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June, 1999
Santa Monica plans to buy all 'green' power, aims to set example
for nation
By Michael White, Associated Press
June 2, 1999
Santa Monica - City leaders steamed up over dirty air caused by
coal-fired electricity generators yesterday said they plan to
buy all
of the city's power from clean geothermal sources.
Santa Monica will pay about 2 percent more for so-called "green"
power, but officials said they are willing to foot the bill in
order
to set an example for the rest of the nation.
The decision follows a tradition of social consciousness that
in the
past earned the city the nickname "People's Republic of Santa
Monica."
The city is the first in a deregulated energy market to switch
all of
its operations to a renewable source, according to Global Green
USA, a
nonprofit group that promotes green energy.
"We decided it was important for us to make a choice tied to our
environmental values," said Councilman Mike Feinstein. "What we're
trying to do here is set an example for the rest of the country
and
rest of the world that this sort of technology is dependable and
reliable."
Generation of electricity is the nation's biggest source of air
pollutants, said Ralph Cavanaugh, energy program co-director for
the
Natural Resources Defense Council in Washington, D.C. Electricity
generation produces two-thirds of sulfur dioxides, one-third of
nitrogen oxides and one-third of carbon dioxides found in the
air, he
said.
Green power is becoming more popular as states deregulate their
electricity markets.
California fully deregulated the sale of electricity in 1998,
becoming
the first state to allow residents and businesses to shop for
a power
company. Since then, deregulation laws have been passed in
Pennsylvania, Texas, Massachusetts, Illinois and New Jersey. Other
states have partially deregulated their systems.
The California cities of Chula Vista and Oakland are considering
renewable energy contracts for city buildings.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power recently launched
a
campaign to sign business and residential customers to green
contracts. So far, the takers include the Los Angeles Dodgers,
the
University of Southern California, the Getty Center museum and
Robinsons-May department stores. Mayor Richard Riordan was the
first
homeowner to sign up.
In Texas, the city of Waco is encouraging residents to buy
wind-generated electricity from their local provider.
Santa Monica's history of progressive positions has included tolerance
of the homeless and strict rent controls. However, the city of
91,000
has in recent years retreated on both matters. The city ended
free
meals programs and began shooing the homeless from parks in 1995.
Earlier this year, rent controls were relaxed to allow rents to
increase to market levels when a tenant moved out.
Signing a contract for renewable energy doesn't mean the electrons
transmitted to the customer's home or business actually come from
a
clean source. However, the contract does require the power company
to
increase the amount of green power that is transmitted into the
local
power grid, thus boosting the overall use of electricity generated
from clean sources, such as geothermal, natural gas and solar.
While demand for electricity from renewable sources has grown,
it
remains a small part of the nation's energy supply. Renewable
sources
other than hydroelectric account for only 2 percent of the nation's
enegy consumption, according to the NRDC.