Council wants energy contracts

CITY HALL — The City Council on Thursday unanimously approved entering into three out-of-state renewable energy projects in an effort to get a third of its electricity from green sources by 2020.

The decision came as state legislators prepared to vote Friday on a pair of bills that would not count clean energy gleaned from similar out-of-state contracts as strict renewable energy requirements.

The new agreements with Tieton Hydropower, Raser Geothermal and La Paz Solar Tower were approved in a special meeting Thursday just a day before lawmakers were scheduled to vote on Assembly Bill 64 and Senate Bill 14, which could set Friday as a deadline, after which out-of-state clean energy would not be counted toward renewable energy portfolios.

Both bills would require utilities to get 33% of their energy from in-state renewable sources by 2020, but Burbank and Glendale have already pledged to reach that benchmark. The difference is in where the energy come from.

The council, after limited discussion in July, voted to officially oppose both bills unless they were amended to count outside clean energy sources. As of Thursday, they joined more than 60 utilities in opposing the language proposed in the pair of bills by Assemblyman Paul Krekorian and Sen. Joe Simitian, it could jeopardize their ability to meet the state requirement and drive up utility rates.

Burbank is on track to receive 19.5% of its energy from renewable sources by 2012, and currently culls about 9% from a mix of wind, solar and hydrologic projects in states such as Utah, Oregon and Washington. An additional 2% is generated from within California.

“Unfortunately, Sacramento decided that they were going to get involved in this even when everyone was on board,” said Councilman Dave Golonski, who along with Burbank Water and Power General Manager Ron Davis traveled to the state capital to lobby on the region’s behalf. “This legislation, I view it as a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”