UC Merced serves as solar model for sustainable universities
On November 10, 2009, the Coalition for Clean Air (CCA) proudly attended the dedication of UC Merced’s one-megawatt, 8.5-acre solar project. The solar array project consists of 4,900 solar panels that follow the sun’s movement during the day. The system will supply two-thirds of the campus’ electricity on summer days and 20 percent of the campus’ annual electricity needs. CCA commends UC Merced for its promotion and commitment to a sustainable, zero net energy campus by 2020.
Learn more about UC Merced’s solar power project.
Looking to the sun in pursuit of cleaner energy
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa recently announced an ambitious environmental plan to end Los Angeles’ dependence on coal-powered energy. Coal pollution contributes to the climate crisis and is harmful to our health. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) is the nation’s largest municipal utility, and it depends on dirty coal to supply half of the city’s electricity.
Clean energy alternatives
Solar and renewable energy is a clean and sustainable solution that will lead to cleaner air in Los Angeles and beyond.
The ambitious plan
Mayor Villaraigosa’s goals are to eliminate the purchase of coal power by 2020 and to produce 40 percent of the city’s electricity from renewable sources. The robust plan aims to create more than 1,300 megawatts of solar energy by 2020; that is enough to power 845,000 homes!
Get involved. Learn more. Take action.
Learn about your homes’ solar energy potential with these interactive maps by California region.
Tell LADWP to pursue plans for clean energy and reduce its reliance on dirty coal. Send your letter to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
Power to the people
I heard a familiar voice in a crowded room. Looking up, I was pleasantly surprised to see a familiar face: a friend from my hometown of Niland, California, a small desert community with a population of 1,000. He and two others had driven 200 miles from the Imperial Valley to Los Angeles to attend a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) solar energy workshop. The LADWP is planning to meet a portion of its renewable energy goals by purchasing power from a proposed large scale solar energy project in Niland. These community members are in favor of solar energy but made the long trek in order to ensure this project would minimize environmental impacts on their town and benefit the local community .
I support the renewable energy goals set forth by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. The proposed plan is for Los Angeles to obtain 40 percent of its energy from renewable resources, eliminating the purchase of dirty coal by 2020. The Coalition for Clean Air is pushing for a clearer investment plan and timeline for the achievement of more than 1,300 megawatts of solar energy by 2020. Solar energy projects that will achieve this goal include: utility-built solar panels placed on city-owned facilities, customer rebates, a program for buying power from rooftop solar installations, a way for residents to invest in “virtual” shares of solar projects and large scale solar facilities such as the one currently being proposed in Niland.
When I first heard of the proposal for the Niland facility, I had immediately thought of my neighbors. At that moment, I realized solar energy is much more than power; it is about people—the people in my hometown, the people who live near coal-generated energy plants in Utah and Arizona (where the LADWP purchases dirty power), and the people of Los Angeles who flip a switch to turn on the light. We are all connected through the actions or inactions of the LADWP.
Therefore we must be unified in pursuing solar energy projects and eliminating Los Angeles’ shameful addiction to coal. Whether we speak up for solar power or remain silent, it isn’t just the people of Los Angeles—but many communities beyond—who stand to lose or gain.
Speak up in support of plans for clean energy and reduce our dependence on dirty coal.
Monique Lopez is a contractor working with the Coalition for Clean Air. She currently heads up efforts on the Los Angeles solar power initiative and a campaign to reduce pollution from speeding cargo ships. Upon completion of her graduate studies at California State University, Long Beach, Lopez co-authored a ballot initiative to overturn a proposed sludge incineration plant in Niland. She can be reached at monique@coalitionforcleanair.org.
August 24, 2009
Breaking ground at the first utility-scale photovoltaic power plant under California’s new Renewable Portfolio Standard
The Coalition for Clean Air (CCA) is pleased to recognize Cleantech America for their expertise and perseverance in 
developing a 5-MW, utility-scale photovoltaic power plant in Mendota, California. The Mendota region has the highest unemployment rate in California. It also has the unfortunate distinction of being classified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as not meeting federal standards for clean air and topping the lists of most dangerous air to breathe in the nation.
Cleantech America has brought a breath of fresh air to the City of Mendota and the San Joaquin Valley. Today’s actions will reduce more than 6 million tons of greenhouse gases and nearly 7,000 pounds of nitrous oxides each year. This renewable energy power plant is the first in this area, but not the last. The San Joaquin Valley is the new home for the burgeoning clean technology industry. Here, under the California sun, we can develop and execute clean technology business models and set a precedent for others to follow.
CCA looks forward to celebrating more clean energy projects in the San Joaquin Valley with Cleantech America.
Laura Fultz Stout is CCA’s San Joaquin Valley Campaign and Outreach Associate. She can be reached at laura@coalitionforcleanair.org.
I hope to see more of this technology coming in the future.