Los Angeles residents want more renewables
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- Category: Politics
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03 May 2012
- Published on Thursday, 03 May 2012 19:58
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A large chunk of Angelenos of want to have more locally produced solar and wind energy to power their city, according to a poll on the city's residents' attitudes toward renewable energy conducted for the Vote Solar Initiative.
Majority of the voters want the local utility, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, to use more electricity generated from renewable sources – 87 percent wanting solar and 79 percent wanting wind – while 76 percent said the utility should be doing more to expand the use of local rooftop solar in the city.
"Sunny Los Angeles has enormous potential to lead the state in solar energy, and in recent months city leaders have done a commendable job of putting L.A. in a position to harness that homegrown renewable resource," said Susannah Churchill, Southwestern Solar Advocate for Vote Solar.
"Our poll shows that this is the kind of solar progress that [the residents] overwhelmingly want to see in their community."
The poll, done by law firm Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates, also indicates the residents' desire to add more solar power, with 81 percent of the voters saying they support the utility's local goal to 1,200 megawatts, 10 percent of California Governor Jerry Brown's goal for local clean power.
Governor Brown has set a statewide goal to generate 33 percent of its electricity from renewables, or about 12,000 MW by 2020.
"Local solar power puts our energy dollars to work building a healthier and more prosperous L.A. An expanded solar program would put more boots on roofs and create more jobs in areas that need them most," said Bill Gallegos, executive director of Communities for a Better Environment, a leading environmental justice organization.
"Poor communities often get the worst of the fossil fuel energy system. It is only fair that they enjoy the environmental, health, and economic benefits of the clean energy system," he added.
"In addition to proving hugely popular among L.A. residents, expanded use of local clean energy can reduce the city's dependence on out-of-state dirty coal power," said Evan Gillespie of Sierra Club, America's largest grassroots environmental organization. – EcoSeed Staff
