Renewable energy for the East Bay

You've read about it in San Francisco; now's the time to help bring it to Oakland, Berkeley, and Emeryville

Residents of Oakland, Berkeley, and Emeryville may soon cut their use of fossil fuels substantially by buying power locally instead of from PG&E. A draft plan for Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) in the East Bay is coming out in April, with public forums likely this May.

CCA came into existence through California Assembly Bill 117, passed in September 2002 and initially drafted by the Oakland non-profit Local Power, partially in response to the California energy "crisis" of 2000 - 2001.

By giving control of the electricity mix back to communities, CCA allows cities to rapidly scale up their use of renewable energy, efficiency, and energy conservation. CCA is a way for cities and counties to build community-owned power sources so that people with a vested interest in the local community can make environmentally and socially sound decisions about energy. Through CCA we can rapidly scale up renewable energy, efficiency, and conservation. It is one of the best tools for reducing the emissions that cause global warming and pollution-related illness while also stabilizing prices for consumers.

The benefits of CCA include:

• greener power: 40 - 50% renewable energy by 2017, compared to 20% for PG&E;
• greater price stability for consumers through ownership of generation and a portfolio of less-volatile renewable generation sources;
• competitive rates to meet or beat PG&E.

A study by the city of Oakland shows we could get up to 50% of local power from renewables by 2017 if CCA is adopted rapidly. For this to happen, we need CCA to be passed by the City Councils of Oakland, Berkeley, and Emeryville!

WhatYouCanDo

For the leaders of these cities to move quickly, they need to hear from us now. All who live or work in Emeryville, Berkeley, or Oakland should contact your local leaders (hand-written letters are most powerful). Thank them for keeping things moving forward and for giving serious consideration to the concept and opportunities of a CCA in the East Bay. Voice your support for clean energy that is generated locally and distributed throughout the area. Remind them of the urgent need to address climate change, and ask to be kept informed about these plans.

Oakland
One Frank Ogawa Plaza, Third Floor
Oakland, CA 94612
www.oaklandnet.com/government/council/city-officials.html

Mayor: Ron Dellums
(510)238-3141
fax: (510)238-4731

City Council:
(510)238-3266
fax: (510)238-6129

Berkeley
2180 Milvia St.
Berkeley, CA 94704
www.cityofberkeley.info/elected

Mayor: Tom Bates
(510)981-7100
fax: (510)981-7199
mayor -at- ci.berkeley.ca.us

City Council
(510)981-6900
clerk -at- ci.berkeley.ca.us

Emeryville
1333 Park Ave.
Emeryville, CA 94608

Mayor: Nora Davis
ndavis -at- ci.emeryville.ca.us
(510)596-4300
fax: (510)658-8095

City Council
(510)596-4376
www.ci.emeryville.ca.us/gov/city_council.html

For more information about CCA see the web sites of Local Power: www.local.org/local.html

and the Local Government Commission: www.lgc.org/cca

To volunteer to help in the East Bay CCA campaign, contact or call (510) 848-0800, ext. 304

Bill Christopher, Bay Chapter Energy Committee