South L.A. among communities awarded state grants for climate projects
A group in West L.A. has won more than US$10 million from the California Energy Commission over six years for two major projects: a sustainable energy corridor stretching from the Crenshaw/LAX line to Westside L.A., and an expansion of the Santa Monica Bike Path with new streets and bike corrals.
The projects, which are connected, are part of the state’s Clean Energy for All initiative, which envisions building the South Bureaucratic South L.A. Area Redevelopment Project by 2035. The state agency said the projects will provide sustainable energy options for the next 20 years, improve livability, reduce air pollution and reduce stormwater runoff.
“All of this is coming to fruition not through grand government projects, but by working with local partners for a just community that grows and develops,” said Catherine Wahl, chairwoman of the California Energy Commission’s South L.A. Committee.
The corridor plans, which are already completed, will provide solar power, wind energy storage batteries and a geothermal heat pump system as the region’s primary energy sources. It will also provide parking for bicycles, public safety and a new greenway for the Santa Monica Bike Path.
“This is a pretty good city to do a green energy project. We see solar and wind as our future. The projects are already open and in use,” said Jennifer Williams, project manager for the corridor’s Sustainable Energy Corridor and the developer of the geothermal power project.
According to the state agency, the South L.A. Area Redevelopment Project will be a $20 million project with two components: the Sustainable Energy Corridor, which will run from the Crenshaw and LAX airport to Westside L.A., and the Santa Monica Bike Path Expansion Project, which will connect the Santa Monica bike path to Santa Monica Boulevard. The projects, which were awarded to Sustainable Energy Corridor developers EcoVentures, began awarding grants in 2012, and were expected to award about $5 million in annual contracts.
The projects are also connected: Sustainable Energy Corridor will supply energy to residents through the Green
