ventura ventura, December 25, 2017

Wonderful progress in the past week has seen Ventura County, Oxnard, Ojai and Thousand Oaks joining Los Angeles Community Choice Energy and more cities getting it on their council agendas for January. We want to thank Supervisor Linda Parks and Oxnard Mayor Pro Tem Carmen Ramirez for their leadership.

Ventura County’s interest to join with potentially 80 other cities in LA County may have prompted another roadblock to Community Choice Energy.  As soon as momentum accelerates, friends of the monopoly utilities find a new tactic to destroy our development of local energy democracy.

This time it is the CPUC trying to slow down or stop Community Choice Energy programs across the state.

On Dec. 8th, the Commission put forth a Draft Resolution (E-4907) for a vote on at a January 11th and they are allowing comments about it only until January 4th (was Dec. 29th).  It is really bad news for LACCE, City of San Luis Obispo, the desert cities, and other CCEs that are ready to or plan to launch or expand their programs.

The CPUC proposes a lengthy review process that is not needed and further delays to assure “resource adequacy”. It is a ruse. There are simple solutions for short term resource adequacy that have been used by the private sector and should be available to our CCE’s. The resolution, if passed, will likely delay any new programs until 2020.  The delay may also unnecessarily jeopardize getting funding during the initial launch period, making CCE’s less financially feasible.

 

PickerGrinchCPUC

                                                                    Image from LCEA

The timing over the holidays makes it difficult to respond effectively, another reason the comment period should be extended and the vote delayed.

We ask you to review the talking points and see the way to submit your comments to the Commissioners via the Public Advisor  [email protected]ov (this sample letter format may be helpful).  It is not necessary at all to speak to all the talking points below.  Pick one and send your quick response, preferably focusing on the process or legal issues, as those are more likely to be listened. Please copy other staff members involved with this unnecessary, unhelpful, illegal policy:  [email protected][email protected][email protected]

We’ve worked hard to alert our elected to the timely opportunity to join LACCE and now we must submit comments, write letters to the editor, and encourage our local elected officials to request ex parte meetings with the CPUC Commissioners to go to San Francisco and defend their decisions to participate in a Community Choice Energy program.

State Lawmakers can put pressure on the CPUC: Senators Hannah-Beth Jackson and Henry Stern and Assemblymembers Monique Limon and Jacqui Irwin. You can use this template for legislators Action Alert put out by Clean Power Exchange.

CPUC Resolution E-4907

Talking Points (from Clean Power Exchange)

Sample Letter  We can add the particulars of how this will affect Ventura County and your city.

CPUC Commissioners Contact Information  (click here for contact info)

Also FAX James Ralph, Chief of Policy and Legal Affairs for President Picker at  415-703-1903 . A FAX may carry some weight, especially from organizations on letterhead.  If you don’t have FAX, email pdf to [email protected] and we will FAX it. 

The deadline for comments is Thursday January 4th (extended from Dec 29th) – let’s not let the bad timing keep us from participating! To take action, Call: 1-866-849-8390. Email [email protected]ov and cc [email protected][email protected][email protected] .

Short Cut, if you want to do something quick without diving into the details in the links above, SEND A LETTER TODAY telling Commissioners and members of the State legislature that Resolution E-4907 is an unlawful abuse and overreach of the CPUC’s regulatory authority and should be retracted. And plan to come join the protest rally at the CPUC in San Francisco the morning of January 11, details TBD.  Link to Action Network form:  https://actionnetwork.org/letters/dont-let-cpuc-freeze-community-choice?source=direct_link&

Quick script: “I am writing to request that agenda item #16190 (Energy Division Draft Resolution E-4907) be held or removed from the January 11th, 2018, agenda to allow adequate time for review. Commissioners should vote no on this resolution, as it imposes substantial and unnecessary burdens on newly forming Community Choice agencies.”

Commission plans to vote:  (if we don’t get a delay) on Thursday, January 11  in San Francisco (more info coming soon). If you will be there, attend the rally that morning on the steps of the CPUC building.

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