Brittle Power- PARTS 1-3 (+Notes) - Natural Capitalism Solutions

Chapter Seventeen: Achieving Resilience 311er and more resilient patterns of energy use and supply—is desirable (thisagreement will usually, though not always, ensure active cooperation); and•an understanding that speed is essential if enough progress is to be madebefore the local economy’s ability to respond is further damaged by highenergy prices or by interruptions of supply.Some local governments have appointed an energy coordinator to help provideleadership for local efficiency-and-renewables programs. About two-fifthsof the cities and counties in California, for example, have such a person. 43Energy coordinators have shown they can stimulate local governments to practicegreater energy efficiency themselves (which sets a good example and visiblyimproves local finances); to link with citizen and business groups; and toinitiate energy programs for action by local legislative bodies, administrators,and community groups. In some cases, very sophisticated long-term energyprograms have resulted. 44 Coordinators can also help diverse governmentagencies to keep in touch and can serve as troubleshooters to help keep theenergy plan on track. Thus Santa Barbara’s coordinator monitors the progressof efficiency improvements in each government department and advises eachdepartment head annually on new goals. 45 Over sixty percent of Californiacities and counties, generally through the efforts of an energy coordinator, haveanalyzed how they use energy in government buildings, and nearly seventypercent monitor the local government’s own energy use. 46 Where the climateis not yet ripe (as in the early stages of the work in Franklin County,Massachusetts), the coordinator may be unable to take concrete action withoutfirst building an internal consensus among county commissioners, departmentheads, and staffs, and setting up a community energy information center tostimulate informed discussion. 47 But where institutions are ready to act, anenergy coordinator can repay his or her salary quickly through energy savings—asthe one in Santa Clara County, California did by saving the countyone hundred fifty to two hundred thousand dollars in her first two years.Getting startedThe process of agreeing on, pursuing, and achieving greater local energyself-reliance and resilience can be started in many ways. One of the mostpromising is to invite citizens to a session of energy brainstorming and planning.This is the approach developed by Joel Schatz, formerly energy coordinatorfor the state of Oregon. His “Energy Futures Conference” concept hasbeen applied in Salem, Oregon; Boulder, Colorado; and Missoula, Montana.A conference coordinator brings together local leaders, chosen both as occupantsof key positions and as innovative thinkers, without regard to their ini-