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Draft
Energy Element for humboldt County General Plan Update
On August 5th, the Redwood
Coast Energy Authority released
for public comment a draft of the Energy Element being developed
as part of Humboldt County's current General Plan update.
California state law requires each city and county to adopt and
periodically update a general plan, which serves as a local blueprint
for future physical development, and guides most land use decisions.
By law, general plans must include seven required focus areas,
called "elements", which include issues like land use,
circulation, housing and conservation. In addition, jurisdictions
are encouraged to include optional elements which help to give
clarity to important local issues, such as the Draft Energy Element.
"The Draft Energy Element provides a comprehensive approach
to issues of long-term availability, reliability, and affordability
of energy in Humboldt County," said David Boyd, RCEA's executive
director. "It's a road map to a sustainable future."
According to Boyd, the plan lays out a compelling vision of a
future based on conservation, efficiency and maximized use of renewable
energy, articulates local policies necessary for achieving that
vision, and suggests strategies that can be adopted to implement
those policies.
The Energy Element includes policies and strategies which promote
adaptive local energy planning, enhanced standards for energy efficient
building design and operation, encouragement of renewable energy
and distributed generation, and investigation into possibilities
for increased local management of energy supplies.
When adopted and implemented, this approach will help to ensure
more reliable and secure energy supplies, reduce dependence on
imported energy, retain more energy dollars in the local economy,
and help to address local and global environmental issues associated
with energy use.
The RCEA, and its consulting team, lead by Planwest Partners of
Arcata, has been working on the Energy Element since January. The
Planwest team, which includes the Schatz Energy Research Center,
the Center for Environmental Economic Development, Net Gain, and
Winzler and Kelly, spent the last six months gathering information,
researching options, and compiling public input, which has been
incorporated into the draft element.
The element includes a detailed technical background report, prepared
by the Schatz Energy Research Center at Humboldt State University,
which analyzes Humboldt County's current and historical energy
supply and use, and projects future energy needs. It also inventories
existing generation and transmission facilities, as well as local
energy resources and promising new technologies. "It's the
most in-depth analysis of Humboldt County's energy use ever produced,
and was instrumental in identifying the key constraints and opportunities
that are addressed by the Energy Element" said Boyd.
Now that the draft has been released, RCEA would like to receive
additional public comment before a final version is turned over
to the county for inclusion in the General Plan Update. The Draft
Energy Element is available for review at the Redwood Coast Energy
Information Center in Eureka, or can be downloaded from RCEA's
website, www.redwoodenergy.org.
RCEA will wrap up the comment period with a public hearing on September
8 in Eureka.
"Through their participation in meetings held earlier this
year, the public helped to shape the direction of the Energy Element," said
Boyd. "Now that the draft has been completed, we want to get
it out for additional review before we turn it over to the County.
Energy use touches every aspect of our lives, and we need to make
sure we get this right."
In response to a recommendation from RCEA last September, the
Board of Supervisors directed the Community Development Services
Department to include an Energy Element in the updated General
Plan. To support this effort RCEA was successful in bringing together
a number of funding sources, including ratepayers through PG&E
and the California Public Utilities Commission, the US Department
of Energy's "Million Solar Roofs Program", and the North
Coast Unified Air Quality Management District, a partnership that
has allowed for a comprehensive approach to local energy issues.
RCEA was formed in 2003 as a Joint Powers Association, representing
seven municipalities (the Cities of Arcata, Blue Lake, Eureka,
Ferndale, Fortuna, Trinidad and Rio Dell) and Humboldt County.
RCEA's purpose is to develop and implement sustainable energy initiatives
that reduce energy demand, increase energy efficiency, and advance
the use of clean, efficient and renewable resources available in
the region.
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