DWP to Use More Alternate Power

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power will expand its use of solar, wind and other renewable power sources from 3% of its electricity portfolio to 20% by 2017, its governing board agreed Monday, although environmentalists said the goal should be met earlier.

The board, which was appointed by Mayor James K. Hahn, approved the policy a little more than a month before Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa becomes mayor. Villaraigosa has said that he wants the department to reach the 20% mark by 2010.

Environmental activists prefer Villaraigosa’s tougher standard, although they said Monday that the board’s action was a good start in getting the DWP to trade some coal and gas power for solar, geothermal and wind power, as well as for power from small hydroelectric dams.

“I hope Antonio takes a hard look at this and finds a way to do it better and faster,” said Rhonda Mills of the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies.

Villaraigosa did not ask the DWP board to delay the policy’s approval, but a representative of his said the next mayor could ask the board, which he can appoint, to make the policy more aggressive whenever he wanted, but that it would probably take more work to build political support to set the goal for 2010.

The City Council voted last June to request that the 20% goal be set for 2017, which matches a requirement set by the state for private utilities.

The board approved the policy although Mills, along with Mary Luevano of Global Green U.S.A., asked for a delay to allow the public to review and provide input on the change.

But board President Dominick Rubalcava said the public had a chance to weigh in when the council considered the matter last year.

Mills told the board that she was concerned that the policy seemed to require a surcharge on electric bills to cover the higher cost of renewable power.

But Rubalcava said the surcharge would be imposed only if, three years from now, renewable power proves much more expensive than the current mix of gas, coal and nuclear power.