HomeMy WebLinkAbout6/16/2020 Item 11, Smith
Clerk, Intern
From:carolyn smith <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Item 11 - Clean Energy Choice Policy
Mayor Harmon and Council Members:
I urge you to continue this very controversial item to a future agenda when residents and others who
will be affected by this ordinance will be able to appear in person to make their voices heard. Phoning
in or emailing does not have the same impact that in-person appearance before a governing body
provides. When the Rental Housing Inspection Program was adopted and/or removed, another
controversial issue, the in-person comments were very effective in influencing the council's decisions.
Please don't deny the many who wish to weigh in on this issue the chance to speak to you in person,
as the city's governing body. Please continue this until in-person council meetings have been
reinstated.
If you choose not to do that, then I urge you to use this opportunity to mold an ordinance that doesn't
limit future home buyers in SLO of every economic status from buying a home of dual energy, if they
so desire. This ordinance will primarily allow those who are more affluent to have a choice for dual
energy since they will be the only ones who can afford the burdensome expense of the offsets, fees,
and requirement of installing all electric infrastructure. Providing incentives only, such as a rebate
program or Grant, will create more equity in allowing all home buyers to have the same choice.
Furthermore, an all electric home could increase utility costs for those who can barely afford to
purchase a home and are already struggling to make ends meet. A small rooftop solar array (which
also adds to the price of a home), will most likely not provide for all the electricity needs of a family in
an all electric home, most likely causing a high bill to be paid at the end of the annual solar true up
period. High utility bills can exclude home buyers nearly as much as the actual price of a home.
As an example, my husband and I live in a 2,000 sq. ft. home with a 5 kw rooftop solar array. We
have gas heating, gas clothes dryer, gas stove, gas water heater, and no air conditioning. Since there
are only two of us, we produce more than we use, but not by a lot. If we were a family of 4 in an all
electric home, we certainly would come nowhere near breaking even at the end of our annual true up
period. Since the solar arrays usually built on newer homes are smaller than 5 kw, the production will
be far less than what my panels produce, causing the family of 4 a large payment for electricity usage
due at the end of the true up period.
Since one of this council's primary goals has been to make housing more affordable for our workforce
and lower income citizens, it seems counter productive to create an ordinance that results in higher
home prices, denying power choices to those who have limited resources. In reviewing the MLS each
week, I note that the vast majority of the homes being built and for sale in our city are in the $700-
$800,000+ range and rising. These are NOT affordable for most of our workforce families. Please
don't add to this high priced market by creating an ordinance that will make it even harder for a large
segment of hard-working people to purchase a home in SLO, who would like to have the same
choices as those more fortunate. Thank you for your serious consideration of this obviously
contentious issue.
Carolyn Smith, SLO Resident
1