https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources & Events
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources/Events
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers/eBooks
    • IWCE Expo
    • Calendar of Events
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Magazine
acc.com


INSIDE WASHINGTON/Local officials want input into energy policy

INSIDE WASHINGTON/Local officials want input into energy policy

As temperatures rise and rolling blackouts sweep California, local officials are working overtime to avoid a major energy crisis this summer. Prompted
  • Written by Mark Preston
  • 1st July 2001

As temperatures rise and rolling blackouts sweep California, local officials are working overtime to avoid a major energy crisis this summer. Prompted by the fear that an electricity shortage could create health and safety problems and stunt their communities’ economic growth, the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National Association of Counties have convened special meetings over the past several months to seek solutions to the nation’s energy problems.

In May, the USCM held a Best Practices summit to discuss energy conservation methods. That same month, officials from NACo met with energy and environmental representatives at the Western Interstate Region Conference to discuss the energy crisis. The topic also is expected to be one of the top subjects discussed at NACo’s annual conference this month in Philadelphia.

Local officials also want to make sure their voices are heard in the development of a national energy policy, realizing that such a policy is likely to be controversial and fought largely along partisan lines. “We know that dealing with the nation’s energy challenges requires local leadership,” says North Little Rock (Ark.) Mayor Patrick Hays.

Still, local officials are careful not to criticize either President Bush’s energy plan or the Congressional Democrats’ proposal, which differ sharply on such things as oil exploration in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and nuclear power. “We have to put aside our [political differences] and really concentrate on putting forward our best creative minds and our best public policy,” says Santa Clara (Calif.) Mayor Judy Nadler.

The recent defection of Vermont Sen. Jim Jeffords from the Republican Party likely has bought city and county officials more time to put their stamp on any emerging energy bill in Congress. Republican leaders had hoped to have an energy bill on Bush’s desk for signature by Independence Day, but Jeffords’ defection may have put the brakes on those efforts.

Local officials differ on the best solutions to the energy crisis, but there appears to be consensus that more power plants should be built and that an aggressive nationwide conservation program should be adopted. However, building power plants can be a difficult subject for local leaders who must contend with residents who do not want to live next door to the plants.

For example, San Jose (Calif.) Mayor Ron Gonzales had opposed the building of a natural gas-fueled power plant in his city, but he realized the state’s energy crisis and the plant’s endorsement by Gov. Gray Davis were high hurdles to overcome. In late May, Gonzales gave the project his stamp of approval, opting to negotiate the best possible deal with the power company for his city. Among other things, Gonzales was able to win concessions that will help protect the plant’s neighbors from air pollution.

Building nuclear power plants is more controversial. The idea has many opponents, although some mayors embrace it. Charlotte (N.C.) Mayor Pat McCrory considers his city “very fortunate” to have four operating nuclear units.

“Nuclear power is not only used, it is readily accepted,” McCrory says. “It is a clean industry, because we aren’t pumping pollution into the lakes or the air.” The issue of where to store spent reactor rods, which remain radioactive for years, remains a stumbling block.

Many local officials believe that building new plants and tapping into nuclear energy will work only in conjunction with energy conservation measures. A number of local agencies in California have pursued an aggressive public education campaign called “Watt’s Going On, California” to decrease energy use in the state. Last month, California residents cut their energy usage by 11 percent.

The author is Washington correspondent for American City & County.

Tags:

Most Recent


  • disaster
    Fast disaster recovery construction projects
    There is profound wisdom embedded in the age-old saying attributed to Benjamin Franklin, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” In today’s rapidly changing landscape, these words resonate with a heightened sense of urgency. The National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) paints a stark picture in the United States: 2022 alone witnessed […]
  • Report: Local cybersecurity programs are facing headwinds as threats, technologies evolve
    The evolving technological landscape isn’t just changing the nation’s social and economic norms, it’s also pushing local governments to adapt. A new analysis from the Public Technology Institute provides a snapshot of the challenges local cybersecurity programs are facing, and the priorities of city and county administrators as they guide organizations through an unprecedented era […]
  • CISA publishes AI roadmap to support security, competitiveness of American cities and counties
    The advent of artificial intelligence poses technical, ethical, political and security challenges for American local governments of all sizes. As AI becomes more prevalent and pervasive with each year that passes, the federal government is taking proactive steps now to avert future crises. A key part of that initiative is a new plan called the […]
  • EPA opens $2B in funding for climate resilience, environmental justice projects
    In the national push toward climate resilience, investing in a way that’s equitable for everyone is an important consideration—and one the federal government is currently prioritizing. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently opened about $2 billion in funding to support community-driven projects that deploy clean energy, strengthen climate resilience, and build capacity for communities to […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • NLC releases State of Cities 2021 report
  • How governments can keep employees safe as they return to work
  • Lessons from your friendly neighborhood public service employees
  • North Texas alliance partners with Marketplace.city on smart government solutions

White papers


The Four Key Components of Successful Digital Transformation

22nd November 2023

Navigating Today’s Greatest Workplace Challenges

3rd October 2023

7 Resources to Level-up Your Federal Grants Administration and Compliance

5th September 2023
view all

Webinars


Grant Preparedness: Unlocking Funding Opportunities for Your Success

10th August 2023

2023 State of Public Sourcing: Taking Local Governments into a Bright Future

1st August 2023

Stop Playing with Fire: How to Manage Infrastructure Asset Risk So You Know You’re Covered

20th June 2023
view all

PODCAST


Podcast: Disaster Management Symposium preview

13th October 2023

Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020
view all

GALLERIES


Gallery: Top 10 domestic city travel destinations this Thanksgiving season

22nd November 2023

Gallery: 10 American cities that have seen substantial population growth in the last five years

6th November 2023

Gallery: 10 of America’s greenest large cities

24th October 2023
view all

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.