Sonoma Goes Solar Countywide

Local governments set to join Solar Sonoma County
Organizers have presented membership resolutions to all nine cities and the County of Sonoma to schedule an upcoming agenda.


The Sebastopol City Council will be the first local government to consider the SSC membership resolution at its August 5 meeting, followed by the Cities of Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park on August 12; City of Cloverdale on August 13, Cities of Sonoma and Windsor on August 20; and City of Cotati on August 27.

Solar Sonoma County is a local effort to expand the highly successful Solar Sebastopol program to a countywide effort through a public-private consortium of local governments, solar companies, businesses, and other community groups. Solar Sonoma County’s overall goal is to promote and stimulate the generation of clean, renewable, cost-effective solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal energy to supply more of Sonoma County’s energy needs. SSC will support the Sonoma County Supervisors’ and the County’s nine cities’ commitments to their aggressive 2015 greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets by developing a countywide Solar Implementation Plan. The plan will include elements to encourage and facilitate widespread adoption of solar energy for public, commercial, industrial, and residential buildings, thus addressing a major source of county carbon emissions.

As of June 2008, an estimated 18 megawatts of solar photovoltaics are installed throughout the county. Solar Sonoma County has set an initial target of 25 new megawatts over the next three years. The membership of all nine cities and the County of Sonoma is a cornerstone to achieving this aggressive goal. Pacific Gas & Electric and the Sonoma County Water Agency have stepped forward to sponsor the first year of local governments’ membership in Solar Sonoma County to support this effort.

"I am very pleased that the City of Santa Rosa now has the opportunity to officially join Solar Sonoma County as a member,” says Santa Rosa Mayor John Sawyer. “I look forward to working with the other eight cities and the County to further this effort as we all pull together to reduce our carbon footprint here in Sonoma County.”

More than 55 representatives from local governments, businesses, and organizations with an interest in promoting solar participate in Solar Sonoma County’s Working Group. Smaller project groups are exploring specific policies and initiatives to make solar more feasible and to spur widespread solar energy adoption in the areas of:

· Reducing or removing financial barriers for municipalities, businesses, and homeowners

· Creating additional solar and energy efficiency incentives.

· Streamlining existing and recommending new local solar policies

· Engaging and educating the public about energy efficiency and solar energy through local events and centralized resources

· Identifying additional projects for achieving initial and future solar energy production goals

· Facilitating local governments’ efforts to install more solar on their own facilities.

· Creating and adopting a countywide Solar Implementation Plan.

Participation in Solar Sonoma County also provides a means for local governments to take action toward achieving their climate protection targets to reduce emissions to 25% below 1990 levels by 2015. Solar Sonoma County’s initial 25-megawatt target equates to about 10 percent of countywide electricity demand, which will offset an estimated 8,500 tons of carbon emissions annually.

About Solar Sonoma County

In Fall 2007, a group of interested representatives from county and city governments, solar companies, Pacific Gas & Electric, labor unions, and other local business interests began meeting together to explore the possibility of expanding Solar Sebastopol throughout the county.

In January 2008, the City of Sebastopol, on behalf of Solar Sonoma County, won a Bay Area Air Quality Management District grant to expand Solar Sebastopol countywide.
In March 2008, the City of Santa Rosa, on behalf of Solar Sonoma County, won a prestigious U.S. Department of Energy Solar America Cities grant to form SSC and create a countywide solar implementation plan. Santa Rosa is now one of only 25 Solar America Cities nationwide designated by the DOE to set the example for the rest of the nation on how to mainstream solar energy through local action.

Solar Sonoma County will host a kickoff event on Thursday, September 18, 2008 at Sonoma Mountain Village, 4-7 p.m. to provide an opportunity for key local leaders to learn more about Solar Sonoma County and get involved by becoming members. Top U.S. Department of Energy officials will highlight Sonoma County’s potential to become a national model and leader in solar energy.

For more information about Solar Sonoma County, visit www.solarsonomacounty.org.