FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: Friday, February 10, 2017
CONTACTS:
Shawn Dhanak, 517-449-0402, shawn.dhanak@sierraclub.org
Kevin Beiser, 619-838-5274, kevinbeiser@sandi.net
San Diego Unified School District, Sierra Club and San Diego Unified Council of PTAs Host '2017 Family Climate Action Summit'
Community comes together to discuss the importance and benefits of reaching 100% clean energy, as well as the best way to do it
San Diego, CA -- Yesterday, Thursday, February 9 , San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) , the Sierra Club , and the San Diego Unified Council of PTAs hosted the 2017 Family Climate Action Summit. The event brought over 120 parents, teachers, students, SDUSD officials and concerned community members together to discuss the importance of taking action on climate change to safeguard our children's future and benefit families and schools financially.
Guest speakers included San Diego City Councilwoman Barbara Bry and IBEW Local 569 Environmental Organizer Micah Mitrosky .
The district is pursuing a strong Climate Action Plan that includes a 100% clean energy goal to build off a climate and clean energy resolution that the SDUSD Board passed in 2015.
"I'm so proud of SDUSD taking steps to do its part to fight climate change for our children's sake," said Kevin Beiser, SDUSD Board Vice President. " This summit was all about educating our community on the importance of SDUSD creating a strong Climate Action Plan and striving for 100% clean energy. Clean energy is saving us money that can be put back into the classroom, while also supporting an industry that provides quality careers for our students."
"Taking ambitious and necessary action to halt climate change is one the most important things we can do to safeguard our children's future," said Celeste Bobryk-Ozaki, President of the San Diego Unified Council of PTAs. "We enthusiastically stand with SDUSD and families in pursuit of a strong Climate Action Plan that would strive to get every school powered by 100% clean energy."
The Sierra Club My Generation Campaign explained how community choice energy, a not for profit alternative to San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) that the City of San Diego is studying, presents the best path for achieving 100% clean energy, along with rate competition and more access to clean energy.
SDG&E has the highest electricity rates in California and among the highest in the country. Rate hikes got so bad that SDUSD joined over 35 local school districts in forming a coalition which then hired a law firm to challenge SDG&E at the California Public Utilities Commission.
The SDUSD Board noted the rate hikes in its clean energy resolution, while adding that it desires to "partner with the City of San Diego on a feasibility study" of community choice energy.
"We're organizing grassroots support for community choice energy," said Christine Herbeck, parent and volunteer leader with the Sierra Club. "Nearly everyone that hears about it says a choice in who provides our electricity would be fantastic and is willing to take some form of action to make that known at City Hall. As a mother, I couldn't be more passionate about this."
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