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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - A City Council motion was introduced today to have the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power create an equitable hiring plan as it works toward reaching 100% renewable energy.
The motion was introduced by Councilmen Paul Krekorian and Mitch O'Farrell, who on April 6 also introduced a motion to get the city to 100% clean energy by 2035, a decade earlier than the current goal. That motion will be reviewed by the Energy, Climate Change, Environmental Justice and River Committee on Thursday.
“Another summer of wildfires and drought is a stark reminder that the devastating effects of climate change are already here, and our work to achieve 100% clean energy in the city is urgent,'' said O'Farrell, the chair of the committee. “As we relentlessly pursue a future powered by renewables -- and the thousands of new jobs that will be created -- we must ensure there is full equity in the hiring process and throughout the workforce. Many Angelenos live in environmentally and economically disadvantaged communities, and we will not leave them behind.''
If approved, the motion would instruct the DWP to create a long-term hiring and workforce plan for the pathway identified in the study. The plan would focus on “ensuring project labor agreements, prevailing wage and targeted hiring requirements.''
It also would increase hiring from neighborhoods of Los Angeles that are “environmentally and economically disadvantaged.''
On March 24, the city released the LA100 Study, which found that the DWP -- the nation's largest municipal utility -- can reach the city's goal by 2045 or sooner if it rapidly deploys wind and solar power, electrical storage and other technologies.
The study was conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory in partnership with the DWP and USC. It is one of the largest studies of its kind conducted by the federal government.
While researchers found that L.A. can reach entirely renewable energy by 2045, it also noted that the city can dramatically reduce its greenhouse gases, from 76% to 99% less than 2020 levels, by 2030 if the city begins to work toward these goals now. The study provided pathways to reach these goals, and each one has a similar trajectory with 73% to 92% of renewable energy generation coming from wind and solar resources.
The study was initiated by a motion introduced in 2016 by Krekorian and Councilman Mike Bonin.
“The city's commitment to clean energy through LA100 is projected to generate thousands of jobs in the coming years,'' Krekorian said Wednesday after introducing the motion to ensure equitable hiring. “In this early stage, it is critically important that we ensure that the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power develops a plan for hiring and promotion that explicitly recognizes equity, especially for residents of economically disadvantaged communities. This plan will help ensure that LA100 delivers thousands of lasting, good-paying careers for Angelenos.''
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