Gas Lobbyists are pushing to reverse clean energy in Lake Forest.
We need your voicemail to ensure a livable future.
BACKGROUND:
Community Choice Aggregation, also called Community Choice Energy, municipal aggregation, etc, is an alternative to the investor-owned utility energy supply system in which local entities in the United States aggregate the buying power of individual customers within a defined jurisdiction in order to secure alternative energy supply contracts.[1] The CCA chooses the power generation source on behalf of the consumers. This allows the public to pick more sustainable energy sources at lower costs and return the profits back to communities.
In Orange County, 5 cities. Irvine, Huntington Beach, Lake Forest, Buena Park, and Fullerton have formed the Orange County Power Authority, which will create a 100% clean energy portfolio in Irvine by the year 2022 and a higher renewable mix in all cities.
The Lake Forest City Council is influenced and bought out by fossil fuel companies like SoCalGas, wanting to pull out of clean energy during a climate crisis. Additionally, Councilmember Doug Cirbo is a climate science denier and Councilmember Neeki Moatazedi, who called CCE “bureaucracy”, works for fossil fuel company SoCal Gas. All 5 board members are republicans.
Feb 16th, a consulting company presented an analysis generally favorable for OCPA, saying it would lower costs and increase energy stability, while also warning the city of Lake Forest not to start its own CCE program.
Despite the overwhelming support, the board voted 4-1 to exit the Orange County Power Authority. Only Major Voigts voted no.
On Tuesday, March 2nd, they will vote again to finalize the removal of the Orange County Power Authority ordinance.
Goal: Filibuster every council meeting demanding clean energy and sounding the alarm on climate change. We are demanding that Councilmember Neeki Moatazedi resign immediately. She views electrification and clean, cheap electricity as a threat to SoCalGas, the company she works for.
HOW TO CALL:
Call the Lake Forest City Council Voicemail Public Comment line at (949) 461-3455. You have 3 minutes to speak. Use all 3 minutes. This is a Filibuster. Keep talking about climate change and clean energy.
You can leave your voicemail anytime before Tuesday, March 2nd at 5pm. Your comment will be played out loud during the council meeting at 6:30pm on Tuesday, March 2nd during the public comment period.
WHAT TO SAY:
I’m _______, and I am urging you to stay in the OC Power Authority.
Say why climate change is important to you and why we should stop it.
Example 1: Worsening climate change caused extreme weather that caused significant wildfires last summer. These wildfires choked out the sky and created bad air quality, making the air toxic to breathe. IT was very hard for me to breathe due to the fire and tens of thousands fleed their homes afraid if it would be there when they came back. And wildfires will only get more frequent and severe.
Example 2: Imagine a future 20 years from now where the sky is clear instead of a polluted yellow haze, and a wealthy, equitable society for all. Joining the OCPA would reduce air pollution from burning fossil fuels and spur massive growth in technology in Orange County to decarbonize our communities and bring jobs and justice to all. Climate Justice is Racial Justice because the people who struggle with the impacts of a climate crisis the most are black and brown communities.
Example 3: I love coral reefs. Beautiful blue and orange and yellow fish, and a perfectly balanced ecosystem with coral and seagrasses. I remember when I visited the Great Barrier Reef and I saw coral reefs being bleached. Our oceans are dying because big companies are polluting the air and warming our planet. We have to decarbonize to save these fragile ecosystems. Oceans everywhere, even California’s kelp forests are warming, shell creatures can’t form their shells, and it is disrupting our food supply. The oceans are rising and balboa harbor will be underwater in a few years. We need drastic decarbonization to save these fragile ecosystems now. Please stay in the Orange County Power Authority and stand up to climate change or step aside.
You can talk about how climate personally impacted you or talk about specific impacts on Climate (for example, coral bleaching or impacts on glaciers)
Demand that Councilmember Neeki Moatazedi resign because she didn’t recuse herself. Council Member Neeki Moatazedi works at Fossil fuel company SoCalGas and voted to protect her company’s profits over the planet and Lake Forest residents and businesses. Reason: When people electrify and transition to electric appliances, people will switch off gas-powered appliances. Councilmember Moatazedi should resign.
Tips: Be personal, share personal stories about climate change or the environment. Expose corrupt officials.
Example talking points:
The Orange County Power Authority would create a zero-carbon emission grid in the face of climate change.
A better future is possible with clean, cheap electricity and good-paying jobs and justice, but fossil fuel money corruption killed it. We will not give up and continue to fight for climate justice and vote you out.
CCE is the best way to bring energy savings to Lake Forest residents and businesses. Irvine is paying all the launch costs, so there are no tradeoffs.
Community Choice Energy will build a stable electrical grid through rooftop solar plus battery storage microgrids to stop blackouts, brownouts, and reliance on SCE’s poles and wires.
OCPA will stabilize resident’s bills and offer cleaner energy and rate savings to families and businesses.
Where CCE programs go, clean energy jobs follow. OCPA is projected to create $85M in new economic activity. Los Angeles’ CCE program is projected to create 1,500 new clean energy jobs in its first year.
The bills that Lake Forest residents pay through OCPA, will stay in the community to support sustainability programs in their community instead of Edison shareholders.
Despite literal climate scientists being in the meeting and a certain scientific consensus globally about the reality of climate change, Doug Cirbo is a science denier and said “there is science on both sides”
Ideas for other talking points:
Impacts on Climate Change, Environmental Racism of Oil and Gas Drilling, Refining, and usage.
How transitioning to clean energy is an environmental/economic justice issue and how it can create economic growth and jobs in the local economy.
Talk about conservation, protecting wildlife.
How this is an opportunity to vastly benefit Lake Forest residents.
The more cities in the CCE, the lower the energy cost. Economies of scale.
Email:
TO: council@lakeforestca.gov
SUBJ: Agenda Item 9, Please stay in the Orange County Power Authority.
Watch Online
Watch the live stream for the board meeting (Starts on Tuesday, March 2nd at 6:30pm): fb.com/lakeforestca.
Extra credit petition:
Action Network Petition: Tell Lake Forest City Council: We Want Clean Energy Choice
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