Long Beach Mayor Discusses Incentives for Renewable Energy

At a recent conference in Southern California, Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster argues for the federal government to stay out of the way of good work and to sponsor an "Apollo Project" for renewable energy.

2 minute read

March 4, 2008, 5:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


With jurisdiction over one of the nation's largest ports and with experience at the California Energy Commission and as chief of staff for the California State Senate's Energy Committee, Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster is well versed on the issues of renewable energy and green infrastructure. The article features remarks made by the mayor at the recent GreenXchange Global marketplace Conference.

"When I was at Edison, we had the great fortune of having a guy named Bill Gould as chairman in the early ‘80s, who, before anybody else in the electric industry, wanted to move towards renewables. He happened to be a Long Beach citizen, actually. Bill Gould set a policy for the SCE company to have ten percent of its portfolio in renewable energy. There was no requirement. It was ground-breaking. He did it because he thought it was the right thing to do."

"We all know that every local government is looking for dollars to do things that they find necessary. This is just about policy. We're taking it upon ourselves, the two ports and the two cities, to clean up those ports, to electrify them, and to make sure that the handling equipment is clean. It's either going to be electric or some other clean, alternative fuel. We're going to change the trucking industry to have alternative fuel trucks and clean diesel trucks."

Tuesday, February 26, 2008 in VerdeXchange News

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

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Red and white "Wildfire Evacuation Route" sign on signpost.

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions

An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

July 10 - The Markup

Protester at Echo Park Lake, Los Angeles holding sign that says "Housing is a human right"

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?

The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.

July 10 - Shelterforce Magazine

Aerial of rainbow painted crosswalks at large intersection in Castro District, Sna Francisco, California.

Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts

Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.

July 10 - Streetsblog USA

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Home and Land Services Coordinator

Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA