23 ATTACHMENT 2 - Laserfiche WebLink

ATTACHMENT 3: AS DRAFTED BY THE ENERGY COMMITTEE XII. DRAFT ENERGY ELEMENT PURPOSE The purpose of the Energy Element is to guide Pleasanton toward a sustainable energy future. In defining the term "a sustainable energy future" we look to the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development that defined sustainability as development that meets the needs of the current generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. It is clear that our present energy system is not sustainable. It is dependent upon energy resources drawn from the natural environment, many of them non- renewable. Very often we undervalue the long-term worth of these energy resources, fail to recognize their relative scarcity and overlook the future clean-up costs that must be borne by others. In contrast, a sustainable city draws from the environment only those resources that are necessary and that can be used or recycled perpetually, or returned to the environment in a form that nature can use to generate more resources. So long-term sustainability requires a major restructuring of many of the traditional ways of doing business. In particular, it requires that all energy management decisions be based upon an equitable accounting of all costs-those costs to be met today and those that will be borne by others in the future. A commitment to sustainability is a commitment to more responsible environmental decision-making. Included in this Energy Element are goals, policies, and programs prepared with the assistance of the Pleasanton Energy Committee (PEC) and the Local Government Energy Partnership. The PEC has worked intensively since February 2004 to develop the recommendations contained in this element. The Committee members were appointed by the City Council and consist of Pleasanton residents, business leaders, and energy and industry experts. The Local Government Energy Partnership is a program funded by California ratepayers (under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission) that provides comprehensive, sustained technical services to help local governments make energy improvements.