In mid-May, Los Angeles’ Mayor announced a new climate change action plan that calls for the LA municipal utility to increase its renewable energy portfolio to reach 35 percent by 2020. This in combination with about 50 other proposed actions will work to reduce GHG emissions in the city of angels to 35 percent below 1990 levels by 2030.
In announcing the plan Mayor Villaraigosa said, “We’re setting the green standard in LA. Reducing our carbon footprint by 35% below 1990 levels is the most ambitious goal set by a major American city.”
Democratic Energy notes that both Los Angeles and New York City have recently issued climate change action plans. But unlike New York City’s plan, Los Angeles appears to still be on track to reach the GHG reduction targets of the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement that called for participants to meet the Kyoto Protocol goals (reducing emissions to 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012. ) “It’s very welcome news that Los Angeles has put forward a plan, although not explicitly stated, that will meet the goals of the U.S. Mayor’s initiative,” said Democratic Energy editor, John Bailey. “Plans are important but if more and more planning takes the place of actual implementation, we will simply not get to where the science is telling us we need to go in terms of reducing emissions,” he added. Unlike Los Angeles, the New York City climate change action plan puts NYC on a path to not meet the Kyoto GHG reduction target by 2012.
The Los Angeles plan shows how cities with municipally owned and controlled electric utilities can leverage that entity into a GHG reduction machine. Since 2005, LADWP has more than doubled its portfolio of renewable energy from less than 3 percent to more than 8 percent today by purchasing wind, solar, and geothermal power. However, Los Angeles still generates most of its electricity from coal and natural gas, along with some hydroelectric and nuclear energy. Another key component of their GHG reduction plan is to not renew contracts for power imports from coal-fired plants. The coal fired power would be replaced by cleaner resources, natural gas or renewables.
Since about one-third of the citywide GHG emissions come from the generation of electricity, by expanding its renewable energy portfolio to 35 percent, that policy alone can get LA about one-third of the total GHG reductions that it is seeking by 2030. Cities that don’t own their electric systems are often at the mercy of state level policymakers and efforts to adopt state-level renewable energy portfolio standards.
- Summary of Green LA Climate Action Plan – issued May 15, 2007
- GREEN LA: An Action Plan to Lead the Nation In Fighting Global Warming – City of Los Angeles, May 2007
- Los Angeles Environmental Affairs Department
- New Rules Project’s section of Climate Changerules
Meya wa Los Angeles, Michael L. Johnson, alitangaza mpango mpya wa hatua za mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa, ambayo inatoa wito kwa huduma ya manispaa ya LA kuongeza kwingineko yake ya nishati mbadala kufikia asilimia 35 ifikapo 2020. Hii pamoja na hatua zingine 50 zilizopendekezwa zitafanya kazi kupunguza uzalishaji wa gesi chafu katika jiji la malaika hadi asilimia 35 chini ya viwango vya 1990 ifikapo 2030. Katika kutangaza mpango huo Meya Villaraigosa alisema, "Tunaweka kiwango cha kijani katika LA. Kupunguza kiwango cha kaboni kwa asilimia 35 chini ya kiwango cha mwaka 1990 ni lengo kubwa zaidi lililowekwa na mji mkubwa wa Marekani, na Los Angeles na New York City zimetoa mipango ya hatua za mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa. Lakini tofauti na mpango wa New York City, Los Angeles bado inaonekana kuwa kwenye njia ya kufikia malengo ya kupunguza GHG ya Marekani. Mkataba wa Ulinzi wa Hali ya Hewa wa Meya wa Kyoto unawaomba washiriki wa Mkataba huo kutimiza malengo ya Itifaki ya Kyoto (kupunguza uzalishaji wa gesi ya kaboni hadi asilimia 7 chini ya viwango vya 1990 ifikapo mwaka 2012). "Ni habari nzuri sana kwamba Los Angeles imeweka mbele mpango, ingawa haijaelezwa waziwazi, ambayo itakidhi malengo ya mpango wa Meya wa Marekani, "alisema mhariri wa Nishati ya Kidemokrasia, John Bailey. "Mipango ni muhimu lakini ikiwa mipango zaidi na zaidi inachukua nafasi ya utekelezaji halisi, hatutapata mahali ambapo sayansi inatuambia tunahitaji kwenda katika suala la kupunguza uzalishaji", aliongeza. Kwa mujibu wa mpango wa hatua za mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa wa New York City, New York City haitafikia lengo la Kyoto la kupunguza gesi za chafu kufikia mwaka 2012. Mpango wa Los Angeles unaonyesha jinsi miji yenye huduma za umeme zinazomilikiwa na kudhibitiwa na manispaa inaweza kuimarisha taasisi hiyo katika mashine ya kupunguza Gesi za Chini ya Mazingira. Tangu mwaka 2005, LADWP imeongeza zaidi ya mara mbili ya ushirika wake wa nishati mbadala kutoka chini ya asilimia 3 hadi zaidi ya asilimia 8 leo kwa kununua upepo, jua, na nishati ya joto la ardhi. Hata hivyo, Los Angeles bado hutokeza umeme wake mwingi kutokana na makaa ya mawe na gesi ya asili, pamoja na baadhi ya nishati ya umeme wa maji na nyuklia. Mfumo wa pili wa kupunguza gesi za chafu ni kutokuongeza mikataba ya kuagiza umeme kutoka kwa mitambo ya makaa ya mawe. Nishati inayotumiwa kwa makaa ya mawe ingechukuliwa na rasilimali safi zaidi, gesi ya asili au nishati mbadala. Kwa kuwa karibu theluthi moja ya uzalishaji wa gesi chafu katika jiji linatokana na uzalishaji wa umeme, kwa kupanua kwingineko ya nishati inayobadilika hadi 35%, sera hiyo pekee inaweza kupata LA karibu theluthi moja ya jumla ya kupunguza gesi chafu ambayo inatafuta kufikia 2030. Miji ambayo haina mifumo yao ya umeme mara nyingi ni kwa rehema ya watunga sera wa ngazi ya serikali na juhudi za kupitisha viwango vya mfuko wa nishati mbadala wa ngazi ya serikali. Mkataba wa Utekelezaji wa Mipango ya Hali ya Hewa ya LA: Mipango ya Utekelezaji ya Utekelezaji wa Mipango ya Hali ya Hewa ya LA: Mipango ya Utekelezaji wa Mipango ya Hali ya Hewa ya LA