ALTA LOMA, CA--(Marketwired - Apr 6, 2017) - The newly formed Foothill Tax Payers Association (FHTP) in association with the American Coalition for Sustainable Communities (ACSC) successfully executed a campaign involving local activists to stop the San Bernardino Council of Governments (SBCOG) from continuing collaborative research efforts in starting a Community Choice Aggregation (CCA). At a SBCOG board meeting on Wednesday, a staff recommendation to move forward with a CCA was defeated when no elected city members of the board would second a motion by the Chair to vote on the recommendation. When Chairman Robert Lovingood asked for a second motion, the room went silent; when he asked again, the room stayed silent. Therefore, the issue never made it to a floor vote. It died right there.

Community Choice Aggregation is a policy where local governments aggregate (add up) electricity demand in order to procure alternative renewable energy (wind and solar) supplies while maintaining the existing electricity provider for transmission and distribution services. It promotes expensive renewable energy over traditional forms of energy.

"A six page critique of the Inland Choice Power: Community Choice Aggregation Business Plan - Final Draft, prepared by EES Consulting for SBCOG, was found to be fatally flawed," said Linnie Drolet, president of FTPA. Dan Titus, who administers the Web site iAgenda21.com and is affiliated with ACSC concurred. "We found problems with the recommendation to move forward because the benefit of saving people 5% on their electric bill did not merit the millions of dollars of startup costs associated with the plan. We also fundamentally disagreed that people would automatically enrolled in a new government CCA without advance permission."

At the same meeting, SBCOG staff recommended the board approve the extension and renewal of contracts related to the on-going operation of a Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program. This recommendation also failed to go to a vote.

People who want to make their homes climate change compliant for things like solar systems, air conditioning and appliances are easy targets for the program. PACE are high-interest loans. Many unknowledgeable homeowners are sold by contractors using predatory methods. They signup without realizing the potential risks. PACE loans are secured by the homeowner's property, which means if a payment is missed, the property could go into default.