About the editor: I appreciate the article about the need for more power lines to transmit clean energy. There are so many things to consider when moving to cleaner energy sources.

It seems to me that the discussion about this transition is mainly about how we can keep what we have now and simply replace older, dirtier energy sources with newer, cleaner energy sources. It is believed that we need a bigger and better grid to transport renewable energy from huge wind and solar farms, which also have a negative impact on the environment.

What if we consider going smaller and more local?

I’ve seen solar panels built into parking lots to power nearby buildings. Southern California is covered in parking lots that could become mini-solar parks that power cars and buildings.

If we use this method a lot, we may still need to expand the grid, but maybe less. We may also be less vulnerable to major power outages.

Tom McGee, Oxnard

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About the publisher: Kudos to The Times and reporter Sammy Roth for warning readers that most of the potential carbon savings made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act could be lost if we don’t expand the power grid.

This expansion requires a streamlining of the approval process. The four years it would take just to get permission to build the required power lines would defeat President Biden’s goal of cutting emissions by 50% by 2030.

Bureaucratic inertia, NIMBYism and regulatory hurdles (such as some provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act) could largely derail the expected climate benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act. It would likely derail the world’s most important global warming legislation.

Without reform, our recent extreme weather disasters may seem beneficial when my grandchildren grow up.

Tom Osborne, Laguna Beach

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About the publisher: Taking the clean energy transition seriously means ignoring the interests of big money. The policy must reflect our climate goals.

Most recently, the California Public Utilities Commission, in its update to net metering rules, allowed private utilities to financially penalize customers on solar rooftops.

Onsite residential power generation with onsite storage reduces the need for long transmission lines and saves energy that could be wasted along the way. But it could weaken the power of private utilities.

California needs to lead the transition to the next power generation, not protect the last.

Pam Brennan, Newport Beach