Mayor Karen Bass and a delegation of six City Council members wrapped up three days of meetings in Washington D.C. where they announced that the L.A. Department of Water and Power will receive a $48 million federal grant to expand and strengthen clean energy. Bass expressed gratitude to the Biden administration for their continued support in delivering for the people of Los Angeles. California previously received over $1 billion in funding for clean hydrogen hubs, and now the city of Los Angeles has been awarded $48 million to ensure affordable and reliable clean electricity for all residents.
The delegation, including Council President Paul Krekorian and council members Bob Blumenfield, Eunisses Hernandez, Heather Hutt, Traci Park, and Hugo Soto-Martinez, met with White House officials and members of California’s congressional delegation. They had a meeting with Energy Under Secretary of Infrastructure David Crane to discuss the new funding and explore further partnerships to protect the environment.
The $48 million grant is part of a $10.5 billion investment under the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships program. It aims to enhance grid flexibility, improve power system resilience in the face of extreme weather and climate change, and ensure access to affordable, reliable, and clean energy in the city.
In addition to expanding clean energy, the grant will enable LADWP to create a “single platform” for distributing energy resources such as electric vehicles, EV chargers, energy storage, solar photovoltaic systems, and “demand-response” infrastructure. These improvements will help the department quickly restore balance to the electrical system after extreme climate events like wildfires, heatwaves, or tropical storms.
Cynthia McClain-Hill, DWP board president, stated, “This funding is a major investment by the federal government to help LADWP build a resilient and equitable clean energy future. It will ensure clean, reliable power for all our customers, especially those in underserved communities.”
The delegation also met with members of Congress on Capitol Hill. During these meetings, they were informed that L.A. might lose over $100 million in Veteran Affairs benefits due to budget balancing efforts by Congress. However, a legislative fix is being pursued to prevent this loss. Bass’ office representative mentioned that the fate of the federal money will be determined soon.
Bass emphasized that the success of the meetings will be determined by the follow-up actions taken. The discussions with Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough focused on providing job opportunities, housing, and other services for veterans. Talks with Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge were productive, and efforts were made to secure unused housing vouchers for L.A. to address homelessness.
Krekorian stressed the importance of being in Washington to advocate for the city and ensure fair treatment. He stated, “If you are not here, and if you’re not advocating for the people of Los Angeles, then somebody else will be here advocating for the people of other cities.”
The meetings concluded on Wednesday evening, with Bass returning to L.A. the next morning. Some council members also departed that night, while others left the following morning. The trip expenses were covered by their respective offices. As a result of the trip, the City Council canceled its meetings for Tuesday and Wednesday, with sessions resuming on Friday.
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