Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Offers Support for CLEAN LA Solar Program

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Respected environmentalist and clean-energy pioneer Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. today added his voice to the chorus in support of the CLEAN LA solar proposal, which would harness rooftop solar power to create the largest program of its kind in the nation. Kennedy joined dozens of business, labor, community and environmental leaders who have signed on to the plan that was created jointly by the Los Angeles Business Council and UCLA.

“The CLEAN LA solar program is a smart, cost-effective solution to our need for reliable, renewable energy. It will bring jobs and clean energy to Los Angeles, and it will do so in a way that is fiscally responsible.”

“Los Angeles is the home of sunshine and innovation,” said Kennedy, who is president of the Waterkeeper Alliance. “It is time to harness both of those great resources using market-driven solutions to achieve our clean-energy future. The CLEAN LA solar proposal is a hugely important step in making that future a reality.”

Kennedy went on to express his appreciation to local leaders for their work to design a model that can be used in other cities and states. “I applaud the City of Los Angeles for embarking on this ambitious program and expect that it will serve as a model for municipalities across the nation,” he said.

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Jan Perry, Chair of the Energy and Environment Committee, welcomed Kennedy’s support for the proposal, which she has been shepherding through City Hall during the past year. At her direction, utility executives and business leaders have been working together to achieve consensus on the best way to adopt the CLEAN LA solar plan in the City of Los Angeles.

“It says a lot about this proposal that a respected national environmental leader such as Mr. Kennedy is lending his support,” Perry said. “We are proud to have his help in enacting this program for Los Angeles.”

During the past two years, the Los Angeles Business Council (LABC) has worked with researchers from UCLA in designing the model for the CLEAN LA solar plan, which would enable businesses and residents to install rooftop solar panels and sell the energy generated to LADWP. The resulting program would create local clean-energy jobs, provide abundant renewable energy and do so at a cost that is competitive with other sources of energy.

The CLEAN LA solar coalition, led by LABC, is working in partnership with the City on a five-year, 150-MW program, which would generate $500 million in local investment, create approximately 4,000 job-years in the greater Los Angeles area, and have a minimal ratepayer impact of 19 cents per month for the average residential customer. (A job-year is economic investment sufficient to employ one person for one year.)

Essential to the success of the program is the use of federal tax credits, currently in place through 2016, which will provide as much as $300 million to local businesses and homeowners for solar installation. Ideally, this program would be scaled to 600 MW, with the balance being achieved by 2020, to be most cost-effective and achieve savings over time. The CLEAN LA solar proposal, known in policy circles as a feed-in tariff, or FiT, would be by far the largest of its kind in the nation.

LABC President Mary Leslie noted the extraordinary degree of consensus among a variety of constituencies, all of which have embraced the CLEAN LA solar program.

“We are proud to have a wide coalition of business, labor, environmental and community support,” Leslie said. “The CLEAN LA solar program is a smart, cost-effective solution to our need for reliable, renewable energy. It will bring jobs and clean energy to Los Angeles, and it will do so in a way that is fiscally responsible.”

Business leaders have expressed support for the plan, and have indicated their desire to participate.

“The CLEAN LA solar plan offers real incentives for local businesses to green their business operations, achieve significant reductions in operating costs and receive a return on the capital invested in installing solar panels,” said Brad Cox, Senior Managing Director for Trammell Crow Company. “This is certainly the case at The Trammel Crow Company, one of the leading national real estate development and investment firms, where we would implement new investments in installing rooftop solar panels if the LADWP were to adopt the CLEAN LA solar program."

A list of endorsers and a fact sheet about the program are also available.