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Peak Oil Preparedness Task Force presents draft report; committee schedules dedicated hearing
Summary
The Peak Oil Preparedness Task Force previewed a comprehensive report and asked the Government Audit and Oversight Committee to hold a dedicated hearing. Task-force chair Jean Rosenmeyer described the report as more than 100 pages, covering oil and gas constraints and local implications; stakeholders urged attention to biodiesel, freight rail and bicycle/transportation planning.
The Government Audit and Oversight Committee heard an introductory presentation and public comment on the Peak Oil Preparedness Task Force report and agreed to continue the matter to a dedicated hearing so members can study the full document.
Jean Rosenmeyer, chair of the task force, described peak oil and gas as a condition in which production cannot keep pace with rising demand. Rosenmeyer said the report (more than 100 pages) offers a set of recommendations and a forward-looking, optimistic scenario for what the city could achieve over 30 years if it pursues the proposals. She emphasized that natural gas was included in the analysis and said the task force sought to be comprehensive.
Members of the public and stakeholders supported the task force overview. Eric Smith (San Francisco Bay Railroad and vice chair of the San Francisco Biodiesel Access Task Force) commended the report and urged the committee to consider biodiesel production potential (he referenced the Darling Biodiesel facility) and freight-rail/tunnel investments to reduce truck traffic. Andy Thornley of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition said the report consolidates many recommendations that align with existing city plans (the bicycle plan, MTA transit effectiveness, SFpark and the climate action plan) and encouraged broad public review via sfenvironment.org.
Chair Ross Mercurimi said the committee would set aside a dedicated GAO hearing in August or September to review the report in full and invited stakeholders to prepare comments or minority reports. The item was formally continued to the call of the chair for a later, dedicated meeting.
Next steps: the committee will publicly post the report and schedule a dedicated hearing (August or September) for detailed review and stakeholder testimony.
