The Los Angeles Business Council will make a presentation to us on their proposed Solar Feed in Tariff program – see www.solarfit4la.com. The meeting will be at 6:00 PM this Thursday in room 200 at West LA Municipal Building, 1645 Corinth Ave, LA 90025 (where Councilmember Rosendahl’s office is).
A solar Feed-in Tariff program allows businesses, public and non-profit organizations, and residents to install solar panels on their roofs and parking lots and sell the power generated back to the local utility. Participants receive a payment back from the utility for each Kilowatt-hour fed back into the power grid. FiT programs can generate a cost-effective source of renewable energy, create local jobs, and bring in revenue for businesses and ratepayers. Successful FiT programs have been put in place around the world. LABC has singled out programs in Germany and Gainesville, Florida as particularly effective models that Los Angeles should look to emulate.
The Green Committee believes that Solar Feed in Tariffs are an essential component to meeting our goal of 100% clean electricity by 2018 and we are eager to hear this proposal and appreciate Councilman Rosendahl referring them to us.
“The Los Angeles Business Council is urging Councilmember Rosendahl to support the adoption of a 600 MW Solar Feed-in Tariff (FIT) program for the City of LA. LADWP General Manager Austin Beutner has announced that a FIT would be included in the Long Term Strategic Plan. The LABC, UCLA, AIA, LA Area Chamber, LA Family Housing, Sierra Club, Global Green, USGBC, Cal SEIA and the Union Roofers and Contractors Association all support this program .
Per LABC -
"We have designed a program that is large and spans 10 years because of its cost-neutrality to rate-payers (See attached FIT fundamentals page for program details). Further, the economic and environmental benefits of a 600 MW program are manifold:
• Creating 11,000 high-wage green jobs according to UCLA Luskin Center
• Attracting clean-tech industries to the region by demonstrating political
commitment to creating a green City
• Guaranteed cost saving opportunities and long-term returns for energy consumers
• State and federal tax credits to fund up to 40% of solar panel installation costs
• Using a FiT program as a critical piece to reach AB 32 renewable energy goals
• Cost saving opportunities for Multi-family affordable housing developments
• Displacing coal, which is a significant liability to the city due to its
increasing expense, legal risks, regulatory uncertainty, and public health effects
If you have any questions, please visit our website: www.solarfit4la.com to learn more about the program, listen to testimonials from local business, environmental and labor leaders and municipal utilities who have implemented successful FITs. “
