DWP ASSURES COUNCIL IT'S GOING FOR GREEN.

Byline: Mariel Garza Staff Writer

Los Angeles DWP officials assured a City Council panel that they are making progress in their effort to use more renewable resources to produce energy for the city's customers.

Department of Water and Power officials spent several hours outlining their efforts and abilities to generate green power. It was the second hearing by the Commerce, Energy and Natural Resources Committee on the topic, scheduled after a City Controller's audit in August found that the DWP's Green Power program was not actually very green.

``We are absolutely going to move this forward,'' DWP General Manager David Wiggs said. ``To do exactly what you've talked about, develop a portfolio standard for the department that has a full input and direction from your committee and council.''

State law requires that most utilities get 20 percent of their energy by using renewable rather than finite resources. Los Angeles, which gets only 2 percent from renewable resources, is exempt from the law, but city officials say they would like to meet or exceed that goal.

On Thursday, committee Chairwoman Ruth Galanter asked representatives from a number of renewable-resources fields to present information so the full council can eventually come up with recommendations for DWP's green program.

The discussion included only a brief mention of rates, but one of the speakers, Victor Franco Jr., vice president of governmental affairs for the Central City Association, asked officials to keep the price tag in mind when making decisions about wind, solar and geothermal power.