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## Small -Scale Solar for Social, Economic & Environmental

Justice Nicole Capretz EPA Good Neighbor Board June 16, 20112

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## Environmental Health Coalition

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### EHC builds grassroots campaigns to improve the health of children, families, neighborhoods and the natural environment in the San Diego/Tijuana region  

### We believe everyone deserves the opportunity to live a healthy, safe and prosperous life

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## CEJA – California Environmental

Justice Alliance
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### CEJA is a coalition of base - building organizations.  

### We build healthy communities from the ground up.  

### Played big role in defeating Prop 23  Asian Pacific Environmental Network  Center for Community Action & Environmental Justice  Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment  Communities for a Better Environment  Environmental Health Coalition  People Organizing to Demand Environmental & Economic Rights (PODER)

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## Goal of Presentation

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### What is at Stake in Renewables Discussion  

### What is the Solution  

### Our Recommended Actions/Approach

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## The Problem...What is at Stake

 High Pollution Levels

– surrounded by freeways, oil refineries, diesel

equipment, buses, trucks  High Asthma Rates  High Poverty Levels  High Unemployment:

 January 2011

– San Diego County = 10%

– Our communities = 16%-20%

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## Does Future Look Better??

 Climate Change  Extreme Weather  First and Worst Impacts  Least Prepared  Least Able to Adapt

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## ―Heat- Island‖ Effect

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## Lack of Air- Conditioning/Cost of Air

Conditioning

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## Lack of Transportation

(To Get to Cooling Centers)

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## Increased Air Pollution—

Higher Asthma Rates

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## SOLUTION = Green Energy

Investment/Green Economy

 Clean Air  Clean Infrastructure  Jobs  Healthy Homes  Neighborhood Revitalization  Money Flowing into Community/Wealth  Taking Control of Energy Future

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## Local Solar = Permanent Jobs

 Equipment Manufacturing & Assembly: manufacturing of system components, inverters, solar cells, panels
 Professional Services: Financing of projects, small business loans, debt and equity services, legal services
 Installation: system design, engineering, construction and integration
 System Monitoring: performance monitoring, reporting, operations and maintenance

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## Some Progress, But....

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### We have trained workers, but few jobs  

### Solar still not accessible to majority of low 

### income or even low- moderate income residents  

### Utilities going for larger- scale solar to meet RPS goals (in lieu of urban installs)

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### 200 MW Solar Plant in SD Desert....5

Permanent Jobs

 Imperial County takes step in solar direction June 8, 2011 Imperial County is taking its first steps into the solar industry. The county Board of Supervisors approved the largest solar project it’s handled to date, a 200 - megawatt, 946 - acre site west of C alexico. The Imperial Solar Energy Center South project by Tenaska is a start for the county into the solar industry, said Supervisor Gary Wyatt. In order to grow, to have solar panel factories and to attract more solar companies, a project needs to start it off. “This project is helping us to be more competitive,” he said. “It’s getting us in a position to do things we haven’t done before . “It’s a beginning we’ve waited for a long time,” he added later. The rest of the board agreed, voting 5 - 0 for the project. “If we shut it out now, then forget about anything else coming forward,” said Chairman of the Board Jack Terrazas. “Forget ab out anybody listening to you. Forget about anyone having interest in developing here. “So this is an opportunity,” he added. “It’s an opportunity to accept an industry that is certainly either mitigable or minim al. ” The project owned by CSOLAR Development, a Tenaska affiliate, is expected to create 300 jobs during the 18 - month construction phase, and five permanent jobs on the site south of Highway 98 on the border.

 Copyright © 2011, Imperial Valley Press

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### Solar in SD County.... Our Communities are Outlined in Green

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## What we want....

 Feed - in -Tariff designed with social/economic justice issues (so homeowners and businesses can sell the electricity they generate back to utility)  Better and cheaper financing for EE and solar  Local Hire provisions in utility contracts and government - agency contracts  Solar and construction companies reaching out to nontraditional neighborhoods

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## Encouraging news...

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### CA Governor has confirmed it’s commitment to 12,000 MW of local renewable systems as part of economic development plan  

### Governor’s office has committed to integrating social, environmental and economic justice issues into implementation plan and...  

### Giving us a seat at table