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Author: davisite2

  • Valley Clean Energy launches an innovative program for agricultural customers to reduce grid stress and save farmers money.

    The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved a $3.25 million, 5-megawatt pilot program that simplifies energy pricing for agricultural customers and provides lucrative automation incentives to adjust schedules to match grid conditions.

    VCE(From press release) Valley Clean Energy (VCE) is excited to announce that the California Public Utilities Commission has approved a $3.25 million pilot program to deploy automation systems, mainly for irrigation, that are responsive to the power grid at subsidized or no cost to farmers.

    Partnering with TeMix and Polaris Energy Services, VCE will implement the 5-megawatt program starting in the summer of 2022. TeMix invented the technology that creates and transmits dynamic electricity rates that are sensitive to grid conditions, and Polaris is the leader in agricultural demand flexibility.

    Building on state-funded research and development by TeMix and Polaris, the Agricultural Flexible Irrigation Technology (AgFIT) pilot program will provide VCE agricultural customers with automation systems and software to easily purchase energy at the lowest prices possible while meeting their crop and operational requirements.

    The pilot tariff gives price signals through the simplified rates to incentivize farmers to shift their electricity use. Electricity is not just cheaper when renewables are plentiful; shifting the electricity load off expensive peak times reduces carbon emissions because renewables can be relied upon more heavily, rather than using more carbon-intensive electricity due to higher demand.

    As seen in the previous pilot by Polaris and TeMix, growers in the program enjoy a bill savings of 10–15% for shifting energy consumption from the hours when the grid is under the greatest stress to hours when renewable electricity is plentiful. Additionally, incentives for the automation systems of their choice save approximately 30% on labor costs while improving crop quality.

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  • Valley Clean Energy Hires New Program and Community Engagement Analyst

    Sierra-1(From press release) Valley Clean Energy announces the hiring of Sierra Huffman as its new program and community engagement analyst. VCE is the local electricity provider for the cities of Winters, Woodland and Davis as well as the unincorporated portions of Yolo County.

    Huffman is responsible for developing and implementing programs, maintaining stakeholder relations, opening avenues for community engagement, and using analytical methodologies to educate and inform. With nearly two years of experience with community choice aggregators such as VCE, Huffman has brought relevant skill sets to the team.

    Before joining VCE, she created greenhouse gas reduction measures for Humboldt County’s Climate Action Plan and established long-term planning goals for Redwood Coast Energy Authority’s Repower+. Much of her work focused on energy prices and rates, electric vehicle adoption, rooftop solar installations, and gas appliance retrofits.

    She also completed an internship with Silicon Valley Clean Energy before coming to Yolo County.

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  • Comments on DiSC 2022 Technical Memorandum

    DiSC2022-conceptualmapBy Matt Williams

    What follows are the public comments that I submitted to the Finance and Budget Commission (FBC) this morning regarding the Economic & Planning Systems, Inc. (EPS) Fiscal Analysis of DiSC 2022. The Technical Memorandum prepared by EPS can be found here. The 27 items included are not exhaustive.

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  • Diverse Group Opposes Teichert Shifler Gravel Mining Project at Dec. 9 Yolo County Planning Commission Hearing

    I would like to alert you to the rapidly growing opposition to a 30-year deep pit gravel mining project proposed by Teichert, Inc. alongside lower Cache Creek in Yolo County, just three miles west of the City of Woodland.

    The Yolo County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on this project as Item #12: consider a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors regarding certification of the Environmental Impact Report and approval of the Teichert Shifler Mining and Reclamation Project on a site west of Woodland, CA, including certification of the General Plan Amendment, Rezone, and other associated approvals.  The public hearing, via zoom or telephone,  will take place on December 9, beginning at 8:30 AM.

    Nearby homeowners of the WildWings community, defenders of a unique Patwin-Wintun Tending and Gathering Garden, toxicologists, climate advocates and an Episcopal minister are among a diverse group urging the Yolo County Planning Commission to reject the Final EIR and oppose the rezoning of prime farmland to allow the gravel to be mined. 

    Attached is a Comment Letter submitted on December 8, 2021 to the Planning Commission and signed by over 100 opponents of this ecologically destructive mining project.

    Please contact the following individuals for further information and interviews:

    Charles Salocks, Toxicologist, Retired, California Environmental Protection Agency, cbsalocks@gmail.com
    Ann Liu, Retired CTA, UCCE Master Gardener, skip2mylew@gmail.com
    Alessa Johns, Professor Emerita, University of California, Davis, alessajohns@gmail.com

    Thank you,

    Nancy Price

    Download Memo to Commissioners and Supervisors on Teichert Shifler Issues Final

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  • Farmers Market open on Friday mornings before Christmas and New Year’s Day

    Yanezpoinsettia

    Yañez Farms sells distinctive, locally grown poinsettias at the Wednesday and Saturday Davis Farmers Markets. (Courtesy photo)

    (From press release) The Davis Farmers Market will be closed on Christmas and New Year’s days, but open for special morning hours on the Fridays before each holiday.

    On Fridays, Dec. 24 and 31, the market will be open from 8 a.m. to noon. It will have regular hours on (3 to 6 p.m.) on Wednesday, Dec. 29.  America’s favorite farmers market operates rain or shine in Central Park, 301 C St., Davis.

    Year-round, the Davis Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. Wednesday hours are 3 to 6 p.m. November through March, and 3 to 7 p.m. April through October.

    Along with abundant farm-fresh produce, the Saturday market is a great place to do holiday gift shopping. Enjoy coffee and hot food, and peruse artisan crafts, market-logo merchandise, and surprising local ingredients for gift baskets.

    For more information, visit https//davisfarmersmarket.org or visit it on Facebook or Instagram.

  • ‘Stuff the Bus’ in 5th Annual Holiday Food Drive

    StuffTheBus_Flyer(From press release) Unitrans and the Davis Food Co-op are calling on the community to contribute to “Stuff the Bus,” a holiday food drive that is also asking for a few other of life’s necessities this year. Donations will go to the student-run Pantry at the University of California, Davis. The Pantry, a unit of the Associated Students of UC Davis, aims to ensure students in need don’t miss a meal or go without other basic necessities while trying to stay in school.

    Look for the vintage Unitrans London double-decker bus on display in the parking lot of the Davis Food Co-op, 620 G St., from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, December 11 where volunteers will be receiving food donations. For donors’ convenience, the Davis Food Co-op will offer prepacked bags of groceries and other items — bags you can buy at the checkout stands, and staff will deliver the bags to the bus.

    Children and adults alike are welcome to enjoy the view from the top deck of the bus as they drop off their donations. The first 50 donors will receive Unitrans passes good for 10 free rides.

    The Pantry provided this list of suggested donations: new shampoo, conditioner, body wash, bars of soap, and other personal hygiene items; canned or boxed meals; gluten-free grains like quinoa; canned fruit and vegetables; canned or dry beans; canned soup; baby formula; rice; whole grain pasta — and please don’t forget the peanut butter and similar items.

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  • Yolo SPCA Pet-themed adult and kids mask fundraiser at Nov. 20th Senior Center Holiday Craft Sale

    Yolo SPCA will be featuring pet-themed face masks for adults and kids to fundraise at this Saturday’s November 20th Davis Senior Center Holiday Craft Fair at 646 A St. from 9am until 2pm. The masks have many new designs (see photos) and are 100% cotton with a soft tea-dyed muslin cotton liner. The kid’s masks come in two sizes, small for 3-5 year-olds, and medium for 5-12 year-olds, both of which are adjustable via 2 beads included on the elastic band.

    The masks are $15 and are to help fundraise for the Yolo SPCA Community Cat Kindness Fund CCKF). For more information on the Community Cat Kindness Fund and how to donate, please see the Yolo SPCA website at  http://yolospca.org/community-cat-kindness-fund/ and to view the masks in the many patterns we have see  http://yolospca.org/winter-fundraiser-kitty-themed-masks/

     These face masks make great gifts for the holidays, birthdays or other events and are easy (and inexpensive) to mail for long-distance gifts. For more information or to purchase masks before or after this Saturday’s sale, please contact Eileen at (530) 756-5165 or email her at emsamitz@dcn.org.

    More Spring adult masks EDITED

    More Spring adult masks EDITED More Spring adult masks EDITED More Spring adult masks EDITED More Spring adult masks EDITED

  • G St remains closed so a 5 year old can turn cartwheels 

    FIT House

    G Street shown as closed on Apple Maps

    By The Artery

    G St businesses await clean up and reopening but the part of the City Council wants G St closed permanently it seems so their 5 year old can turn cartwheels in the street. How quaint. How ageist. In the meanwhile seniors with mobility issues find it too difficult to come into the area, as communicated to us by our customers.

    At the 11/2/21 City Council meeting the council remained split 2:2 for partial reopening vs complete closure. The Downtown Business Association’s recommendation is for two-way traffic to resume with updated outdoor seating which is fair.

    But the Council’s arguments to keep G St closed permanently revolved around an absence of logic and fair reason. Arnold’s consideration to keep G St closed as a concession because 100% of the streets downtown are open to traffic shows he’s more interested in that detail than if 100% of businesses in Davis recover from the stress of the pandemic or not. Where is the city’s fairness to support all businesses to recover? Roseville, Palo Alto, Walnut Creek and many other cities around the country are in the news saying they’re reopening streets to help retail before the busiest shopping time of year.

    The Mayor of Davis also wants to keep G St permanently closed. She’s said she thinks we’re only concerned about aesthetics and parking spots. This isn’t all of it – she’s not listening. We’re looking at digital mapping systems which show G St as closed; not good. Look at what happened to K St in Sacramento in the 1960’s and again recently. Additionally, we see people urinating on the tree out front our business, vomit, graffiti and other signs of the worse side of humanity when they’re given access to areas not intended for recreation. This is “misbehavior”. Pledging to clean this up has proven a vapid promise – for four months. We see little follow through.

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  • Stock up at Pre-Thanksgiving Market

    PatricksGardenMed

    Patrick Hoover of Patrick’s Garden is just one of dozens of vendors who will be at the Davis Farmers Market’s expanded Pre-Thanksgiving Market, from noon to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 24 in Central Park. (Wendy Weitzel/Courtesy photo)

    The day before Thanksgiving, the Davis Farmers Market extends its hours. This year’s annual Pre-Thanksgiving Market will be from noon to 6 p.m. in Central Park, 301 C St., Davis.

    On Wednesday, Nov. 24, the market will have a bounty of seasonal produce, table décor, flowers, olive oil, honey and wine. Several bakeries will have fresh-baked items like pumpkin, apple, pecan and berry pies and pumpkin cheesecake; breads, stuffing mix and cookies.

    Year-round, rain or shine, the Davis Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. Normal Wednesday hours are 3 to 6 p.m. November through March, and 3 to 7 p.m. April through October.

    Other special holiday hours at the Davis Farmers Market are Fridays, Dec. 24 and 31, from 8 a.m. to noon. The market will be closed Dec. 25 and Jan. 1, but open from 3 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 29. For more information, visit https//davisfarmersmarket.org or visit it on Facebook or Instagram.

  • Mining project needs to comform to Yolo County’s climate goals

    By Nancy Price

    On Wednesday, November 10, the Yolo County Planning Commission holds a public hearing on the Teichert Shifler Mining and Reclamation Project to make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors on the proposed 30-year Off-Channel Surface Mining Permit for industrial mining on the agricultural Shifler property. On December 14, the Board of Supervisors meets to consider final approval of the Permit.

    At the time the Draft EIR was being prepared, on September 29, 2020, the Yolo County Supervisors passed Resolution 20-114 – A Resolution Declaring a Climate Crisis Requiring an Urgent and Inclusive Mobilization in Yolo County (“2030 Climate Emergency Mobilization Resolution”). This goal is stated in Yolo County’s 2011 Climate Action Plan and elements of the County’s General Plan.

    A 6/31/2021 Press Release elaborates, the Supervisors “passed a resolution declaring a climate crisis requiring an urgent and inclusive mobilization of countrywide resources to initiate a just transition to an inclusive, equitable, sustainable and resilient local economy while also supporting and advocating for regional, national and international efforts necessary to reverse the climate, social justice, and economic crises. As an immediate goal, the Board voted to create a new Climate Action Plan for the County with the intent of reaching a carbon negative status by 2030.”

    Given the magnitude of Teichert’s 277 acre industrial mining and reclamation project, the Supervisor’s must direct the new Yolo County Climate Action Commission to report on Teichert’s application and EIR documents, and that the ecological assessment called for in the “Climate Emergency Mobilization Resolution” be adopted and implemented.

    Teichert must prioritize and commit to how they will achieve the county’s 2030 reduction goals such as solar-power generation at the Woodland Plant, conversion of vehicle fleets and other measures. The proposed carbon absorption capacity of reclaimed agricultural land on the Shifler property needs further study before this mitigation measure is considered viable. The proposed purchase of carbon credits to mitigate or offset Teichert’s GHG emissions is fraught with challenges in monitoring, reporting, and guaranteeing actual, quantifiable carbon reduction.

    To conclude, the magnitude and scale of industrial mining for 30 years to 2052 runs counter to the County’s publicly stated climate actions goals and the process they have established to attain those goals by 2030.