Nevada City Energy Solutions Task Force Report Accepted by City Council

Nevada City, California – March 15, 2011 – On October 22, 2008, the City Council of Nevada City, California adopted a resolution "in support of a community Energy Solutions Task Force". The Task Force, modeled after a handful of similar task forces from around the world, was given two tasks: 1. Assess Nevada City’s specific vulnerabilities to more expensive and less available energy, especially liquid fuels for transportation. 2. Recommend actions that the City could take to reduce these vulnerabilities and to prepare for their effects.

Their report, including over 100 recommendations, was completed and first presented to the City Council in December of 2010. On February 9, 2011, City Council officially accepted the Task Force report as complete.

Task Force chairman and lead author Tom Grundy pointed out that it is to Nevada City’s credit that the foresight exists to request a report that will help the city be better prepared for more expensive and/or less available liquid fuels – whether due to Peak Oil or to other market or supply chain problems. Mayor Robert Bergman, who was himself a Task Force member, praised the work of the Task Force and support staff. The city will be able to use the findings of the Report as a resource when conducting its upcoming strategic planning sessions.

The Alliance for a Post-Petroleum Local Economy of Nevada County (APPLE-NC), a local nonprofit focused on the Peak Oil topic, was instrumental in drafting the original resolution, and in organizing the Task Force.

The report will be carried forward as a living document, by tracking and publicizing progress towards these goals made by many different individuals and groups in the community. To that end, APPLE-NC is hosting a Web Portal at www.apple-nc.org/NevadaCityTaskForce, with all of the Task Force presentations, meeting notes, audio interviews, related materials, and an extensive table of the individual recommendations. The public, the media, and other organizations from all areas are invited to view and comment on the recommendations online.

Contact:

Tom Grundy taskforce@apple-nc.org www.apple-nc.org/NevadaCityTaskForce Nevada City Energy Solutions Task Force 412 Commercial St. Nevada City CA 95959