If not gas, what? We know a lot of folks out there have that question. It is a good question! We all want reliable power. We want that reliable power to be clean. We want that power to not only be reliable, and clean, but also local, so that we have less reliance on importing clean energy through transmission lines. GEC believes there are many solutions to building local clean energy resources, including additional investments beyond our current energy efficiency and demand response programs, that will create a reliable system that can allow us to meet the challenge of building a 21st century utility. We must get creative. There is no choice. This is a make or break moment for life on planet earth. The UN Secretary General said last month, “The battle to keep the 1.5 degree goal alive will be won or lost IN THIS DECADE.”  The good news is that there are tremendous opportunities to reduce our green house gas emissions available NOW.

What programs currently exist for folks in Glendale? Make sure you check out (and participate if you can in) the GWP PEAK SAVINGS PROGRAM, and the GWP BUSINESS ENERGY UPGRADE PROGRAM. You can purchase energy efficient products at the GWP MARKETPLACE and check out the SMART HOME REBATE PROGRAM for products to reduce your energy and water consumption. You can schedule a free home survey with the SMART HOME UPGRADE PROGRAM,  which offers installation of new lighting and other selected energy and water efficient measures at no cost to you. You can also SIGN UP FOR FLEX ALERTS and check out tips for saving both energy and water,  and GET UP TO 3 FREE SHADE TREES planted on your property. And, if you are a business owner who wants to “go green” and save money by doing so, you can check out the GREEN BUSINESS PROGRAM.

Want battery storage to add to your PV system? You can apply for an SGIP rebate through SoCal Gas and then learn how to get a permit at the GWP website. As of this writing, you can still claim a tax credit as well, if the stored energy is connected to your PV system and used to offset your energy use daily. This website does a good job explaining the SGIP rebate program and process. Some installers will take care of the rebate, permit and installation for you. All you need to do is remember to write the system off on your taxes!

BUT WHAT ELSE? Well, a working group within the Glendale Environmental Coalition put together a list of ideas that GWP could pursue to repower Grayson, instead of investments in new gas equipment. This document was sent to our city council members and utility staff. These ideas are in addition to the 75 MW of battery storage and 50 MW of distributed energy projects (including the proposed Virtual Power Plant, which as of this writing has gone back to negotiations) which are part of current GWP proposals. We are glad that GWP is currently exploring some of these options, such as solar pv and storage on city properties, and suggest that they be expedited and maximized. We hope you will take a look and see for yourself that there is MUCH more we can do to power our city with clean energy. These will be resources that will serve us as we move into the 100% clean energy future, which state law requires by 2045, and climate science demands in this decade.  Many of these projects involve solar and storage components that essentially create “free” power once the original assets are paid for.  Some focus on additional load shifting programs, so GWP does not need to build out fossil capacity to serve a very rare, high peak load, but rather has strategies in place to shift that load when needed. Others involve different types of long-duration storage and other technologies. Yet others provide ways for our commercial and residential property owners to be part of the solution and receive incentives for their participation. There are new ideas everyday! Here are a few:

Like this direction over making new investments in gas? Advocate for it by emailing City Council now, or calling in to the meeting on Tuesday, March 1, to support Councilmember Brotman’s motion, which would amend the decision to move forward with all 5 Wartsila engines (93MW) and instead move forward with other important parts of the repowering project (demolition, site prep, Tesla battery storage) but not the purchase of the engines for the moment. While other work is being done, the motion asks GWP to looks for ways to eliminate the need for all of some of them by instead moving on local, clean energy projects such as:

• city-sited solar and storage,

• commercial and industrial solar and storage,

• demand response beyond the programs in effect now, with incentive and pricing programs, especially to shift EV loads so we can get ahead of the growth in EVs.

• additional energy efficiency

• programs GWP is already looking at: residential storage, community solar, microgrids