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Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
S. David Freeman, chief energy advisor to Gov. Gray Davis, addresses the crowd at the second Regional Energy Summit at Synopsys in Sunnyvale. Freeman talked about the state's current energy crisis and warned that if California residents don't conserve this summer, the government will turn to drilling for more sources of energy--possibly off of California's coast.
Energy minds meet twice in Sunnyvale
Sunnyvale Chamber and Synopsys host political energy VIPs
By Gretchen Knaup
In seperate symposiums on the energy crisis, Sunnyvale's Chamber of Commerce and Synopsys both hosted members at the forefront of the power community. They attempted to present residents with feasible solutions to making it through the current shortage.
Some Sunnyvale companies that were present at the Chamber's May 10 symposium included Synopsys, Home Depot, EcoEnergies and the Union Bank of California. Also there were the public safety department and PG&E representatives. The Synopsys-sponsored Silicon Valley Energy Summit was held on May 4.
At the Chamber's function, EcoEnergies gave a presentation entitled "Solar Electricity and Backup Power," which provided alternatives to gas and electricity. It provided information on the values of solar heating. "[Solar heating panels help] the roof by protecting it from sunlight. It also adds a measure of insulation so you don't need to use as much electricity in the winter. You are generating your own power," said EcoEnergies representative Andy Black.
He also explained the benefits of an uninterrupted power supply. "During a blackout, a UPS keeps your electricity on, because when you add solar to this, you can keep your battery full all the time," he said.
Other benefits include net metering, where money is returned for every solar kilowatt used, a 10 percent business tax credit and the green marketing value. The Union Bank was present at the Chamber's symposium to help residents finance any steps they wanted to take in this direction.
Mike Marshall of public safety spoke about how to keep safe during blackouts. "We need all the exit ways clear. Also, you need to assign someone to help people get out of your building," he said.
According to Theo Olson of Synopsys, there are many websites with energy-saving information and blackout alerts, includinghomeenergysaver.com, consumerenergycenter.com and sfgate.com. He added, "PG&E also has a great website with lots of information."
At the Silicon Valley Energy Summit, many of the companies present discussed a possible solution for the current energy crisis. State and federal representatives were present to discuss legislation, as well as technological experts with innovative plans of action.
The mayors of all the cities in Santa Clara County spoke about their cities efforts. Sunnyvale Mayor Jack Walker said, "We expanded our landfill facility to include operating our water plant. We are now able to export energy from the landfill to the power grid." He added, "We are retaining consultants to help us do that."
According to San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales, proposals are in progress for leasing city properties for the use of generating plants. "We hope to get a vote from council by summer," he said.
Keynote speaker David Freeman, chief energy advisor to Gov. Gray Davis, said reluctantly, "They didn't build any power plants in California. The electrical power industry was falling asleep at the switches, so what's happened is the demand without the conservation. Now we're moving rapidly to a shortage ... The answer is to build our own power plants."
According to Freeman, California is facing a major crisis because of these insufficient energy paths. The state can't build generators fast enough; therefore, the state's only method of survival is conservation, he said.
"Conservation is not a dirty word in California," Freeman said. "Conservation is a very conservative idea. We are engaging in common sense."
Experts believe the state will have to find 20,000 megawatts to get through the peak demand hours this summer, but the California Department of Water Resources only plans on signing contracts for 5,600 megawatts. About 73 percent of the power generated will come from the southern part of the state. This poses a major threat to the Bay Area because constraints in Path 15, which is the key high-voltage line linking California's southern and northern regions, could make it impossible to ship the power here during emergencies.
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Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
