What Has SJVCEO Been Up to in April

As we wave goodbye to April we  slowly embark into summer and those hot temperatures that are around the corner...which no one is looking forward to. With the beginning of summer and rising temps the SJVCEO team is blazing a trail into its energy saving goals for all three of its areas in 2016.

With the VIEW Partnership the SJVCEO team is working away on energy projects. With organizational change ups with the partnerships IOU partners projects are now beginning to trickle in. A few of the city and county partners in VIEW are taking advantage of the Savings by Design program that the state has to offer. The Savings by Design program was created for building owners to take a whole building or systems approach to energy savings. Instead of completing individual energy efficiency projects owners would take a look with the design team to see what systems or design tweaks the whole building can benefit from. This program is available to customers within California as it is funded by all six IOU's within the state. We are excited to see what savings and projects come out of the Savings by Design collaboration. The VIEW Partnership also was busy with the City of Visalia's Earth Day Event. The partnership always enjoys attending the event to spread the word of energy efficiency and conservation. This year's event was filled with plenty of sunshine and had a great turn out!


Now changing gears to SJVCEO's HDR Partnership. All of our energy partners in the high desert have been hard at work completing well and other large energy saving projects. With the partnership we are happy to now say we are out and about with the message of the energy partnership. Over the last month and a half we have met with most of the Chambers of Commerce in the high desert region and have been welcomed with open arms. We are happy to be sharing information and programs with the chambers in the area, since many of the businesses can benefit.

For our METU program that partners with PG&E we are happy to say that we are full steam ahead on benchmarking and projects. One of our staff members just completed a walk through energy assessment of five facilities within the City of Kingsburg. Our staff member is now crunching the numbers and information to give a full written report about potential projects and energy savings. We will keep you updated on what projects take place.

While we are not busy doing energy assessments and working on energy projects our team participates in a few different advisory councils and organizations. Just this last month one of our staff who works with the San Joaquin Valley Clean Energy Cluster helped with an annual clean energy summit. The summit was a real success and our staff was able to see the great energy work that is happening within the valley. Another one of our staff is working with the Clean Energy Financing Advisory Council. The objective of the council is bring information on new energy efficiency financing opportunities to California. In April the council held a webinar on financing energy storage as well as the CHEEF REEL (Residential Energy Efficiency Loan program) pilot roll-out with Valley Oak Credit Union. A lot of exciting things are happening in the valley as well as in the state so make sure you sty tuned to our blog for updates!

That is all for this month!

Look For Your April Climate Credit

Look for a Climate Credit from the State of California on Your April Utility Bill

This month your electricity bill will include a credit identified as the "California Climate Credit." Twice a year, in April and October,* your household and millions of others throughout the state will receive this credit on your electricity bills.

The Climate Credit is a payment to Californians from a program designed to fight climate change by limiting the amount of greenhouse gas pollution that our largest industries put into the atmosphere.

This program is one of many developed as a result of landmark legislation called the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, which puts California at the forefront of efforts to battle climate change. Other programs under this law increase clean, renewable forms of electricity, promote energy efficiency in homes and businesses, and require cleaner fuels   and more efficient cars and trucks.

Together, these programs will aid in reducing greenhouse gas emissions that trap heat in the atmosphere–helping to clean the air and protect our food, water, and public health, as well as the beauty of our state.

The Climate Credit is designed to help you join with California in its efforts to fight climate change and clean the air. You can use the savings on your electricity bills however you choose, but you can save even more money by investing the bill savings from your Climate Credit in energy-saving home upgrades, including more efficient lights and appliances. You can find more information and receive rebates for these and many other energy efficient choices for your home at www.EnergyUpgradeCA.org/credit.

California's greenhouse gas reduction programs provide a range of powerful solutions to help slow climate change, one of the greatest challenges facing society. By gradually reducing emissions each year and moving to cleaner forms of energy, we are taking an important step to preserve the health and prosperity of our state for generations to come.

* Billing periods vary by utility and may not always coincide with a calendar month. If you don't see a Climate Credit in the bill that arrives in April, it will appear in the bill you receive in May.

The CPUC regulates privately owned electric companies and serves the public interest by protecting consumers and ensuring the provision of safe, reliable utility service and infrastructure at reasonable rates, with a commitment to environmental enhancement and a healthy California economy. For more information about our work contact us at: news@cpuc.ca.gov, 800-253-0500, or visit www.cpuc.ca.gov.