BY RANDALL RYTI
Chair
Los Alamos County Council
During the Council Work Session on June 21, 2022, we had an in-depth presentation on the options for future electric generation for the County and Los Alamos National Laboratory. Among the seven factors considered for rating portfolio assets like wind, solar, storage, advanced nuclear, and others was diversification.
The point was made that having a mixture of assets was inherently more resilient and less susceptible to price variations compared to the County selecting only one or two options. The principle of promoting diversity in electric generation can serve us well more generally.
Having more diverse options helps Council and the community better understand how a particular option was selected. The advantages and disadvantages can be highlighted and discussed. In some cases, only one option may be practical, but we can sometimes create more opportunities by actions like subdividing parcels to allow for more property owners or local businesses.
Encouraging a diverse set of viewpoints and backgrounds is equally as important as technical or management options. Our ongoing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity Task Force is working on recommendations to make sure this happens as a regular course of County business.
As we enter into the last week of Pride month and have recently celebrated Juneteenth, we should also take time to recognize and embrace the diversity of people in our community. By taking the time to find ways to be more engaged and informed we improve the quality of life for all of us.
I also wanted to highlight some discussions planned for future Council meetings. At the June 28 Council meeting there will be two topics related to community broadband. One is the discussion and possible action on middle-mile connectivity, which is a collaborative project with Santa Fe County. Also on this agenda will be an update on the community broadband study. At the July 12 Council meeting we are scheduled to have a presentation on potential changes to Chapter 18 (nuisance code) and discussion with possible action on the Women’s Army Corps dormitory building conceptual design. I know these topics are of interest to the community and I hope that you send us your thoughts, questions, and recommendations.
If you have any questions or comments on this or other topics please contact me at randall.ryti@lacnm.us or the entire Council at ~CountyCouncil@lacnm.us.