AGENDA ITEM #7
TOWN OF FAIRFAX
STAFF REPORT
April 5, 2023
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Michele Gardner, Town Clerk
SUBJECT: Approve request for the Town to sign on to a California Community Choice Association (CalCCA) letter urging the California State Legislature to address the state’s interconnection crisis and ensure timely and equitable access to the electrical grid.
RECOMMENDATION
Approve request for the Town to sign on to the attached letter.
DISCUSSION
Mayor Cutrano requested that this item be added to the agenda for the Council’s consideration, in response to a request from MCE. The attached letter will be sent to the State Legislature by CalCCA . If approved by the Town Council, the Town would be included as a signer on the letter.
CalCCA is circulating the attached sign-on letter to a wide range of stakeholders, including local governments, housing developers, labor unions, environmental and environmental justice organizations, and energy developers, to ensure that policymakers understand the full scope and urgency of the issue, and prioritize it in the current legislative session.
FISCAL IMPACT
None
ATTACHMENT
CalCCA letter
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Over __ organiza�ons urge the California Legislature to address the state’s interconnec�on crisis and ensure �mely and equitable access to the electrical grid We the undersigned par�es — [ potentially including housing developers and labor unions; environmental, climate, and environmental justice organizations; city and county governments; and local energy providers ]— urge the California policy makers to take ac�on to address unacceptable delays in connec�ng new construc�on, cri�cal services, renewable energy, building decarboniza�on, and other projects to the state’s distribu�on and transmission grids.
California is facing an unprecedented climate crisis and is pursuing bold efforts to transi�on to zero-carbon energy. At the same �me, California has a housing availability and affordability crisis which demands the rapid construc�on of new buildings. These goals cannot be realized because many projects cannot connect to the power grid. This results in long delays, ranging from months to years, that harm residents, businesses, and the state and local economies.
Severely delayed and abandoned electrical projects are a growing problem in communi�es throughout California. Hundreds of local projects have been delayed or cancelled, including service extensions to new affordable housing units and cri�cal service sites ranging from hospitals to police/fire sta�ons. Hook ups for new electric vehicle charging sta�ons and u�lityscale and residen�al renewable energy projects are also in peril. Examples of impacted projects are listed below.
Interconnec�on delays and resul�ng project cancella�ons threaten California’s ability to respond to the climate and housing crises; prevent Californians from accessing important cri�cal services; and harm communi�es by increasing project costs and reducing job opportuni�es.
We respec�ully urge California policy makers to take immediate and decisive ac�on. We must ensure interconnec�on and service extensions to new construc�on, renewable energy, building decarboniza�on, and other electrical projects are completed in a �mely manner in order to achieve our state’s ambi�ous climate, housing, equity, and economic development goals and mandates.
Thank you for considering our request. We stand ready to work with you to build our state’s future.
Sincerely,
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