The Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce has unveiled its latest initiative in the Roadmap to Recovery series: Power On, a new report and action plan designed to tackle electricity reliability, one of the most pressing threats to the region’s economic vitality.
Building on the success of previous recovery plans such as The Road Home and The Road Home II, the Power On document is a call to action for local stakeholders, utilities, and state leaders to address the systemic power challenges that have distressed businesses from Goleta to Carpinteria.
With frequent outages, unreliable communication, and some of the highest power costs in the nation, the region’s aging electrical grid has become a serious barrier to business growth and resilience, according to the chamber.
“Our region is home to some of the world’s most innovative companies and research institutions, but unreliable electricity is holding us back,” said Kristen Miller, president/CEO of the chamber.
“Power On is about uniting business, government and utilities to secure the infrastructure we need to thrive,” she said. “If we want to protect the South Coast’s status as a hub for technology and manufacturing, we must modernize the grid.”
The Power On document includes a comprehensive overview of the causes and costs of unreliable power; real case studies from impacted businesses like Agilent Technologies and BEGA North America; and a detailed action plan with recommendations ranging from infrastructure upgrades and customer service improvements to legislative reforms.
The chamber’s recommendations include:
• Improving the infrastructure of the grid.
• Enhancing outage communications and customer service from the utility companies.
• Incentivize companies who invest in battery storage, microgrids, and solar power.
• Create legislative mandates for geographic investment transparency in utility rate cases.
• Perform independent audits of utility performance.
“Together, we can spark change and ensure a reliable energy future for our community,” Miller said. “This isn’t just about keeping the lights on, it’s about keeping our economy strong.”
Read the full Power On report here.