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C._:. Assets, Opportunities, and Barriers <br /> <br />In developing an action plan. energy-related assets, opportunities, and barriers in <br />Pleasanton were explored: <br /> <br />Assets include the technically sophisticated and highly educated local populace: <br />local organizations: local schools; local media; local energy businesses: local <br />builders; receptive City, State, and Federal leadership; nearby governments and <br />agencies with experience; professional and trade schools and organizations: and <br />the City of Pleasanton's financial management skills. <br /> <br />Opportunities include Pleasamon's sunny climate; the "green building"/"smart <br />houses" movement; interest in distributed generation, fuel cells, and <br />photovoltaics; wind energy resources located in the Altamont Pass; government <br />bonding capacity; regional alliances; organizations providing bee/low cost <br />technical consulting services; grants; private financing opportunities: an educated <br />citizenry that draws private investment; new cost models that consider <br />externalities; and incubation programs for renewable energy projects. <br /> <br />Barriers include those that are opposed to technological change: bureaucracy; <br />utility and regulatory obstacles; public's resistance to perceived cost increases; <br />political considerations: private energy suppliers and providers; government staff; <br />State and Federal government energy policies; regulatory and legislative <br />uncertainties; lack of knowledge about existing programs; existing subsidies that <br />are not aligned with local goals; and time limits on rebates. <br /> <br />For a detailed, expanded list of assets, opportunities, and barriers see Attachment C. <br /> <br />D. Implementation <br /> <br />An energy action plan is proposed in section E (below). EAG recognizes that further <br />development and planning is required before a specific action plan item can be <br />implemented. To serve this purpose, an Energy Committee shall be created by the City <br />Council who will further develop plans and recommendations for implementation of the <br />specific action items based on priorities set by the Council and/or the Committee. <br />Implementation plans developed by the Committee shall include a scope of work, <br />schedule and budget, and shall be approved by the Council prior to implementation. <br />Members of the Energy Committee shall be sanctioned by the City Council and work <br />under their direction for four years, or longer, if the Council deems a longer time period <br />necessary. The City Council would provide the Committee with its charge of <br />responsibilities. The Committee would have a chairperson and vice chairperson elected <br />by the Committee, would hold advertised public hearings, and would publish meeting <br />minutes. City staff would be available to assist the Committee in terms of meeting <br />logistics and coordination, preparation of meeting packets (agenda, minutes, and <br /> <br />Page 4 of 8 <br /> <br /> <br />