Green Energy For Los Angeles

The chair of L.A.'s municipally-owned Department of Water and Power outlines how the city will build up its portfolio of green power by 2010.

2 minute read

February 24, 2007, 7:00 AM PST

By Nate Berg


"Without a doubt, the largest single source of L.A.'s energy comes from the filthiest of fuels: coal. Nearly 50 percent comes from coal, 29 percent from natural gas, 9 percent from nuclear, about 7 percent from large hydro, and the rest from renewable resources. Last year, we doubled our renewable resources. That is the basic profile, and it gives us an emissions footprint that is not enviable. It means that we have to do more than other utilities in order to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. We've made a lot of progress recently, and we're possibly the first utility to register with the Climate Registry and state exactly what our emissions are, but we have a long way to go."

"I also believe that Los Angeles can exercise business leadership here. We should try to be the incubator and the center for the renewable technology industry. We should foster an environment where innovation and creativity can flourish, and if we can do that we will reap tremendous benefits. We'll manage to create, right here, an exportable commodity that will be in great demand in places such as China and India, and other places, as they start to grapple with the side effects of economic expansion. Those are some reasons why I think it's beneficial and necessary for us to pursue a course of vigorous diversification."

Thanks to Josh Stephens

Friday, February 23, 2007 in The Metro Investment Report

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Bend, Oregon

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing

The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.

2 hours ago - Strong Towns

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

3 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive

Green Skid Row mural satirizing city limit sign in downtown Los Angeles, California.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents

The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.

4 hours ago - Los Angeles Public Press