ENERGY ACTIVISTS SAY 'GREEN' CAN BE CHEAP.

Byline: James Nash Staff Writer

With Los Angeles lagging behind most of the nation in its use of clean energy sources for power, environmentalists Thursday said the city could rely more on solar, water and landfill gas sources at little cost to residents and businesses.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power could increase its use of renewable energy sources from the current 4 percent to 20 percent at a cost of no more than 40 cents per month to the average resident, according to an analysis prepared for environmental groups.

DWP officials disputed the numbers, but they said they are committed to reaching Mayor James Hahn's goal of 20 percent renewable energy sources by 2017, although they couldn't estimate the cost of reaching that level.

Environmentalists, DWP officials and City Council members met Thursday at City Hall to discuss how Los Angeles can generate electricity from sources other than coal and natural gas. Those two sources, especially coal, are blamed for air pollution in Southern California and at DWP generating plants in other parts of the West.

The DWP currently draws about 3 percent of its power from renewable sources such as landfill gas, wind turbines and solar panels - less than the national average of 6 percent.

Environmentalists and some residents say the DWP needs to play its part in cleaning up Southern California's air. According to the South Coast Air Quality Management District, about 1 percent of nitrogen oxide emissions in Southern California's air comes from electricity generation.

``The public understands that renewable energy is good for them: it's clean, it reduces our dependence on foreign oil,'' said Mark Mrohs, a solar consultant who lives in Northridge. ``I think people would be willing to accept a higher cost for clean air - the question is how much higher. Give us a program, work out the details and make it work.''

The ``Renewable Energy Summit'' came a day after Hahn and Councilman Tony Cardenas, chair of the council's Energy and Natural Resources Committee, announced their goal of stepping up the DWP's reliance on clean energy sources over the next 13 years. On the same day, City Controller Laura Chick said the DWP program to develop ``green'' power sources no longer wastes millions of dollars but hasn't identified cleaner energy sources in Los Angeles.

In a report, the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies and the Environment California Research and Policy Center asserted that the DWP could increase its renewable energy sources to 20 percent at a minimal cost to customers. The environmentalist think tanks claimed that the effort might even save money in the long term because of higher natural gas prices.

Bernadette Del Chiaro, an energy advocate for Environment California, said the cost to the average resident would be 40 cents a month or less.

``That's a small price to pay for clean air,'' she said.

DWP officials said the cost could be much higher. Wind power costs more than twice as much as coal, while solar power costs at least 10 times as much, said DWP Chief Administrative Officer Frank Salas.

James Nash, [phone]

james.nash(at)dailynews.com