Sustainable Silicon Valley fits San Mateo County's Long-Term Energy Strategy

Source:  Dec. 20, 2005, page 4 article from The Examiner/Independent, entitled "County aims for long-term energy strategy"

This week the County of San Mateo will recommend that the City/County Association of Government, a joint powers agency of peninsula cities and San Mateo County, create a comprehensive energy plan.  The plan would give local governments a strategy for dealing with energy supply interruptions and helping them reduce energy use and their reliance on PG&E.  The County joined Sustainable Silicon Valley (SSV) as a CO2 partner in November with a goal to reduce electricity use 20% over the next five years. The overall SSV goal for the region is to reduce CO2 emissions 20% from 1990 levels by 2010.  The County is also raising their fleet vehicle mileage from 22 to 27 mpg and converting to gas-fired co-generation at the Maguire Jail and San Mateo Medical Center.

[The following is an excerpt from the Dec. 20 article] "...the 19 members of SSV throughout San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda,and Santa Cruz counties reduced their emissions 3.2 percent from 2000 to 2004 compared to an overall increase [for the region] in carbon dioxide emissions of 5.3 percent, SSV President Jennifer Smith Grubb said.

"San Mateo County is one of the leading municipal groups in the area, and the fact that they have joined SSV proves they are taking a leadership role on the Peninsula," said Stan Van Velsor, global warming program coordinator for the Loma Prieta chapter of the Sierra Club.  "It says to other organizations we think this is important, which tends to legitimize it."  The Sierra Club is also a member of SSV."