There is a tremendous economic potential for Sacramento and California, because of their technological prowess, in continuing to embrace the many technologies involved in this effort and one of the first that should be considered is the reopening of the nuclear power plant at Rancho Seco.
Area officials ponder going green
Forum on climate change draws about 100 leaders who swap strategies for cutting power use and becoming energy efficient.
By Chris Bowman - cbowman@sacbee.com
Published 12:00 am PST Saturday, February 2, 2008
The first Sacramento regional forum about climate change drew nearly 100 area officials in from heavy rain Thursday to brainstorm ways to cut local global warming emissions.
As many as 32 city and county elected officials attended the series of speakers and discussions at California State University, Sacramento.
Participants got a crash course on the science, economics and politics of climate change as it affects California.
They swapped more than 100 strategies for cutting power use in everything from sewage treatment plants to streetlights and incorporating energy efficiency in everyday land-use decisions.
"It was the first climate change conference I had been to, so a lot of what I heard was new to me," said Peter Hill, vice mayor of Rocklin.
Rocklin was one of 12 cities participating, along with the counties of El Dorado, Sacramento, Sutter and Yuba and the area's major power suppliers – Pacific Gas and Electric Co., Roseville Electric and Sacramento Municipal Utility District.
Officials of Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District and Sacramento Area Council of Governments said they organized the event to help locally elected officials better represent community interests as state regulators and litigators escalate measures to curb heat-trapping or greenhouse emissions of carbon dioxide tied to every corner of the economy.
Top state regulators told participants they have no intention of infringing on local government's control over land use and growth.
Rather, they're looking to give communities expertise, models and money needed to shrink their "carbon footprint."
