MOTION -- The City of Los Angeles’ LA 100 plan is one of the most ambitious and impactful renewable energy policies in the country. With a mandate and strategy for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to achieve 100% carbon-free electricity by 2035, Los Angeles is at the forefront of the climate change fight and is setting the standard and tone for other jurisdictions to follow.
In the years leading up to 2035, the LA100 transition will spur innovation, and the LADWP should facilitate the development and implementation of new technologies that encourage distributed generation of clean energy. Other cities have already begun positioning themselves to take advantage of such innovations. New York City recently streamlined its approval process for several types of solar panel installations on landmarked buildings. Here in California, the City of Sonoma recently launched an application speeding up the permitting process for devices related to residential rooftop solar panels.
Los Angeles must likewise ensure that new technologies that may assist the City in reaching its energy policy goals are responsibly implemented by both residential and commercial customers. A meter socket adaptor, for example, is an invention that may make some expensive electrical service upgrades unnecessary and improve electrical resilience, but which may also pose certain risks to consumers. The LADWP, which approves many such products on the City’s behalf, should reexamine its approval process and consider ways to make it quicker and more transparent. The LADWP should give organizations timely feedback on proposed inventions.
I THEREFORE MOVE that the LADWP be requested to report on their existing process for reviewing and adopting new technologies related to solar and battery system installations in commercial and residential properties, including a specific report back on meter socket adaptors, and provide recommendations to make this review process quicker and more transparent.