Wine Country Times

Legislation introduced by Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa) that would help California communities reduce their reliance of generators during natural disasters has advanced in committee, the senator said on Twitter.

"Finding clean-energy alternatives to keep electricity flowing to communities during disaster-driven power outages is the focus my bill,” he said. “We simply can't ignore the effects of generators on our environment."

Senate Bill 99 would help communities develop plans for “community-scale energy infrastructure such as solar panels and battery storage so that communities – not distant big utilities – are deciding what facilities remain energized during a crisis,” Dodd said.

Developing plans is a vital step to obtain funding for clean-energy alternatives, he said.

“Plans are a prerequisite for attracting private and public investments in community energy resilience projects – particularly important as federal lawmakers contemplate a new trillion-dollar infrastructure package,” he said.

The legislation was approved by the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee and now heads to the Appropriations Committee, the senator said.

“It comes as the state heads into another fire season, which is likely to mean more power shutoffs,” he said.

The legislation is backed by environmental, communities and industry groups such as the California State Association of Counties, Dodd said.

“One of the climate-change impacts we’re experiencing in California – dramatically worsened wildfires – has created enormous problems for California’s electricity supply,” said Ellie Cohen, CEO of The Climate Center. “SB 99 prioritizes energy resilience for vulnerable communities and charts a course toward a cleaner, more resilient energy future in California.”

Dodd is a fifth-generation Californian who grew up on a small family farm in Napa County, according to his Senate biography. His district includes Napa and Solano counties and portions of Contra Costa, Sacramento, Sonoma and Yolo counties. He was elected to the seat in 2016.