Planning Commission endorses comprehensive renewable energy plan report

The county's Planning Commission addressed a draft report on a comprehensive renewable energy plan for the county during the Planning Commission's Oct. 14 meeting.

The Planning Commission action, which passed on a 4-0 vote with Doug Barnhart, David Pallinger, and Bryan Woods absent, recommended prioritized actions to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, who are expected to consider the plan on Jan. 25.

The Phase I plan includes the results of economic, feasibility, and best management practices research and analysis. It summarizes 17 best management practices, 11 of which were recommended for further consideration.

"It's essentially a review and assessment," said Mark Wardlaw, the director of the county's Department of Planning and Development Services (PDS). "This is identifying what we should study in more depth."

In April 2013 the Board of Supervisors directed the county's chief administrative officer to develop options for a comprehensive renewable energy plan, and to prepare a work plan including time and cost estimates. County staff provided a work plan which was presented at a September 2013 Board of Supervisors meeting. The board's September 2013 action was to appropriate $300,000 to fund Phase I of the work plan, to direct the PDS director to form a renewable energy technical advisory committee, and to direct PDS staff to prepare a pipelining provision to address existing applications for discretionary renewable energy projects. (The pipelining provision will allow existing projects to be processed under the current rules rather than the new standards.)

The approved work plan included analyzing the county's existing renewable energy programs and efforts, working with private sector stakeholders, conducting the economic, feasibility, and best management practices research, and developing recommendations.

"It does not mandate goals or objectives," said Wardlaw.

The 17 best management practices were prioritized based on the return on investment.

"It is important for the county to focus on those that will provide the highest return on investment," said PDS planning manager Laurel Lees.

The four top priority items are preparing a feasibility study for a Community Choice Aggregation program (a CCA program allows local governments to pool electricity customers to purchase power and allows the jurisdictions to administer energy programs on behalf of the residents and businesses), tracking community solar and wind energy initiatives, developing studies and identifying potential sites for future microgrids, and preparing renewable energy design and development guidelines including Zoning Ordinance regulations.

The recommendations also include increasing the county's renewable energy generation, transmission, use, and storage, developing strategies to address barriers to the use of alternative fuels including electric vehicles, establishing and promoting mechanisms to finance consumer installation, developing an education and outreach strategy, developing a strategy to support legislation favorable to the use of renewable energy in San Diego County, establishing a sustainability task force, and participating in the creation of a new regional energy network.

"I think exploration of all options in front of us is good," said Planning Commissioner Peder Norby.

Norby was not on the Planning Commission in 2003 when the Board of Supervisors adopted a wireless communications policy which included zoning regulations, but he noted that the development of the regulations has led to an increase in the percentage of wireless facilities being approved without community opposition.

"I just think it's good guidance," Norby said of the renewable energy policy.

Most of the public speakers favored adoption of the policy.

"We're all in agreement on a lot of stuff," said consultant Jim Whalen. "I'm pleased that we're moving ahead."

Whalen noted that microgrids help reliability. "They've been so far a success in Borrego Springs," he said.

Whalen cautioned that the policies must not have excessive cost for their results. "It has to be in a way that doesn't break the bank," he said.

"CCA will give consumers a choice to purchase cleaner energy at competitive rates," said David Harris of La Mesa.

"We do need to focus on the most cost-effective strategies," said San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce executive director for policy and economic research Sean Karafin.

"Accountability must also be included in there," said Industrial Environmental Association chief executive officer Jack Monger.

The only community planning group chair to speak was Billie Jo Jannen, who chairs the Campo/Lake Morena Community Planning Group. Jannen noted that loss of energy during transmission was not included in the production analysis.

"You have to look at the efficiency factor," said Jannen, who added that facilities often do not produce their capacity rating.

Planning Commissioner Michael Beck noted that the quality of life for nearby residents should be included in the cost-benefit analyses.

"Cost-benefit is not just dollars and cents," said Beck.

Norby noted that the fossil fuel reduction goals focus primarily on buildings.

"Those goals do not include natural gas," said Norby, adding that alternative energy including electric vehicles requires more than generation to be successful. "It's all about storage."

Planning Commissioner Michael Seiler warned that residential solar energy facilities do not necessarily eliminate the need for other energy sources.

"It's mainly a daytime generation," said Seiler. "As the demand increases the nighttime draw on the grid will increase also."

Seiler noted that San Diego Gas & Electric is regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission but a CCA would not have that governance.

"It's important to have a government oversight of whatever process comes into being," said Seiler. "There should be standards that are commonly applied."

Seiler compared Community Choice Aggregations to water districts or city water agencies which provide water to consumers. Water district board members are elected and do not necessarily have business or engineering expertise.

"There will be a staff that goes with it, and that will cost money," said Seiler of a CCA program.

Seiler lives in the part of Chula Vista which is in the South Bay Irrigation District. The Sweetwater Authority is a joint powers agency comprised of the South Bay Irrigation District and National City's water department, and Seiler also noted that the National City representatives on the Sweetwater Authority board are appointed rather than elected.

The recommendations which are approved by the Board of Supervisors will be developed during Phase II, as will the necessary environmental analysis.

"The board will direct us on what to work on in the future," Wardlaw said.