This morning, a google search of electrical power grid by source shows that 30% of the national power grid comes from coal. How does electrification of Calttain reduce carbon emissions?

@mike (resident of Monte Loma):

Caltrain's locomotives are powered by diesel, thus 0% of their power comes from clean sources.

When Caltrain goes electric, they will instantly reduce carbon emissions, regardless of the percentage of fossil fuel sources from the grid.

Furthermore, coal-powered plants produce very little of California's power, currently 0.76% in the areas served by the California ISO (which includes the SF Bay Area). Electricity from renewables is 29%. The largest percentage comes from natural gas at 53.5%.

Source: California ISO

Web Link

Renewables contribute a larger percentage every year.

Moreover, natural gas contains less carbon than coal and thus generates less CO2 emssions, about 50 percent less per this article:

Web Link

Do not look at the national statistics when you are talking about California. Coal-fired power plants are quite common in many other parts of the country, but not in this state.

Hopefully by the time Caltrain starts electric train service in late 2020/early 2021, the California ISO will be generating less than half of its power from natural gas, coal, and oil fired plants.

Thank you reader, but, since you seem to be a good source of info, what about a windless dark winter night? (I may be being lazy)

@mike:

Depending on the time of year and time of day, the power source breakdown will vary. If you look at the California ISO link provided above, they have a breakout of the power mix. The webpage clearly states that "installed capacity refers to the total amount of generation capacity, but does not reflect the total generation available for dispatch at any given time."

A windless dark winter night would not affect large hydro, small hydro, geothermal, biofuel, etc. but yes, trains operating under those conditions would likely have a different power mix than during the day. If you look at the renewable graph right now, predictably solar power generation started at dawn and rapidly increased in three hours.

There is probably some wind at any given moment in California: it's a big state. Whether there's any wind down the Peninsula is irrelevant since there are no wind power farms there.

Caltrain runs relatively few trains at night anyhow.

Another caveat is that the California ISO is reporting aggregate numbers for all the power producers that fall under their management. It remains to be seen who will be the power provider (generation) for the new system although PG&E is the most likely candidate.

At least on my power bill here in Mountain View, generation, transmission and distribution are three separate charges. Shortly, my home's power will be sourced from 100% renewables from Silicon Valley Clean Energy. My power will still be delivered by PG&E.

https://www.svcleanenergy.org

The main point is that any train running off of electrical power is going to reduce carbon emissions.

For further information, I suggest you directly contact the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board.

About the only downsides to this project include the wires to provide electricity will be highly visible from a distance, the huge number of trees to be cut down something like 1,000, and the trains are going to be smaller sort of like light rail cars oh and of course the construction disruption

This is at least 40 years overdue. When I first moved here, I lived for 2 long years in the run-down (in 1975!) Park Central Apts to save money for down payment on a house. The rent was really cheap 'cause we were about one block from the MV train station. The diesel noise and the pollution were horroriffic from 6 AM until about midnight every day, particularly weekdays.

As for the future, let's talk about traffic congestion on Central Expressway/Alma on weekdays. The projected large increase in commuter trains (over 50% more) will jam up auto traffic much more than at present. How are we going to pay for off-grade crossings at Rengstorff in MV, as well as at Charleston, East Meadow, Churchill, and El Camino in Palo Alto, and also Mary and Sunnyvale Ave in Sunnyvale? Don't dare tell me that "improved public transportation" is the answer! Public transportation has deteriorated significantly since 1975 from a chronic lack of state funding due to Sacramento's profligate waste of money on useless, feel-good money-sink programs (education and infrastructure not included).

The Caltrain trains are already electric. The diesel engines do not drive the wheels. The diesel engines drive an electric generator which feeds electricity to electric motors that drive the wheels.

For $2 billion plus overruns, they are just relocating the electrical power supply from the onboard diesel engines to power plants in the Central Vally. Why? The onboard diesel engines run through Palo Alto, Atherton, and other places where well to do White people live. The vast majority of the electric power will now come from natural gas power plants where the little brown people live. They now get to breathe that exhaust.

Doubt it? Look who attended the ceremony. White liberal elitists. Not a brown person in sight. Funny how these same people who are so quick to see racism in everything seemed to have missed this one.

Could you imagine what $2 billion and change could have done for the Bay Area? How about $1 billion for a massive amount of solar panels on schools and public builds that would save taxpayer money in the long run and actually reduce carbon vs. natural gas generator. The other $1 billion could have then been spent on schools and teachers in Oakland, EPA, and other areas where people need help to lift themselves from their situation.

Quoting @Reader,

"Electricity from renewables is 29%."

To underscore how important solar in particular has become in California, see today's news asking people to conserve electricity during the upcoming eclipse on August 21.

The reason all of these politicians are celebrating this boondoggle is because they know millions of the $2 billion spent on this projects will flow through sweetheart deals with construction companies and into their campaign coffers.