California is one place where we are already in double digits for renewable energy. (YES I admit that for 2014 the drought may reduce the hydropower contribution significantly, but that is aside from my point.)
Here in Silicon Valley small solar PV installations cover many residential roofs (including my 2.8 kilowatt installation), medium sized solar PV installations dot commercial rooftops and parking lots (my kid's former high school parking lot is part of a 5.7 megawatt installation in six South Valley high schools) and the large central solar PV (such as the 250 megawatt installation in San Luis Obispo) are all contributing to our renewable energy goals - currently at 22% and rising. But there is a downside, which is the MOST EXPENSIVE retail electrical power in the country.
SmartGrid technology is a reality here in Silicon Valley. If you have a brand new Tesla or other qualifying EV, you can select the PG&E "Electric Vehicle" rate plan which basically allows PG&E on/off control over your off-peak vehicle battery charging. But if you don't hold up your end of the bargain with off-peak charging, you will pay $0.57361/kWh, the highest retail rate in America. That extreme is reached when you sneak a charge during daylight hours, the SmartMeter squeals on you, and you have already exceeded the baseline residential average by 100% and gone to "Tier 3" time-of-day pricing. For this you pay the highest electric rate in the USA.
The problem is that everybody else pays too. The average rate for all power sold in California is 0.19377/kWh, including those consumers below the poverty line, renters, and all lower income consumers.
The average power rate in the USA is $0.117/kWh. California's poor are paying 50% more than average, so that "one percenter" electric consumers can drive such wonderful toys as $100,000 Tesla sedans.
Is this a great state, in a great country, or what? It's not like those EVs really are "zero emission" vehicles - not when we are burning oil and natural gas for 78% of our grid power.
Soon the citizens of the other 49 states will also be enjowing the benefits of renewable energy. Where California goes, others follow. Don't worry, your posterior only hurts once per month.