Craig Whan and Robert Perry of the World Business Academy were guest presenters at the Ventura County Climate Hub on Thursday May 11 at the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Ventura. They spoke about Community Choice Energy and the status of the technical study being done to prepare Ventura County and its ten cities to join. They reported on the launch of Community Choice Energy by Los Angeles County and the success of the City of Lancaster and other new local utilities in California purchasing more renewable energy while achieving lower electricity rates.
The World Business Academy is offering help to cities to meet demand without construction of any new gas-fired power plants through rapid roll-out of Community Choice Energy and investments in distributed generation able to incorporate battery storage as they become affordable. Maps of the stations and distribution lines in South Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties showed how the demand from Santa Barbara is drawn from Ventura County and their current focus on helping those cities become more energy independent.
Participants discussed the Calpine application for a gas-fired peaker plant on Mission Rock Road near Santa Paula and the injustice of siting such a plant for export of electricity to other states. The presenters made it clear that energy generation everywhere must be localized and distributed near commercial centers. Ratepayers will otherwise be paying for a stranded asset that will be shut down before completing half of its full life. They said that Ventura County deserves planning with foresight to prioritize renewable energy and energy efficiency. Whan and Perry stressed the economic stimulus from localization of energy generation for local investments and jobs creation.
The Ventura County Climate Hub meets every second Thursday at the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Ventura to learn and take action to support the transition from a fossil fuel to a renewable energy economy and contribute to a global draw down of atmospheric greenhouse gases contributing to climate change.
World Business Academy Craig Whan, 892-4600, email [email protected].
Ventura County Climate Hub Jan Dietrick, 746-5365, email [email protected].
