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WRITING‌‌SAMPLE‌  ‌
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Title:‌C
‌ alifornia‌‌Public‌‌Utilities‌‌Commission‌‌needs‌‌to‌‌make‌‌serious‌‌investments‌‌in‌‌renewable‌‌clean‌‌
 
energy‌  ‌

Publication:‌I‌ nland‌‌Empire‌‌Community‌‌Newspaper‌  ‌

By‌‌Faraz‌‌Rizvi‌‌is‌‌an‌‌organizer‌‌and‌‌writer‌‌from‌‌the‌‌Inland‌‌Valley‌‌Region.‌‌He‌‌graduated‌‌from‌‌the‌‌University‌‌of‌‌ 
California,‌‌Riverside‌‌in‌‌Political‌‌Science‌‌and‌‌currently‌‌serves‌‌as‌‌a‌‌Coordinator‌‌for‌‌the‌‌Center‌‌for‌‌Community‌‌ 
Action‌‌and‌‌Environmental‌‌Justice‌‌(CCAEJ).‌  ‌
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For‌‌the‌‌past‌‌5‌‌years‌‌California‌‌has‌‌experienced‌‌some‌‌of‌‌the‌‌hottest‌‌summers‌‌on‌‌record.‌ ‌Multi-year‌‌droughts‌‌  
combined‌‌with‌‌near‌‌hurricane‌‌force‌‌winds‌‌during‌‌Santa‌‌Ana‌‌conditions‌‌have‌‌increased‌‌the‌‌threat‌‌of‌‌raging‌‌ 
wildfires.‌‌As‌‌extreme‌‌weather‌‌and‌‌natural‌‌disasters‌‌have‌‌become‌‌increasingly‌‌common,‌‌The‌‌California‌‌Public‌‌  
Utilities‌‌Commission‌‌(Commission)‌‌is‌‌about‌‌to‌‌make‌‌an‌‌important‌‌decision‌‌that‌‌could‌‌reduce‌‌California’s‌‌ 
dependence‌‌on‌‌fossil‌‌fuels‌‌and‌‌reduce‌‌the‌‌longer‌‌term‌‌risk‌‌of‌‌more‌‌intense‌‌wildfires.‌ ‌The‌‌upcoming‌‌decision‌‌ 
would‌‌require‌‌the‌‌largest‌‌procurement‌‌ever‌‌of‌‌clean‌‌energy‌‌resources‌‌in‌‌California‌‌in‌‌what‌‌is‌‌called,‌‌by‌‌the‌‌ 
Commission,‌‌a‌‌mid-term‌‌procurement‌‌plan‌‌(2023-2026).‌‌This‌‌juncture‌‌is‌‌a‌‌critical‌‌moment‌‌for‌‌the‌‌Commission‌‌ 
to‌‌be‌‌bold‌‌and‌‌take‌‌decisive‌‌action‌‌to‌‌make‌‌a‌‌renewable‌‌clean‌‌energy‌‌future‌‌a‌‌reality.‌  ‌
‌About‌‌11,000‌‌MW‌‌of‌‌renewable‌‌energy‌‌generation‌‌from‌‌wind,‌‌solar‌‌and‌‌other‌‌sources‌‌will‌‌be‌‌included‌‌within‌‌ 
the‌‌midterm‌‌procurement.‌ ‌While‌‌this‌‌is‌‌a‌‌step‌‌forward,‌ ‌much‌‌of‌‌that‌‌will‌‌be‌‌undermined‌‌by‌‌maintaining‌‌ 
reliance‌‌on‌‌an‌‌outdated‌‌system‌‌that‌‌allows‌‌for‌‌new‌‌and‌‌existing‌‌fossil‌‌fuel‌‌generation‌‌to‌‌be‌‌a‌‌core‌‌part‌‌of‌‌the‌‌ 
energy‌‌portfolio.‌‌    ‌
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The‌‌calculus‌‌of‌‌the‌‌decision‌‌making‌‌by‌‌the‌‌PUC‌‌seems‌‌to‌‌be‌‌prioritizing‌‌near‌‌term‌‌reliability‌‌over‌‌the‌‌long‌‌term‌ 
goals‌‌of‌‌reaching‌‌statewide‌‌carbon‌‌free‌‌power‌‌generation‌‌by‌‌2045‌‌or‌‌earlier.‌‌No‌‌doubt‌‌the‌‌Governor‌‌wants‌‌to‌‌  
ensure‌‌that‌‌the‌‌lights‌‌stay‌‌on‌‌during‌‌the‌‌summer,‌‌but‌‌this‌‌overcautious‌‌approach‌‌by‌‌the‌‌PUC‌‌is‌‌the‌‌wrong‌‌ 
approach‌‌to‌‌transforming‌‌our‌‌energy‌‌future.‌  ‌
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Of‌‌particular‌‌concern‌‌is‌‌the‌‌impact‌‌that‌‌any‌‌new‌‌fossil‌‌fuel‌‌generation‌‌will‌‌have‌‌on‌‌frontline‌‌communities‌‌in‌‌  
areas‌‌such‌‌as‌‌San‌‌Bernardino,‌‌Bloomington‌‌and‌‌Colton,‌‌which‌‌is‌‌already‌‌home‌‌to‌‌three‌‌power‌‌plants.‌‌By‌‌  
allowing‌‌for‌‌new‌‌fossil‌‌fuel‌‌generation‌‌the‌‌Commission‌‌will‌‌be‌‌endorsing‌‌maintaining‌‌our‌‌reliance‌‌on‌‌a‌‌dirty‌‌  
and‌‌dangerous‌‌system‌‌that‌‌is‌‌the‌‌primary‌‌contributor‌‌to‌‌climate‌‌change,‌‌negatively‌‌impacting‌‌both‌‌the‌‌  
environment–further‌‌exacerbating‌‌extreme‌‌weather‌‌event‌‌conditions–and‌‌the‌‌health‌‌of‌‌frontline‌‌community‌‌ 
members‌‌who‌‌are‌‌already‌‌burdened‌‌by‌‌so‌‌many‌‌sources‌‌of‌‌pollution,‌‌from‌‌diesel‌‌trucks,‌‌freight,‌‌and‌‌power‌‌ 
plants.‌  ‌
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As‌‌the‌‌Commission‌‌begins‌‌the‌‌process‌‌of‌‌developing‌‌the‌‌new‌‌energy‌‌resources‌‌we‌‌will‌‌need,‌‌they‌‌need‌‌to‌‌make‌ 
it‌‌clear‌‌that‌‌California‌‌is‌‌on‌‌a‌‌fast‌‌track‌‌to‌‌a‌‌carbon-free‌ ‌future.‌‌They‌‌need‌‌to‌‌understand‌‌that‌‌the‌‌fight‌‌for‌‌ 
renewable‌‌energy‌‌is‌‌also‌‌a‌‌fight‌‌against‌‌environmental‌‌racism‌‌and‌‌discrimination‌‌that‌‌our‌‌communities‌‌have‌‌ 
suffered‌‌from‌‌for‌‌too‌‌long.‌  ‌