Alameda mayor: Here’s how to save electricity during heat waves
Alameda, like the rest of the state, is experiencing unusually high temperatures. Below are some useful tips from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s California Volunteers Office to avoid excessive demand on the electric power grid that can lead to planned, or unplanned, power outages.
Avoid using major appliances such as ovens, dishwashers and washing machines between 4 and 9 p.m. Also avoid charging electric vehicles during these hours. Mayor’s tip: Don’t use a clothes dryer at all when the weather’s warm; invest in a clothesline or drying rack!
Alameda Municipal Power (AMP), our clean, green, municipally-owned electric utility, reminds customers to set air conditioners to 78 degrees, health permitting, and turn off unnecessary lights. Also keep window coverings closed during the day and open at night to help cool your home. Find more useful information at alamedamp.com.
High temperatures can be a health risk, so stay well hydrated and try to avoid being outside when temperatures rise. If your home is unbearably hot, “chill out” at the library! Our Main Library, and West End and Bay Farm branch libraries are air-conditioned, and the Main Library (at 1550 Oak St.) is open seven days a week. Library schedules are available at alamedafree.org.
Be a good neighbor, especially on hot days. If you know older adults; families with young children or babies; people with chronic medical conditions; or pregnant women, they’re particularly vulnerable to heat. Call, text or visit them, and offer to pick up their groceries, medication or other necessities.
Housing to open: On Sept. 15, the city of Alameda’s Housing Authority will celebrate the grand opening of the new Rosefield Village housing complex at 727 Buena Vista Ave. Originally built in the 1980s as 53 affordable apartments and townhomes, the site has been transformed into 92 new affordable units — a combination of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments that are energy-efficient and universally designed.
Rosefield Village residents will enjoy nearby West End and Webster Street amenities, including public transit, shopping and the Jean Sweeney Open Space Park and Cross Alameda Trail. For more information, call the Housing Authority at 510-747-4300.
The Alameda Wellness Center on McKay Avenue is also moving forward, having overcome numerous challenges over the past three-and-a-half years that delayed but did not deter this important project. By providing 100 units of permanent supportive housing for frail, elderly formerly homeless individuals, a 50-bed medical respite center and a health clinic, this facility is an essential element of Alameda’s efforts to significantly reduce, and eventually end, homelessness. Construction is expected to begin next spring.
Student debt relief: Under President Biden’s recently announced plan, you may be eligible for student loan debt relief on the remaining balance of your student loan, up to $20,000 (if you received a Pell Grant in college and meet income requirements) or $10,000 (if you did not). You are eligible for this relief if your 2020 or 2021 annual federal income was below $125,000 (as an individual or married filing separately) or $250,000 (as a married couple filing jointly or as a head of household).
Make sure your student loan servicer has your most current contact information. You may be eligible to automatically receive this relief if the U.S. Education Department already has your income data. If not, an application form will be available in October. Sign up for federal student loan borrower updates at ed.gov.
Back to school: Alameda students have returned to their classrooms, and many are, admirably, walking and riding their bikes to school. They’re helping reduce automobile traffic and greenhouse gas emissions that lead to climate change, global warming and sea level rise.
It’s our responsibility to make sure they arrive safely. If you’re a driver, exercise extreme caution every time you approach an intersection, back out of a driveway or are near a school. Expect the unexpected, stay focused and slow down. Let’s make safety our No. 1 goal. Stay cool, stay alert, stay “Alameda Strong!”
Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft is the mayor of Alameda.