Columbia has set ambitious goals for relying on renewable energies, with some calling for even faster progress.
The current goals were supported by the council and mayoral candidates in April’s city elections. However, some people are unsure if the city can achieve them.
The key component of Columbia’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, (CAAP), is to transition Columbia’s public utilities towards 100% renewable energy by 2035.
Candidates want equity and affordability to be considered when implementing the CAAP goals. All candidates agreed that equity must be at the forefront of the plan’s implementation and that Columbia should be included.
David Seamon and Barbara Buffaloe, both mayoral candidates for the position of mayor, strongly support the implementation of and improvement of the CAAP’s goals.
Seamon stated that he believes that climate change can be addressed by Columbians at the moment, during a forum in February.
He stated that we should be very clear-eyed on the nature of the problems we are actually facing. Columbia is not for everyone. The way we deal with the climate crisis will play a major role in that.
Seamon also highlighted the need to alter the timeline to better reflect the urgency and importance of the issue.
He stated that the overall goal to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2060 is out of sync with scientists. It is out of sync with other cities and out of sync with the current administration. Our community net zero goal should be 2050 at the earliest.
Buffaloe, who was a former sustainability manager and led the team that created CAAP said she is a strong supporter of the plan, and she hopes to see it implement.
She said that we should pay attention to the first part of the plan, where we discuss cross-cutting strategies. This is because it was important for the task force, community members, and staff involved that this plan not be one that has been discarded by the city.
Buffaloe believes the CAAP’s goals should be considered and implemented by every city department.
CAAP was developed to look at all the city departments, from planning and public works to our utilities and parks, and to see how they are incorporating climate action goals, both building resilience as well as reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, into their operation.
Candidats are concerned that tenants will pay the entire cost of renewable energy costs when landlords are hit hard.
Tanya Heath, mayoral candidate, stated that she believes we must find a way to incentivize these owners to do things that will reduce emissions and make it affordable for their tenants.
Heath stressed that it is crucial to build a strong network to support the transition from fossil energy to renewable energy.
Heath stated that if we rush to do something just to say we did it, then that is a bad decision.
Heath mentioned the Texas power outages that occurred last year due to insufficient weatherization of the power system for winter weather as an example. This is something Columbia should avoid.
Heath said that she would prefer to do it right, and it’s done right the first time.
Buffaloe supports property owners in improving energy efficiency in rental units to reduce residents’ costs.
Buffaloe stated, “The one thing I know from my 11 years of experience working for the city is that it will take an authentic partnership between those who keep and own property within Columbia, those who use it, and those who help people to benefit from those homes.”
Randy Minchew stated that he believes it will be difficult for the CAAP goals to be achieved within the current timeline.
Minchew said that having read the CAAP and the set goals, it was difficult to determine if you can reach those goals. I won’t. I wouldn’t be able commit to saying that we could achieve that because it takes guts. There are many people who have to be committed in order to achieve that.
Fourth Ward candidate Erica Pefferman also shared this sentiment. She stated that landlords should be given incentives to adopt the plan and not forced to do so. She also said that she was aware of the possibility of a trickle down effect for residents.
It is not necessarily cheaper to purchase or maintain 100% renewable energy, she stated, referring to purchasing renewable energy on the grid. These costs are spread out to the public. … They will eventually fall on the shoulders of those who are least capable of bearing the brunt.
Nick Foster, also running for Fourth Ward, suggested the idea of energy scoring in order to give potential tenants an idea about the cost of renewable energy. Foster believes equity is key to this issue as well as fairness for residents.
Roy Lovelady is a candidate for the Third Ward Council seat and has supported CAAP. He wants to make sure equity for all and cost to residents is at the center of the conversation.
Karl Skala, Third Ward incumbent, stated that he agreed that equity should be at center of the conversation when it involves CAAP and that the City Council must continue to work on the plan.
Some candidates who voted for the planned expansion were frustrated by the lackluster progress. Pefferman referred the City Council’s malpractice to the roadblocks.
Skala stated that he supports the continuation of the project. His challenger, Roy Lovelady said he would seek input from the community on the project.
