Los Angeles Needs Your Help To Meet Its Clean Energy Goals

The last few years have been a wake-up call about the urgency of climate change. Wildfires, earthquakes, and severe weather events have devastated many parts of the world. It’s clear that immediate action needs to be taken.

One of the most impactful changes we can make to slow down climate change is to switch to renewable energy. This month, Los Angeles will introduce a study to show a pathway towards phasing out fossil fuels altogether and create a 100% clean energy grid by the year 2030.

What exactly is the LA 100 Study?

The LA 100 Study was commissioned by the Los Angeles City Council in 2017, as a response to the largest gas blowout in US history.  It was conducted through a collaboration between the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). 

The study takes all of LA’s past climate victories and uses them to devise four pathways to 100 percent clean energy by the year 2030.

The four proposed scenarios: 

SB 100

  • 100% clean energy by 2045

  • Only scenario with a target based on retail sales, not generation

  • Only scenario that allows up to 10% natural gas, offset by renewable electricity credits

  • Allows existing nuclear and upgrades to transmission

Early & No BioFuels

  • 100% clean energy by 2035, 10 years sooner than other scenarios

  • No natural gas generation or biofuels

  • Allows existing and nuclear upgrades to transmission

Limited New Transmission

  • 100% clean energy by 2045

  • Only scenario that does not allow upgrades to transmission beyond currently planned projects

  • No natural gas or nuclear generation

Transmission Focus

  • 100% clean energy by 2045

  • Only scenario that builds new transmission corridors

  • No natural gas or nuclear generation

Which pathway will get LA to its goal of 100% clean energy by 2030?

Unfortunately, none of them will.  But, the Early & No BioFuels comes closest by getting LA to 98% of its energy goal by 2030. It’s important to note, however, that the last two to five percent is the most difficult to achieve. 

All of the pathways have some key issues.

While the Early & No BioFuels plan seems most promising, none of the plans are ideal. Here are some of the issues that still need to be addressed. 

Dirty energy

Although all of the pathways rely on vast amounts of geothermal, wind, solar, and battery storage, some of them also would utilize biofuels. Biofuels are any fuel that is derived from plant or algae material or animal waste. 

Although biofuels are technically renewable, they still produce pollutants. For instance, digesters, which are biofuels in the form of closed tanks that break down organic material like cow manure, are a major source of pollution in California’s Central Valley.

Insufficient  focus on inequality

The pandemic has brought heightened focus to the deep economic divisions in California and the rest of the country. Massive accumulated debt and inability to pay rent are major concerns for a large portion of the population. Any pathway towards energy efficiency needs to also address this inequality. 

Fortunately, there are some ways to combat both issues. For instance, providing low-income renters with technology such as smart energy meters will help them keep their costs low while meeting energy goals. Also, emphasizing new job creation should be an important part of any pathway towards energy efficiency. 

Look beyond the grid

The proposed changes in Los Angeles all focus on the electrical grid, which is what carries power from the source to the users. But, the grid is only one area of concern. 

Truly phasing out fossil fuels will also require a shift towards clean energy for other areas like transportation and home heating and cooling. Upgrading the heating and cooling systems of homes and apartment buildings and creating electric vehicle charging stations are both investments that should be considered.

Require mass participation

Climate change is an urgent crisis that requires mass participation. In order for any of these pathways to be successful, we will all need to do our part. One of the most important things you can do is to support the development of the new Climate Emergency Mobilization Office. 

Reach out to the LA City Council, Mayor Garcetti, and LADWP to express your support for achieving our clean energy goals in a way that is both effective and fair.

Raduca KaplanComment