Wed 5/15: Urgent! Now is the time to prepare our electrical grid for climate change. Go and comment at the CA Public Utilities Commission meetings tomorrow, Thurs, May 16th.

(This is a guest action from Jan Dietrick, Coordinating Team Member, 350 VC Climate Hub) FB event page

Action – Public Comment to the California Public Utilities Commission Thurs, May 16, at 9:30 am Oxnard City Council Chamber & at 7 pm at OPAC.

Atmospheric CO2 Just Exceeded 415 ppm For The First Time in Human History!

Ventura County residents have two rare opportunities to speak for 2-3 minutes in front of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) about the type of energy we want to use in our homes and how we want to increase the safety and resiliency of our power grid. The damage from the Thomas fire and the ever-increasing menace of climate change make it clear that new solutions are necessary. These appointed officials are not influenced by letters or phone calls, but speaking to them can be very impactful. They can be moved when we show up and demonstrate our interest in how they regulate our utilities.

The CPUC doesn’t normally come to Oxnard, but because we are a wildfire-prone area, they are holding a Public Participatory Hearing at 7-8 pm on Thursday, May 16 (tomorrow!) on how SoCal Edison will prevent future wildfires. While they are here, they are holding their regular 9:30 business meeting in the morning at the Oxnard City Council Chamber. Public comments are welcome at both meetings! Get there early to sign in to make comments and read this for more info.

CPUC Morning business meeting: May 16, 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM, Oxnard City Council Chambers, 305 W. Third St., Oxnard, CA 93030; also available via listen-only phone line at 1-800-857-1917, passcode 92105.
CPUC Evening presentation: May 16, 7 p.m.: Oxnard Performing Arts Center, Ventura Room, 800 Hobson Way, Oxnard, CA 93030

Here are some talking points… Choose what makes sense to you.

More information and proposed two-minute scripts at world.350.org/ventura.

Climate Change:
- We are in a climate emergency and need much greater speed getting off of fossil fuels. The new Integrated Resource Plan is not fast enough.
- We want energy resilience in the face of disasters through Distributed (Local) Energy Resources (DERs).
- The CPUC should provide comparitive cost analyses of fossil-fuel projects against equivalent renewable energy proposals, including the operation, maintenance, public health and climate costs.
Electrification of Buildings and Transportation:
- The CPUC should halt the SoCal Gas’ “greenwashing” propaganda campaign promoting biomethane and far-off, costly fossil-gas replacements for Natural Gas to power our homes. We want to cook and heat our homes with clean renewable energy.
- The CPUC should take the lead in educating about the benefits of 100% electrification of buildings ASAP.
- The CPUC must do more to expedite the transition from gas-fueled cars and make the electrification of buses and other forms of shared transportation a priority..
Speed Up Building Local Renewable Energy and Community Microgrids:
- The CPUC should remove all barriers to the deployment of community microgrids run on solar with storage batteries. We no longer want to be dependent on high voltage transmission lines coming from Santa Clarita that Edison has refused to put underground. We do not have to be exposed to the risk of wildfires if we are allowed to develop our own energy generation locally.
- Water and fire departments at our end of the Edison grid should be made more resilient by sourcing energy from local renewables and not diesel back-up generators
Streamline and Localize Purchase of Clean Energy and Clean Energy Project:
- The CPUC should require that developers of local renewable energy to be selected by a Feed-In Tariff using Market Responsive Pricing to ensure that energy contracts are always set at the best price that is fair to the developers and to the ratepayers. Net Metering is dramatically limiting the development of rooftop and parking lot solar.
- The CPUC should make it easier for developers to build projects we want, we need a system that is based on a Feed-In Tariff and not competitive bidding that results in over 90% failure to build what we want and need. We want to favor local developers who provide Job training for displaced oil-field workers
- The CPUC should require streamlined Wholesale Distributed Generation interconnection. Feed-In Tariff projects can deliver power within 12-18 months except for the current delays at the interconnection queue. Upgrade the inverters and move toward advanced internet functions.
- We trust the Clean Power Alliance to plan how we’ll have reliable energy; we don’t want a Central Buyer with top-down control, especially if it is controlled by the Natural Gas industry
Local Control of 5 G Cell Tower Siting:
- The CPUC should allow entities like cities and counties the right to conduct Environmental Impact Studies on the placement of towers for receiving 5 G radiation.
- The CPUC should address the safety issues of 5G radiation and whether it is responsible for hurting the birds and bees.
Tree and Vegetation Removal by SCE Must Be According to Best Non-Polluting Practices to Absolutely Minimize Unnecessary Tree Clearance.
- The CPUC should clarify that tree removal for fire risk prevention does not require a 12 ft clearance everywhere. This results in overly large loss of trees.
- The CPUC should clarify limits on spraying the ground around every pole with Roundup ,even when there are no noxious or risky plants.
- The CPUC should encourage tree trimming more frequently rather than the removal of whole trees.
- The CPUC should encourage the placement of segments of line underground and install better coated wire and equipment that shuts off the power before a broken line can start a fire.