Porter Ranch stakeholders were ably represented by Porter Ranch Neighborhood Council President Issam Najm at the Joint Agency Workshop on Energy Reliability held on Friday, August 26.  The workshop was an all-day session with representatives from the Energy Commission, Public Utilities Commission, Independent System Operator (of the energy grid), LADWP, Department of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources, the Governor’s Office, and the Air Resources Board held at the AQMD Auditorium in Diamond Bar.

The purpose of the meeting was to share analysis of energy demand and supply as we head into the fall and winter months. With the recent gas leak at Aliso Canyon, the question at hand was the ability of the system to meet natural gas demand without putting the Aliso Canyon Gas Storage field back into operation.

Najm was on hand to testify as a key stakeholder representative speaking on behalf of the Neighborhood Council. He began with appreciation for all the coordination and work done to address reliability concerns, but called attention to the human element, noting that regardless of the well testing that has been completed, there is fundamentally no change to the wells and the storage facility; a similar accident would also result in months of residents having to relocate, which is something that the community cannot accept.

In considering the potential for curtailment of gas supply, he observed that the numbers seem to indicate that even in the worst case scenario, there would be a low level of shortage that could be supplied by gas stored in Aliso Canyon as a last resort.

“We need to consider how to configure the system so as to eliminate the need for Aliso Canyon and any other urban storage facility,” Najm calmly challenged. He further urged the Governor’s Office to ensure that the Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Fund from the So Cal Gas Settlement come back to the community and San Fernando Valley in the form of steep subsidies for rooftop solar systems, which ultimately would reduce reliance on the power and gas demand.

Next Steps

Based on the outcome of the workshop discussion and comments received, the group will update the Action Plan and then the four agencies involved (i.e., CEC, CPUC, CAISO, and LADWP) will use it for planning and tracking of supply and demand, and implementation of the mitigation measures outlined in the Action Plan. 

How to Submit Public Comment

The public is invited to submit comments by 5:00 p.m. on September 9. Comments will become part of the public record.

Visit the website at http://www.energy.ca.gov/2016_energypolicy/ and click on the “Submit e-Comment” link in the “Proceeding Information” box. From the drop down menu, please select docket 16-IEPR-02 – Natural Gas.

This will take you to the page for adding comments to that docket. Please enter your contact information and comment title. Under “subject(s),” select “IEPR 2016-08-26 Workshop” and “IEPR public comments.” You may include comments in the box titled “Comment Text” or attach a file with your comments. Attached comments must be in a Microsoft® Word (.doc, .docx) or Adobe® Acrobat® (.pdf) formatted file.

The Energy Commission encourages use of its electronic commenting system, but written comments may also be submitted by e-mailing them to the Dockets Office, or by U.S. Mail to:

California Energy Commission
Dockets Office, MS-4
Re: Docket No. 16-IEPR-02
1516 Ninth Street
Sacramento, CA 95814-5512

If you choose not to use the electronic filing system, please include the appropriate docket number on any e-mailed or written comments. Comments may be e-mailed to docket [at] energy.ca.gov and copy the technical lead, Lana Wong, by e-mail at Lana.Wong [at] energy.ca.gov.

Please note that your electronic, e-mailed, written and oral comments, attachments, and associated contact information (for example, address, phone, and e-mail) become part of the viewable public record. Additionally, this information may become available via Google, Yahoo, and other search engines.

Hear PRNC President Issam Najm's 5 minute testimony here:

The event was streamed live by the AQMD and you may view the complete 8 hour workshop here:

Meeting Agenda