23 ATTACHMENT 2 - Laserfiche WebLink

ATTACHMENT 8 General Plan Update Draft Energy Element -Questions from Vice Mayor McGovern; answers/explanations from Planning Staff May 25.2007 Vice Mayor McGovern: Thank you for your questions. Please see explanations/answers, below. Energy E/ement Purpose: 1. What about energy consumption that is bad for the environment 2. Future generations could meet their needs within a compromised environment, so are we trying to maintain the best quality environment in which to live 3. Are we looking for the use of renewable energy where possible 4. Are we still balancing the cost today versus the cost to clean up tomorrows: 5. Should the purpose not include a statement of the desire to maintain the highest quality environment through the use of renewable energy or energy that can be recycled or be returned to nature to generate more resources as often as possiblei! The City Council may add back in any of the deleted wording and/or may add additional wording regarding the purpose. The Council may change the first paragraph as follows: "T'he purpose of the Energy Element is to guide Pleasanton toward a sustainable energy futare. We define the term "a sustainable energy future" as development that meets the needs of the current generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. The current energy system is dependent upon energy resources drawn from the natural environment, many of them non-renewable. 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. "Long-term sustainability 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 home by others in the future. This Element strives to maintain the highest quality environment and quality of life through the use of renewable energy ox energy that can be recycled or be returned to nature to generate more resources." Natural Gas and E/ectiicih~ 1. We need to update the numbers in the chart to 2007. Energy usage for 2007 will not be available unti12008. Although staff could supply 2006 numbers now, baseline traffic and resource use, including energy, for the EIR (environmental impact report) will be 2005 as required by the California Enrn~nnmentalQualityAct (CEQA) because the City prepared the Notice of Preparation that year. We believe that it would be less confusing to supply only one baseline number (the one that we must include in the EIR) than to supply two baseline numbers. Why does the Table 12-1 use the numbers of 2005 when they appear to have been tabulated in 2007 Are they not the same numbers given in the 2005 copyi! I thought red lined meant the removal of the item yet the new copy shows the table and the description above it that were redlined. McGovern's Q&A, Energy Element 1 5/25/2007