Summer CURRENTS

6 Spng 2017 An Energy Newsletter for Local Governments CURRENTS is the Local Government Commission’s free quarterly newsletter providing local elected officials and staff with current information on energy issues affecting California local governments. Be Patient and Persevere At this year's SEEC Forum, Dan Schoenholz and Rachel DiFranco gave a well-reviewed presentation on making sustainability projects happen. Link to Article Changing the California Energy Framework Earlier this year the CPUC released a staff white paper to guide the discussion for another CPUC and Energy Commission (CEC) En Banc. Link to Article Preparing for Electrified Transit In the beginning of the 20th century, transportation agencies were very familiar with planning around electricity but today all of that has changed. Link to Article Legislative Update The Local Government Commission's update on the following legislation: SB 242, AB 1284, SB 100, AB 726, SB 801, and AB 546. Link to Article Want more CURRENTS- SUBSCRIBE HERE Please feel free to pass CURRENTS along to friends, associates and others who you think would be interested.     Copyright © 2017. Local Government Commission. All rights reserved.

LG EE Best Practices: Weekly Update

wEEkly update 04/14/2017 Subscribe to the wEEkly Update Past Issues

Funding Wizard | Energy Standards Online Resource Center | Energy Code Ace CAISO Today's Outlook

8th Annual Statewide Energy Efficiency Forum Call for Proposals The deadline to submit a proposal has been extended to Monday, April 17th. Click here to submit a proposal! News and Opportunities Technology Demonstrations Help Pave the Way for a Smarter Energy Infrastructure PG&E highlights several projects funded by EPIC, the Electric Program Investment Charge Too Much of a Good Thing? An Illustrated Guide to Solar Curtailment on California’s Grid Greentech Media provides and in-depth review of California ISO's curtailment of renewable resources. CEC Workshop: 2019 Zero Net Energy Residential Standards California Energy Commission staff will conduct a workshop on April 20th to gather stakeholder input on the development of the 2019 Building Energy Efficiency Standards Save the Date: May 19 En Banc on Community Choice The CPUC and CEC will hold a joint En Banc Hearing with Commissioners of both agencies attending to discuss the changing state of retail electric choice IEPR Workshop on Risk of Economic Retirement for California Power Plants CEC, CPUC, and CAISO will discuss existing California power plants and how they may contribute to local and overall electricity system reliability Building Below Zero Documentary and Panel Discussions stok has been working with the International Living Future Institute to put together a Net Zero Energy Road Show. Publications and Resources Utility Training Resources Utilities provide training resources in all the regions they serve in their regional training centers Residential HVAC Educational Videos for the 2016 Energy Standards The videos cove 2016 Energy Standards for HVAC requirements in low-rise residential buildings   SEEC Calendar  Click the SEEC Calendar link to view all upcoming events. 4/20 Municipal Green Building Conference and Expo (Downey) The U.S Green Building Council-Los Angeles Chapter (USGBC-LA) Municipal Green Building Conference and Expo (MGBCE) is the longest running annual green building event in Southern California. 4/26-4/27 Green California Summit (Sacramento) The Summit provides a forum where innovations in policy, technology, and practice can be showcased and shared.   That's all for this week. Have a great weekend! Cary Garcia Jr. Statewide Local Government Energy Efficiency Best Practices Coordinator eecoordinator.info

Statwide LG EE Best Practices: Weekly Update

wEEkly update Good afternoon! Here are your wEEkly updates: News and Opportunities LG Input Requested: Energy Impacts of Cannabis Cultivation Workshop The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is holding this workshop February 28th to examine the increase in electricity demand that may be expected from increased cannabis cultivation in California. RFP: emPower Central Coast "Energy Coach" Program The emPower Central Coast program of the Energy and Sustainability Division of the County of Santa Barbara requests proposals from qualified professionals to serve by contract as "Energy Coach" primarily for the San Luis Obispo County area. Joint CEC-CPUC Workshop to support the 2017 Integrated Energy Policy Report Save the date for a joint California Energy Commission and California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Workshop on Greenhouse Gas Target Setting for the Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) Process on February 23, 2017. Edison and Tesla Unveil Giant Energy Storage System Southern California Edison and Tesla Motors Inc., installed 400 Tesla PowerPacks in the Mira Loma substation in Ontario, CA. The substation will now add nearly 80 megawatts of energy storage to the state’s electricity grid. Publications and Resources Regulating Energy Efficiency - A Primer on the CPUC's Energy Efficiency Programs A short report from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) that outlines how they currently regulate energy efficiency. The Growth of America’s Clean Energy & Sustainability Jobs In addition to the DOE report released earlier this year. The Environmental Defense Fund has released their own report discussing the growth of clean energy and sustainability jobs in the United States. The Third Wave of Energy Efficiency The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) released a report late last year on the "Third Wave of Energy Efficiency." Advances in consumer electronics can help consumers be more energy efficient. Can Paying-For-Performance Increase Energy Savings? Pay for performance (P4P) programs track energy efficiency savings as they occur by using technology data from a building's energy meter. Career Opportunities Programs Manager, Sonoma County Sonoma Clean Power has an opening for a programs manager as they expand their service into Mendocino County. The programs manager will be responsible for significant portions of program design and implementation. Sustainability Coordinator, San Diego Reporting to the University of San Diego, Director of Sustainability, this role coordinates the day-to-day operations for the Office of Sustainability. Deadline: Today February 3, 2017 Senior Regional Planner, San Diego The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) is looking for a Senior Regional Planner to support the implementation of San Diego Forward: The Regional Plan and the Sustainable Communities Strategy Deadline: Today February 3, 2017   SEEC Calendar  Click the Calendar link to view all upcoming events. 2/24 Basic Excel for Energy Auditors A basic excel class for Energy Auditors focusing on the the fundamentals of Excel.This training will be offered at a very basic level and is not recommended for anyone proficient with advanced Excel functionality, such as macros. Location: San Francisco, CA 3/16-3/19 (Yosemite National Park) Yosemite Policymakers Conference Join mayors, city council members, county supervisors, city managers, and high-level department heads for the 26th Annual Yosemite Policymakers Conference. 4/26-4/27 Green California Summit (Sacramento) The Summit provides a forum where innovations in policy, technology and practice can be showcased and shared. 5/5/17 (Long Beach) The Business of Local Energy Symposium 2017 Business of Clean Energy Symposium to convening government, business, and community leaders to accelerate California's shift to a clean energy economy and to exchange ideas about Community Choice Energy programs.   That's all for this week. Have a great weekend! Statewide Local Government Energy Efficiency Best Practices Coordinator eecoordinator.info Funding Wizard | Energy Standards Online Resource Center

Statewide LG EE Best Practices: Weekly Update

Here are your wEEkly Updates:

News and Opportunities

New Report from SEEC: The State of Local Climate Action in California
A new report developed by ICLEI through the Statewide Energy Efficiency Collaborative (SEEC) presents a comprehensive picture of measurable local emissions trends, targets, planning efforts, and energy and climate actions in the state, along with in-depth profiles of local and regional agencies pursuing goals like public health and economic development through climate action. The findings confirm that local governments are making a significant contribution to the State's climate goals, which are among the most aggressive in the world.

The Paris Climate Agreement Is Entering into Force
The European Parliament voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to ratify the Paris climate accord, a move that will make the sweeping international agreement a legal reality long before even those who negotiated it expected. After a 30-day period, the agreement will legally enter into force on November 4th.

DOE Launches Better Community Alliance

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) launched a partnership that brings together public and private sector leaders to deliver energy efficiency, sustainable transportation, and renewable energy solutions that create cleaner and more prosperous communities for all Americans. The Better Communities Alliance provides local governments with integrated expertise, resources, and peer-networking opportunities from across the government, nonprofit, philanthropic, and private sectors.

Nominate Your Clean Air Hero for 2016
If you know someone in the air quality community who has made significant lifetime achievement, you can nominate them for a Haagen-Smit Clean Air Award. Since 2001, the Air Resources Board has annually bestowed these distinguished awards to individuals for their significant career accomplishments in at least one of these categories: research, environmental policy, science and technology, public education and community service.

ARB Clean Vehicle Rebate Project and Public Fleet Pilot Project
The California Air Resources Board (ARB) announced its grant solicitation for an administrator to implement the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project and Increased Incentives for Public Fleets in Disadvantaged Communities for Fiscal year 2016-17. This solicitation is open to federal, state or local government entities or agencies, and California nonprofit organizations with expertise implementing a grant program and general knowledge of ARB's clean vehicle programs. Applications are due November 4th by 5:00 PM.

Job Opportunity: AMBAG Energy Watch (see attached)
The Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG) is hiring for a Special Projects Associate to support the AMBAG Energy Watch, a regional program serving jurisdictions, residents, agriculture businesses, school districts, non-profits, special districts, and hospitality businesses with the goal of reducing energy use and related greenhouse gases. Applications due November 4th by 4:00 PM.

Calendar

10/18 (webinar) What You Should Know About Financing Energy Efficiency Upgrades
Learn how public sector organizations are improving energy efficiency with innovative solutions to financial barriers. Attendees will learn about financing projects in the public and private sectors, the basics of performance contracting, and how EPA's tools and resources can help you make the decision to improve your facilities now or later.

10/20 - 10/22 (Baltimore, MD) Behavior, Energy & Climate Change Conference
A conference focused on understanding the behavior and decision-making of individuals and organizations and using that knowledge to accelerate our transition to an energy-efficient and low-carbon future.

10/26 (Sacramento) Creating Net Zero Living Buildings and Communities
How does the future of design look like and how do designers push the envelope towards truly regenerative, net positive and beautiful design? Join the International Living Future Institute for a talk about the Institute's Net zero Energy Building Certification and the changing face of design on a national and local level.

2/2/2017 - 2/4/2017 (St. Louis, Missouri) New Partners for Smart Growth Conference
Registration is now open for the 16th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth: Practical Tools and Innovative Strategies for Creating Great Communities Conference. This conference will feature 80+ conference sessions - plenaries, breakouts, implementation workshops, focused trainings - and much more over three full days. 

Resources, Reports, and  Articles

CEC Efficiency Division: BluePrint Newsletter

The California Energy Commission (CEC) Efficiency Division released its September 2016 - October 2016 Blueprint Newsletter, which includes a number of resources to help implementation of the 2016 Building Energy Efficiency Standards, which will go into effect January 1, 2017.

Presentation: Electric Vehicle Equity 
From CEC's October 5th workshop on Electric Vehicle Equity: Building an EV Eco-system that Leads with Low-income Communities of Color.

A Trip Down the Soft Energy Path
Lessons from the first 40 years of the "soft path" to U.S. energy policy as told by Amory B. Lovins, the climate scientist that coined the term.

New York City's Roadmap to 80 x 50
The City of New York committed to reduce its GHG emissions by 80 percent from 2005 levels by 2050, accelerating its initial target of a 30% reduction from 2005 levels by 2030. The City developed this roadmap to accelerate efforts in energy efficiency, EV deployment, renewable production, and more. Additional background and resources

That is all for this week!

Finding Funding Opportunities

I get a lot of questions about how to find grant opportunities and RFPs (Request for Proposals), and so I decided it’s about time I share some resources!

There are a number of places to look for funding opportunities. Here are some of my favorites:

California’s Local Government Energy Efficiency Portal

This portal is a great service provided by the Statewide Local Government Energy Efficiency Best Practices Coordinator. They shares resources, best practices, news and events and other information with those involved with Local Government Partnerships. You can sign up to get the weekly email, which we share on this blog each week. This email often includes a list of funding opportunities for eligible local and tribal governments. The portal also includes a detailed summary of funding opportunity resources for local governments that may be found here.

California Energy Commission (CEC)

It's always great to get money for what you want to grow. Photo source: Terrain Magazine

The CEC funds a variety of projects and types of agencies. Current solicitations can be found here and are searchable based on program areas. I recommend subscribing to the list serve so you are up to date with contract notices as they’re released.

The CEC also funds “energy innovation” projects through the EPIC (Electricity Program Investment Charge) Program. These projects address environmental impacts and usually include program design, research and development, technology deployment, and market facilitation. Current solicitations include vehicle-grid integration, biomass-to-energy systems for food waste sector, and developing ZNE (zero net energy) buildings.

Grants.gov

All federal grants are submitted through this website. Unfortunately, solicitations and RFPs are a little hard to find through their system, but you can sign up for email notifications regarding new funding opportunities. The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) has a much easier advanced search system. If you find something in CFDA, you can more easily search for the specific grant solicitation on grants.gov to apply.

FDO Professional

FDO Professional allows you to search foundations that fund your industry in your area. This service is fee based, but you can access it for free from “Funding Information Network locations” in your area; just bring a flash drive for any information or lists of foundations you want to download. Many libraries, including Fresno County Public Library, Stanislaus County Library and Tulare Public Library are “Funding Information Network locations”. Check them out!

Do you have other resources to share? What’s your favorite?

Statewide LG EE Best Practices: Weekly Update

Here are your wEEkly updates:

1. Coordinator transition (and job announcement!): For those that missed it last week: I will be leaving my position as your Statewide Local Government Energy Efficiency Best Practices next week, and so this is my last set of WEEkly Updates to you. In the interim, the Updates will continue via Julia Kim (jkim@lgc.org). It’s been a real pleasure working to connect you all with best practices, resources – and to each other! LGC is actively recruiting to fill the Coordinator position, posted here – please share widely with friends and colleagues.

2. Joint Agency Microgrid Commercialization Workshop 9/6: The CEC, CPUC, and CAISO will conduct a workshop on September 6th to learn about California customers’ microgrid implementation strategies and challenges with a focus on energy resiliency, renewable integration, costs/benefits performance, lessons learned, how cyber-security is being addressed and efforts to commercialize microgrids in California.

3. Joint IOU Webinar on LGP Project Reporting 9/7: PG&E, SCE, SCG and SDG&E will jointly host a statewide webinar 9/7 to review improvements to semi-annual data reporting and communication related to Local Government Partnership activities supporting the California Long Term Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan. Local Government Partnership reporting leads, and Local Governments conducting Strategic Plan support activity as part of a Local Government Partnership, are encouraged to attend.

4. Cap and Trade $$ Deal Passes Legislature: In the final hours of the legislative session, a last minute deal to release cap and trade funding was passed this week for transportation, housing, green space, and low/no-emissions vehicles.
5. New EE Municipal Policy in Santa Barbara County: Congratulations to Santa Barbara County, who has just passed a comprehensive new “County of Santa Barbara Energy Efficiency Standards Policy for County Owned and Leased Facilities” covering staff training, energy metering and reporting, zero net energy requirements for new construction, and more.

6. Updates from the CAEECC: Read the latest updates from the California Energy Efficiency Coordinating Committee, a committee that engages interested stakeholders in the process that energy efficiency ratepayer funding Program Administrators (PG&E, SCE, SCG, SDG&E, BayREN, SoCalREN, and MCE) are going through to plan energy efficiency goals, strategies, and programming under the new rolling portfolio cycle. (Not familiar with the CAEECC, or need background? FAQs and other resources are available.)

7. EE Compliance Resources: The California Energy Commission (CEC) has released Acceptance Test Technician Certification Provider (ATTCP) and Home Energy Rating System (HERS) reference cards, designed to quickly identify when acceptance testing or verification is required and how to find approved providers.

8. $$ for Air Sensor Best Practices, Tribal Clean Energy, and More: Check out the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s September newsletter for state and local governments for new funding announcements and climate change resources.

9. CEC Funding Announcement for Existing Building EE Innovations: The California Energy Commission (CEC) has recently released a $20 million solicitation for innovative large-scale development and demonstration projects that reduce electricity consumption in existing buildings. The solicitation is designed to accelerate the adoption of pre-commercial electricity saving technologies for existing government buildings; colleges, universities and K-12 schools; privately owned buildings; and facilities on military installations.

10. Attention emerging tech innovators: Know great cleantech innovators? Prospect Silicon Valley (ProspectSV) and its partners are seeking pre-commercial products and solutions from global clean technology innovators for energy efficiency, energy recovery and renewable energy solutions for potential inclusion in two state-funded demonstrations in San Francisco.

11. EE Facility Manager Decision Making: Looking for compelling resources to engage facility managers on energy efficiency? A new report from Ecova’s 2016 Energy and Sustainability Outlook Survey offers insight into how Facility Managers are prioritizing energy, water, and waste efficiency initiatives in light of the forces at work in today’s market. Learn how awareness of low/no-cost savings opportunities, and projections of energy pricing, are playing key roles in this article from Environmental Leader.

12. New EV research, news from other states: New studies from Navigant project that light duty plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) will make up half of the global EV market by 2024 – and that pairing deployment with smart grid technologies is critical. Get more coverage of these reports, and EV news from other states from UtilityDive.

13. Job Announcement: The San Diego International Airport is hiring for a highly-motivated individual to join its Environmental Affairs Department as an Environmental Specialist.

As always, you can keep track of relevant events by connecting to the EE Events Calendar, and find more resources being added daily on the EECoordinator website – including past WEEkly Updates.

That’s all for this week!

Statewide LG EE Best Practices: Weekly Update

Here are your wEEkly updates:

1. California Adaptation Forum: Last call for discounted rates for September’s 2^nd California Adaptation Forum! Register for the Forum by Wednesday, August 12 and receive $50 OFF One-Day and Full Forum rates! The Forum is an incredible opportunity to connect with hundreds of climate leaders from across the state. See more opportunities, a full Forum program, Forum events, plenary speakers and partners, and more.

2. Statewide Codes & Standards Team Conference Call: The Statewide Codes & Standards team works to develop resources to help local governments consider, adopt, and measure energy-saving successes from reach codes. If you are a local government interested in learning more, and/or hearing troubleshooting and success stories from other local governments across the state, please contact the Coordinator at jdecker@lgc.org to RSVP to this call.

3. New CEC Funding for EE Tech Demonstrations: On August 1^st, the California Energy Commission (CEC) announced a grant funding opportunity for Emerging Energy Efficient Technology Demonstrations (GFO-16-304), and will be holding a pre-bid conference workshop August 11^th.

4. CEC LinkedIn Networking Group for Open GFOs: Looking to find partners for the above grant funding opportunity? The California Energy Commission Networking Hub on LinkedIn has set up networking groups for the Technology Demonstration GFO, and three others.

5. Federal Gov. Energy Webinars this August: A list of August 2016 webinars is now available from federal agencies providing support on the EPA benchmarking tool Portfolio Manager, data center energy efficiency, EE financing, community resiliency through EE, resilient solar retrofits, waste management, and more.

6. What’s New with AB 802? In case you missed the July 22nd workshop held by the California Energy Commission on AB 802 implementation (Project Title, “Building Energy Use Disclosure and Public Benchmarking Program Mandated under Assembly Bill 802”), a transcript is now available from the CEC.

7. More on AB 802: Also in case you missed it: additional guidance linked to energy savings measurement was released in the CPUC’s recent decision providing guidance on Program Administrator EE business plans. (Need a refresher on AB 802?)

8. SB 350 Low-Income Barriers Workshop 8/12: The California Energy Commission conducting a workshop August 12th to gather input on barriers faced by low-income and disadvantaged communities to investing in energy efficiency and weatherization, installing solar photovoltaic and other renewable generating resources, and contracting opportunities for small businesses. This input will be included in the “Senate Bill 350 Barriers Study,” required by the Clean Energy and Pollution Reduction Act of 2015.

9. AB 32 EJAC Meeting 8/11-12: The AB 32 Environmental Justice Advisory Committee (Committee) will be meeting on August 11, 2016 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm (PDT) and August 12, 2016 from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm (PDT) in Huron, CA.

10. Financing Tools for Local Gov Webinar 8/25: This webinar will discuss the various tools and products that the State of California is making available to local governments to promote clean energy projects for residents and business owners, and will showcase a new financing marketplace for finding energy project-related financing solutions. (Go Green Financing is a program under Energy Upgrade California, administered by the Center for Sustainable Energy.)

11. PACE’s Value to the Real Estate Market: Event/Webinar 8/18: This CEFAC event and webinar will explore the recent amendments to the residential PACE program, along with updates on consumer protection, regulatory changes, and market growth in California. Join the Center for Sustainable Energy for a panel discussion that will cover these topics and validate why PACE is vital to the residential energy efficiency financing market.

12. EV’s Role in ZNE: Webinar 8/17: The Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE) invites city and county staff, contractors, architects, and developers to a free webinar August 17^th on how electric vehicles (EVs) can help support zero net energy (ZNE) goals.

13. Energy Code Ace Webinar 8/23: We heard great feedback from local governments on energy code expert Gina Rodda’s presentation on energy code compliance tools at this year’s SEEC Forum. Now, Rodda will be teaching a “not-your-average webinar” on what’s new in the 2016 code in two sessions August 23rd.  Get the word out to your buildings departments!

14. CivicSpark Project Lessons Learned Webinars 8/23-8/24: CivicSpark is a Governor’s Initiative AmeriCorps program that provides capacity-building support to local governments to accelerate California’s response and resiliency to climate change. These webinars aim to provide a snapshot of some of the accomplishments of the 2015-16 service year, with an emphasis on sharing lessons learned and best practices.

15. New Integrative Business Model for ZNE: In the Rocky Mountain Institute’s new Insight Brief, An Integrative Business Model for Net Zero Energy Districts, RMI presents an innovative business model for developing net zero energy or ultra-low energy districts and details how pursuing net zero energy is not a cost, but rather a significant value driver.

16. EE Shows Its $ Value in SF Real Estate: As covered by BizJournal’s July 28th article, funding green upgrades is made easier as the market shows the value of and desire for energy efficient real estate.

17. California Releases Sustainable Freight Action Plan: In response to an Executive Order issued by the Governor last year, the state has released the California Sustainable Freight Action Plan, a comprehensive document that serves as a blueprint for transforming the state’s multi-billion dollar freight transport system into one that is environmentally cleaner, more efficient, and more economically competitive than it is today.

18. Energy Transition Podcast on EE: In a recent episode of the Energy Transition Show, Chris Nelder speaks to energy efficiency expert Matt Golden about raising the profile of energy efficiency, sharing that energy efficiency (looking nationally) has been disproportionately neglected considering its extreme value, and also stating that efforts to raise the profile to date have failed. Matt Golden shares some interesting food for thought.

19. Job announcement: The San Joaquin Valley Clean Energy Organization (SJVCEO) is hiring for a Project Analyst! Learn more here.

20. RFP announcement: The City of San Jose’s RFP for Environmental Sustainability Plan Consultant Services closes August 12^th.

As always, you can keep track of relevant events by connecting to the EE Events Calendar, and find more resources being added daily on the EECoordinator website – including past WEEkly Updates.

That’s is all for this week!

What Has SJVCEO Been up to in July

We hope everyone is taking full advantage of their summer while surviving the heat waves that have been rolling through many areas. The team here at SJVCEO has been trying to stay cool while cranking up the heat on energy savings and encountering temperatures topping out at 109.

The VIEW Partnership is very happy to announce that, with the help of our energy champion partners, we have reached our annual goal of energy savings only halfway through the year.We would like to take a moment to applaud our partners on all of the hard work they have been doing, keep up the great work! Though we have met goal for 2016 we will continue to rack up the savings until December and push ourselves to be over achievers. While finishing out this year we are also beginning to focus on 2017 and potential savings that may be out there. Many of our partners have outlined work within their CIP (city/county improvement projects) listings that have been identified by SJVCEO staff as potential projects for next year as well as years to follow. We are very excited at the items that have been identified and will make sure to keep our readers updated.

The HDR Partnership has also hit its energy saving goal for 2016 as mentioned in a previous months update. The partners continue to share past and future projects with the group to help stir innovation as well as help other partners identify what savings potential may be out there. With the help of the partners and local chambers the partnership has worked to get the word out regarding the SCE Direct Install Program that will be wrapping up on August 12th. If you happen to be a business within the HDR area and have had wonderful success with the program please let us know. We always enjoy hearing positive stories regarding the program. We are also very excited to let everyone know that the partnership is very close to having a brand new logo. As soon as we have a final decision we will be sure to share that great news with our readers.

Our METU has undergone some changes in the staffing department over the last month. Our program lost one of its project analysts at the beginning of July. We wish him nothing but the best and are looking to fill the open position as soon as possible. If you happen to have someone in mind who has energy industry experience please pass along the opportunity when the position listing is available. We will be sure to share the position listing once the job description has been finalized. While we go through the staffing transition we are continuing to work with the City of Kingsburg on benchmarking and energy project opportunities. We hope to have an update and some numbers to share on next months write up.

SJVCEO is also excited to begin work on our California Energy Commission (CEC) awarded BioDico, a renewable energy technology provider, a grant to support a Zero Net Energy Farm in Five Points, CA. All of the farm’s energy needs will be supplied by distributed renewable energy including solar, wind, anaerobic digestion and gasification. Many biomass-to-energy plants located in the San Joaquin Valley have closed and this project will help offset some of the impacts of open burning of agricultural waste. The SJVCEO was selected to be a subcontractor on this project and the organization, along with BioDico and other subcontractors including CSU Fresno, Fresno COG, CALFIRE, and APCD, will create a model that may be replicated by other agricultural sectors and firms in the future.

Make sure to stay cool and safe for the remainder of the summer!

Statewide LG EE Best Practices: Weekly Update

Here are your wEEkly updates:

1. Events Galore: To start off strong: registration is now open for the California Adaptation Forum, September 7-8th in Long Beach.

2. ZNE Webinar 6/15: Learn about a recent zero net energy (ZNE) study and how industry leaders are not waiting to take advantage of this $1.3 trillion market in this webinar from Build It Green.

3. Multifamily ZNE Workshop 6/24: Hear zero net energy (ZNE) expertise speak to SF’s Chinatown Community Development Center, and available technical assistance and incentives at this 6/24 workshop on ZNE in multifamily in San Francisco. For more on ZNE click here.

4. CEC Resiliency Workshop 6/21: last week’s announcement of resiliency grants from PG&E was a popular item: to get engaged on resiliency, adaptation, and energy, join this CEC Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR) workshop focused on resiliency and adaptation June 21st. For more on resiliency, click here.

5. Local Government-Utility Partnerships Evaluation 6/20: California’s investor-owned utilities (IOUs) and Evergreen Economics invite you to attend a webinar presentation June 20th on the new draft plan for evaluating local government partnerships (LGPs).

6. EDAC Quarterly Meeting 6/21: Also June 21^st: the Energy Data Access Committee is holding its quarterly meeting – RSVP to join in person or by webinar.

7. EE in Pneumatics 6/23: making older pneumatic building systems efficient can be a challenge – but converting to DDC controls is usually cost-prohibitive. Learn about an energy efficient (and more cost efficient) retrofit in this 6/23 webinar. (Or for more on EE in pneumatic building systems, see this white paper.)

8. Prop 39 Plans Due 6/30: Get the word out to schools and Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) in your jurisdiction: Expenditure Plan Applications are due at the end of the month. For more on funding, click here.

9. CAEECC Update: Hear an update from the Coordinating Committee on the business plan development process for California EE programs and funding – including notes from past meetings and announcement of a next meeting 7/13.

10. Electric and Efficient Vehicle $$ from DOE: Earlier this week the U.S. Dept. of Energy announced $22 million to support research, development, and demonstration of innovative plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) and direct injection propane engine technologies, as well as community-based projects to accelerate the adoption of light, medium, and heavy duty vehicles that operate on fuels such as biodiesel, electricity, E85, hydrogen, natural gas, and propane.

CEC Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Funding: Presentations are now available from CEC’s 6/6 workshop.

11. $3 million from San Diego’s APCD: The San Diego County Air Pollution Control District is currently accepting applications for the Carl Moyer Memorial Air Quality Standards Attainment Grant Program.

12. Benchmarking best practices: benchmarking building energy use is a great practice for good management and discovery of energy-saving opportunities – and if becoming more and more widespread with AB 802 implementation. Learn how to best leverage benchmarking in this eBook, Building Energy Benchmarking & Transparency Laws. For more on benchmarking, click here.

13. EPA Portfolio Support and More: while on benchmarking, new federal webcasts are available for Portfolio Manager support, Tribal Renewable Energy, and more.

14. Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe Microgrid: for inspiration on tribal renewable energy (and beyond), check out this case study.

15. EE Code trainings and resources: The 2016 Title 24 standards become effective in 2017. Are you ready? Learn more about new fact sheets, resources and training offerings from Energy Code Ace.

16. Blueprint Newsletter: The California Energy Commission (CEC)’s Blueprint May/June newsletter is out! See newsletter highlights, including lighting compliance and electric water heater guidance, and read the newsletter in full.

17. Lighting Code Webinar: the California Advanced Homes Program is hosting a webinar 6/28 to help prepare for 2016 code lighting requirements – join yourself, or share with your buildings community!

18. Big energy savings from water savings: Saving water saves energy: less water used means less water pumped, less water heated or cooled, and less water treated – but how much? A new study from UC Davis helps us understand just how significant those energy savings are. 

19. Fontana tests operational ZNE: The development of zero net energy (ZNE) homes in Fontana announced this April got press in the New York Times article: A Suburban Experiment Aims for Free Energy. Hear feedback from the Genaus, a family living in one of the homes (and seeing utility bills of $10 on their 2,800 sq.ft. 3-bedroom residence), and check out a great slide show of the homes.

20. Reaching Low-Income Communities: New case studies from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency share best practices in reaching low-income communities with EE and renewable energy resources.

21. Advanced Energy in Huntington Beach: Congratulations to the City of Huntington Beach for its award of CEC EPIC Program funding for energy efficiency, renewables, zero net energy, and new technologies deployment under the Advanced Energy Communities program. Learn more about the project here.

22. CAP Adopted: Congratulations to Del Mar, whose City Council voted unanimously to adopt its climate action plan (CAP), which aims to cut the city’s greenhouse gas emissions in half in less than 20 years. Learn more about the CAP’s priorities here.

23. Green real estate resources: Last week’s post on next week’s greenrealtor training in Yolo County was also popular. Here are some additional green realtor certification trainings in Anaheim (June 29^th/30^th) and Burbank (July 25^th/26^th). Or, check out our new trainings resources page.

24. Job Announcement: Cal State University Long Beach is hiring for an Energy Analyst! Learn more here.

25. Job Announcement: The Local Government Commission is hiring for a Climate Change Coordinator! Learn more here.

26. Finally, there will be no WEEkly Updates next week due to the 7^th Annual SEEC Forum June 15^th-16^th in Riverside. We have record registrations from local governments across the state, and a great line up of local government, utility, state, and expert-led sessions: I hope to see you there!

You can keep track of relevant events by connecting to the EE Events Calendar, and find more resources being added daily on the EECoordinator website – including past WEEkly Updates. 

That’s all for this week!