Santa Clara, Calif. – June 28, 2006 –During its meeting last night, the City of Santa Clara’s City Council endorsed a set of Greenhouse Gas Reduction Principles for its municipally-owned electric utility Silicon Valley Power, addressing the necessity of reducing greenhouse gases (GHG), while maintaining high power reliability and low, stable rates.  The principles were jointly developed by the member utilities of the California Municipal Utilities Association (CMUA), a statewide association of local governments providing water, gas and electricity to California consumers.

According to the California Energy Commission, California GHG emissions comprise 1.4 percent of global GHG, while the State represents 0.6 percent of the world’s population.

In addition to a specific GHG reduction plan, the adopted principles cover several areas the utility is already addressing including:

• proactively implement state law that requires the acquisition of all available energy efficiency and demand reduction resources that are cost-effective, reliable and feasible in its procurement of energy;
• aggressively pursue its renewable energy supplies;
• quantify the financial risk of GHG-producing resources in planning and procurement; 
• measure and verify programs that reduce GHG emissions;
• support standardized, mandatory GHG reporting;
• consider environmental justice issues in its GHG reduction policies; and
• educate customers on ways to reduce GHG emissions.

“Global warming is a critical issue.  The adopted principles reflect our interest in reducing greenhouse gases and are complemented by our already high renewable power content, a 100 percent green power option and many energy efficiency programs,” says Patricia Mahan, Mayor of the City of Santa Clara.

Santa Clara’s power mix is expected to surpass 30 percent eligible renewable energy by 2007.  Santa Clara Green Power, which supports 100 percent renewable wind and solar energy generation; four solar energy programs; and the City’s recent purchase of a 40-acre land parcel on Coyote Ridge to preserve habitat for the Bay Checkerspot Butterfly are a few examples of the City’s commitment to the environment, energy-efficiency and clean power.

About Silicon Valley Power
Silicon Valley Power is the trademark adopted for use by the century-old Electric Department of the City of Santa Clara, California.  Silicon Valley Power provides power for more than 50,000 customers, including Applied Materials, Intel, National Semiconductor and Yahoo! at rates 25 to 45 percent below neighboring communities.  SVP also is an active participant in the wholesale energy markets in the Western United States.  Visit www.siliconvalleypower.com for more information.