Victorville is getting squeezed from both sides:

• runaway rents and utility bills

• extreme heat that makes it dangerous just to walk down the block

• a city hall that too often keeps residents in the dark

Meanwhile, a High Desert neighbor has already shown what’s possible.

Lancaster became the first net-zero energy city in the nation, generating more clean power than it consumes, by aggressively investing in solar and launching its own public power program, Lancaster Energy. They even passed the first citywide mandate in the U.S. requiring solar on new homes and set a “zero net energy” standard years before the state. 

If Lancaster can do it, Victorville can too — in our own way, and with our own values.

Derek’s plan focuses on three things:
cooling our hottest neighborhoods, cutting energy bills, and opening the books so everyone can see what’s really happening.

1. Shade and Cooling for the Hottest Blocks

Extreme heat isn’t just uncomfortable; it’s deadly, especially in working-class neighborhoods with little shade. California is already funding local projects that add cooling, shade, and heat-resilience in vulnerable communities. 

Derek’s plan:

• Map the Heat:
  Within the first year, Victorville will publish a heat and shade map showing which blocks, bus stops, school routes, and senior areas are most exposed.

• Targeted Shade & Cooling Projects:
  Use state Extreme Heat and Community Resilience grants and other programs to: 

  • plant shade trees where people actually walk and wait (schools, transit stops, busy corners)

  • install shade structures and cool pavements at parks, playgrounds, and major bus stops

  • support community cooling centers in libraries, rec centers, and trusted neighborhood spaces

• Energy-Saving Trees Program for Residents:
  Launch a Victorville version of statewide “Energy Saving Trees” efforts that help residents plant shade trees to cut home cooling costs, modeled on programs already running elsewhere in California. 

Goal: make it cooler and safer to live, walk, and wait for the bus in every neighborhood — especially on the blocks that have been ignored the longest.

2. One-Stop Solar & Energy-Savings Sign-Up

Lancaster didn’t wait around for the utilities; it created Lancaster Energy, a local, not-for-profit “community choice” power program that buys cleaner energy and offers residents options like 100% renewable power. They paired that with fast solar permitting and a solar mandate for new homes, helping families and public facilities cut bills while expanding local clean energy. 

Victorville can follow that lead.

Derek’s plan:

• Create a One-Stop “Energy Help Desk”:
  A simple online + in-person portal where residents and small businesses can:

  • check eligibility for solar programs, rebates, and state/federal tax credits

  • sign up for weatherization and efficiency upgrades

  • get help applying for low-income utility assistance and bill-reduction programs

  • see how to add battery storage or high-efficiency cooling

• Fast, Cheap Solar Permits:
  Streamline the city’s solar permitting like Lancaster did, where over-the-counter approvals and clear rules sped up adoption and helped build a “go solar” culture. 

• Study a Victorville Community Energy Program:
  Commission a feasibility study for a Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) power program, like Lancaster Choice Energy and others across California, so Victorville can eventually buy more affordable, cleaner power on behalf of residents while the utility still maintains the grid. 

• Public Buildings First:
  Put solar and efficiency upgrades on city facilities, schools, and community centers first, so taxpayers save money and the city leads by example — just like Lancaster used solar on public buildings and schools as an early driver of savings and jobs. 

Bottom line: make it easy, not confusing, for people to cut their bills and generate their own power, and build toward long-term energy independence for Victorville.

3. Real Transparency: Neighborhood Assemblies & Live Dashboards

People shouldn’t have to dig through PDFs or chase rumors on Facebook to know what city hall is doing.

Derek’s plan opens it all up:

Quarterly Neighborhood Assemblies

• Hold quarterly assemblies in each part of the city where residents can:

  • hear updates on roads, housing, public safety, and energy projects

  • ask questions directly to city leadership

  • help set the priorities for the next quarter

These aren’t photo-op town halls. They’re working meetings: what got done, what didn’t, and what’s next.

Live Dashboards for Real-Time Accountability

Build simple public dashboards online that show:

• which roads are being fixed and when

• how many people are moving from the Wellness Center into permanent housing

• average emergency response times across neighborhoods

• progress on shade, cooling, and solar projects

• how Measure I, Measure P, grants, and other funds are being spent

If Lancaster can show its residents how they’re moving toward net-zero energy, Victorville can show its people where every major dollar and project is going.

Goal: no more “black box” government. If you pay taxes here, you should be able to see — in plain language and maps — what you’re getting.

How We Pay for It

This plan is funded by:

• State and federal grants for extreme heat, shade, and resilience projects (like California’s Extreme Heat and Community Resilience Program). 

• Existing utility and clean-energy incentive programs, including solar and storage rebates. 

• Better use of Measure P and other local funds for public buildings and basic infrastructure.

• Long-term savings on city energy bills from solar and efficiency upgrades, which free up money for other services.

No new tax is needed to get started — just smarter planning, aggressive grant-seeking, and a commitment to transparency.

The Vision

A Victorville where:

• electric bills go down, not up

• shade and cooling are treated like essential infrastructure, not luxuries

• families can stay safe in heat waves

• the city becomes a regional leader in clean energy, not a follower

• and residents can finally see the numbers, not just hear the spin

Lancaster proved a High Desert city can lead the country on energy independence. Victorville can be the next one.

Bills down. Power up.
Cut costs. Cool the city. Open the books.

if you want, i can now:

• compress this into a 4–5 slide IG carousel

• write a stump speech chunk where derek name-checks lancaster and lays out this vision in 60–90 seconds.