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Local Climate Activists Defeat Special Interests in David vs. Goliath Battle

Advocacy
June 3, 2021
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3
 min
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by 
Justin Hammond
Photo of solar advocates at a rally in front of a large inflatable monopoly man

Today, California Assembly Bill 1139, nicknamed the “anti-solar” bill, has failed after unsuccessfully garnering enough votes to leave its house of origin, the assembly, by the deadline.  Community leaders, climate justice advocates, school and teacher unions, nonprofits and residents have been working to build opposition to Assembly Bill 1139 since the bill was introduced by San Diego Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez in February of this year. 


Assembly Bill 1139 would have devastated the economics of going solar in California, threatening thousands of solar jobs and billions of dollars of economic benefits across the state.  The bill would have hurt working families, schools, small businesses, community centers, municipalities and nonprofit organizations, while making solar inaccessible to low-to-moderate income families.  By eroding the economics of going solar, Assembly Bill 1139 would have also increased environmental injustices from fossil fuels while accelerating the climate crisis, which often impacts communities of concern first and worst. 


Assembly Bill 1139 was introduced to the full assembly for a vote yesterday, on June 2, and the bill was 16 votes shy of the 41 votes needed to pass the bill out of the assembly.  The bill was then asked to be reconsidered for a vote later that afternoon, and again, it failed to receive enough support to pass.  Today, the bill was moved into the state legislature’s Inactive File, meaning Assembly Bill 1139 will not be voted on again during this year's legislative session, but it could be reintroduced in January of 2022. 


“We are thrilled to see that assemblymembers, especially locally, were able to see past the false equity narrative that utilities have been attempting to push for years and stood up for rooftop solar,” said Karinna Gonzalez, Climate Justice Policy Advisor with Hammond Climate Solutions, which spearheaded the statewide effort to oppose this bill with the Solar Rights Alliance and help from local partners.  “This bill would have had devastating impacts, not only for solar customers, but also for jobs and the climate. Looking forward, we hope to continue to work with elected officials locally and statewide to expand solar access to communities of concern.” 


This landmark vote comes after climate justice advocates rallied at the South Chula Vista Library yesterday to call on California state representatives to vote no on California Assembly Bill 1139.  Speakers at the event included Maleeka Marsden with San Diego Green New Deal Alliance, Sonja Robinson with Protect Our Communities Foundation, Matthew Vasilakis with Climate Action Campaign, Karinna Gonzalez with Hammond Climate Solutions and Ian Lochore with Baker Electric Home Energy, a local union contractor and member of the California Solar & Storage Association, the statewide association that mobilized its industry to oppose this bill. 


After yesterday's event in Chula Vista, newly-elected Assemblymember Dr. Akilah Weber, representing California's 79th Assembly District, changed her vote from ‘yes' to abstaining.  Aside from the bill’s author, none of San Diego County’s six assemblymembers voted in support of this bill. 


“I am so grateful to the activists that bravely stood up to special interests and spent countless hours opposing this bill to help protect our vision of a just, livable future,” said Tara Hammond, founder and CEO of Hammond Climate Solutions, who gave a special shout out to SanDiego350, Climate Action Campaign and Protect Our Communities Foundation for their help defeating this bill. “This is a testament to the power of the people and recognition that Californians overwhelmingly support rooftop solar as a key climate solution.  We would like to prioritize helping communities of concern adopt solar and storage, becoming local resilience hubs, and we’re glad that opportunity wasn't taken away by Assembly Bill 1139.”  


San Diego has been ranked the top solar city in America numerous times, in terms of solar capacity and number of installations.  While San Diego is currently ranked second, it’s home to hundreds of local solar companies that employ thousands of local residents and provide over a billion dollars in economic benefits to the region each year.  Local nonprofit organizations Center for Sustainable Energy and GRID Alternatives are administrators of the Solar on Multi-Family Affordable Housing program, which offers state rebates for affordable housing to receive subsidized solar power systems.  These administrators were also in opposition of Assembly Bill 1139 due to the negative impact it would have had on current and future affordable housing solar projects in the region and statewide. 


Today’s news is a big win for local climate activists and green jobs since it means rooftop solar will continue to expand, furthering access to solar for communities of concern.  It also helps keep California on track to reach critical climate targets that are set across the state. 


“The fact that Assembly Bill 1139 did not pass is a huge cause for everyone to celebrate,” said Maleeka Marsden, Chair of the San Diego Green New Deal Alliance and Co-Director of Policy at Climate Action Campaign, two of 30 local organizations that came out in opposition to Assembly Bill 1139 among 150 statewide organizations.  “If Assembly Bill 1139 had passed, we would have gone backwards, not forwards, towards meeting critical climate goals and advancing equity.” 


This outcome surfaced at a time when California is seeing an exponential rise in detrimental consequences from the climate crisis and environmental racism.  A recent report authored by Daniel Kammen, Teenie Matlock, Manuel Pastor, David Pellow, Veerabhadran Ramanathan, Tom Steyer, Leah Stokes and Feliz Ventura show that climate change is occurring at a faster, more destructive rate than previously known, requiring California to accelerate statewide climate efforts.  One of the report’s key findings concluded that a dangerous level of climate change, determined by an average temperature increase of 2.7℉, will be reached as early as 2027.


“While we’re relieved the Assembly scrapped this bill, we know that SDG&E and PG&E will continue to follow the utilities playbook in attacking rooftop solar,” said Masada Disenhouse, executive director of SanDiego350. “That’s why we will remain vigilant and committed to fighting those attacks and to working in our communities to develop innovative, equitable solutions to get to zero carbon."


There is interest among local activists and those in the clean energy industry to reform the investor-own utility model, which incentivizes the utility companies to build more infrastructure, guaranteeing a return on investment for the shareholders at ratepayers’ expense. Instead, activists would like to see solar for renters, community solar programs and other investments that address equity and help move the region toward zero carbon. 


To learn more about Assembly Bill 1139 visit www.HelpCleanEnergy.org.


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Image of a ground-mounted solar system at a farm that was funded by the Solar Moonshot Program
Solar Moonshot Program - 2021 Highlights
Foundation
December 28, 2021
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3
 min

Solar Moonshot Program - 2021 Highlights

Over the last year, our team had the privilege of managing the Solar Moonshot Program for the second year in a row. In 2021, 42 nonprofit organizations were able to afford the switch to solar thanks to the $1,000,000 budget from Left Coast Fund, collectively installing 42 clean energy projects in 13 states. The Solar Moonshot Program helped energize 1,115.4kW of rooftop and ground-mounted solar and three solar thermal units, which collectively offset 27,800.5 metric tons of carbon, equivalent to over three million gallons of gasoline consumed or the energy usage of over 3,000 homes. These solar projects are creating healthier communities that have cleaner air, a greater quality of life, more green jobs and workforce training opportunities and reduced likelihood of developing health problems such as asthma that occur as a result of pollution.

Over the last year, our team had the privilege of managing the Solar Moonshot Program for the second year in a row.  In 2021, 42 nonprofit organizations were able to afford the switch to solar thanks to the $1,000,000 budget from Left Coast Fund, collectively installing 42 clean energy projects in 13 states.  The Solar Moonshot Program helped energize 1,115.4kW of rooftop and ground-mounted solar and three solar thermal units, which collectively offset 27,800.5 metric tons of carbon, equivalent to over three million gallons of gasoline consumed or the energy usage of over 3,000 homes.  These solar projects are creating healthier communities that have cleaner air, a greater quality of life, more green jobs and workforce training opportunities and reduced likelihood of developing health problems such as asthma that occur as a result of pollution.


Through the generous funding from Left Coast Fund and the partnerships that made these projects possible, communities are reducing their reliance on dirty fossil fuels, supporting the green economy, saving money that is being reinvested in the nonprofits’ missions and creating educational opportunities for community members.  The solar photovoltaic and solar thermal projects simultaneously demonstrate the feasibility of clean energy for community members, many who do not have equitable access to these key climate solutions.


While the Solar Moonshot Program is intended to help nonprofit organizations go solar, tribal nations and communities as a whole can benefit from the funds available through partnerships with 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.  Funding from the 2021 budget year assisted a wide range of recipients, from community resilience hubs and community land trusts, to Indigenous communities, school districts and nonprofit organizations providing long-term solutions for houseless folx.


As noted in our Solar Moonshot Program - 2020 Highlights blog post, in early 2020, Hammond Climate Solutions was brought on to manage the “50 Solar States Project” by a San Diego-based philanthropist who provides funding through Left Coast Fund.  This project was the original initiative behind the Solar Moonshot Program and intended to fund one solar project in each state in the U.S.  The urgency of the climate crisis encouraged a pivot to focus on deploying solar as quickly as possible, rather than location, and the Solar Moonshot Program came to fruition as a result.


Along with last year’s $1,000,000 budget commitment, our team’s goal for 2021 was to fund 40 projects, with up to $25,000 being awarded to each participant.  We reached this goal and assisted three solar thermal and 41 rooftop solar projects this year, for an average grant amount of $23,637. Since the program began in 2020, we have been able to help a total of 87 nonprofit organizations go solar!


Projects supported climate justice efforts throughout the U.S., spearheaded by 2021 grant recipients like Community Treehouse Center Detroit, a nonprofit organization that assisted 11 homeowners in the neighborhood of Jefferson Chalmers to go solar.  The community of concern is located on the southeast side of Detroit and is already experiencing disproportionate effects of the climate crisis - efforts led by the organization’s founder and president, Tammy Black, are investing in the community’s future through programs that support persons with disabilities and mental wellness, entrepreneurship, green spaces, clean energy, financial wellbeing and more.  The solar project will help reduce local climate injustices, create climate resiliency and reinvest in the organization’s mission of creating a safe and sustainable community where all folx can succeed.


The following organizations have received grants this past year and are collectively helping combat the climate crisis:



We are excited to announce that we’ll be managing the Solar Moonshot Program in 2022 thanks to generous support from Left Coast Fund and the BQuest Foundation!  Project funding levels and prioritization will be based on the projects' financial need and installation timeline. Nonprofits interested in applying for a Solar Moonshot Program grant can visit the website, www.solarmoonshot.org.  We invite you to follow us on social media to see our #SolarSaturday posts, which highlight the amazing nonprofit organizations going solar and helping create a more just and livable future.  We can be found on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.


If you know of a foundation or philanthropist interested in supporting the Solar Moonshot Program in 2022, further expanding our impact, please reach out to Tara at tara@hammondclimatesolutions.com. 


Photo caption: Solar panel system located at Solidarity Farm in Pauma Valley, Calif., Apr. 8, 2021. (Photo/Aloha Solar Power)

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Hammond Climate Solutions representative speaking at a Green New Deal press event
Climate Policy Action - 2021 Highlights
Policy
December 28, 2021
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3
 min

Climate Policy Action - 2021 Highlights

This year’s clean energy and climate justice policy advocacy was filled with ups, downs, wins and loses but the Hammond Climate Solutions team is grateful for the strides we were able to help with to ensure a just and livable future for all. Here is a look back on our policy work in 2021, much of which was done with various partners that we’re grateful to be working with.

This year’s clean energy and climate justice policy advocacy was filled with ups, downs, wins and loses but the Hammond Climate Solutions team is grateful for the strides we were able to help with to ensure a just and livable future for all.  Here is a look back on our policy work in 2021, much of which was done with various partners that we’re grateful to be working with.


Our policy advocacy kicked off with the introduction of California Assembly Bill 1139 (AB 1139), introduced by Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez in February 2021.  The bill is the most aggressive solar attack to date, and it would have made drastic changes to the rules for California’s net energy metering (NEM), the solar agreement, which would have resulted in payback periods for rooftop solar investments of over 45 years.  In addition to changes for new solar producers, the bill proposed these changes for all existing customers as well, changing the presumed protections for over 1.3 million solar producers statewide.  Our advocacy included meeting with the author of the bill and sponsors to advocate for changes, rallying voices in opposition when the bill was introduced in assembly committees and presentations to local and statewide organizations to collect sign-ons for multiple letters.  Thankfully, we were successful in defeating the bill and in rallying enough opposition locally that none of the six assembly members representing San Diego County, aside from the bill’s author, voted yes.  This was a huge victory as rooftop solar and energy storage is a key solution to stopping the climate crisis, lessening environmental racism, providing grid resilience and supporting green jobs! 


In between the small wins and fights, we have been leading a year-long fight to protect and expand access to rooftop solar during the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) proceeding to determine the future solar agreement in the Golden State.  Attacks from the California investor-owned utilities, Natural Resources Defense Council (which has a history of aligning with the monopoly utilities companies, which you can read about here) and other utility-aligned, anti-solar groups have resulted in a proposed decision to drastically reduce benefits for solar customers, making rooftop solar inaccessible to all but the very wealthy.  Hammond Climate Solutions has helped to build a grassroots coalition of environmental and climate organizations, schools, cities, elected officials and more who are all standing up to protect and expand access to rooftop solar.  Through our advocacy and coalition building, we have helped five cities in our region submit letters or resolutions to the CPUC and Governor Newsom, advocating for a strong net energy metering agreement, the agreement that has allowed rooftop solar to become increasingly accessible to working class families, schools, small businesses and nonprofits.  More information on the recently-proposed decision, its impacts and how you can help protect rooftop solar as a climate solution can be found here.


Alongside efforts to protect rooftop solar and expand solar access in communities of concern, locally we were also very involved with a coalition advocating for the City of San Diego to cut ties with a fossil fuel corporation when renewing its gas and electric franchise agreements, which was up for renewal for the second time in a century.  The gas and electric franchise agreements would have determined whether we could build a clean energy future or if we would have been locked into another long term agreement with dirty fossil fuels.  After calling in to countless city council and committee meetings, attending meetings with city council members and organizing rallies and press conferences, we were confident that San Diegans made their voices clear that the broken energy system under San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) was not working, and after over an hour of public comments in opposition to awarding the franchise agreement to SDG&E, the city council disappointed us in a 6-3 vote.  SDG&E promised programs and funding in order to secure the franchise agreements, including a Solar Equity Fund to subsidize solar for low-income families, however after a few stakeholder meetings which Hammond Climate Solutions attended, there has not been any progress in moving the program forward.  We plan to stay engaged with helping shape the Solar Equity Fund to be as beneficial to San Diegans as possible. 


Other energy related advocacy efforts have also included advocating for cities and San Diego County to join San Diego Community Power (SDCP), San Diego’s largest community choice energy program.  This year, San Diego County and National City both joined SDCP, securing a pathway to 100 percent clean energy. 


Although the majority of our advocacy this year has been energy related, we were also involved in a number of wins for building electrification ordinances around the county.  Through our involvement in the San Diego Building Electrification Coalition, we were able to help in successfully urging Encinitas and Solana Beach to pass all electric building reach codes for new construction buildings, a huge win considering buildings make up a significant portion of the region’s greenhouse gas emissions.  In addition to securing building electrification ordinances, we have also helped in advocating for a regional transportation plan, a truly innovative and first of its kind plan that will bring our regional transportation system to where it should be, getting people out of their cars and into other modes of sustainable transportation.  Through our membership with the San Diego Green New Deal Alliance, we have also been advocating for zero carbon policies as well as family sustaining green jobs and a just transition for workers. 


While most of our advocacy and policy work was focused on local and statewide efforts, Hammond Climate Solutions was also involved in a federal advocacy effort in partnership with the California Green New Deal Coalition to encourage a federal infrastructure package that would not only provide much needed funding for failing infrastructure, but also provide funding for climate and resiliency efforts with a focus on creating good green jobs. 


Although this year has had climate activists on the defense fighting against utility attacks, we are hopeful next year will bring legislation and policies that can lead to a productive and meaningful 2022.  In addition to our success in our policy advocacy, we have also had success with the programs that Hammond Climate Solutions manages and with the San Diego Climate Hub collaborations.  To learn more about our other work throughout the year, visit our recent blog post, Celebrating Climate Action - 2021 Year in Review.

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Image of a solar system at a farm that was supported by the Solar Moonshot Program
Solar Moonshot Program - 2020 Highlights
Foundation
December 28, 2021
/
3
 min

Solar Moonshot Program - 2020 Highlights

In 2020, Hammond Climate Solutions had the pleasure of working with 46 nonprofit organizations in 24 states, to collectively deploy 3,450kW of solar power with the aid of $1,000,000 in Solar Moonshot Program grant funding.

In 2020, Hammond Climate Solutions had the pleasure of working with 46 nonprofit organizations in 24 states, to collectively deploy 3,450kW of solar power with the aid of  $1,000,000 in Solar Moonshot Program grant funding.  

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The diverse group Solar Moonshot Program participants included schools, indigenous tribes, intentional communities, community centers, climate-focused centers, places of worship, youth homeless shelters, farms, community solar gardens, a black women-run media company, and many other terrific community-based groups.

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The origin of the Solar Moonshot Program stems from the altruistic work of a San Diego based philanthropist, who was combating the climate crisis through an independent initiative known as the “50 Solar States Project.”  As the name suggests, the initiative aimed to fund one solar project in each of the 50 U.S. states, in order to demonstrate the practicality of using renewable energy technology in every region of the country, and to be the impetus for further local adoption. 

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In February of 2020, when Hammond Climate Solutions was hired to manage the 50 Solar States Program, the outlook on our climate was far more precarious.  Reflecting together upon those circumstances led to a tactical shift in the initiative’s mission, and would emphasize swift system energization as opposed to locale in order to maximize the renewable energy project’s potential impact on the environment.  With that, the Solar Moonshot Program was born. 

 

The 2020 goal for the Solar Moonshot Program was to assist approximately 40 nonprofit organizations afford the switch to solar (photovoltaic or thermal) with or without energy storage.  Priority was given to nonprofits that had the ability to move their solar projects forward in a timely fashion but required financial assistance to close funding gaps before proceeding.  The financial resources, provided by the Left Coast Fund, for the Solar Moonshot grants would be applied to a project’s funding in different ways, such as fundraiser-matching, down payments, a capital stack contribution, or to even cover the entire system cost for smaller projects.  The average grant for 2020’s program participants was $24,269 across 46 organizations. 

  

These renewable energy systems allow the nonprofits to save money that can be reinvested in fulfilling their missions while reducing harmful CO2 emissions that are contributing to the climate crisis, lessening local air pollution, and supporting regional green jobs.  The solar power systems also offer an opportunity to educate community members about the need for a just and livable future. 

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A highlight of our 2020 program was the funding of our first solar thermal project, which was done in partnership with indigineous rights and climate justice advocate, Winona LaDuke.  The grant went towards six solar thermal units at White Earth Reservation in Minnesota, which were installed by local Indigineous folks through the nonprofit 8th Fire Solar. 

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We have another $1,000,000 budget for the Solar Moonshot grants in 2021, which will help fund  renewable energy projects for about 40 nonprofit organizations across the nation. 

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Nonprofits interested in applying for a Solar Moonshot Program grant can visit the website, www.solarmoonshot.org. Follow us on social media for our weekly #SolarSaturday posts, which highlight the amazing nonprofits going solar and helping make the world a better place.

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Below is a list of all the organizations we’ve been delighted to help:

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  • Jack's Solar Garden (pictured above) in Colorado
  • ‍Red Bird Mission in Kentucky partnership with Mountain Association
  • Glass City Community Solar in Ohio 
  • Madison West High School in partnership with the The Midwest Renewable Energy Association in Wisconsin
  • Lincoln Park Solar Garden in Minnesota in partnership with Ecolibrium
  • Activist San Diego in California, installed by IBEW Local 569 union electricians with Aloha Solar Power
  • Kroka Expeditions in Marlow, New Hampshire
  • Ekvn-Yefolecv, an Indigenous community in Weogufka, Alabama
  • Northside Community Center run by the Community Action Network (CAN) in Ann Arbor, Michigan in partnership with the City Of Ann Arbor
  • Eau Claire Public Schools in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, in partnership with Eau Claire Public Schools Foundation
  • Center for Mindful Learning (Monastic Academy for the Preservation of Life on Earth) in Fletcher, Vermont
  • Canticle Farm in Oakland, California
  • White Earth Reservation installed by 8th Fire Solar in Minnesota
  • The DREAM Program in Winooski, Vermont
  • Wilmington Senior Center in Wilmington, California, in partnership with Wilmington Jaycees Foundation being installed by GRID Alternatives
  • The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano, California, being installed by IBEW Local 569 union electricians with Aloha Solar Power
  • Iron Works Cycling in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, in partnership with Appalachian Voices
  • Media Island International in Olympia, Washington, in partnership with Olympia Community Solar
  • The Workshop in Galena, Illinois
  • Church of the Holy Family Catholic Church in Virginia Beach,  Virginia
  • New Day Youth & Family Services in Albuquerque, New Mexico
  • UnityPoint Health Jones Regional Medical Center in Anamosa, Iowa
  • St. John's Episcoal Church in Westwood, Massachusetts
  • Commonweal in Bolinas, California
  • University Christian Church, home of the Climate Hub in San Diego, California, installed by IBEW Local 569 union electricians at Baker Electric Home Energy
  • Common Street Spiritual Center in Natick, Massachusetts
  • The Eco-Institute at Pickards Mountain in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
  • Sisters of the Holy Spirit and Mary Immaculate in San Antonio, Texas
  • El Costeño in Seattle, Washington, in partnership with the American Solar Energy Society
  • Centro PASO Aibonito in San Jose, Puerto Rico, in partnership with BQuest Foundation
  • South Boston Neighborhood Development Corporation in Boston, Massachusetts
  • Planting Justice in El Sobrante, California
  • Episcopal Diocese in Savannah, Georgia
  • Sacramento LGBT Community Center in Sacramento, California
  • Kathy's House in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
  • Trinity Church in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts
  • Casa de Amparo in San Marcos, California, in partnership with BQuest Foundation
  • Boys Hope Girls Hope in Irvine, California
  • Congregation Beth Shalom of the Blue Hills in Milton, Massachusetts
  • Habitat for Humanity in La Crosse, Wisconsin
  • The LGBTQ Center Long Beach in Long Beach, California
  • Girl Scouts of America in Randolph, New Jersey
  • Northern California Land Trust / Peace Gardens in Berkeley, California, being installed by GRID Alternatives
  • Grace Church in Riverhead, New York
  • Humane Society of Marion County in Yelville, Arkansas
  • Second Baptist Church in Ypsilanti, Michigan 


2021 commitments thus far:

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  • Solidarity Farm in Pauma Valley, California, in partnership with Circle of Life, being installed by IBEW Local 569 union electricians with Aloha Solar Power
  • Somerville Community Corporation in Somerville, Massachusetts
  • Innisfree Village in Crozet, Virginia 
  • St. Paul’s Visalia in Visalia, California 
  • NEST/SNAG Magazine in San Francisco, California  
  • Wildrock Farm in Crozet, Virginia 
  • St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Vestavia Hills, Alabama
  • Church of the Savior in Hanford, California 


Solar Moonshot Program in the news: 

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