April 2008 - Sustainability - list.sfgreens.org

[Sustain] keep me on mailing list, had e-mail prob.s
by Scott Warthin 16 Apr '08

16 Apr '08

From: Scott Kennedy Warthin To: fellow Green Party members of San Francisco As a reminder of who I am: I'm the 28 yr. old who came in earlier. Born & raised in The City, who is in the last month of training to be a photovoltaic (solar electricity) installer. Currently living with a relative in Marin (and registered Green here temporarily) until I finish the PV course on May 2nd, get an installer job which will allow me to live in The City and FINALLY move back home to San Francisco (@ which time I will become more active with the Greens in SF). My Potential Contributions: I would like to get involved with anything relating to furthering sustainability, the peace movement and, of course, PHOTOVOLTAICS. E-Mail: I suspect alot of stuff has been sent to me that my e-mail has disgarded as spam automatically. I'm not e-mail savy, so if someone could send me a message from sustainability(a)sfgreens.org of the e-mail addresses which party members might be sending me information on it would be appreciated. (only way i know to unblock e-mails is to know ahead of time which ones to unblock) Thanks, SF Greens.....Hope to be a more active member ASAP __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

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[Sustain] Excellent SF Guardian Analysis On SF Solar, CCA, & Faults Of Mayor's Program
by Eric Brooks 16 Apr '08

16 Apr '08

<http://www.sfbg.com/> **The Green Issue: ** *A solar plan that works <http://www.sfbg.com/entry.php?entry_id=6149&catid=4&volume_id=317&issue_id=…>* /Solar power now: A basic blueprint/ *EDITORIAL *Solar energy makes so much sense in San Francisco that it's crazy this city didn't figure out years ago how to get at least a quarter or more of its power from the sun. And it's crazy that now, with the financial benefits of solar power improving, the technology improving, and the environmental mandate getting more profound by the day, the city still doesn't have an effective citywide solar program. Click here <http://www.sfbg.com/entry.php?entry_id=6149&catid=4&volume_id=317&issue_id=…> for full editorial. ** ** *Dark days <http://www.sfbg.com/entry.php?entry_id=6166&volume_id=317&issue_id=374&volu…>* /Why is it so hard to get solar power in //San Francisco//?/ By Amanda Witherell and Sarah Phelan It's now 2008, and the number of solar roofs in San Francisco stands at a grand total of 618 installations by the end of 2007. In terms of kilowatts per capita, the city ranks last in the Bay Area. The city's total electricity demand runs about 950 megawatts; only 5 megawatts is currently supplied by solar. Click here <http://www.sfbg.com/entry.php?entry_id=6166&volume_id=317&issue_id=374&volu…> for full story. For more Green Issue coverage, visit sfbg.com <http://www.sfbg.com/>.

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[Sustain] Chronicle Attacks Community Choice Energy On Front Page
by Eric Brooks 16 Apr '08

16 Apr '08

Hi all, This piece starts off looking balanced, but then goes after Community Choice with subtle deceptive attacks. This screams for letters to the editor from us. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/16/MN1K105A81.DTL Local communities reach for power over energy Kelly Zito, Chronicle Staff Writer <mailto:kzito@sfchronicle.com> Wednesday, April 16, 2008 Marin County residents want more solar and wind power. San Francisco officials think they might be able to strike better energy deals. Some cities in the San Joaquin Valley want to build their own power plants. From the North Bay to Hollywood, California communities are trying to exert more power over, well, their power. Marin County officials will open a public relations campaign today for "Marin Clean Energy." The plan, called "community choice aggregation" or CCA, would pool the energy needs of all residents and businesses, allowing a local board to negotiate not only for energy rates but energy sources. Similar efforts are under way in San Francisco, Berkeley, Beverly Hills and other cities. However, the player that stands to lose the most - Pacific Gas and Electric Co. - isn't likely to let Marin or any other community considering similar programs go without a fight. PG&E, which both supplies and distributes energy throughout Northern California, stands to lose the lucrative supply side of its business in communities that choose to go their own way. The company has a long history of successfully staving off public power efforts in San Francisco and elsewhere. This week, the utility settled a dispute with a Central Valley power authority over the company's marketing tactics, which appear to have helped persuade Tulare County and the city of Fresno to stop pursuing local control of their power. Marin officials expect the same onslaught. "They're throwing up regulatory, legal, political roadblocks," said Tim Rosenfeld, project director for the Marin Energy Management Team. The Marin effort has roots in the California energy debacle of 2000 and 2001. In 2002, in response to the crisis, the state passed a law allowing local governments to participate in the open power market. Today, the worries driving the movement are local and global: climate change, dependence on foreign oil, record oil industry profits. "It's probably the quickest and most powerful thing we can do to reduce Marin's carbon footprint," said Ed Mainland, a Novato supporter of Marin's plan and co-chair of the energy-climate committee of the Sierra Club. "And it's also more democratic decision-making; it's trying to take care of our own energy futures and getting it out of the boardrooms of the corporations and bureaucratic state agencies." But big questions loom. Can local governments play in the complex and competitive energy market? More importantly, is cheap green power a reality? Severin Borenstein, director of the University of California Energy Institute, says the answer to both questions is a resounding no. Even factoring in municipalities' favorable tax status and their ability to borrow money at rates lower than private businesses, he said, the cost of renewables is steep. "The basic fact is, renewables cost more. I hope that won't be the case for long, but it's the case for now," Borenstein said. "So the idea that you're going to save a bundle of money with a CCA is not well founded." Marin wants sun power Marin County, with its liberal sensibility and fondness for all things earthy, seems a likely spot for a community drive toward renewable energy. The county wants more power from sun, wind, hot springs, biomass and other natural sources. And officials say they can offer that at costs initially on par with or possibly higher than PG&E's generating costs. Eventually, they say, those costs would fall below the utility's. "What this constituency is saying repeatedly is, 'Cut greenhouse gases now. Do it in a financially responsible way, but do it,' " said Charles McGlashan, supervisor for southern Marin County. Economist William Marcus says Marin is taking a gamble. Marcus, whose JBS Energy Inc. evaluated PG&E's response to Marin's program, said the company's early March analysis of the plan forecasts that natural gas prices will drop by an "improbable" 14 percent between now and 2020. "Marin is trying to hedge natural gas price risk by buying renewables," Marcus said. "If natural gas ends up really cheap, Marin's prices are going to be expensive; but if they bounce up and down, Marin's will look pretty good. "We'll all know who's right in 12 years, but (a CCA) is a perfectly good choice to consider from a public policy standpoint." Under Marin's plan, five years in the making, a joint power authority composed of representatives of all 11 Marin County towns would oversee the program. Officials expect to submit the plan to the California Public Utilities Commission for approval next year. Ratepayers would have a choice: "light green" or "dark green." Light green customers would get 25 to 50 percent of their energy from "qualified" renewable sources - everything other than large hydropower. PG&E estimates 14 percent of its energy will come from renewable sources this year. Dark green would offer 100 percent renewables. PG&E would still distribute power and maintain poles and lines; Marin would simply choose other energy generators. (Technically, electrons can't be tagged "green" or "brown" - advocates say demanding renewable sources forces more into the overall grid). Ratepayers to get mailers Over the next several months, Marin ratepayers will get mailers about opting out of Marin's attempt to go local. During an initial period, consumers could opt out for free; at a later date, a fee might be charged. PG&E argues that becoming part of the local program will open ratepayers to high costs and not necessarily more renewable sources. For one, PG&E says it's already in the renewable hunt. Although it won't meet a state-set deadline for 20 percent renewable power by 2010, the company expects to soon after. In addition to large-scale solar projects, the utility is working on buying power from more small alternative energy companies. So far, PG&E has hit the same thorny issue - high costs. "We're working hard to bring new renewable supplies into being ... but they don't come without a cost, so it's a balancing act," said David Rubin, director of service analysis for PG&E. "We don't think it's credible to get to those (renewable source) levels without much stiffer costs than are being represented in (CCA communities') business plans." Put simply, the renewable energy goals aren't attainable at the prices advertised; and they will continue to track above PG&E rates, the company said. The other main criticism of the aggregation system has less to do with money than management. "A small town getting into the energy business is asking for trouble," Borenstein said. "If you don't know what you're doing, it's pretty easy to get your clock cleaned by a sophisticated company." Depending on how the system is structured legally and financially, Borenstein also said cities could put basic services at risk. If, for instance, a local power authority were to lock into a long-term contract at rates that prove expensive. it could hurt a city's credit rating. "If (a CCA) goes badly, other aspects of the city are going to go badly... you'll have budget cutting." Marin officials say they've examined every angle and concluded the risks of the status quo are far higher; they also emphasize they're looking to hire experienced power brokers. Few programs tested There are few test cases for aggregation programs in California. The San Joaquin Valley Power Authority is first out of the gate - the California Public Utilities Commission certified the plan this year. System administrators, who hope to power about 115,000 customers in the valley, are working out a contract with Citigroup Energy to handle its entire energy supply. Eventually, the power authority expects to issue bonds to pay for some local energy plants. The current energy supply is largely a mix of hydroelectric - which they worry will become less reliable - and imported, which sometimes creates system bottlenecks. Marin also hopes to invest in regional energy projects, particularly alternatives - a stepped-up variation on the "buy local" credo. "Right now we're dependent on fossil fuels - the cost and supply is very uncertain," said Dawn Weisz, sustainable planner for the Marin Community Development Agency. "So getting unhooked from that dependence is good for rate stability, for economics, and it's good for self-sufficiency... and as a way to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. "We need to do as much as we can ... and then maybe we can step back from the tipping point. That's where Marin wants to be." How it works Under a "community choice aggregation," a local government or a group of local governments buys power for customers within their communities. Although the CCA does not own the transmission wires, it may or may not own energy generating facilities. *Proponents *say the system allows for more local control, the inclusion of more renewable energy sources and the possibility of negotiating for better electricity rates. *Opponents* contend that renewable energy remains expensive and that local power authorities might not have the necessary expertise in the energy market. Online resources -- Marin's CCA page: /links.sfgate.com/ZDAX <http://links.sfgate.com/ZDAX>/ -- The Web site of Assemblyman Paul Fenn, who wrote the bill allowing aggregations:/ www.local.org/fenn.html <http://www.local.org/fenn.html>./ /E-mail Kelly Zito at kzito(a)sfchronicle.com <mailto:kzito@sfchronicle.com>./ This article appeared on page *A - 1* of the San Francisco Chronicle

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[Sustain] FW: (MRGWA) materials on pharmaceuticals in ground water from NGWA
by Martin Zehr 16 Apr '08

16 Apr '08

The National Ground Water Association (www.ngwa.org) has prepared some materials on pharmaceuticals in ground water. Many of you are aware of recent news coverage about the presence of trace amounts of pharmaceuticals and endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in water. As a result of this coverage, the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Transportation Safety, Infrastructure Security, and Water Quality will hold a hearing entitled, "Pharmaceuticals in the Nation's Water: Assessing Potential Risks and Actions to Address the Issue," on Tuesday, April 15 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time. To help equip you to respond at the local level should you deem it necessary, attached are four information pieces developed by NGWA for possible use at your discretion: Key Points-This is a very brief summary of the issue of pharmaceutical compounds and EDCs in water. This is intended for your own edification. http://www.magnetmail.net/images/clients/NGWA/attach/key_points.doc Talking Points-This provides some key points about what is known about the subject of pharmaceutical compounds and EDCs in water. You may find it useful in responding to inquiries. http://www.magnetmail.net/images/clients/NGWA/attach/Talking_pts.doc Clip & Copy-This is a two-page backgrounder on the issue that can be used to answer frequently asked questions by the public. http://www.magnetmail.net/images/clients/NGWA/attach/Clip_Copy.doc Template News Release-This news release provides some basic, practical information that may be helpful to private well owners if this issue is of concern locally. It focuses on general well construction, maintenance, and water testing practices, and also provides some specific information on proper disposal of unused drugs and EDCs. http://www.magnetmail.net/images/clients/NGWA/attach/news_release_template.…

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[Sustain] Pharmaceuticals in Ground Water
by Martin Zehr 16 Apr '08

16 Apr '08

The National Ground Water Association ( www.ngwa.org

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Re: [Sustain] Vote on introduction of resolutions? Public Comment Allowed On Tuesday
by Eric Brooks 12 Apr '08

12 Apr '08

Supervisors are allowed to introduce measures directly to the Board on the Adoption Without Committee Reference calendar, especially when they are considered urgent. So Alioto-Pier has rightly put forward these resolutions in order to block the very imminent ICC contract. Public comment is allowed on such unheard measures during general public comment before the Board, which precedes the 'Without Committee Reference' agenda. Then, there are two possible results. Any supervisor can autonomously send the measures to committee without interference, or, if no supervisor so moves, there will be a vote on the items. Regardless, this our key moment to show the full Board of Supervisors that the entire Bayview, and environmental community, are strongly opposed to the combustion turbine plants. We must swamp the Board with comments on Tuesday. peace Eric Brooks asumchai(a)sfbayview.com wrote: >> How can they vote on resolutions that are being introduced and have not >> > been heard in committee. Please clarify! Ahimsa > > > > > > > Hi again all, > >> One more crucial note on the alert below: These items are open for >> public comment at the full Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, because they >> will be on the 'adoption without committee reference' calendar. Everyone >> should turn out for this critical hearing - Tuesday, April 15, SF City >> Hall, Room 250. Public comment begins on or shortly after 3pm. The votes >> on the items will follow. (To see the meeting agenda go to: >> http://www.sfgov.org/site/bdsupvrs_page.asp?id=78792 ) >> >> previously I wrote: >> >> **Call City Hall To Fight Global Warming & Stop Polluting Plants** >> >> The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) is about to send >> the worst possible message to our entire planet in the throes of a dire >> climate crisis, by making San Francisco the only major city in the U.S. >> to build a new polluting fossil fuel power plant! The plant is known as >> the Combustion Turbine Project, and two resolutions to halt its >> construction will be voted on by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors >> this Tuesday, April 15th. (See 'What You Can Do' further below.) >> >> A recently passed Community Choice renewable energy measure (which will >> bring San Francisco 50% solar and wind power within the next decade), >> and a new power transmission cable from the Northeast with enough >> capacity to meet half of San Francisco's daily electricity needs, make >> this polluting plant completely unnecessary. The SFPUC plans to site the >> Combustion Turbine plant in the already heavily polluted and >> economically marginalized Bayview Hunters Point district, which is 40% >> African American, and has high concentrations of other people of color >> and low income residents. (For more information see >> http://our-city.org/campaigns/index.html ) >> >> What You Can Do: >> >> Contact Supervisors McGoldrick and Ammiano today and strongly urge them >> to support the two resolutions that will halt the Combustion Turbine >> Project, and insist on the creation of a new 21st century energy plan >> for San Francisco which will no longer depend on fossil fuel power plants. >> >> Call: >> >> Supervisor Jake McGoldrick 415-554-7410 and >> Supervisor Tom Ammiano 415-554-5144 >> >> Sample Message To Stop The Power Plant: >> >> "Please strongly support Supervisor Alioto-Pier's resolutions to demand >> independent studies of the Combustion Turbine Project and to create a >> new 2008 energy plan for San Francisco." >> >> Thanks for your action and support! >> >> Eric Brooks >> Campaign Coordinator >> Our City >> >> ////This alert sent by://// >> >> //Our City >> 1028-A Howard St. >> San Francisco, CA 94103 >> 415-756-8844 >> >> For more information about Our City campaigns go to: >> http://www.our-city.org >> info(a)our-city.org <mailto:info@our-city.org> >> // >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Sustainability mailing list >> Sustainability(a)sfgreens.org >> https://list.sfgreens.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sustainability >> >> > > > -- "I am not a liberator. Liberators do not exist. The people liberate themselves." -- Che Guevara

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[Sustain] FW: Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force Meets April 24 and April 25, 2008
by Martin Zehr 11 Apr '08

11 Apr '08

Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:52:21 -0700 From: Pat.Rogers(a)CALWATER.CA.GOV Subject: Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force Meets April 24 and April 25, 2008 To: DELTA_VISION(a)LISTSERV.CAHWNET.GOV Delta Vision Listserve Subscribers -- The meeting notice for the April 24-25, 2008, Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force meeting, has been posted to the Delta Vison webiste at www.deltavision.ca.gov Meeting details are as follows: Meeting: Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force Date/Time: Thursday, April 24, 2008, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Friday, April 25, 2008, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Location: West Sacramento City Hall Galleria, 1110 West Capitol Avenue, West Sacramento, CA 95691 Thank you, Pat Rogers Communications and Public Outreach CALFED Bay-Delta Program 650 Capitol Mall, Fifth Floor Sacramento, CA 95814 progers(a)calwater.ca.gov ph: (916) 445-5593 fax: (916) 445-7297

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[Sustain] Follow Up On Power Plant Alert - Public Comment Allowed On Tuesday
by Eric Brooks 11 Apr '08

11 Apr '08

Hi again all, One more crucial note on the alert below: These items are open for public comment at the full Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, because they will be on the 'adoption without committee reference' calendar. Everyone should turn out for this critical hearing - Tuesday, April 15, SF City Hall, Room 250. Public comment begins on or shortly after 3pm. The votes on the items will follow. (To see the meeting agenda go to: http://www.sfgov.org/site/bdsupvrs_page.asp?id=78792 ) previously I wrote: **Call City Hall To Fight Global Warming & Stop Polluting Plants** The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) is about to send the worst possible message to our entire planet in the throes of a dire climate crisis, by making San Francisco the only major city in the U.S. to build a new polluting fossil fuel power plant! The plant is known as the Combustion Turbine Project, and two resolutions to halt its construction will be voted on by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors this Tuesday, April 15th. (See 'What You Can Do' further below.) A recently passed Community Choice renewable energy measure (which will bring San Francisco 50% solar and wind power within the next decade), and a new power transmission cable from the Northeast with enough capacity to meet half of San Francisco's daily electricity needs, make this polluting plant completely unnecessary. The SFPUC plans to site the Combustion Turbine plant in the already heavily polluted and economically marginalized Bayview Hunters Point district, which is 40% African American, and has high concentrations of other people of color and low income residents. (For more information see http://our-city.org/campaigns/index.html ) What You Can Do: Contact Supervisors McGoldrick and Ammiano today and strongly urge them to support the two resolutions that will halt the Combustion Turbine Project, and insist on the creation of a new 21st century energy plan for San Francisco which will no longer depend on fossil fuel power plants. Call: Supervisor Jake McGoldrick 415-554-7410 and Supervisor Tom Ammiano 415-554-5144 Sample Message To Stop The Power Plant: "Please strongly support Supervisor Alioto-Pier's resolutions to demand independent studies of the Combustion Turbine Project and to create a new 2008 energy plan for San Francisco." Thanks for your action and support! Eric Brooks Campaign Coordinator Our City ////This alert sent by://// //Our City 1028-A Howard St. San Francisco, CA 94103 415-756-8844 For more information about Our City campaigns go to: http://www.our-city.org info(a)our-city.org <mailto:info@our-city.org> //

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[Sustain] Urgent! Call City Hall To Fight Global Warming & Stop Polluting Plants
by Eric Brooks 11 Apr '08

11 Apr '08

Hi all, The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) is about to send the worst possible message to our entire planet in the throes of a dire climate crisis, by making San Francisco the only major city in the U.S. to build a new polluting fossil fuel power plant! The plant is known as the Combustion Turbine Project, and two resolutions to halt its construction will be voted on by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors this Tuesday, April 15th. (See 'What You Can Do' further below.) A recently passed Community Choice renewable energy measure (which will bring San Francisco 50% solar and wind power within the next decade), and a new power transmission cable from the Northeast with enough capacity to meet half of San Francisco's daily electricity needs, make this polluting plant completely unnecessary. The SFPUC plans to site the Combustion Turbine plant in the already heavily polluted and economically marginalized Bayview Hunters Point district, which is 40% African American, and has high concentrations of other people of color and low income residents. (For more information see http://our-city.org/campaigns/index.html ) What You Can Do: Contact Supervisors McGoldrick and Ammiano today and strongly urge them to support the two resolutions that will halt the Combustion Turbine Project, and insist on the creation of a new 21st century energy plan for San Francisco which will no longer depend on fossil fuel power plants. Call: Supervisor Jake McGoldrick 415-554-7410 and Supervisor Tom Ammiano 415-554-5144 Sample Message To Stop The Power Plant: "Please strongly support Supervisor Alioto-Pier's resolutions to demand independent studies of the Combustion Turbine Project and to create a new 2008 energy plan for San Francisco." Thanks for your action and support! Eric Brooks Campaign Coordinator Our City ////This alert sent by://// //Our City 1028-A Howard St. San Francisco, CA 94103 415-756-8844 For more information about Our City campaigns go to: http://www.our-city.org info(a)our-city.org <mailto:info@our-city.org> //

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[Sustain] March Transpo/Sustainability WG Meeting
by Eric Brooks 11 Apr '08

11 Apr '08

Hi all, Don Eichelberger and I were the only ones to meet last month so I figure we should just push the reset button and shoot for this month. Here's a proposed agenda: Joint Meeting: Transportation & Sustainability Working Groups When: Thursday, 3/27/08, 6:30PM-9:00PM Where: SFGP Office, 1028A Howard St - Assessing The Transit Effectiveness Project - McGoldrick's Elected MTA Charter Amendment - Peak Oil Taskforce Update - Maxwell/Peskin SFPUC Charter Amendment - Update On Mayor's Solar Programs and New Sandoval Solar Proposal - Update On Community Choice Energy project - Combustion Turbine Update - Forming an active working group members alert list for the Sustainability WG -- "I am not a liberator. Liberators do not exist. The people liberate themselves." – Che Guevara

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