852 (the city became known as "The Levee City"). However, a month after it was completed, it was breached during the first major storm of the season and the city flooded again. A new levee was built for $ 50,000, but it also broke, causing more flooding of

8455-690: Was designated as the western terminus of the Pony Express . Later it became a terminus of the First transcontinental railroad , which began construction in Sacramento in 1863 and was financed by " The Big Four "— Mark Hopkins , Charles Crocker , Collis P. Huntington , and Leland Stanford . Both the American and especially Sacramento rivers were key elements in the economic success of the city. Sacramento effectively controlled commerce on these rivers, and public works projects were funded through taxes levied on goods unloaded from boats and loaded onto rail cars in

8550-668: Was established to house Japanese Americans forcibly "evacuated" from the West Coast under Executive Order 9066 . The camp was one of fifteen temporary detention facilities where over 110,000 Japanese Americans , two-thirds of them U.S. citizens, were held while construction on the more permanent War Relocation Authority camps was completed. The assembly center was built on the site of a former migrant labor camp, and inmates began arriving from Sacramento and San Joaquin Counties on May 6, 1942. It closed after only 52 days, on June 26, and

8645-415: Was inaugurated in early January 1862, traveled to his inauguration in a rowboat. The California State Legislature , with the support of Governor John Bigler , moved to Sacramento in 1854. The capital of California under Spanish (and, subsequently, Mexican) rule had been Monterey , where, in 1849, the first Constitutional Convention and state elections were held. The convention decided San Jose would be

8740-525: Was not repealed until 1943. The mysterious fires were thought to be set off by those who resented the Chinese working class. Ordinances on what was viable building material were set into place to try to get the Chinese to move out. Newspapers such as The Sacramento Union wrote stories at the time that portrayed the Chinese in an unfavorable light to inspire ethnic discrimination and drive the Chinese away. While most of Sacramento's Chinatown has now been razed,

8835-543: Was on "I" Street from Second to Sixth Streets, called the China Slough . At the time, this area of "I" Street was considered a health hazard because, lying within a levee zone, it was lower than other parts of the city, which were situated on higher land. Throughout Sacramento's Chinatown history, there were fires, acts of discrimination, and prejudicial legislation such as the Chinese Exclusion Act that

8930-559: Was operated by MRIGlobal . Under the Jimmy Carter administration , its activities went beyond research and development in solar energy as it tried to popularize knowledge about already existing technologies, like passive solar . During the Ronald Reagan administration the institute's budget was cut by nearly 90%; many employees were "reduced in force", and the institute's activities were reduced to R&D. In September 1991,

9025-535: Was then the largest city in California and known as "Daai Fau" ( Chinese : 大埠 ; Jyutping : daai fau ; Cantonese Yale : Daaihfauh ). Some eventually came to Sacramento, then the second-largest city in California and consequently called "Yee Fow" (Chinese: 二埠 ; Jyutping: ji fau ). Today the city is known as " 萨克拉门托 " ( pinyin : Sàkèlāméntuō ) by mainland Chinese and as " 沙加緬度 " Sāgāmíhndouh and Shājiāmiǎnduó by Cantonese speakers and Taiwanese respectively. Sacramento's Chinatown

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