The Future is Bright! A Clean Energy Future for LA

Exposure to air toxins

Self-sufficiency

Resilient communities

Central LA

East LA

San Fernando Valley

South LA

Los Angeles is a leader in fighting climate change. From hotter heat waves and increased smog to drought and rising seas, Los Angeles will be acutely damaged as climate change worsens. There is a lot at stake for Los Angeles in how quickly we stop relying on fossil fuels, which cause climate change.

The city is acting to reduce our use of fossil fuels by phasing out dirty coal and expanding rooftop solar and energy savings programs. Importantly, the city is expanding its programs for low-income residents to ensure that every Angeleno can benefit from clean energy programs.

Still, we have work to do. Los Angeles is in the process of replacing 70 percent of our energy resources over the next 15 years. Will the city double down on fossil fuels or expand clean energy resources like wind and solar? As it builds clean energy, who will benefit? Will the people of Watts have the same access and reap the same benefits from clean energy as people in Brentwood?

Our goal is an equitable transition to 100 percent clean energy in Los Angeles, premised on our belief that clean energy can improve three pillars of quality of life now and into the future: healthy and safe air, equitable economic growth, and resilient communities safe from the worst potential damages wrought by fossil fuels and climate change.

Recently, the city council requested that the city’s utility, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP), create a plan to phase out fossil fuels and get to 100 percent clean energy. That is a great step, but now we are seeking support from LA 2050 to help ensure that the plan for 100 percent clean energy reflects the vision and the values of the city. With your support over the next year, we will:

●Engage residents and other stakeholders in a city-wide discussion about what Los Angeles’s energy future should look like, ways to ensure that we are training the next generation of workers to build the clean energy economy, and how the transition will benefit frontline communities impacted by fossil fuels;

●Track and evaluate the mechanisms being used by the city to help spur clean energy, ensuring that those mechanisms are localizing our energy infrastructure, building a more resilient system, and providing equitable access to clean energy programs;

●Develop popular education materials to educate the public about the impact of climate change and the benefits of clean energy; and

●Use social media to help launch city-wide dialogue about the role of clean energy in our grid.

A 100 percent clean energy future will transform our city: 21st century jobs, a resilient energy system, cleaner air, and more. We are creating systemic change by democratizing and reinventing our energy system in an unprecedented way, shifting from an energy system that damages our health and planet to a system that supports our health and climate while retooling our infrastructure and economy for the 21st century.

Through recent advocacy, Los Angeles is now developing a plan for 100 percent clean energy. Our campaign’s success will be assessed based on whether DWP has created a plan that is equitable and that reflects the values and input of Los Angeles residents.

Is there a plan? We will track DWP’s plan development process, including progress towards meeting stated benchmarks.

Are there clear, demonstrable policies to ensure low-income communities are benefiting? Along with the technical analysis of the transition to 100 percent clean energy, DWP must work with outside stakeholders in academia and community organizations to develop an economic plan to ensure the transition to clean energy promotes equity and fair job growth.

Does the plan reflect the broad values of the city? Over the next year, we will shape the plan by participating in workshops, providing input when stakeholder groups are convened by the utility, and ensuring a robust public vetting of the plan. Our metrics include engaging 30 organizations, collecting input from 10,000 Angelenos, and holding six public events to engage the public in helping shape the plan for 100 percent clean energy.

Money

Volunteers

Publicity/awareness

Technical infrastructure (computers

Community outreach

Network/relationship support