Board backs resolution in favor of local energy independence

RIVERSIDE (CNS) - The Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday in support of a resolution asserting that utilities operating within Riverside County should have the freedom to select how best to achieve "balanced energy solutions" that cut greenhouse gas emissions – without the state dictating every aspect of powering the grid. In a 4-0 vote, with Supervisor Chuck Washington abstaining, the board backed Supervisor Jeff Hewitt's proposal to express to the state the need for less intrusive regulation of utilities delivering service within the county. "Riverside County, its residents and businesses value local control and the right to choose the policies and investments that most affordably and efficiently enable them to comply with state requirements," Hewitt's resolution reads. "The count