Last week, Pasadena's long-awaited, state-mandated (Draft) Climate Action Plan (CAP) was released. The City congratulates itself on this comprehensive, yet less-than-ambitious plan, which addresses not only energy sourcing but a variety of other greenhouse-gas-reducing plans including bike lanes, food waste composting, water conservation and urban canopy. It meets the state's minimum targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Also last week, the beginning of the biennial update to the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) was begun. The IRP outlines a 20-year plan for energy contracts and where we will source them. The IRP creation will have a citizens' advisory group of about 12 people. The IRP planners have given a Venn diagram equally weighing cost, risk and environment as key factors in this planning.
In a recent meeting with Mandip Samra, the city's Power Resource Planning Manager, she revealed that several large institutions including Huntington Hospital, Art Center and Cal Tech already have seats reserved in the Stakeholders Technical Advisory Group, STAG.
We at Pasadena 100, a group of Transition Pasadena members and other Pasadena citizens concerned about Climate Change, advocate for 100 percent renewably-sourced energy for our city by 2035. Pasadena is blessed with a wealth of engineers and numbers wizards who are steering this effort. This is a reasonable, feasible and cost-effective plan which many cities across the US have already committed to.
We hope to ensure that concern for environment, specifically climate change, has a prominent place in this year-long process as the IRP takes shape. We feel that a city with an abundance of brilliant thinkers should be leading the conversion to 100 percent renewable energy. Apple and Google are 100 percent renewable energy powered. San Diego, Lancaster and dozens of other US cities are, too. All Saints Church is already carbon neutral, and Neighborhood Church and Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center are well on their way. Pasadena can do better than the 50 percent renewable energy by 2030 we are currently committed to!
Please contact your City Council member or Mandip Samra (samra@cityofpasadena.net) to remind them that both the CAP and the IRP must ensure NO NEW CONTRACTS for fossil fuel energy beyond the late 2027, when solar energy plus storage is projected to be more cost effective than gas generation. The American natural gas system is leaky at extraction and storage, and therefore NOT a good "bridge" energy source.
Please get active by speaking your concern for climate at the Municipal Services Committee meetings on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month (4 p.m., Council Chambers, 100 N Garfield Ave).
Or voice your opinion at the Environmental Advisory Commission which meets every second Tuesday (6 p.m., Permit Center Hearing Room, 175 N Garfield Ave). These volunteer commissioners make recommendations to City Council. Let them know your concern for bold action to stop climate change.
The IRP will eventually hold public comment hearings. Don’t miss this opportunity to be heard!
— Therese Brummel
Also last week, the beginning of the biennial update to the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) was begun. The IRP outlines a 20-year plan for energy contracts and where we will source them. The IRP creation will have a citizens' advisory group of about 12 people. The IRP planners have given a Venn diagram equally weighing cost, risk and environment as key factors in this planning.
In a recent meeting with Mandip Samra, the city's Power Resource Planning Manager, she revealed that several large institutions including Huntington Hospital, Art Center and Cal Tech already have seats reserved in the Stakeholders Technical Advisory Group, STAG.
We at Pasadena 100, a group of Transition Pasadena members and other Pasadena citizens concerned about Climate Change, advocate for 100 percent renewably-sourced energy for our city by 2035. Pasadena is blessed with a wealth of engineers and numbers wizards who are steering this effort. This is a reasonable, feasible and cost-effective plan which many cities across the US have already committed to.
We hope to ensure that concern for environment, specifically climate change, has a prominent place in this year-long process as the IRP takes shape. We feel that a city with an abundance of brilliant thinkers should be leading the conversion to 100 percent renewable energy. Apple and Google are 100 percent renewable energy powered. San Diego, Lancaster and dozens of other US cities are, too. All Saints Church is already carbon neutral, and Neighborhood Church and Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center are well on their way. Pasadena can do better than the 50 percent renewable energy by 2030 we are currently committed to!
Please contact your City Council member or Mandip Samra (samra@cityofpasadena.net) to remind them that both the CAP and the IRP must ensure NO NEW CONTRACTS for fossil fuel energy beyond the late 2027, when solar energy plus storage is projected to be more cost effective than gas generation. The American natural gas system is leaky at extraction and storage, and therefore NOT a good "bridge" energy source.
Please get active by speaking your concern for climate at the Municipal Services Committee meetings on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month (4 p.m., Council Chambers, 100 N Garfield Ave).
Or voice your opinion at the Environmental Advisory Commission which meets every second Tuesday (6 p.m., Permit Center Hearing Room, 175 N Garfield Ave). These volunteer commissioners make recommendations to City Council. Let them know your concern for bold action to stop climate change.
The IRP will eventually hold public comment hearings. Don’t miss this opportunity to be heard!
— Therese Brummel
