Last week, I heard some upsetting news: a new, polluting, expensive and entirely unnecessary power plant might be built near my community. The California Public Utilities Commission - the state agency that's supposed to ensure that our energy companies like San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) prioritize clean energy - made a proposal to approve SDG&E's polluting fossil fuel power plant called Pio Pico in Otay Mesa— just a few miles away from my house.

I'm already concerned about the current high levels of air pollution—some of the worst in the state— and the health problems that pollution brings to my community. If approved, Pio Pico would add even more pollution— the same amount as 170,000 cars- each year for 25 years. That could have a negative impact on the health of our children and make climate change worse. My grandchildren already have asthma and I don't want them exposed to even more pollution from a new dirty power plant.

In addition to the pollution damage to my community, SDG&E wants to raise our energy bills to pay $1.6 Billion for this dirty energy. My neighbors have made it clear that they want a clean energy source and are willing to pay a little more for clean energy in their neighborhoods. But they certainly don't want more dirty energy and more pollution. Latino voters from all over Southern California have said the same thing- we want clean energy now.

What really angers me is that this power plant is entirely unnecessary. We have enough energy from renewable resources, efficiency, energy storage and other clean sources now and in the future to cost-effectively and reliable meet our energy needs. Which is exactly why I don't understand how the state regulators can allow SDG&E to dump this polluting power plant in South Bay. We already have several power plants and transmission lines and terrible air quality, now this?

Join me in saying NO to another polluting power plant and demanding that government agencies and officials protect the health of our communities! Join me in taking action:

• Sign this petition to tell our state's energy regulators you don't want the polluting Pio Pico power plant in San Diego!
• Sign this letter to elected officials who represent the South Bay area to ask them to take a stand!

Thank you.

Last month, under the leadership of Ann Moore, the San Diego Unified Port District took a big step towards addressing climate change and pollution in San Diego when the Board of Port Commissioners unanimously adopted a Climate Action Plan.

The plan is so significant because it charts a course of action to lower the Port's greenhouse gas emissions-- the pollution responsible for causing climate change -- and sets an example for the rest of San Diego. Climate change and pollution from the Port both have huge health impacts on the region, especially neighboring low-income communities of color. With its location along the waterfront, as a center and facilitator of global goods shipping and a home to a mix of heavy, polluting industries as well as waterfront tourism businesses, the Port stands as a cause of climate change as well as a future victim.

Specifically, the Port's climate plan sets targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2035 and identifies strategies that may be used to reduce emissions from the Port and the 600 bayfront businesses to which the Port is a landlord. Some such strategies include:

• Making new and existing buildings more efficient
• Generating renewable energy along the bayfront
• Increasing use of clean vehicles, vessels and machinery

Next steps for the Port's climate plan will be identifying which specific emissions reductions strategies the Port will prioritize for implementing in 2014. Meanwhile, we'll continue urging the Port to take meaningful actions to ensure community health is at the forefront of Port decisions and the necessary actions are taken to achieve climate stability in San Diego. 

We've worked diligently over the past three years to ensure that the Port, landlord for many of the largest polluters in the region, secures adoption of a plan, and we applaud the Board of Port Commissioners for unanimously supporting it. Now, we can't wait to see this vision for San Diego's sustainable future put into action.

Power plants make our neighborhoods sick. Simple as that. They emit dangerous toxic pollution into our air making it hard for us to breathe, and making our families, our communities and our planet sick. 

SIGN THIS PETITION TO TELL CALIFORNIA'S ENERGY REGULATORS WE DON'T WANT PIO PICO.

SIGN THIS LETTER TO ASK SOUTH BAY ELECTED OFFICIALS TO TAKE A STAND AGAINST DIRTY AIR IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

Now, a new power plant is being proposed in San Diego by SDG&E. If approved, the new plant, titled Pio Pico, will operate in Otay Mesa -- a 2/3 Latino area already burdened with toxic waste and ranked in the top 20 percent of most polluted zip codes in the state. The location is only 1.3 miles from Tijuana - home to one million people.

The chemicals produced from Pio Pico, known as "particulate matter" are directly linked to respiratory illnesses, such as asthma. Over time, residents may experience school absences, lost work days, hospital admissions, asthma diagnoses and in some severe cases, even death.

The monetary harm will also be substantial, as Pio Pico will cost SDG&E customers $1.6 billion. And that is a fact.

Irreversable damage will be done to our communities. The amount of poisonous air from Pio Pico is equal to the annual emissions of 129,584 gasoline-powered cars or nearly 70 million gallons of gasoline. San Diegans will face costly bills, asthma hospitalizations and increased environmental impacts of climate change such as forest fires, sea level rise, drought and heat waves. (Read more about the causes and effects of climate change here.)

And once it's built, it's not coming down for a long, long time -- if at all. Pio Pico's contract is 25 years, meaning it will continue to physically harm and pollute the already dumped on neighboring communities for a quarter of a decade.

Is this how you see your future? 

If not, sign this petition to oppose Pio Pico and make your voice heard for healthy neighborhoods and breathable air now and for generations to come and read more about Pio Pico and your community. There is a better way.

We all have questions about climate change, especially regarding what's happening here in San Diego. Well you asked, and we deliver. Below we chat with EHC Policy Advocate Kayla Race on what causes climate change in San Diego, the implications it will have on our lives and what we can do to keep it from getting worse.

What are global warming and climate change? 

What causes global warming and climate change?

How will San Diegans be affected? 

Will some communities be impacted more than others? 

What is San Diego doing about climate change?

Can we do anything to reduce our risk? 

How can I help?

What are global warming and climate change?

Global warming is the recent and ongoing increase in global average temperature, causing climate patterns around the world to change. Global warming represents just one aspect of climate change, which refers to significant changes in climate that occur over several decades or longer. (back to top)

What causes global warming and climate change?

Global warming and climate change are caused mostly by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases—such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and certain synthetic chemicals—in the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases trap heat in our atmosphere and make the planet warmer, hence the term "global warming." 

Over the past 200 years, concentrations of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere have increased significantly and at an alarming rate, mostly due to human activities like burning fossil fuels to produce energy and power cars and trucks, industrial processes, some agricultural practices and deforestation. Although greenhouse gases are naturally occurring, the unnaturally large increase that has occurred over a relatively short period of time in history will result in dangerous impacts to human health, safety and ecosystems. (back to top)

How will San Diegans be affected? 

Although it is difficult to predict the exact impacts of climate change in San Diego, it is clear that the climate to which we are accustomed is no longer a reliable guide for what to expect in the future, and we should prepare for threats to our infrastructure, our safety, our economy, and our health.

In fact, the California Department of Public Health and the American Public Health Association have identified climate change as one of the most serious public health threats facing our nation, warning that the impacts are occurring sooner than expected.

Some impacts San Diegans are likely to see are:

• More frequent, intense, and prolonged heat waves and impair air quality, which puts public health at risk
• Dwindling freshwater supplies and increased water costs
• More frequent and intense wildfires
• More frequent and intense storms
• Potential disruptions in electricity
• Stress on our agricultural industry and resulting rising food prices
• Native plant and animal species emigrating from the region or reduce populations
• Rising sea levels that threaten communities and businesses near our coastline

(More about climate change impacts in the Southwestern U.S.)

Will some communities be impacted more than others? 

Yes. Low-income communities of color such as Barrio Logan, Sherman Heights, City Heights and National City will be hit first and worst by the impacts of climate change. These neighborhoods already suffer the health consequences of the region's pollution and they lack community resources such as healthcare, air conditioning, urban parks and tree canopy and transportation, making it challenging to cope with worsening conditions.

We have actually already seen climate change disproportionately impact disadvantaged communities. During California's heat wave of 2006, 99 percent of the associated deaths occurred in zip codes where more than half of residents were below the poverty line. (back to top)

What is San Diego doing about climate change?

The City of San Diego is in the process of developing a climate action plan for reducing the pollution that causes climate change, and preparing residents, businesses, and our natural resources for the impacts of climate change. The Port of San Diego adopted a Climate Action Plan in 2013 and is working to implement the plan now.

Stay tuned for more updates on the City and Port of San Diego's Climate Plan progress. (back to top)

Can we do anything to reduce our risk?

Yes! Do you want the good news or bad news first?

The bad news is carbon dioxide can stay in the atmosphere for nearly a century, meaning Earth will continue to warm in the coming decades. So the choices we make today--from how we use and produce energy, to how we travel, to the food and goods we purchase-- all affect the amount of greenhouse gases that stay in our atmosphere for years to come.

The good news is, San Diego can reduce its risk if we act now to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and properly prepare for changes that are already underway!

What can I do to help?

We have many solutions within our grasp to reduce pollution and secure a healthier future for our planet.  

• We can install solar panels on our rooftops and in our parking lots to reduce our reliance on dirty energy while creating local jobs at the same time. 
• We can make our buildings more energy and water efficient, build better transit and make neighborhoods more walkable and bikeable, resulting in fewer car emissions. 
• Reduce your daily impact on climate change at home and at work with small changes to daily habits -- like turning off lights and electronics and taking shorter showers.
• Get the News and Alerts to Take Action: Subscribe to our email newsletter for all our upcoming opportunities to attend a public meeting or send a letter to tell City Council and Port Commissioners you want an enforceable plan that will improve our air quality and make our communities more resilient against climate change
• Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay in the know with energy news and upcoming advocacy opportunities
• Donate to EHC to help us continue our work promoting climate action solutions
• Reduce energy and water use in your home by following these tips
  • Contact EHC to find out if you qualify for a free home energy audit or other energy efficiency improvement programs
  • Bike, walk or use public transit instead of driving as much as possible
  • Follow more tips here. (back to top)

On Monday, July 15, EHC's Green Energy/Green Jobs staff and community members made the trek to Los Angeles to ask the California Public Utilities Commission and the California Energy Commission for a cleaner energy future.

The hearing was jointly held on Southern California's energy future following the permanent closure of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS). We were joined by our allies at Sierra Club and Communities for a Better Environment.

The message we heard from our state agencies and utilities was clear-- they want to stick to their old ways of building dirty gas plants, no matter the cost to our health, our environment, our climate, and our future.

We're counting on you to help us continue pushing for a healthier, smarter energy future!

The results are in: Solar matters!

On Thursday, poll results were finalized by the William C. Velasquez Institute (WCVI) to reveal the large majority of Latinos in Southern California support and want to see a shift toward rooftop solar energy in our communities. The findings are very similar to those of a survey done last year, and further support EHC's movement for green, clean energy and illustrate the increasing prioritization of solar panel energy in Latino urban neighborhoods most affected by air pollution and dirty energy.

Some key survey results include:

• 80% believe that our state legislators should make it a high priority to increase the amount of rooftop solar energy in California;
• 70% support the net metering law that allows owners of rooftop solar panels to receive fair credit for the excess energy they generate. Industry analysts credit net metering as the cornerstone policy for continued solar growth
• The core value statement behind the net metering law is even more popular: 74% agree with the statement "if customers are required to buy power from the utility at a certain price, the utility should have to buy excess power created by customers' solar panels at the same price";
• More than half (54%) strongly agreed with the statement "growing the state's solar energy industry will create new jobs in California
• 60% of Latino voters would be less likely to vote for a candidate who opposed policies to support the green economy

Solar rooftop energy will have numerous positive effects on our communities by:

• Decreasing the carbon emissions catalyzing climate change
• Creating more jobs and boosting local economies
• Transitioning neighborhoods away from dirty, toxic air toward clean, breathable air
• Reducing preventable health diseases (such as asthma) directly associated with poor air quality

This survey tells us that Latinos' priorities have become clean energy for both local economy and public health initiatives and solar power will be a major issue in future elections. It is clear our communities are ready for positive environmental changes to happen right in our backyards – or, in this case, right on our rooftops.

For more information on this survey and the results, visit http://causecleanair.org/what-do-latino-voters-in-southern-california-think-about-rooftop-solar/.

Originally published in the UT San Diego, February 8, 2013.

In early February, we watched the implosion of the South Bay Power Plant— just one day after the California Public Utilities Commission heard public comments on two new SDG&E-proposed fossil fuel power plants in San Diego.

We're playing a game of Whack-a-Mole with our regional energy policy at ratepayers' expense. Though the demolition of the South Bay Power Plant is striking, we can't let SDG&E continue to turn a blind eye to the reasons why we don't need that plant anymore.

Reliance on fossil fuels has led to an Orwellian-esque era where each year is becoming the hottest on record and we are suffering through a series of costly and deadly weather events. In San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography warns us to expect hotter and more humid mid-summer heat waves that are worse than many inland areas while freshwater in the Southwest is becoming scarcer and our oceans are rising faster than expected.

So why is SDG&E proposing to build unneeded fossil-fuel power plants using the expensive, dirty and outdated centralized power plant model when we're barely scratching the surface of our clean energy and smart grid potential?

San Diego deserves better than this.

On top of the harmful impacts to public health and our climate from the greenhouse gases, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide that would be emitted by these two power plants, the nearly $1.6 billion dollar price tag of the power plants would be passed on to ratepayers over the next 20 years, according to the California Energy Commission.

Perhaps what's most perplexing about SDG&E's proposal, though, is that the energy from these plants is not even needed, according to both the Administrative Law Judge and the lead California Public Utilities Commissioner for the proceeding. Both have issued proposed decisions denying the plants due to a lack of need.

Even without San Onofre coming back online, SDG&E has ample power reserves to "keep the lights on." On the hottest day of the year last September, SDG&E had approximately 24 percent more energy than was needed. Further, the state agency that manages our energy grid, the California Independent Systems Operator, said the way to address the San Onofre shut down was through fixes to our transmission lines, not construction of new power plants.

Our regional leadership must embrace a strategy that prioritizes building a better future for our children by integrating demand management strategies, conservation, local clean energy generation, and energy storage into a smart modern grid that benefits all communities in San Diego.

In fact, San Diego is on the cutting-edge in this arena already. SDG&E proudly announced smart grid breakthroughs just last week that will allow them to prevent blackouts and integrate renewable resources seamlessly. UCSD has its own nationally recognized microgrid -- an on-site energy generation, distribution, and management network that balances renewable energy, electric vehicles, storage, and demand management. The microgrid is connected to SDG&E's grid but can disconnect and operate independently in "islanded mode" as needed, such as during the SDG&E blackout of September 2011, giving UCSD energy independence and security. Our local military bases are also investing in this new smart grid/microgrid approach to maximize the security and reliability of their energy needs. Naval Base Coronado and the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar are both pursuing these new solutions/grid-independence.

Environmental Health Coalition knows from our recent educational efforts within the local communities that small changes to our daily habits can result in drastic reduction in energy use.

With a newly elected Mayor Bob Filner in the City of San Diego and other progressive elected officials who have pledged to pave a new pathway for our energy future, we are excited to build a new energy paradigm as part of San Diego's innovation economy. We look forward to working with our partners in local government, labor, the business community, the military and our educational institutions to create local, family-wage, career-track jobs while reducing our carbon footprint and protecting the health of every San Diego family.

It's time we put a stop to the Whack-A-Mole approach to energy. We must demand more from our energy utility so that it produces big new solutions to the big challenges we face.

Nicole Capretz
Green Energy / Green Jobs Campaign Director for Environmental Health Coalition
City Heights Resident

Low-income communities of color have long been on the front lines of pollution and dirty energy, and now we're set to be hit first and worst by climate change. Lack of financial resources, vulnerability to poor air quality from asthma, lack of access to affordable healthcare and transportation, and minimal urban tree canopy means that our communities will be most vulnerable to impacts of climate change like hotter summer heat waves in San Diego and impaired air quality, more frequent extreme storms, diminishing freshwater and increased water prices, and rapidly rising sea levels.

Communities on the front lines know we must do everything we can to stop climate change and the dirty energy economy that exploits our natural resources, jeopardizes public health and safety, and threatens our climate stability. So why aren't our national and energy leaders on the same page?

Our President and federal government are considering approval of the huge new Keystone XL pipeline that would transport oil from the tar sands of Canada—one of the dirtiest sources of oil—all the way to the Gulf coast. And in San Diego, our local utility SDG&E wants to build two new dirty power plants.

Both sets of projects would come at great cost to public health and our climate.

It's time we stand up and say San Diego and the United States deserve better. We must demand more from our energy utilities and our elected officials to produce big solutions to the big challenges we face.

Thanks to Diane Lesher for the photos.

One recent workday when I had to drive to work instead of taking the bus, I found myself, not surprisingly, stuck in traffic. However, I had some great news to think over as I inched along - EHC's statewide game-changing victory at the PUC. This victory will create more energy efficiency education in more homes and help produce more green jobs for San Diego and California

Just before I turned off the engine of my Prius, I looked at the thermometer – winter is coming and the evenings are getting cooler. But I knew that once I got in the house it would be nice and warm. Nice and warm not from heating the house all day, but from all the energy upgrades we have done over the past two years. We put in new windows, and the white glove guys at ASI tested our house and figured how to make our house energy efficient. We got a new furnace and new heating ducts, and we got new insulation to keep our indoor temperature moderate.

We also got a nice check from SDG&E to help cover our costs. (Thanks to the ratepayers for that! You and I are funding SDG&E's rebate program – the funds don’t come out of their profits or the goodness of their hearts. They are required to spend money to help people reduce energy use).

I walked to the front door thinking about our $37 SDGE bill that I had just opened—all smiles. And there, right in front of the door, was a box. I saw that SDG&E sent it. My first thought was to write "return to sender" on it and send it back, but curiosity got the better of me.

Inside were “eco friendly” gifts and a note thanking us for our energy upgrades. We got a ball cap and a t-shirt with the SDG&E logo and the statement that we are energy efficient. I like to wear hats and T-shirts, but I don’t like to wear black hats or black shirts.

Rule number one in being energy efficient: black clothes absorb heat and make you hotter; light colored clothes reflect heat and make you cooler.

I looked at the tags and found out that the shirt was made in the Dominican Republic.

Rule number two: to reduce fuel consumption, don’t buy clothes shipped long distances to reach you.

But there was more: plastic herb garden containers, a plastic lunch bag, and a plastic water bottle.

Rule number three in being energy efficient, don’t buy things you don’t need as it takes energy to make the product, energy to bring the product to you, and energy to bring the product to the landfill.

Memo to SDG&E:

We don’t want more “stuff.” Stuff creates greenhouse gases. Moving it around creates more. We also don’t want three more fossil fueled power plants in our region. What we DO WANT from SDG&E is for them to move quickly toward a sane energy future, with policies and resources that put local, renewable energy sources ahead of fossil fuels. EHC's victory at the PUC in early November established groundwork for those improvements. No, we didn't suggest that t-shirts be a different color, or that they give out lunch-boxes instead of lunch-bags. We said that low-income families benefit more from one-on-one education vs. radio commercials to help save energy. We said that more middle-income families like mine need access to energy upgrade rebates. We said to expand green job training and get people back to work.

Beyond our recent victory, I'd like SDG&E to get out of the way of progress and let localities form their own nonprofit electric cooperatives that offer choices to residents about what kinds of energy solutions they want.

That would be the perfect gift to thank me for energy conservation.

I live in a condo in La Jolla and see solar installations sprinkled around my neighborhood. That's a good thing.

What would be better? If I looked around and saw solar on every rooftop in La Jolla— including my own— and in every neighborhood. That vision is both possible and feasible.

But despite the fact that costs are going down exponentially every year, new data from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) shows that San Diego County is using less than 3% of the solar potential SDG&E estimates is possible.

What's worse is that on my bike ride down the coast to work, I see less and less solar as I glide through Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, and Downtown. And by the time I get to Barrio Logan and then my office in National City, I don't see any solar.

The NREL data shows that my eyes are not deceiving me and the green divide is very much a real thing. Low-income, highly polluted neighborhoods like Barrio Logan, Sherman Heights, and National City have very little solar compared to wealthier neighborhoods like La Jolla and Rancho Bernardo.  In fact, La Jolla has nearly 4 times as many solar installations and over 2 times the solar kilowatts as Barrio Logan, National City, and Sherman Heights COMBINED. Rancho Bernardo has nearly 7 times as many installations and 2.4 times the kW capacity as Barrio Logan, National City, and Sherman Heights combined.

Don't believe me? See for yourself by exploring The Open PV Project website.

We don't need to let our clean air, climate, health, and economy be threatened any longer by existing or new expensive dirty power plants like the ones recently proposed near University City and Mission Trails—which were supported by our own, purportedly "smart" utility, SDG&E.

There is huge untapped potential in San Diego's low-income neighborhoods, especially on commercial rooftops, and there's even still potential for more solar in La Jolla and Rancho Bernardo. We have the technical potential to meet the County's peak energy demand using just rooftop solar, according to study co-authored by SDG&E.

So what are we waiting for, San Diego? It's time for energy independence.

-Kayla Race

IMAGE CAPTION: A visual display of the solar divide: The region's highest-income areas like La Jolla, Rancho Bernardo, and Scripps Ranch, and the City of Del Mar pop out in dark red, indicating the highest numbers of solar installations per capita. Lower-income neighborhoods in the City of San Diego, like Barrio Logan, Sherman Heights, and City Heights, are left in the dust with light yellow indicating their dismal number of solar installation. Click on the image to get a full-sized image.