Liquefied Natural Gas talk at January Local Clean Energy Alliance Meeting

Happy New Year!  May 2009 be a linchpin year for Clean Energy in the Bay Area, California, the nation, and the world.

We are pleased to announce that Community Choice is still alive in the Bay Area.  Neither Berkeley or Oakland have accepted the staff recommendation to reallocate funds set aside for Community Choice.  On December 16th, the Oakland Public Works Committee passed a resolution that appeared to recommend that the full council to do the following: 1) Not accept the staff report, 2) Not reallocate the funds, 3) Recommend to the council to schedule an Oakland Community Choice workshop in the fall, and 4) Ask the full council to provide PG&E with a letter in support of PG&E applying to the CPUC to get some millions of dollars in energy efficiency and "strategic planning" funds.

A resolution will be going to Berkeley City Council this month for Berkeley to set up a Community Choice Workshop later this Spring after the Berkeley Energy Commission issues its report on Community Choice.

Meanwhile, in mid December, Marin Clean Energy formed the Marin Power Authority to operate a Community Choice program for at least 70% of the electrical load in the county. Despite the defeat of Measure H in San Francisco, Community Choice is moving forward in the City.

Thursday, January 8th: Liquefied Natural Gas talk at Local Clean Energy Alliance Meeting

Join us at the January Local Clean Energy Alliance meeting.  At this month's meeting, Rory Cox of Pacific Environment will speak about Liquefied Natural Gas and its implications for clean energy in California.  Pacific Environment recently released a report called Collision Course - How Imported Liquefied Natural Gas Will Undermine Clean Energy in California. This is from the executive summary:

At a time of unprecedented public support— and urgent need—for aggressive, responsible action on global warming, plans are afoot to quietly shackle the state to a new dependence on polluting fossil fuels. Instead of reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), the state pursues policies that will squander billions of dollars on importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from overseas and prevent any meaningful reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Time and Location:
 
Thursday, January 8, 6:00 pm
2nd Floor Conference Room,
Central Building, 436 14th St., Oakland
(Take 12th St. BART)

Agenda:
1. Welcome and Introductions
2. Rory Cox talks about Liquefied Natural Gas and its implications for Clean Energy in California
3. Updates on the Local Clean Energy campaigns in the East Bay
4. Discuss priorities and strategies of the alliance for 2009

Please RSVP, so we will have enough food - Jan at jan@baylocalize.org