Sierra
Business
Council
and
Sierra
County
release
Public
Review
Draft
of
the
County’s
Energy
Action
Plan
Downieville, Calif. – Sierra Business Council (SBC) and Sierra County have released the Public
Review Draft of the County’s Energy Action Plan (EAP) and invite you to join us for a Planning
Commission meeting on October 13th, 2016 at 10am at the Sierra County Courthouse, Board of
Supervisors Chambers, 100 Courthouse Sq., Downieville, CA to learn about the EAP and provide
public comment. The County has partnered with SBC to develop strategies for increasing energy
efficiency in the unincorporated county that will result in reduced emissions and lower energy
bills.
The strategies are augmented by concrete measures the County can readily implement within a
reasonable timeframe. The strategies and implementing actions not only result in reduced
emissions but also money saved on energy bills. Additional benefits include greater selfsufficiency
in terms of local energy generation and use, potential to spur new business and boost
the local economy, and possible access to funding for energy efficiency projects. There are five
energy reduction focus areas: existing structures, new construction, renewable energy,
municipal operations and water energy. The EAP is available for review at the Sierra County
Planning Department website under Current Planning Projects, here:
http://www.sierracounty.ca.gov/index.aspx?NID=471.
For development of the EAP, input was widely sought within the County to help shape its
content and ensure the document is relevant and realistic. The public outreach strategy included
an online survey and a community study session hosted by the Sierra County Planning
Commission (June 8, 2016). The online survey was kept open from April 4th, 2016 to June 27th,
2016 and received 34 responses.
It’s a huge achievement that Sierra County has taken the first steps in understanding the
community’s energy use. Reducing a community’s demand on the energy grid helps lighten the
load on the local electricity grids and reduce the need to import electricity from outside the
region. Being more energy efficient also reduces the amount of money spent on utility bills,
making housing more affordable while freeing up money that can be better spent within the
local economy.
Sierra Business Council (SBC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit fostering thriving communities in the
Sierra Nevada via “on-the-ground” projects that promote social, natural and economic capital.
Information on SBC’s projects can be found at www.sierrabusiness.org. This program is
funded by California utility rate-payers and administered by the Pacific Gas and Electric
Company under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission.
##
Business
Council
and
Sierra
County
release
Public
Review
Draft
of
the
County’s
Energy
Action
Plan
Downieville, Calif. – Sierra Business Council (SBC) and Sierra County have released the Public
Review Draft of the County’s Energy Action Plan (EAP) and invite you to join us for a Planning
Commission meeting on October 13th, 2016 at 10am at the Sierra County Courthouse, Board of
Supervisors Chambers, 100 Courthouse Sq., Downieville, CA to learn about the EAP and provide
public comment. The County has partnered with SBC to develop strategies for increasing energy
efficiency in the unincorporated county that will result in reduced emissions and lower energy
bills.
The strategies are augmented by concrete measures the County can readily implement within a
reasonable timeframe. The strategies and implementing actions not only result in reduced
emissions but also money saved on energy bills. Additional benefits include greater selfsufficiency
in terms of local energy generation and use, potential to spur new business and boost
the local economy, and possible access to funding for energy efficiency projects. There are five
energy reduction focus areas: existing structures, new construction, renewable energy,
municipal operations and water energy. The EAP is available for review at the Sierra County
Planning Department website under Current Planning Projects, here:
http://www.sierracounty.ca.gov/index.aspx?NID=471.
For development of the EAP, input was widely sought within the County to help shape its
content and ensure the document is relevant and realistic. The public outreach strategy included
an online survey and a community study session hosted by the Sierra County Planning
Commission (June 8, 2016). The online survey was kept open from April 4th, 2016 to June 27th,
2016 and received 34 responses.
It’s a huge achievement that Sierra County has taken the first steps in understanding the
community’s energy use. Reducing a community’s demand on the energy grid helps lighten the
load on the local electricity grids and reduce the need to import electricity from outside the
region. Being more energy efficient also reduces the amount of money spent on utility bills,
making housing more affordable while freeing up money that can be better spent within the
local economy.
Sierra Business Council (SBC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit fostering thriving communities in the
Sierra Nevada via “on-the-ground” projects that promote social, natural and economic capital.
Information on SBC’s projects can be found at www.sierrabusiness.org. This program is
funded by California utility rate-payers and administered by the Pacific Gas and Electric
Company under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission.
##
