Executive Officers
Jacob Lipa, Chairman
Psomas
Brad Cox, Immediate Past
Chairman
Trammell Crow Company
Alan
Rothenberg, Vice Chairman
1st Century Bank
Richard Ziman, Vice Chairman,
Chairman’s Circle
American Value Partners
Mary Leslie, President
Los Angeles Business Council
Chairman’s Circle
Celeste Altimari, Haworth
Javier Angulo, Walmart
Ellen Berkowitz, Manatt, Phelps, Phillips
LLP
Linda Bernhardt, Greenberg Traurig
Patricia T. Clarey, Health Net, Inc.
David Cobb, HDR, Inc.
Andy Cohen, FAIA, Gensler
Andrea Cohen Gehring, FAIA, LEED AP DLR
Group WWCOT
Joaquin DeMonet, Arden Realty
Kevin Dow, Turner Construction Co.
John Ek, Ek & Ek
Tom Flintoft, Kindel Gagan
Amy Freilich, Armbruster Goldsmith &
Delvac LLP
Steve Friar, Hensel Phelps Construction Co.
Gilbert Gonzales, Safeway/Vons
Ron Griffith, Century Housing Corporation
Arno Harris, Recurrent Energy
Deborah Kallick, Cedars-Sinai Health
System
Sharon Keyser, Paramount Pictures
Janet Lamkin, Bank of America
For Immediate Release
April 3, 2012
Contact: Randy James or Joseph Peters
(310) 974-6680
Rooftop Solar Energy Program Wins Critical Approval
From Los Angeles City Council
Los Angeles Business Council applauds decision allowing LADWP
to create new national model for rooftop solar energy
LOS ANGELES (April 3, 2012) – The Los Angeles City Council cleared the way for the launch
of an innovative rooftop solar-energy program today, approving a measure to allow the
Department of Water and Power (DWP) to move forward with the groundbreaking CLEAN
LA Solar program.
The CLEAN LA Solar program will allow local property owners to sell solar power
generated from rooftops and parking lots back to the DWP, using a mechanism called a
feed-in tariff, or FiT. Los Angeles will be the largest city in the nation to adopt such a
program, which will supply renewable energy at a reasonable cost while spurring private
investment, creating high-quality jobs, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and helping
the state and city meet renewable power requirements.
The Los Angeles Business Council (LABC) has been the leading advocate for the CLEAN LA
Solar program since 2009. Research conducted by the LABC and the LABC Institute has
demonstrated that enacting the full CLEAN LA Solar program, which includes a 150megawatt FiT, will create 4,500 jobs, generate $500 million in economic activity and offset
2.25 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions by 2016. Recognizing this tremendous
potential, a broad coalition of businesses, environmental groups, labor organizations and
other groups have joined the LABC to support the plan.
Antonio Manning, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.
Mike Massey, National ITC Corporation
Allan McArtor, Airbus Americas, Inc.
George Mihlsten, Latham & Watkins
Kelly Olson, HMC Architects
Jerry Porter, CresaPartners
“Today’s vote helps open the door to a significant new era in renewable power generation
in Los Angeles,” said LABC President Mary Leslie. “The CLEAN LA Solar plan will create
meaningful economic development and thousands of jobs while moving us closer to our
sustainability goals.”
Joe Ramallo, LA Dept. of Water & Power
Kevin Ratner, Forest City
Tom Roell, Parsons
Michael Rosenfeld, Next Century
Associates, LLC
David C. Sears, J.P. Morgan
Carmel Sella, Wells Fargo Bank
Sarah Shaw, JMB Realty Corporation
Patti Shwayder, AIMCO
Howard Sunkin, Los Angeles Dodgers
Lori Tierney, Unisource Solutions
Nadine Watt, Watt Companies
Mike Whatley, SunPower
Jim Willson, National Electrical Contractors
Association
Gillian Wright, Sempra Energy Utilities
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa helped set the CLEAN LA Solar plan in motion in 2008, when he
ambitiously called for a 150-megawatt FiT program to be created in Los Angeles. “It's time
we start using one of Los Angeles' most abundant resources – sunshine. By using our
resources wisely, we have the potential to lead the nation in solar power," said Mayor
Villaraigosa. "Rooftop solar in Los Angeles can create significant amounts of clean energy
and support thousands of good jobs in the process."
Currently, most of L.A.’s renewable power is generated outside the L.A. basin and
transmitted inefficiently to customers. By contrast, the CLEAN LA program will incentivize
clean-energy production within city limits by taking advantage of L.A.’s vast, underused
rooftop space. The result will be more efficient power delivery and meaningful local jobs
in such areas such as solar sales, installation and maintenance.
–more–
Rooftop Solar Energy Program Wins Critical City Approval
2-2-2
Councilmember Eric Garcetti, a longtime supporter of the CLEAN LA Solar program, said businesses in
his district and throughout the city stand to gain considerably once the program is up and running.
“Rooftop space in Los Angeles is truly an untapped resource,” Garcetti said. “This forward-thinking solar
program will allow owners of commercial and industrial buildings, as well as multifamily residential
properties, to benefit directly from our abundant sunshine, while creating jobs that our communities
need.”
The ordinance approved today authorizes Nichols, DWP’s General Manager, to move forward with a FiT
of up to 150 megawatts without returning to the City Council to approve various contracts or
agreements. The measure also provides a streamlined FiT application process and lowers the program’s
administrative costs.
Councilmember Jan Perry was also an early supporter of the program when she served as Chairwoman
of the Council’s Energy and Environment Committee.
The Board of Water and Power Commissioners is expected to approve the launch of a 10-megawatt
demonstration project later today. The first 75 megawatts of the full program are expected to come on
line this year, with an additional 75 megawatts expected by 2016. A full 150-megawatt FiT program
would power the equivalent of 34,000 L.A. homes.
Brad Cox, Senior Managing Director of Trammell Crow Company, said the CLEAN LA Solar program
should be welcomed by commercial property owners throughout Los Angeles. “We have the largest
underutilized rooftop capacity in California, and one of the sunniest cities in the country,” Cox said.
“This is a smart, cost-effective method for businesses to create economic opportunity while weaning
ourselves off the coal-fired plants that generate most of the city’s power.”
Bill Corcoran, the Western Director of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign, said today’s approval
could help L.A. become a national trailblazer when it comes to local clean energy. “Los Angeles' energy
mix leads to significant carbon pollution, waste ash and other toxic byproducts. By contrast, the CLEAN
LA Solar plan will provide renewable energy that is reliable, affordable, and sustainable,” Corcoran said.
"Better yet, we're investing money back in local businesses across the city in order to produce clean,
affordable energy, rather than sending money out-of-state to pay for dirty coal.”
In addition to members of the business, labor and environmental communities, a variety of social
justice advocates support the CLEAN LA plan as well, citing its potential to benefit diverse and lowincome communities.
“This program will allow the entire city to participate in our emerging green economy, rather than just a
privileged few,” said Bill Gallegos, executive director of Communities for a Better Environment. “In
addition, the FiT will provide critical economic help to areas where it’s needed most. We urge city
leaders to move forward with a 150-megawatt program as quickly as possible.”
The LABC will offer a training workshop for FiT applicants later this month. To learn more, please email
pthomas@labusinesscouncil.org or call (310) 226-7460.
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