Mar Vista Initiative Plays Role in Silver Lake Clean Energy Conference

Taking a leaf out of Mar Vista's book in its efforts to reach 100 percent clean energy reliance, the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council hosted a 100 Percent Clean Power by 2018 conference Saturday.

A range of community members, including activists and residents from nearby Echo Park and Eagle Rock and the Westside, gathered at the Silver Lake Library for the Earth Day conference.

The focus was on developing a sustainable agenda for the area, including building cleaner energy options. Discussions included case studies featuring Mar Vista homes that have implemented solar power and how to achieve green development projects at the local level. Open Mar Vista's James Brennan spoke at length about the Mar Vista project and how some homes have implemented multifamily solar rooftops.

The year 2018 references former Vice President Al Gore's Challenge to America to make its electricity production carbon free by 2018.

"Neighborhood councils can make changes happen even though we don't have a marketing budget; we're not just complaining about the problem," said Bonghwan Kim, general manager of L.A.'s Department of Neighborhood Empowerment. Bonghwan said there are more than 90 neighborhood councils in L.A. where people can get involved.

Evan Gillespie, of the Sierra Club's LA Beyond Coal Campaign, brought up that Santa Monica has already aimed for 100 percent clean electricity by 2020 and that Mar Vista and Venice have also adopted that goal.

"We want to emphasize energy efficiency," said Gillespie, even positing that coal plants be converted into biofuels plants. "Traditional coal plants don't offer many job opportunities anymore." 

This month, Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law a mandate that says 33 percent of the state's electricity must come from renewable sources by 2020, the Los Angeles Times reported. 

Later, California Assemblyman Mike Gatto, who was able to stay for only 20 minutes of the four-hour conference, aroused some minor debate among residents when he discussed military technology that could generate electric power from vibration sensors via freeway driving.

"Freeways aren't going to go anywhere," said Gatto, who noted the state's culture of cars. "We can turn our roads into energy sources."

Others, in contrast, argued that more focus should be put on micro-level projects such as solar panel roofs. "Instead of building more on our freeways, why not knock out freeway lanes and build a public transit system like a train in place?" suggested one attendee.

While acknowledging the suggestion, Gatto stressed that the state is lagging when it comes to cleaner energy. "Here in California, we talk about being a leader of clean energy," he said. "The reality is we have a long way to go." According to Gatto, as of 2007, the percentage of California electricity coming from solar was zero.

In Los Angeles, renewable electricity technologies are also an option if you don't have the luxury of being a homeowner and are thus unable to install solar panels, according to Jason Rondou of L.A.'s Department of Water & Power, who spoke after Gatto.

"Participation in Green Power has been through the roof," he said, adding that he expected the city to be at a 30 percent Green Power participation by 2020. View DWP's Green Power Annual Reports.

One of the last speakers, Council District 5 Planning Deputy Christopher Koontz, emphasized that citizens become involved by contacting their councils and attending meetings. "Here in L.A. the only way to get greener roofs is if the community demands it from the neighborhood councils," said Koontz. "You have enormous power at the local level through community councils."

Speakers also included Nick Karno of Al Gore's The Climate Project, Mike Fong from the Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's office and Kokayi Jitahidi of Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy Re-Power LA Campaign. City Council member Tom LaBonge also spent some time at the conference.

In other green events, you can do your part and volunteer this Saturday April 30 (before or after you take the ) at the L.A. River Day of Service projects organized by Villaraigosa. From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., you can get involved in 20 riverside sites and 50 neighborhood projects along the 51-mile Los Angeles River. The band Ozomatli will perform at 2 p.m.

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