Por JEFF CLEMETSON | Mensajero de La Mesa<\/p>\n
After months of negotiations amongst local cities, La Mesa made it official on Sept. 10 that it will join a regional Joint Powers Authority that will buy and sell clean energy to residents. La Mesa and Chula Vista both cast votes to join the JPA on Sept. 10. Encinitas voted to join on Sept. 11 and San Diego and Imperial Beach on Sept. 17.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are really excited about the progress we\u2019ve made and what the future really holds for us as a region to move forward with this JPA and provide cheaper, cleaner, greener energy to our constituency, to the rate payers,\u201d said Lee Friedman, infrastructure policy manager for San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer\u2019s office. San Diego is the lead city in the JPA and is paying for most of the implementation costs.<\/p>\n
Sophie Wolfram, director of programs for Climate Action Campaign, described the plan as \u201cone of the most progressive in California\u201d and urged the council to pass it without amendments.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a huge moment for La Mesa and our region. This vote \u2026 will set the region on a path to clean energy choice, rate relief for working families, good middle class jobs and local clean energy,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Environmentalists from San Diego 350 and a representative of Sullivan Solar Power also urged the council to approve the JPA agreement without amendments to avoid any delays in passing it.<\/p>\n
In order to serve customers by 2021, the JPA agreement needed to be passed by all cities in September due to a state requirement that community choice plans need to file with the Public Utilities Commission a year before implementation. The JPA board needs to meet and finalize details like selecting power suppliers and reviewing and amending the draft plan before voting on a final plan before Dec. 31.<\/p>\n
The deadline did not sit well with some environmentalists and some labor groups who wanted to make additional changes to the plan before the City Council voted on it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Sierra Club and IBEW have some significant concerns with some of the language in San Diego\u2019s JPA proposal, especially with regards to environmental, labor and community involvement provisions\u201d said Kyle Rentchler, conservation organizer for San Diego\u2019s Sierra Club chapter. \u201cOn the environmental side, the current draft leaves the door open for dirty energy by allowing the procurement of nuclear energy and unbundled renewable energy credits.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are still significant gaps and community concerns in this weak and deficient JPA document that need addressing,\u201d said Michah Mitroski, environmental organizer for the local International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).<\/p>\n
Specifically, the union found the labor and workforce language \u201cweak and confusing,\u201d the community engagement and transparency provisions \u201cvague and lacking accountability,\u201d the community advisory council language in need of strengthening to include public outreach and to ensure a diverse cross section on interests skill sets and geographic regions, and the strategic plan language in need of strengthening to require workforce benefits, equity and employment standards with regular review.<\/p>\n
Friedman said the issues brought up by Sierra Club and the IBEW could be worked out by the JPA board once it is formed and sits down to draft operational procedures for the community choice plan.<\/p>\n
Despite that assurance, Council member Colin Parent motioned to amend the plan to include language that addresses some of the Sierra Club and IBEW concerns. That motioned failed 2-3 with only Council member Akilah Weber supporting the motion.<\/p>\n
The council then voted unanimously to pass the unamended plan, with direction to La Mesa\u2019s representatives on the JPA board to push for adoption of language to address the issues.<\/p>\n