Honorable Members of the Lake County Board of Supervisors,
Lake County has a rare opportunity to establish a comprehensive Energy Policy Framework that defines how energy resources are developed, managed, and leveraged for public benefit in this County for generations to come. I appreciate the Board's decision to create the Energy Policy Ad-Hoc Committee and the effort being invested in evaluating Lake County's energy future. The Committee has an opportunity to produce a lasting policy framework that guides energy development, public benefit, infrastructure investment, and local decision-making long after any individual project, provider, or energy arrangement has changed.
I respectfully encourage the Board to view recommendations such as Community Choice Aggregators, Joint Powers Authorities, power purchase agreements, public-private partnerships, and similar arrangements as implementation tools rather than policy deliverables. An Energy Policy should first establish the County's long-term objectives, principles, authorities, expectations, and public benefits. Once those foundations are established, the County can evaluate which organizational structures, partnerships, energy providers, or other implementation mechanisms are best suited to achieve them.
At a minimum, I encourage the Board to direct that the Energy Policy Framework include the following deliverables, with sufficient detail to provide clear policy direction, implementation guidance, accountability measures, and measurable objectives for future Boards, staff, stakeholders, and the public:
• An AB 531 Response Strategy that identifies how Lake County will protect local interests as geothermal permitting authority increasingly shifts toward state agencies.
• A Local Control Framework that preserves meaningful County authority over siting, safety standards, emergency preparedness, environmental protection, infrastructure impacts, and public accountability.
• A Public Benefit Framework that ensures local energy resources generate measurable and recurring benefits for Lake County residents rather than primarily benefiting outside entities.
• A Revenue Participation Framework that identifies lawful mechanisms through which energy development contributes to the County's long-term financial stability, infrastructure needs, public safety obligations, and community resilience.
• An Intergenerational Infrastructure Fund or Permanent Endowment Structure that converts finite resource development into lasting public assets capable of supporting future generations rather than being consumed through annual budget cycles.
• A Ratepayer Benefit Program that delivers visible and measurable benefits to residents through lower energy costs, bill credits, infrastructure improvements, or other direct public benefits.
• A Workforce Development Strategy that prioritizes local hiring, apprenticeships, workforce training, and career opportunities for Lake County residents.
• A Tribal Partnership Framework that provides meaningful participation by Tribal governments in the stewardship of energy resources and long-term planning efforts.
• A Transparency and Accountability Framework that provides regular public reporting regarding production, revenues, environmental performance, public benefits, and community impacts.
• An Emergency Preparedness and Resiliency Strategy that links energy development to wildfire preparedness, evacuation planning, infrastructure hardening, water reliability, and public safety improvements.
This effort is particularly important as the County undertakes its General Plan update. Decisions regarding energy development are closely connected to economic development, public safety, infrastructure, environmental stewardship, climate resilience, tribal engagement, and land-use planning. For that reason, the Energy Policy Framework should be fully incorporated into the General Plan and provide clear direction regarding the County's energy objectives, public benefits, development standards, and long-term stewardship of local energy resources.
Lake County possesses one of the world's most significant geothermal resources and also has exceptional potential for solar energy and other renewable energy development. The question before us is not simply who will sell electricity to Lake County residents. The larger question is whether Lake County will establish a durable framework that ensures local energy resources create local benefits and that the County remains in a position of leadership rather than dependency.
The Board has an opportunity to create a best-in-class model for energy governance—one that balances economic development, environmental stewardship, public safety, local control, Tribal participation, workforce opportunity, and long-term community benefit.
The County should not merely decide who participates in Lake County's energy future; it should decide the terms under which participation occurs.
I respectfully encourage the Board to direct the Ad-Hoc Committee to return with a comprehensive Energy Policy Framework that establishes the rules, expectations, protections, and public benefits that will govern energy development in Lake County for generations to come.
Thank you for your service and consideration.
Respectfully submitted,
Thomas Lajcik
Lake County Resident
Honorable Members of the Lake County Board of Supervisors,
Lake County has a rare opportunity to establish a comprehensive Energy Policy Framework that defines how energy resources are developed, managed, and leveraged for public benefit in this County for generations to come. I appreciate the Board's decision to create the Energy Policy Ad-Hoc Committee and the effort being invested in evaluating Lake County's energy future. The Committee has an opportunity to produce a lasting policy framework that guides energy development, public benefit, infrastructure investment, and local decision-making long after any individual project, provider, or energy arrangement has changed.
I respectfully encourage the Board to view recommendations such as Community Choice Aggregators, Joint Powers Authorities, power purchase agreements, public-private partnerships, and similar arrangements as implementation tools rather than policy deliverables. An Energy Policy should first establish the County's long-term objectives, principles, authorities, expectations, and public benefits. Once those foundations are established, the County can evaluate which organizational structures, partnerships, energy providers, or other implementation mechanisms are best suited to achieve them.
At a minimum, I encourage the Board to direct that the Energy Policy Framework include the following deliverables, with sufficient detail to provide clear policy direction, implementation guidance, accountability measures, and measurable objectives for future Boards, staff, stakeholders, and the public:
• An AB 531 Response Strategy that identifies how Lake County will protect local interests as geothermal permitting authority increasingly shifts toward state agencies.
• A Local Control Framework that preserves meaningful County authority over siting, safety standards, emergency preparedness, environmental protection, infrastructure impacts, and public accountability.
• A Public Benefit Framework that ensures local energy resources generate measurable and recurring benefits for Lake County residents rather than primarily benefiting outside entities.
• A Revenue Participation Framework that identifies lawful mechanisms through which energy development contributes to the County's long-term financial stability, infrastructure needs, public safety obligations, and community resilience.
• An Intergenerational Infrastructure Fund or Permanent Endowment Structure that converts finite resource development into lasting public assets capable of supporting future generations rather than being consumed through annual budget cycles.
• A Ratepayer Benefit Program that delivers visible and measurable benefits to residents through lower energy costs, bill credits, infrastructure improvements, or other direct public benefits.
• A Workforce Development Strategy that prioritizes local hiring, apprenticeships, workforce training, and career opportunities for Lake County residents.
• A Tribal Partnership Framework that provides meaningful participation by Tribal governments in the stewardship of energy resources and long-term planning efforts.
• A Transparency and Accountability Framework that provides regular public reporting regarding production, revenues, environmental performance, public benefits, and community impacts.
• An Emergency Preparedness and Resiliency Strategy that links energy development to wildfire preparedness, evacuation planning, infrastructure hardening, water reliability, and public safety improvements.
This effort is particularly important as the County undertakes its General Plan update. Decisions regarding energy development are closely connected to economic development, public safety, infrastructure, environmental stewardship, climate resilience, tribal engagement, and land-use planning. For that reason, the Energy Policy Framework should be fully incorporated into the General Plan and provide clear direction regarding the County's energy objectives, public benefits, development standards, and long-term stewardship of local energy resources.
Lake County possesses one of the world's most significant geothermal resources and also has exceptional potential for solar energy and other renewable energy development. The question before us is not simply who will sell electricity to Lake County residents. The larger question is whether Lake County will establish a durable framework that ensures local energy resources create local benefits and that the County remains in a position of leadership rather than dependency.
The Board has an opportunity to create a best-in-class model for energy governance—one that balances economic development, environmental stewardship, public safety, local control, Tribal participation, workforce opportunity, and long-term community benefit.
The County should not merely decide who participates in Lake County's energy future; it should decide the terms under which participation occurs.
I respectfully encourage the Board to direct the Ad-Hoc Committee to return with a comprehensive Energy Policy Framework that establishes the rules, expectations, protections, and public benefits that will govern energy development in Lake County for generations to come.
Thank you for your service and consideration.
Respectfully submitted,
Thomas Lajcik
Lake County Resident