Prop. 7 lacks favor in city

GLENDALE — Local water and power officials are slated to publicly express their discontent in front of the City Council on Tuesday about a Nov. 4 ballot measure that opponents say will raise user rates and hurt electrical operations in the city.

In publicly opposing Proposition 7, the solar and clean energy initiative, Glendale Water & Power joins utility companies, energy groups and both major political parties in saying the measure is an unnecessary and costly ruse to achieve energy-efficiency.

Backers of Proposition 7 seek to increase the state’s renewable portfolio standard to 20% by 2010, 40% by 2020 and 50% by 2025. The measure would also force utility providers to generate at least 2% of its power from renewable energy sources instead of the current rate of 1%.

Proponents of the measure, including Steve Hopcraft, spokesman for California for Solar and Clean Energy, said the state has to be forced into action to increase its renewable energy output.

“It’s laudable they have a 25% goal,” he said of the objective some utilities have set for themselves to increase its renewable energy portfolio. “But we don’t think it’s enough.”

But nearly 200 local governments, political organizations, labor groups, businesses and taxpayer associations disagree.

“What we’re trying to do is a much more measured approach,” Glendale Water & Power Director Glenn Steiger said. “We’ve adopted our own renewable standards. We think we can get to some reasonable numbers, and Proposition 7 makes it really hard.”

In 2003, the Glendale City Council approved a 10% expansion of the city’s renewable portfolio by 2010 and a 20% jump by 2017.

Steiger, like other utility company officials who have fought the measure, including Burbank’s, also fears that passage of Proposition 7 will force users to pay more for their energy at a time when budgets are already constricted.

If it does pass, the proposition would impose penalties on utility companies that do not comply with the renewable portfolio standard ramp that could then raise energy costs for companies and rates for consumers.

Burbank Water & Power General Manager Ron Davis said energy costs will rise by at least 10%, which, in turn, would result in higher utility rates for customers.