May 29, 2019 -- The Board of Library Trustees of the Palos Verdes Library District has set a goal of providing for all electricity needs at the Peninsula Center Library in Rolling Hills Estates exclusively with responsibly sourced, clean power by the end of next year.
At its May meeting, the board unanimously passed a resolution directing the library district to increase its participation in the Clean Power Alliance from its current 50 percent of clean energy consumption to 100 percent by 2020.
"Speaking for my colleagues on the board, I am proud that we are able to steward the district's resources in this responsible manner," Board President Debby Stegura said following the vote. “We are saving taxpayer money and the environment all at the same time.”
PVLD along with the City of Rolling Hills Estates has been participating in power purchases from the Clean Power Alliance since 2018. The CPA, made up of a coalition of 31 agencies in L.A. and Ventura Counties, provides its customers with clean sustainable power generated from sources such as wind, solar and hydroelectric. It purchases clean power and Southern California Edison delivers it.
PVLD’s initial CPA participation was at RHE’s recommended “lean” 36 percent rate for power generation. The district now voluntarily exceeds that rate and sources 50 percent of its electricity consumption at the Peninsula Center Library from CPA’s clean energy.
“This example of cooperation with local agencies is part of PVLD’s philosophy of supporting local communities and shows our strong commitment to environmentally sustainable purchases and practices,” District Director Jennifer Addington said.
Since 2016, PVLD has reduced power consumption at the Peninsula Center Library by 32 percent through an LED bulb replacement initiative. All three of the district’s libraries combined have reduced power purchases by 34 percent compared to this time last year.
PVLD has been an environmental leader on the Peninsula. The library district’s commitment to environmental sustainability has resulted in recognition from the South Bay Environmental Coalition, which honored PVLD with two SEED awards; the Bridge Builder Award in 2014 for education on environmental initiatives and the Resources Preservation Award in 2015 for successful efforts to reduce energy consumption.
The Palos Verdes Library District is a nationally recognized, award-winning library system serving all four cities on the beautiful Palos Verdes Peninsula. We collaborate with our community to create environments for learning and inspiration, and to share the unique history of the Peninsula. PVLD is an independent special district governed by a publicly elected Board of Trustees.