Editor's Note: Judge David Yaffe gave Jack Humphreville and other signatories on the No on Prop. B ballot argument until Dec. 30 to respond to the legal intimidation by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's lawyer who is representing Mitchell Schwartz and the League of Conservation Voters political action committee which claims there are false and misleading statements. Rebuttals are due Jan. 5 and the next hearing is Jan. 8. We are seeking a lawyer and received several offers of donations.
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At a news conference Friday, City Council President Eric Garcetti and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa defended their Proposition B solar energy plan and the mad rush to get it approved after disclosure that a consultant warned it was "extremely risky" and too costly
Garcetti claimed that the public had full knowledge of what was in the report because he used a one-page bullet-point digest of what was in the 26-page report to ask questions at a hearing. The bullet points were prepared by Chief Legislative Analyst Gerry Miller and shown to only a few council members with at least Wendy Greuel and Jan Perry admitting they took little or no notice of it. You can listen heresolar.mp3
Garcetti admitted he did not read the sonsultant's full report or make public the 13 bullet points. But his office made both available late Friday along with a second report and Miller's letter attempting to explain away the problem. You can read them all here Solar_initiative_packet.pdf
The critical study was made by PA Consulting Group, which is conducting a five-year review of DWP operations.
Both Garcetti and the mayor insisted all the issues raised in the report -- high costs, shortage of supply, lack of trained workers, low efficiency of roof top solar panels among others -- were addressed in the final form of Proposition B that voters will decide March 3.
The plan counts on $2 billion in subsidies from the federal government -- two-thirds of the total cost. Most of the money will go to China which Garcetti said is ramping up its capacity to make the panels -- a fact that undermines City Hall's claims it will significantly stimulate the local economy and give birth to a local solar technology industry.
The jobs of installing the solar panels will go to the DWP union, the IBEW, which developed the plan in the first place.
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At a news conference Friday, City Council President Eric Garcetti and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa defended their Proposition B solar energy plan and the mad rush to get it approved after disclosure that a consultant warned it was "extremely risky" and too costly
Garcetti claimed that the public had full knowledge of what was in the report because he used a one-page bullet-point digest of what was in the 26-page report to ask questions at a hearing. The bullet points were prepared by Chief Legislative Analyst Gerry Miller and shown to only a few council members with at least Wendy Greuel and Jan Perry admitting they took little or no notice of it. You can listen heresolar.mp3
Garcetti admitted he did not read the sonsultant's full report or make public the 13 bullet points. But his office made both available late Friday along with a second report and Miller's letter attempting to explain away the problem. You can read them all here Solar_initiative_packet.pdf
The critical study was made by PA Consulting Group, which is conducting a five-year review of DWP operations.
Both Garcetti and the mayor insisted all the issues raised in the report -- high costs, shortage of supply, lack of trained workers, low efficiency of roof top solar panels among others -- were addressed in the final form of Proposition B that voters will decide March 3.
The plan counts on $2 billion in subsidies from the federal government -- two-thirds of the total cost. Most of the money will go to China which Garcetti said is ramping up its capacity to make the panels -- a fact that undermines City Hall's claims it will significantly stimulate the local economy and give birth to a local solar technology industry.
The jobs of installing the solar panels will go to the DWP union, the IBEW, which developed the plan in the first place.
Here's the CLA's bullet points derived from the consultant's report, the sole basis for scrutinizing the most ambitious solar energy program ever undertaken in the United States:
DWP SOLAR -- CONSULTANTS FINDINGS
1. This proposal is "extremely risky."
2. DWP cannot accomplish this program in the time frame and manner in which it is laid out.
3. This is an extremely aggressive proposal. The 400 MW represent 143 % of the solar installed in the entire state and 85 % of the solar installed in the entire nation.
4. Due to the aggressive moves towards renewables, materials shortages which are already being experienced will worsen. This proposal would put significant additional pressure on supply shortages. This would not only delay implementation of DWP programs but likely result in significant increases in cost increases for materials.
5. While costs could go down over time as technology is perfected, materials manufacturers come on line and the infrastructure is in place, there is no indication that such will occur in the next few years.
6. The reasonable estimate for total is $3.6 billion but they believe that the program would cost much more. It is not feasible to do this program at the $1.5 billion "low-end" estimate by DWP.
7. At $3.6 billion, it is likely that the ECAF (pass through rate hikes) would have to be increased by 2.5 to 3 times (from 4 % per year max to 10 % to 12 % per year max) in order to maintain sufficient revenue flows to maintain bond coverage requirements and the department's bond ratings. This would be in addition to the base rate increases needed.
8. While it is reasonable to assert that some of the addition costs would be offset by jobs creation and economic development, no analysis has been done relative to the number and quality of jobs that will be created and the time-frame over which the jobs will be created.
9. Contracting out this work in the early years until the jobs are in place would be difficult if not impossible due to the size of the program and lack of availability of contractors and materials.
10. There is probably enough roof space to do this. However, no other utility is pursuing such an aggressive roof top program. PGE has the largest effort in the state, but the vast majority of theirs is solar thermal, which is expressly prohibited in the proposed ordinance and the labor reps are adamant about that not being included.
11. A program like this should not be undertaken until there is a thoroughly vetted approach for encouraging private property owners to participate and a secure supply/materials line. PGE has already entered into agreements with their suppliers for their materials. It should be assumed that it is unlikely that those suppliers could provide panels for the DWP's program.
12. The DWP does not have planning mechanisms and resources in place to accomplish this program, or for that matter, their entire 20 % by the 2010 requirement.
13. Due to the DWP's high vacant rate, reliability mandates and other issues, it does not appear the DWP has the capability to adequately take on this program.
Ron Kaye is the former editor of the Los Angeles Daily News where he spent 23 years helping to make the newspaper the voice of the San Fernando Valley and fighting for a city government that serves the people and not special interests.
Twice in recent years, Los Angeles Magazine listed Kaye among the city’s most influential people, specifically in the area of politics. Kaye has been variously described in the media as the “accidental anarchist,” “the Patrick Henry of the San Fernando Valley” and a “passionate populist.” He is now committed to
carrying on his crusade for a greater Los Angeles as an ordinary citizen. Previously, Ron worked at the Los Angeles Herald Examiner,
Associated Press, Cleveland Plain Dealer and The Australian as well as papers
in Fairbanks, Alaska and Yakima, Wash. He also wrote for Newsweek magazine, The Guardian in London and the National Enquirer.
Of course, Garcetti didn't read the 26-page report; he, the other council members -- like congressmen, none of whom read the Patriot Act before voting on it -- are too freaking busy making backroom deals and raising money for their next elections.
Import them from China when we desperately need jobs here? Brilliant! Just brilliant.
I wish I could remember what they called it or the company that makes it, but a few months ago I saw a relatively low-cost, horizontal, low-profile, rooftop wind catcher on one of the Discovery channels that's manufacture in this country and has been installed on buildings in several cities including a few in Chicago.
As far as I know, it's efficient and sounds more like the way to go.
P.S. Thanks for posting the 13 points.
Anytime we have Villar and Nahai conspiring together...we can just assume it's all about MORE taxes!
My question is: Are we ALL going to be FORCED to do solar panelling??? I'm still having a hard time reconcilling the fact that I will not be able to use incandescent light bulbs!
I'm outta here if this is going to be mandatory!
Analysis calls ambitious L.A. solar plan 'extremely risky'
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-solar19-2008dec19,0,3308872.story
Council gets 'secret' solar panel report
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-solar20-2008dec20,0,5148465.story
WAKE UP THIS ANTI AMERICAN MF IS TAKING OVER EVERYTHING IN THIS CITY ARE YOU WHITE PEOPLE NUTS IF HE WAS BLACK YOU WOULD HAVE HUNTED HIM DOWN LIKE YOU USED TO DO NOT TOO LONG AGO. WHERE IS YOUR RACISM SURELY YOU DID NOT USE IT ALL UP ON US.
Can you post the actual court papers or a link to a PDF on your site that shows Mitchell Schwartz and the League of Conservation Voters political action committee as part of this legal action. That would be helpful.
Thanks
DWP official withdraws $152,000 pension request
After criticism from City Controller Laura Chick, the DWP’s H. David Nahai said he is dropping the pay boost proposal for his No. 2 executive.
By David Zahniser
August 08, 2008
One day after coming under fire from City Controller Laura Chick, the head of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said this morning he would withdraw a proposal to give a $152,000 pension boost to his No. 2 executive.
Chick had refused to write a check to DWP chief operating officer Raman Raj, calling theDWP’s offer unprecedented and saying she wanted a public discussion of the proposal by the City Council. Raj receives an annual salary of $247,000.
DWP general manager H. David Nahai said in a prepared statement that he was dropping the request – part of an agreement to lure Raj to the DWP in December – because of questions about its “appropriateness.”
“Questions have arisen regarding the advisability of this matter and how it may be perceived,” Nahai said. “We wish to be sensitive to these concerns and responsive to them and have therefore decided to withdraw this request for retirement benefits altogether.”
Chick said in a statement that she was “pleased” with the decision by DWP officials and hoped that in the future “they remember that their transactions need to hold up under the light of day.”
“When taxpayer dollars are allocated behind closed doors there is a reason, and usually it’s not a good one,” she said.
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/aug/08/local/me-dwp8