To All Interested Parties:
Siobhan Doherty
Peninsula Clean Energy
Director of Power Resources
Michael Salazar
San Bruno City Councilmember
Peninsula Clean Energy Alternate Director
The Office of Josh Becker
California State Senator
District 13
Greetings,
My name is Jeremy Sarnecky and I am a concerned citizen who believes that urgent action of unprecedented scope and scale is presently required if we are to avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change. With climate change already beginning to materialize into serious real world impacts on human populations and natural ecosystems, it is clear that waiting passively for local, state, and federal governments to reveal their incremental reforms aimed at “dealing with” this growing existential crisis will only lead to greater harm. Therefore, I am writing this letter to urge you to accelerate the number of grid-scale renewable energy projects commissioned by Peninsula Clean Energy (PCE), as well as to increase the visibility of the current work being done to initiate the development of such projects.
The proven ability of community choice aggregates like PCE to successfully enter into grid-scale power purchase agreements is a promising sign that California will have multiple avenues to achieve its climate goals, especially if the necessary transformation must be undertaken with little-to-no support from Congress [1]. Furthermore, even the state’s own target of reaching net-zero by 2045 tacitly implies a refusal to demonstrate the bold action required to secure a livable future for the next generation of Californians. This partly explains why California received a near-failing grade for the first time ever since the environmental watchdog group EnviroVoters began issuing its annual scorecard in 1973 [2]. In light of all this, it is imperative that PCE vastly increases both the number and size of future power purchase agreements commissioned within meaningful timelines that reflect the urgency of this ongoing crisis.
A welcome addition to the current mix of clean energy sources are the recent advancements in offshore wind, a technology I would personally like to advocate for. A watershed moment for this nascent industry will be the completion of the first-ever lease auction for two proposed sites off the coast of California this summer [3]. Moreover, recently-passed assembly bill AB-525 will direct state agencies to “evaluate and quantify the maximum feasible capacity of offshore wind,” providing the state with a roadmap for how it can best utilize this invaluable new source of clean energy [4]. I will be following both developments closely with the intent to provide PCE with a strategy to incorporate offshore wind in its future portfolios.
Finally, in the absence of robust leadership at the state or federal level to accelerate the transition to 100% renewable energy, I must stress the importance of favoring equitable solutions to our current challenges. I condemn in the strongest terms imaginable how money-grabbing schemes like the US-101 toll lane developments are cynically advertised as climate change mitigation strategies. If the State of California is earnest about living up to its international reputation as a leader in combatting climate change, it would fare far better by prioritizing the building of a public transit system worthy of the 21st century which included new BART connections along the Peninsula’s more affluent zip codes. This would be a marked step towards realizing our nominal status as one of, if not the most “progressive” regions in the country.
Yours truly,
Jeremy Sarnecky
Candidate for San Bruno City Council, 2022
[1] Peninsula Clean Energy Reaches 100-MW Solar, 50-MW Storage Purchase Deal (2021) https://www.peninsulacleanenergy.com/peninsula-clean-energy-reaches-100-mw-solar-50-mw-storage-purchase- deal/
[2] “California’s Climate Reputation Tarnished by Inaction and Oil Money” (2022) https://insideclimatenews.org/news/16032022/california-climate-inaction-oil-money/
[3] Humboldt Wind Energy Area - Environmental Assessment Review for Commercial Wind Energy Lease Issuance and Site Activities Offshore Humboldt County, California (2021) https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/humboldt-wind-energy-area
[4] AB-525 Energy: offshore wind generation. (2021-2022) https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220 AB525