Ezra J. Temko

At the upcoming council meeting (Monday, July 28), I will be proposing The GREEN Resolution, Getting to Renewable and Efficient Energy for Newark.  Environmental sustainability is one of the key issues I campaigned on and is a top priority for many Newarkers. As you may have heard me say, the City of Newark owning its own electric utility gives us a terrific opportunity to encourage energy conservation and efficiency.  In times of peak oil, climate change, and relatively high fossil fuel costs, it is incredibly important for us to act on this issue, including on a local level.

This resolution gives city staff a sense of the direction council wants to proceed on this issue.  After that, relevant ordinances will be developed for council’s consideration by our first November meeting and fully implemented by next July.  The GREEN Resolution includes a multi-faceted approach to energy conservation.  It includes such proposals as an online bill receipt and payment option, adopting inclining block rates, creating a Green Fund for Newark with over $300,000 per year, and increasing our renewable energy portfolio.  It also includes a proposal to create a voluntary fund for issues such as homelessness and low-income weatherization assistance to be funded by Operation Round-Up, a voluntary program that rounds your utility bill to the nearest dollar ($136.62 would become $137).  You can download or open the PDF of the GREEN Resolution by clicking here.  I would be happy to discuss any of these items in more detail with you, either here on the blog or otherwise.