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A space for learning.
Stop risky oil development in Santa Barbara County
The Santa Barbara County Planning Commission heard public comment on the controversial ERG cyclic steaming oil project on March 13, 2019. Comments took the entire day and they pushed the report to be heard on March 27. After the March 27 meeting, they determined they needed more information, continuing the item until May 29.
They directed staff to conduct research on many of the points CEC brought up, specifically around the carbon intensity of the proposed oil production and what a greenhouse gas offset plan would look like. We will keep following the issue and share updates as we receive them.
WIN: Go electric MTD #driveclean
Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District voted unanimously to set a goal of 100% all-electric buses by 2030, joining Los Angeles and seven other California Transit Agencies. Setting this goal will lead to cleaner air, cut climate pollution, improve the health of our region’s residents, and increase jobs.
WIN: Santa Barbara Unified goes solar
Thanks to advocacy efforts from CEC and others, and particularly CEC past board president and SBUSD board member Laura Capps, Santa Barbara Unified School District moved forward with a comprehensive solar and storage project. Fourteen sites will install solar and six will include battery energy storage, for a total of five megawatts of solar and five megawatt hours of energy storage. This is one of the largest solar+storage projects in Santa Barbara and a fantastic asset for our community.
WIN: SB 100 signed into law
Your voice helped move California one step closer to a clean energy future. The 78 calls made by CEC's followers contributed to the passage of SB 100, which requires California to move to 100% carbon-free energy by 2045. It will next need to pass the Senate, and be signed by Governor Jerry Brown.
SB 100 calls for California to move to 100% Carbon Free Electricity by 2045. Amid rising concerns about the impacts of climate change, the California Assembly voted to pass the bill in late August. Next, it moved on to the Senate before landing on the desk of Governor Jerry Brown, who added on an executive order establishing a new target to achieve carbon neutrality, also by 2045.
WIN: City of Santa Barbara moves to #DitchPlastic
Your support helped the City of Santa Barbara continue to ditch single-use plastic. With a hundred signatures and individuals showing up to testify at City Council, a ban on Styrofoam food service items & retail sales will go into effect January 1, 2019, as well as a ban on plastic straws with a provision that food providers must ask customers if they need plastic cutlery or stirrers before providing.
WIN: City of Goleta votes unanimously for 100% renewable energy by 2030
We did it! Goleta Becomes 51st city in U.S. to Set 100% Renewable Energy Goal
In an unanimous vote, City of Goleta council members committed to moving the city's municipal facilities and community-wide electricity supply to 100% renewable power by 2030. They also resolved to have at least 50 percent of electricity use by municipal facilities come from renewable sources by 2025. To support these goals, the city authorized investigating the feasibility of a city-wide Community Choice Energy program that could encourage more local renewable generation.
WIN: Clean energy for Santa Barbara
Great News! Your Support Helped Community Choice Energy Move Forward.
The County Board of Supervisors just voted to fund the next steps for developing a local Community Choice Energy program, bringing us one step closer to a clean energy future. Today’s vote will continue the County’s progress toward launching this powerful tool which can offer our region cleaner electricity at competitive, and possibly even less expensive, rates. With funding now budgeted, the County will be poised to move into the next phases of development without undue delay.Thanks to the hundreds of supporters who wrote letters, signed petitions or spoke at today’s hearing. Together we are helping move Santa Barbara County to a clean energy future.
WIN: Improve safety of Santa Barbara’s roads and bike lanes
Over 130 community members showed up to the initial hearing for the latest Bicycle Master Plan, and 300 CEC followers signed our letter of support. After months of further meetings and public input, the Master Plan was approved thanks to community support.
WIN: Protect rooftop solar in California
Over 130,000 people, 270+ of which were CEC followers, took action to protect rooftop solar in California. This overwhelming display of support marks the largest number of public comments ever recorded at the CPUC.
WIN: Protect California climate leadership
Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 350 into law, which requires California to generate 50% of its electricity sources renewably by 2030.
WIN: Support clean energy
On June 10th, Santa Barbara County’s Board of Supervisors voted to fund a feasibility study for Community Choice Energy. Following Santa Barbara’s lead, Ventura County and San Luis Obispo County (as well as several cities) have since signed to participate in and fund this study. Thanks to the more than 130 people who took action on this alert!
LOSS: Measure P Fails to Pass in Santa Barbara County
In Santa Barbara County, voters voted against Measure P with "no" votes outnumbering "yes" 63 percent to 37 percent. In San Benito and Mendocino Counties, voters approved bans on high-intensity oil production techniques. In San Benito, nearly 57 percent of voters supported Measure J. Mendocino’s Measure S passed decisively with 67 percent of the vote.
CEC will continue to work towards banning high-risk oil extraction techniques.
WIN: Cuyama solar project
On September 9, 2014, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the Cuyama Solar Project, Santa Barbara County's first utility-scale solar project. The Cuyama Solar Project will convert 327 acres of previously disturbed, over-drafted farmland in the Cuyama Valley into a solar facility that will generate enough power for 16,000 California homes and avoid the emissions of 30,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
Greenhouse gas emission threshold in Santa Barbara County
Let the County Board of Supervisors know that you support the lowest threshold possible for regulating greenhouse gas emissions. This Tuesday the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors will consider options for setting greenhouse gas (GHG) emission thresholds from stationary sources. Their decisions will impact Santa Barbara’s ability to regulate GHG emissions for generations to come.
WIN: No on AB 2145
On August 30, 195 people took action and spoke out against AB 2145. The bill is currently in committee. We will update this as new information becomes available.
WIN: Santa Maria Energy Project Appeal
159 people took action against dirty oil development. After an impassioned six-hour hearing with 110 public commenters, the Board of Supervisors voted to uphold the appeal that was brought by CEC, the Los Padres Sierra Club, Get Oil Out, and the Santa Barbara County Action Network and represented by the Environmental Defense Center. They decided on a 10,000 metric ton threshold for greenhouse gas emissions. While this is not the zero emission threshold we were asking for, it requires Santa Maria Energy to offset almost 90% of their greenhouse gas emissions, instead of the 29% that the Planning Commission had previously approved.
This decision establishes Santa Barbara as an environmental leader. Mitigation will either occur onsite or by funding environmental offset projects.
WIN: City of Santa Barbara's Climate Action Plan
The Santa Barbara City Council voted 6-1 to pass the Climate Action Plan with the direction for a 25% reduction in community-wide emissions from 1990 levels by 2020. While CEC would have liked to have seen a stronger target and implementation plan, the 68 emission reduction measures include many worthwhile projects, and we look forward to working with the City in implementation efforts.
MTD Transit Service Reduction
Original Alert: Teamsters Union Local 186, which represents MTD drivers, mechanics, and utility workers, has concerns about the impact of California’s Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA) on bargaining rights. This has created a situation that may cause MTD to lose federal funding and would lead to a severe reduction in transit service in our area. Ask the DOL not to cut our service.
Result: 183 people took action.
WIN: SBCAG's Sustainable Communities Strategy
On Thursday, October 18, 2012, the SBCAG board voted unanimously to support Scenario 3+ for their SB 375 Sustainable Communities Strategy.
CEC supported Scenario 3+ as one of the two scenarios that achieved the greatest reductions in per capita greenhouse gas emissions of 5% by 2020 and 11% by 2035.
Big Solar in Santa Barbara County?
We all agree that rooftop solar is important. But what about utility scale solar? At CEC, we think that both have a place in our energy future, but only if they are completed in a responsible, environmentally beneficial manner.
