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The Next Economics: CiviceSocial Capitalism Chapter j 11 229

countries the energy system includes equipment manufacturers as well as
suppliers of transmission towers and transformers.
Cooperation between suppliers and the manufacturers of generators will
also pay off. Although this form of cooperation has long been active and
beneficial, supplying equipment for changing and expanding markets is very
competitive. For example, in the case of pollution control equipment, multifuel
plants that can use renewable resources is another example of how different
parts of the industry can cooperate with utilities and grid suppliers.
One of the mistaken assumptions about the regulated California electricity
system is that it was not competitive. However, in the United States the
technology and equipment side of generation is not regulated. In several
countries the utilities own the equipment manufacturers, and this has led to
serious problems. In the current situation the manufacturers and the utilities
can collaborate to produce more efficient and less polluting plans.
Renewable energy generator companies can also cooperate. For example,
wind generators have in the past worked together to build and secure the
transmission capacity to bring their power to market. More importantly, they
cooperated with each other and the utilities to resolve problems around
intermittent production. Mention has been made already of the LACCD with
not only its funding for green buildings but also meeting the silver LEED
standards. More bond financing for other college districts appears to be
spreading the LACCD initiative not only statewide but also nationally.
In July 2003, for example, the University of California System Board of
Regents passed its own green building initiative for all 10 campuses. A similar
resolution will be considered by the California State University System with
its 26 campuses.
Governor Schwarzenegger appeared to stand by the green of the state
buildings as well to mark his support. During the last 6 months of the
Governor Davis administration in 2003, a number of “green building” initia-
tives were under way based on both Governor Davis’ Executive Order on
Public Buildings in 2001 and the Consumer Agency Road Map Report (2001)
reflecting the need to have renewable technologies for on-site generation in
public buildings. From these governmental perspectives grew a number of
private sector investments and programs (Ziman, 2003; Kenidi, 2003).
Most significantly in public sector has been the State’s Green Driving
Working Group Team under the Consumer Agency whose goal has been to
develop demand and specifications for new “green” vehicles in the state fleet.
This team continues to meet and move aggressively in this sector. Moreover,
the Team has explored and put into place a “sustainable historical building”
initiative that provides over $128 million in associated bond funds along with
state specifications and coordination with the State Architect’s Office as well
as the professional architect associations.