.P^ADENA
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CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
t. CIVIC ASSOCIATION
RECEIVED
2923 OCT 10 ?H 12: 45
CITY CLERK
CITY OF PASADENA
October 9,2023
Felicia Willams, Chair and Vice Mayor, and Members of the Committee Municipal Services Committee
100 North Garfield Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91109
VIA EMAIL
Dear Chair Williams and Committee Members,
Thank you for the opportunity to provide input as you consider the Integrated Resources Plan for the Power Division of Pasadena Department of Water and Power. I was privileged to sit on the advisory committee of the I RP and provided my input.
The Pasadena Chamber if supportive of your staff and their work and the climate goals of the City of Pasadena.
I would like to reiterate a couple of points I made during those discussions at the STAG:
1. I believe it is in Pasadena's best interests to have as much electrical generation and storage as possible within the borders of Pasadena or nearby. Whether as a result of a catastrophic event or lack of generation available through the CALISO and the state electrical grid, at some point Pasadena will be faced with a shortage of electricity available. Understanding that reality, we should seek to control as much of our power as possible so that remains available regardless of circumstances or shortfalls in supply. The way to do that is to encourage local installation of solar and storage and provide for community solar projects undertaken by PWP.
2. Pasadena ratepayers should be considered. Our climate goals are important. We need to do what we can to have a positive impact (or a lesser negative impact) on greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants. We also need to consider the costs to the ratepayers. Many of your customers live day to day, paycheck to paycheck. For them, an increase of even 40% in the cost of electricity (not to mention added costs of the Utility User Tax and more) could be the difference between staying in their home or becoming homeless.
For your larger companies, the increased costs will be passed on to customers or recouped through lower wages paid, fewer employees on the payroll or other measures required to maintain a balanced budget.
Pasadena, California 91106-1745
www.pasadena-chamber.org
Pasadena's municipal utility has always been an asset to our community. We appreciate local control and the ability to control, to some degree through the City Council, our utility destiny. We also appreciate the lower rates we enjoy because we own Pasadena Water and Power.
Please do not adopt plans, programs or policies that may make ownership of the utility a liabilit/ for your constituents and customers.
Costof electricity is an important factor to many of your constituents.
Thajils-yw^,
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President and Chief Executive Officer
ec: M. Marquez,
Stevenson, Garrett
Subject:FW: Municipal Services Committee Meeting 10/10/2023. Public Comment Item #2 Adoption and Approval of 2023 IRP
From:
Sent: Monday, October 9, 2023 5:15 PM
To: Stevenson, Garrett <[email protected]>; Sabha, Tamer <[email protected]> Cc: Williams, Felicia <[email protected]>; Jones, Justin <[email protected]>; Hampton, Tyron <[email protected]>; Lyon, Jason <[email protected]> Subject: Municipal Services Committee Meeting 10/10/2023. Public Comment Item #2 Adoption and Approval of 2023 IRP
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TO:
ec:
RE:
Municipal Services Committee
Mayor Victor Gordo
MSC Meeting October 10, 2023. Agenda Item 2. Adoption and Approval of 2023 IRP NO COMPLETE PLAN WAS SUBMITTED FOR ADOPTION AND APPROVAL.
Pasadena Water & Power (PWP) submitted a 20-page summary with their request for Adoption and Approval of the 2023 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). Compare this brief 2023 Agenda Report to the complete 2018 IRP which was over 200 pages long with 96 exhibits: 2018-12-10 PWP 2018 Power IRP Attachment.pdf It is unethical if not illegal for the Municipal Services Committee (MSC) to adopt and approve the summary submitted for the October 10, 2023 MSC meeting, in lieu of a complete draft of the City of Pasadena 2023 Integrated Resource Plan. MSC is being asked to "sign a blank check" by approving a summary list of scenarios without a full report and actual plan. These scenarios were preliminary exercises to gain initial data for decision making.
MONTHLY POWER COST ADJUSTMENTS INCREASED THE ENERGY CHARGE ON 2023 RETAIL ELECTRIC BILLS.
The Energy Charge ("Power Cost") is only part of the total electric bill which includes Transmission Charge, Distribution Charge, Monthly Customer Charge, Grid Access Charge, and Taxes.
The first monthly Power Cost Adjustment (PCA) was 2.5C per kWh (27%) effective March 1, 2023. For an average residential customer using 500 kWh per month, this resulted in a total bill increase of about $14 for just one month followed by smaller monthly increases. As of September 2023, the same customer was paying about $24 more per month than for the previous year, September 2022.
Assuming that PWP scenarios and data are correct. Table III on page 21 of the Agenda Report compares total bill increases for the same 500 kWh household as a percent increase for the entire period (7 years) from the present in 2023 to the future in 2030. This results in alarming double-digit increases ranging from 38% to 91%. However, if we calculate the percent increase for the same scenarios on an annual basis, they range from about 5% to 10%.
SCENARIO#1#2#3#4#5
Current Energy Charge 2023 (Annual)$836.12$836.12$836.12$836.12$836.12 Future Energy Charge 2023 (Annual) | $1,254.18] $1,596.99 | $1,530.10 | $1,153.85 | $1,588.63 1 Total % Increase 2023-203050%91%83%38%90%
Annual % Increase 2023-20305.96%9.69%9.02%4.71%9.60%
The PWP Agenda Report to MSC exaggerates the cost of transitioning to carbon-free electric power. To make up for the increased cost of gas used to generate its electricity, PWP already increased the total electric bill for an average household by 18% in just 7 months. We can and we must make the change to clean power.
Vote NO on the current request for Adoption and Approval of the 2023 IRP and demand a real plan for the transition to carbon-free electric power.
Genette Foster
Council District 2
2 Stevenson, Garrett
Subject:FW: 10/10/23 Municipal Services Committee Public Comment - Agenda Item 2 - Support for 100% Carbon Free Electricity by 2030
From:Sonja Berndt< >
Sent: Monday, October 9, 2023 5:36 PM
To: Sabha, Tamer <[email protected]>; Stevenson, Garrett <[email protected]> Cc: Williams, Felicia <[email protected]>; Jones, Justin <[email protected]>; Hampton, Tyron <[email protected]>; Lyon, Jason <[email protected]> Subject: 10/10/23 Municipal Services Committee Public Comment - Agenda Item 2 - Support for 100% Carbon Free Electricity by 2030
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Dear Members of the Municipal Services Committee of the Pasadena City Council:
My name is Sonja Berndt and I am a longtime resident of Council District 4. I urge you to support a plan for 100% carbon free electricity by 2030. We have all seen firsthand the devastating effects of climate change. Wildfires, floods, and other natural disasters. That is why I care about combating climate change by moving to carbon-free electricity on an urgent basis. You cannot simply "kick the can down the road" and state that 100% carbon- free electricity by 2030 is merely aspirational. There is no more time to dither. The time to set in motion all that needs to be done to ENSURE that the 100%-carbon-free-electricity-by-2030 mandate passed by the City Council in January is NOW.
Sonja Berndt
Pasadena
1 Stevenson, Garrett
Subject:FW: MSC 10/10 Public Comment - Agenda Item 2 - Support for 100% Carbon Free Electricity by 2030
From: Harry Wong< >
Sent: Monday, October 9, 2023 5:54 PM
To: Sabha, Tamer <[email protected]>; Stevenson, Garrett <[email protected]> Cc: Williams, Felicia <[email protected]>; Jones, Justin <[email protected]>; Hampton, Tyron <[email protected]>; Lyon, Jason <[email protected]> Subject: MSC 10/10 Public Comment - Agenda Item 2 - Support for 100% Carbon Free Electricity by 2030 City Council Members,
My name is Harry Wong. I am a student.in Pasadena, and I urge you to support the plan for 100% carbon-free electricity by 2030. As a youth member in your community, your decision will be crucial for my future and the thousands of other supporters who are calling for carbon-free electricity. Our planet is shifting towards a sustainable future, and it is pertinent for the City of Pasadena to not only align themselves with those values but also be a leader for change. I hope this message finds you well and I have confidence that our city council will make the right decision.
Thank you,
Harry Wong
1 Stevenson, Garrett
Subject:FW: MSC 10/10 Public Comment-Agenda Item 2 - Support for 100% Carbon Free Electricity by 2030
From: Diane Morgan < >
Sent: Monday, October 9, 2023 7:04 PM
To: Sabha, Tamer <[email protected]>; Stevenson, Garrett <[email protected]> Cc: Williams, Felicia <[email protected]>; Jones, Justin <[email protected]>; Hampton, Tyron <[email protected]>; Lyon, Jason <[email protected]> Subject: MSC 10/10 Public Comment - Agenda Item 2 - Support for 100% Carbon Free Electricity by 2030 City Council Members,
My name is Diane Morgan, I am a resident of district 1, and I urge you to stand by your unanimous vote for 100% carbon free electricity by 2030 and not the shoddy, incomplete IRP that I fear will be presented for a vote in November.
I am deeply invested in Pasadena. And very concerned that the giant blanket of carbon/methane, etc in the atmosphere is going to make Pasadena a dangerous place to live. More people die from heat exposure than cold. The table below illustrates that 4 of the hottest days ever recorded in Pasadena occurred in the last 3 years. That kind of heat is scary, it's painful. Put that together with the drought Are people goinfl to^tart leavln.q Pasadena becausejsf the heat? Can I feel confident that my little house will hold its value? Will I be able to sell it if I need to? Who would want to buy it and live here if the temperatures continue to soar?
I am astonished that people are not doing more to address the heat. I recognize that Pasadena is a small town in the scheme of things and does not have control over the climate, but we all need to do our part.
I applaud your unanimous vote for 100% carbon free electricity by 2030! I was so proud of Pasadena that day. Please stand firm in your resolve. Please protect your constituents. Please don't vote yes on an IRP that doesn't meet the goal.
Thank you,
Diane Morgan
P.S. the chart's source: https://www.extremeweathenA/atch.com/cities/Dasadena/hiahest-temperatures 1 Highest Temperatures in Pasadena History
This is a list of the 20 highest temperatures ever recorded in Pasadena, California history from 1893-2023 based on data from the NOAA.
• Highest temperatures by year
• Lowest temperatures all-time
• Change city
jWhat's the hottest it has ever gotten in Pasadena?
The hottest temperature in Pasadena, California history is 115 °F which happened on Sunday, September 6, 2020.
Rank Temperature
1 2
r"2~"
2 6
6 8
8 8
11 11
11 115 °F
113 °F
113'F
113-F
113 °F
111 °F
111 °F
110 °F
110 *F
110 °F
109 °F
109°F
109T
Date
September 6, 2020
September 7, 2020
September 5, 2020 |
July 7, 2018
June 17,1917
September 4, 2022
September 27, 2010
June 27, 1990
September 4, 1988
July 27, 1934
August 19, 2020
August 18, 2020
Seotemberl.2017
2 Stevenson, Garrett
Subject:FW: MSC 10/10 Public Comment - Agenda Item 2 - Support for 100% Carbon Free Electricity by 2030
From: cheryl auger < >
Sent: Monday, October 9, 2023 8:32 PM
To: Sabha, Tamer <[email protected]>; Stevenson, Garrett <[email protected]> Cc: Williams, Felicia <[email protected]>; Jones, Justin <[email protected]>; Hampton, Tyron <[email protected]>,· Lyon, Jason <[email protected]>; Madison, Steve <[email protected]>
Subject: MSC 10/10 Public Comment - Agenda Item 2 - Support for 100% Carbon Free Electricity by 2030 [A] CAUTION: This email was delivered from the Internet. Do not click links or open attachments unless you toowthe content is safe. Report phish using the Phish Alert Button. Learn more....
City Council Members,
I urge you to support a plan for 100% carbon free electricity by 2030. We urgently need to work together to rapidly achieve a carbon free future by 2030 in Pasadena:
Just how b_ad is climate change? It's worse than you think, says Doomsday author Excerpt: Think about everything in this article and what it all means
1. Massive heat waves across the planet
2. Rising fossil fuel emissions
3. Heating of 1.5 degrees C in 2023
4. Failure of the 2016 Paris agreements
5. Huge wildfires in Canada + CA, Europe, Australia, etc
6. Wildfires burning in the Amazon rainforest
7. Arctic Tundra thawing out and tripping a climate feedback loop
8. Other climate tipping points getting ready to trigger
9. The acceleration of Arctic warming
10. The coming Blue Ocean Event in the Arctic to make Arctic heating even worse
11. All the mountain glaciers are melting
12. Rivers are drying up
13. Aquifers are drying up
14. Reservoir lakes are drying up
15. Aquifers and farmland are becoming contaminated with salt water
16. Massive droughts across the planet
17. Massive floods in other parts of the planet
18. Crop failures
19. Heating and melting in Antarctica
20. Threats from the Thwaites glacier
21. Sea level rise around the world
22. Mass extinction events in every area - one species goes extinct every five minutes.
All these phenomena are happening, simultaneously, and they will all be accelerating. If you can understand the convergence of these 22 problems, you can begin to understand how bad things are getting. And, if we 1 bypass the next 7 years after humanity has released another 257 gigatons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, none of these 22 things are going to get better? And then there are the unknowns.
What if the Amazon rainforest collapses and releases another 100 gigatons of carbon dioxide? What if a large glacier in Antarctica collapses?
What if all the ice in the Arctic disappears and we experience a blue ocean event? What if positive feedback loops like the Tundra really engage? What if droughts and floods and heat increase enough to cause major crop failures? It's difficult to grasp all this, but if not our elected officials then who? And if not by 2030 then when? We are gambling life as we know it away.
Respectfully,
Cheryl Auger
District 6 Resident
District 7 Business Owner that reduces GHGs!
2 Stevenson, Garrett
Subject:FW: MSC 10/10 Public Comment - Agenda Item 2 - Support for 100% Carbon Free Electricity by 2030
-—Original Message-—
From: breden <>
Sent: Monday, Octobers, 2023 9:37 PM
To: Sabha, Tamer <[email protected]>; Stevenson, Garrett <[email protected]> Cc: Williams, Felicia <[email protected]>; Jones, Justin <[email protected]>; Hampton, Tyron <[email protected]>; Lyon, Jason <[email protected]>; breden <[email protected]>; Madison, Steve <[email protected]>
Subject: MSC 10/10 Public Comment - Agenda Item 2 - Support for 100% Carbon Free Electricity by 2030 City Council Members,
This is Felix Breden, resident of district 6. I fully support the community driven initiative for 100% Carbon Free Electircal power by 2030. There has been strong grass-roots support for 100% carbon free by 2030, and the council and commissions have responded to this wide community support. It is also the right thing to do for the environment and our health. Please keep up the good work and support this important goal.
Sincerely
Felix Breden
1 Stevenson, Garrett
Subject:FW: Consider the Effects of Integrated Resources Plan From: Tim Cason < >
Sent: Monday, October 9, 2023 11:00 PM
To: Stevenson, Garrett <[email protected]>
Subject: Consider the Effects of Integrated Resources Plan Dear Municipal Services Committee Members,
This message comes from a place of hope and support in the cornerstone of local communities and their ability to create positive change.
I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. I am writing to express my concerns about the current state of electricity prices, energy efficiency credits and programs, and the challenges faced by small businesses in Pasadena.
These issues not only affect the livelihoods of local entrepreneurs but also have broader implications for our community and economy.
In a recent interview, Vice Mayor Felicia Williams was quoted, "/ want to make sure that they have a city council member who will listen to everybody who will focus on city issues — which is services, safety, neighborhoods, quality of life — those are the issues that the city focuses on." Electricity Prices: Over the past year, we have witnessed a significant and concerning increase in electricity prices in Pasadena. According to data from the California Energy Commission, the average residential / business electricity rates in Pasadena have doubled in the last 12 months. This dramatic surge in electricity costs has placed an undue burden on both residents and businesses alike, making it increasingly difficult for us to manage our expenses and plan for the future.
Energy Efficiency Credits: While we appreciate the efforts to promote energy efficiency through credits, there is room for improvement in the programs currently available. It has come to our attention that these credits often do not cover essential aspects of energy optimization, such as window tinting and HVAC services. These are proven methods for reducing energy consumption and should be eligible for energy efficiency incentives. By expanding the scope of these programs, Pasadena can encourage businesses and residents to adopt more sustainable practices and lower their energy bills.
Small Business Challenges: Small businesses are the backbone of the United States economy, and Pasadena is no exception to this truth. However, the present economic landscape presents a series of challenges to small businesses.
Rising wages, escalating energy prices, and increased taxes are squeezing the margins of these enterprises. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses account for 44% of U.S. economic activity and are responsible for creating two-thirds of new jobs in the country. Therefore, it is essential that we find ways to alleviate the financial pressures faced by small businesses in our city to ensure their continued growth and success.
Consultation with Small Businesses: I would like to highlight the importance of involving small businesses in decisions that directly affect their operations. These enterprises are deeply rooted in our community and have a unique perspective on the challenges they face. Involving them in the decision-making process can lead to more informed and equitable policies that support the interests of our local businesses.
I urge the Committee members to consider the data and statistics presented in this letter and take action to address 1 these pressing issues. By tackling rising electricity prices, expanding energy efficiency credits, and supporting small businesses, we can work together to create a more vibrant and resilient local economy. I look forward to your response and hope to see positive changes in our community soon.
Thank you for your time and dedication to serving our city.
Sincerely,
Tim Cason
COO/CMO
CTRL Collective
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Best Coworkine Space in Pasadena
This message contains information which is confidential and proprietary. Unless you are the addressee (or authorized to receive for the addressee), you may notuse, copy or disclose to anyone this message or any information contained in this message. If you have received this message in error, please advise the sender by reply e-mail and delete this message,
The matters contemplated by this communication do not constitute a binding agreement. No other agreement or understanding of any nature shall be deemed to have been entered into by, or be binding upon, any party unless and until all parties have reached agreement on all issues, and such entire agreement shall have been reduced to a written document that expressly states that. 2 Stevenson, Garrett
Subject:FW: MSC 10/10 Public Comment-Agenda Item 2 - Support for 100% Carbon Free Electricity by 2030
From: Donna Sidero
Sent: Monday, October 9, 2023 5:49 PM
To: Sabha, Tamer <[email protected]>; [email protected] Cc: Williams, Felicia <[email protected]>; Jones, Justin <[email protected]>; Hampton, Tyron <[email protected]>; Lvon, Jason <[email protected]> Subject: MSC 10/10 Public Comment - Agenda Item 2 - Support for 100% Carbon Free Electricity by 2030 City Council Members,
I'm Donna, resident of District 2. I stand in solidarity with Pas 100 and all gathered, urging every elected and all staff of PWP to support a measurable and transparent plan for 100% carbon free electricity by 2030'!
As Creation Care liaison at Pasadena Mennonite, I'd like to call your attention to SB253 signed into CA law Sat. "This groundbreaking law will force large GO'S doing business in the state - including major global corps - to disclose their planetheating carbon emissions. The measure is the nation's first of its kind, serving as a blueprint for national climate accountability. And SB261 would additionally require businesses with > 500m in yearly revenue to disclose their climate-related financial risks or face annual penalties. Both bills will make data public beyond Calif borders, which could be fame- changing. These disclosure requirements will pull back the curtain on the biggest climate destroyers in the oil industry making it harder to GREENWASH.... Fed SEC chair, Gensler, said the measures could "change the baseline" for long'awaited federal law." Last month Newsome brought a lawsuit against oil dompaneis for misleading the public about the climate crisis." The Guardian.
"UNICEF data showed 20,000 children are displaced every single day due to extreme weather fueled by climate catastrophe. Researchers found that floods and storms caused 05% of all child displacements recorded, followed by drought and wildfires. 'It is terrifying for any child when a ferocious wildfire, storm or flood barrels into their community,' siaid UNICEF exec director Catherine Russell." Pope Francis lambasts climate change skeptics and 'irresponsible' Western lifestyles. "Our responses have NOT been adequate, while the world in which we live is collapsing near the breaking point." He lays blame squarely on those like this city's elite who call the shots with elected and hired officials in this city doing their bidding: "Regrettably, the climate crisis is not a matter that interests the great economic powers, whose concern is with the greatest profit at low cost and in the shortest amount of time."
1 It is for these dire reasons, I gave up another evening to organize, mobilize and agitate for those without a voice. At Pasadena Mennonite our call is to be Jesus-emulators. While fully human & living among us, Jesus, doing his Father's work never shied away from TRUTH-telling. He regularly confronted powers, calling them on their lack of compassion for the poor, houseless or nearly so.
Imagine, really listening to those who show up in chambers - giving your attention to something TRULY important.
With hope that does not disappoint,
D Sider, RN, community organizer
Representing Pasadena Mennonite Church
2 Stevenson, Garrett
Subject:FW: MSC 10/10 Public Comment-Agenda Item 2 - Support for 100% Carbon Free Electricity by 2030
-—Original Message-—
From: Duncan Sinclair < >
Sent: Monday, October 9, 2023 6:00 PM
To: Sabha, Tamer <[email protected]>; [email protected]; Rivas, Jessica <[email protected]>
Cc: Williams, Felicia <[email protected]>; Hampton, Tyron <[email protected]>; Morales, Margo <[email protected]>; Jones, Justin <[email protected]>; Lyon, Jason <[email protected]>
Subject: MSC 10/10 Public Comment - Agenda Item 2 - Support for 100% Carbon Free Electricity by 2030 City Council Members,
I am a resident of District 5, and I urge you to support a plan for 100% carbon free electricity by 2030. The climate crisis is becoming more dire with every passing year, and I hope that Pasadena will continue to be a leading city in fighting climate change and keeping our city livable.
Thank you.
Duncan Sinclair
E Mountain St, Pasadena
1 Stevenson, Garrett
Subject:FW: MSC 10/10 Public Comment - Agenda Item 2 - Support for 100% Carbon Free Electricity by 2030
From: Dr. Andrea Davis < >
Sent: Tuesday, October 10, 2023 6:19 AM
To: [email protected]; Sabha, Tamer <[email protected]> Cc: [email protected]; [email protected]; Williams, Felicia <[email protected]>
Subject: MSC 10/10 Public Comment - Agenda Item 2 - Support for 100% Carbon Free Electricity by 2030 Dear City Council Members,
My name is Andrea Davis and I am a psychologist, business owner, and employer in District 5, and I urge you to support a plan for 100% carbon free electricity by 2030. Climate psychology is the newest sub segment of our mental health field that arose in response to the extreme stress many patients are experiencing related to the irrevocable losses our current carbon-based economy is causing to health, species survival, and possibly human survival.
As a parent of four and a large mental health group practice owner, I am responsible to protect the health and well- being of many. Toward that goal, I am asking for Pasadena to do its part to protect the future of our delicate planet.
Andrea Davis, PhD
Licensed Psychologist PSY 12296
Owner/Founder Greenhouse Therapy Center
1