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Mark Tholke was just another vacationer on Southern California’s Catalina Island eight years ago when he asked someone how the popular holiday destination about 30 miles off the shore of Los Angeles got its electric power.
He was shocked to find out that the island, more than 88% of which is protected natural lands, is powered by dirty diesel generators with imported fuel. Some of the pollution from that fuel even drifts east, contributing to L.A.’s legendary smog.
“I’m an energy nerd so I asked how they got their energy,” said the renewable energy executive from Half Moon Bay near San Francisco. “I was shocked to learn it was diesel, and that some of the generators dated back to JFK.”