[FWD: Important: Attend and give comment at the PSPS hearing Monday Nov 18 Sac on AB 1054]

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Shelly

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Nov 19, 2019, 12:35:20 AM11/19/19
to alliance4j...@googlegroups.com, ClimateActivistsSC, osc_eart...@googlegroups.com
Dear Climate Activists,

I am forwarding on an email that I received from a friend, that came from Jennifer Tanner, the founder of the Indivisible Green Team focusing on environmental issues. This is with regard to "clean up" amendments to AB 1054.

The Indivisible Green Team is asking for organizational endorsements on the following letter to the legislature:


Please forward this widely in your circles and attend the emergency hearing for the Senate Energy Committee in Sacramento this Monday that begins at 11:00am to give comment if you can. The public comment period is expected to begin around 3:00-3:30pm. Further details and info are below.

To our collective best always,

Shelly Browning
Friends of Public Banking Santa Rosa

"Given the magnitude of the task, everyone has to step up their game." ~ Bill McKibben

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Jennifer Tanner <jjtan...@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Nov 13, 2019 at 12:38 PM
Subject: Important: Attend and give comment at the PSPS hearing Monday Nov 18 Sac.
To: Victor Casas <vcs...@gmail.com>


Climate and energy advocate:

As Californians, we need to create high priority legislation that implements a three year program that eliminates wildfires being caused by Investor-Owned Utility equipment. The risk in those fires is due to the wires and lack of updated transmission equipment, not the trees that fall on them. At present AB1054, Governor Newsom’s PG&E bailout bill, only focuses on trees. We also need to focus on the following:

1. Replace old fragile wire in high risk areas with wire that will not break. 

2. Apply the latest off the shelf technology to ensure wires are de-energized before they spark and start fires. It’s readily available and inexpensive. 

3. Put local communities in charge of creating microgrids. Microgrids utilizing solar with battery backup can provide emergency energy during blackouts. This makes communities self-sufficient.

There is an emergency hearing for the Senate Energy Committee to gather stakeholder comments related to PSPS taking place Nov. 18, 2019 at 11AM in Sacramento. The room is going to change so we will update you. We have been working aggressively to get the members of this committee to initiate a package of legislation that implements the program described above. There will be an opportunity at the end of this meeting to provide individual, short public comments. We are suggesting that as many people as possible show up for this meeting and present a consistent message of support for this effort.

Just remember:

  • Replace fragile wires. 
  • Install power interrupters to stop wires from sparking.  
  • Create Microgrids to make communities self-sufficient. 
 
We encourage everyone to attend and arrange for others to attend and get the message to our legislators so that they grasp the urgency of these important issues. We will send out a follow-up email as a reminder and to provide additional detail later in the week of November 11. 

Contact me with any questions.

Best,

Jennifer Tanner
Indivisible California Green Team



 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 24, 2019
                                                                                                            
 
 
SACRAMENTO – Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) announced the creation of a working group to study the issue of Public Safety Power Shut Offs (PSPS). The working group will include the following Senators: Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park), Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg), Bill Dodd (D-Napa), Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara), Ben Hueso (D-San Diego), Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica), Henry Stern (D-Canoga Park), Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo), and Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco). 
 
“California has endured severe wildfires throughout its history, but as we have seen in recent years, the threat to our communities and our economy have never been greater,” said Leader Atkins. “The 2017 and 2018 wildfire seasons were the deadliest and most destructive in state history, and the risks are only increasing. This crisis is far from over. We must view wildfire safety and prevention as an ongoing priority that will require persistence, collaboration and creativity over the long-term.”
 
Further, as Chair of the Senate Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee, Sen. Hueso will convene an oversight hearing on Nov. 18, 2019 to begin investigating and reviewing options to address the serious deficiencies with the current PSPS process.
 
“Our number one priority during extreme weather or wildfire conditions is keeping residents safe,” said Sen. Hueso. “However, there are myriad issues related to these shutoffs that negatively impact consumers, and we must consider all of the complexities involved to find a balanced solution that reduces the risk of wildfire while not jeopardizing people’s business, health or otherwise. The gross mismanagement of the most recent shutoffs is unacceptable; it is critical that we hold our state’s investor owned utilities accountable for providing more information to customers and taking immediate action to reduce the number of affected consumers.”
 
We are entering the peak of California’s wildfire season, and therefore we may see more potential for wildfires, and more PSPS’s. This risk will likely continue into November until the rainy season begins in the state.
 
It is clear that there is a great deal of work to do to mitigate the adverse impacts of power shutoffs.
 
How California has responded to wildfires: 
·         Established new wildfire safety plans to prevent utility caused wildfires (SB 901 – Sen. Dodd)
·         Established a new wildfire safety division at the CPUC and provided new mechanisms to keep our electrical system financially stable (AB 1054 – Asm. Holden)
·         Focused on reducing risk, overhauling our prevention and response efforts, and supporting local recovery efforts.
·         Committed nearly $1 billion to make these important investments, including new equipment and increased staffing for CalFire, as well as infrared cameras to detect wildfires early, and major investments in forest management. 
 
###
 
Toni G. Atkins is President pro Tempore of the California Senate. Having previously served as Speaker of the California Assembly, she began her tenure in the Senate in 2016. As Senator for District 39, she represents the cities of San Diego, Coronado, Del Mar and Solana Beach. Website of President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins: www.senate.ca.gov/Atkins
 
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