By Katie Davis, Chapter Chair
100% Renewable!
Sierra Club advocacy for 100% renewable energy across our region is paying off.
Ventura County and most of its cities have joined the Clean Power Alliance (CPA) which is actively procuring renewable energy for Ventura and Los Angeles. Fillmore is hearing a presentation about joining on June 13.
Santa Barbara County and most of its cities have joined Central Coast Community Energy (3CE) which is on track to reach its goal of 100% renewable energy by 2030. With the recent decision by San Luis Obispo County to join 3CE, it now covers most of five counties from Monterey to Santa Barbara.
Giving Back
In addition to accelerating renewable energy above state targets, these publicly owned programs can cost less and/or invest in the local communities.
For instance, PG&E customers enrolled in 3CE have saved 18% on average on billing costs and SCE customers have saved 2% on average. And 3CE has already invested $4.8 million in Santa Barbara County in the form of rebates for electric cars and school buses and electric agriculture machinery and buildings.
Free AC?
3CE isn’t the only giver of rebates for those of us wanting to get off oil and gas.
I decided to test this on myself by installing an electric mini split heat pump in an upstairs bedroom that can provide both air conditioning and heating. It replaces a gas furnace that only provided heating. I am eligible for a $2000 federal tax credit (which I claim when I file taxes) and $3000 in rebates from 3CE and the Tech Clean California program.
Another Central Coast energy program called 3C-REN offers additional money depending on how much energy my upgrade saves. (These rebates go to the installer who will pass on the savings to me.) All together, I found that adding AC for the increasingly hot summers is virtually free.
Need to upgrade your water heater or furnace? Want to avoid tossing, turning and sweating through the summer heatwaves? Check out these helpful resources to see how you can save on efficient electric appliances: https://switchison.org and https://cecsb.org/electrify-your-life
2024 Oily Preview
Watch for the oil industry’s November ballot battle.
Last year, California passed SB1137 – a historic bill that would end neighborhood oil drilling by creating 3200-ft setbacks between oil infrastructure and homes, schools, and hospitals.
Then the oil industry immediately got to work to try and reverse this legislation. The industry shelled out $20 million to pay for enough signatures to successfully put the issue on the ballot in November 2024 – effectively stalling the implementation of this health and safety measure.
Sierra Club and our allies are already starting the work to ensure that every California voter knows that the oil industry is doing everything in its power to keep drilling next to people’s homes—despite abundant evidence that the practice is making people sick—and we all need to vote to protect setbacks next year.
The Big Oil Resistance Tour by the Last Chance Alliance https://lastchancealliance.org stopped in Ventura April 9 and Santa Barbara April 10 before it continued its 7-stop state-wide tour to galvanize CA’s Climate Justice Movement to End Oil Drilling. The industry has far out funded the movement, recently in Ventura County over EIRs. While the SB stop featured Jane Fonda, we had these local heroes on the panel. From left: Theo LeQuesne, Center for Biological Diversity; Haley Ehlers, Climate First: Replacing Oil & Gas (CFROG); Molly McCoy, local youth activist; Gladys Limón, Environmental Justice attorney; Tomás Morales Rebecchi, Food & Water Watch, and Cesar Aguirre, Central California Environmental Justice Network. (Photo by Condor John)