Oakland, Santa Monica and Palmdale have become the first cities in the state to choose "green power."
Several California cities have used their municipal clout to choose energy which comes from renewable sources. Santa Barbara, San Jose and Santa Cruz are next in line to choose this option. The additional costs are negligible -- Oakland is expected to pay an additional $100,000 on its $4 million electricity bill. In California, about 12% of electricity comes from renewable sources, much higer than the national average. However, in a twist of irony, the power "green" cities use isn't necessary generated by renewable sources, since all power (from convenetional and renewable sources) goes into an overall pool. Promoters say that buying green increases the market demand for energy from renewable sources.
Thanks to Laura Krafft
FULL STORY: Oakland Switches to 'Green' Power

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This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research