TONIGHT! Important Climate meeting in ESCONDIDO 5 PM- The most critical action from the Escondido Climate Action Plan
Laura Hunter
Tonight, the Escondido City Council will be deciding its energy future. Please come ask the Council to join the Clean Energy Alliance THIS CALENDAR YEAR so that benefits to residents, businesses, and the environment begin as soon as possible. What better way for Escondido to celebrate and commit during the time of COP26! Please speak out! Agenda item #10
Participation in a community energy program was the number 1 most significant action adopted in the ECAP! Urge the Council to bring real energy choice to people by joining the Clean Energy Alliance, a community choice energy program that already includes Carlsbad, Del Mar, and Solana Beach.The time for a clean energy future is here. Please support this action. Comment here and/or attend the meeting on October 27, at 5 PM when Escondido will decide its energy future. Please communicate your support to the Mayor and City Council
Sierra Club NCG SUPPORT Escondido participation in Clean Energy Alliance
Dear Mayor and City Council:
Sierra Club North County Group (NCG) is in strong support of the city’s participation in the Clean Energy Alliance. This was the primary GHG reduction action included in the Escondido Climate Action Plan. Joining the CEA this calendar year will enable Escondido to begin to enjoy all the benefits of a CCA much sooner.
The Clean Energy Alliance (CEA) currently serves the residents of Carlsbad, Del Mar and Solana Beach and is the North County CCA. The feasibility study says that joining an existing CCA will save Escondido time, money, and valuable staff resources. A partnership with other North County cities will increase the economies of scale and benefit all of the cities.
There are several compelling reasons to move forward with this decision.
- Residents and businesses of Escondido would get more renewable energy, at less cost than SDGE, through a CCA.
- SDGE announced in 2019 that it is moving out of the power buying and selling that sector of its business.
- A CCA is the most cost-effective way for Escondido to reach its major CAP goal for renewable, clean energy and GHG reductions.
Some of the other benefits of a CCA are:
- Local Control– Unlike SDGE’s decisions, the CCA’s decisions are made in public meetings by local elected representatives that we can hold accountable.
- Local Reinvestment – CCAs reinvest customer revenue into local clean, renewable energy projects. CEA, like many CCAs, offers rooftop solar customers better terms. This leads to more solar jobs, fewer greenhouse gases, and customer savings—all at the local level.
- Local Jobs – More rooftop solar and large renewable projects in our backyard lead to more good paying, local jobs for installation and construction.
- Real Choice –A CCA is the only way to give rate-payers a real choice. If someone doesn’t like the CCA they can stick with SDGE.
The City of Escondido should move forward on a CCA now. The benefits are significant, local control, local jobs, local investment and more renewables. And, it will save Escondido residents and businesses money at the same time. It’s time for a real choice for where our electricity is coming from instead of the current monopoly.
We are in the midst of a climate crisis and we need to do everything we can to reduce GHGs. We can’t afford to keep putting off action. We should pursue more renewable energy now at less cost.
Sierra Club NCG urges the Escondido City Council to join the Clean Energy Alliance on October 27, 2021.