weatherization program

Statewide LG EE Best Practices: Weekly Update

Here are your wEEkly updates:

News and Opportunities

The Statewide Energy Efficiency Collaborative (SEEC) released a new fact sheet on weatherization targeted for California local governments. The fact sheet highlights key best practices for developing partnerships and programs, demonstrating leadership, and investing in workforce development.

SEEC is requesting input from local government staff to get a better understanding of local government needs and interests to inform activities undertaken by SEEC and to help shape the 2017 SEEC Forum. We ask that you complete this quick survey by Friday, January 27th at 5:00 PM.

In 2016, the Hayward city council unanimously adopted a Zero Net Energy goal by 2025 for their municipal facilities. Since Jan. 1, Hayward’s initiative requires that all new city-owned facilities be built to produce ZNE.

Comprehensive cost/benefit study of climate policies in San Joaquin Valley finds over $13 billion in economic benefits, mostly in renewable energy.


“California is the sixth largest economy in the world and the most populous state in the nation. What’s more, we’ve shown that strong climate and energy policy is possible while building a dynamic economy. We’ve proved that clean energy creates far more jobs than fossil fuels...”

Reports and Resources

The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) announces the availability of the California Communities Environmental Health Screening Tool: CalEnviroScreen 3.0. CalEnviroScreen is a screening methodology that can be used to help identify California communities that are disproportionately burdened by multiple sources of pollution.

The wizard combs the internet weekly for funding opportunities to help support a sustainable future.  You can set filters by funding type, category, eligible applicants or using keywords. Search for grants, loans, rebates, and more to fund sustainable projects.

The 2016 energy standards went into effect January 1, 2017. The Online Resource Center is provided to assist the building community and enforcement agencies with Building Energy Efficiency Standards compliance including publications, tools, training, and a Hotline to help energy-efficient building projects comply with the new Energy Standards.

Ahead of the January 23rd workshop soliciting stakeholder feedback, the Energy Commission has released a staff report that describes a process and policy framework for establishing the energy efficiency targets mandated by SB 350. You can view additional workshop documents here.
“The 2017 U.S. Energy and Employment Report (USEER) finds that the Traditional Energy and Energy Efficiency sectors today employ approximately 6.4 million Americans. These sectors increased in 2016 by just under 5 percent, adding over 300,000 net new jobs, roughly 14% of all those created in the country.” The full report and state charts are available in the above link.
Task Force released the second installment of the Quadrennial Energy Review report.
The task for analyzes trends and issues confronting the Nation’s electricity sector out to 2040, examining the entire electricity system from generation to end use, and within the context of three overarching national goals: (1) enhance economic competitiveness; (2) promote environmental responsibility; and (3) provide for the Nation’s security.

Career Opportunities
Redwood Coast Energy Authority is seeking a Demand Side Management Programs Project Manager and a Community Strategies Manager. Please see their employment webpage for additional information on both positions here.
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. You can learn more about the position and SANDAG here.
The Energy Coalition is seeking a Project Coordinator to provide administrative, planning, coordination, technical and implementation support to other team members to contribute to the success of The Energy Network program.
The Port of San Diego is currently seeking an experienced Principal, Planning & Green Port to lead the Energy & Sustainability team in the Planning and Green Port Department.

Click the Calendar link to view all upcoming events.
This forum aims to share cutting-edge research addressing the impacts of climate change on the state to inform the state's strategies and policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to develop programs to safeguard California from a changing climate.
This conference is the nation's largest smart growth and sustainability event and has been named one of 12 conferences not to miss by Planetizen.
Join mayors, city council members, county supervisors, city managers, and high-level department heads for the 26th Annual Yosemite Policymakers Conference. This popular conference always features a timely and inspirational program designed to provide the tools and support policymakers need to implement innovative solutions to address society's most pressing challenges. This year's conference will be no different with its focus on sustaining our progress and protecting the American dream.

The Center for Climate Protection along with the Local Government Commission and the Local Government Sustainable Energy Coalition is offering their third Business of Clean Energy Symposium to convene 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 LG EE Best Practices: Weekly Update

Here are your wEEkly updates:

News and Opportunities

City of Carlsbad Climate Action Plan Update
The City of Carlsbad's newly appointed Climate Action Plan administrator gave an update at a City Council meeting about the city's current and planned efforts.

Sonoma County to Offer Incentives to Drivers to Switch to Electric Cars
Backed by the County Board of Supervisors, several programs are underway that county officials hope will boost the number of electric vehicles on the road, and develop the public and private charging network to support them.

Low-Income Weatherization Program Guidelines
The Department of Community Services and Development (CSD) is seeking comments on the Draft Low-Income Weatherization Program Guidelines for the FY 2015-16 Appropriation Procurements for the Single-Family Energy Efficiency and Solar PV Program. CSD is hosting a public hearing on Friday, October 7th 2016 at 9:00 AM in Sacramento. A copy of the draft will be made available online prior to the hearing. Written comments are due Thursday, October 20th.

DOE First Step Towards Developing Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency on Tribal Lands
The Department of Energy is making $3 million in funding available to support tribal energy development in six topic areas: 1) conduct energy options analyses, 2) establish baseline energy use and energy efficiency options, 3) develop energy organizations, 4) conduct climate resiliency planning, 5) establish policy, regulations, and codes to reduce energy use and promote energy development, and 6) obtain skills and training related to energy use and development.


9/27-9/29 (webinars) Series of Energy Star Webinars
Several webinars are being hosted next ween on Energy Star, including: An Energy Star Success Story: Boston Properties and EnerNOC; Portfolio Manager 101, 201, and 301; and Ask The Expert.

9/29 (webinar) Distributed Energy Resources: Seizing Opportunities While Managing Distribution Grid Impacts
Distributed energy resources (DERs) are reshaping the operation of the electric power system. Join this webinar to learn about how we can coordinate DERs with centralized generation, in economically sustainable ways, to drive savings and enhance efficiency - to the mutual benefit of all entities involved.

Save the date! The California Energy Commission, in partnership with PG&E, Edison and SDG&E, is hosting a symposium to feature innovative research projects helping California achieve its clean energy future.

Resources and Reports

Green Region Initiative V2.0 - Sustainability Indicators Map
The Green Region Initiative map serves as a resource for jurisdictions to identify current and potential progress areas, replicate best practices, and collaborate to increase sustainability in the SCAG region. The map presents policy and program data for all cities and counties in the region across 25 sustainability topics including climate action planning, greenhouse gas emissions reduction, green infrastructure, waste reduction, water conservation, and active transportation. Please direct any questions to scaggreenregion@scag.ca.gov.

Energy Efficiency Finance: A Market Reassessment
With the growth and maturation of the energy efficiency finance markets, there are new opportunities and trends that are likely to remain relevant for some time. Among them are the rise of green bonds and interest from new types of investors, a focus on the customer experience, new methods for financing programs, and better integration of efficiency into capital planning.
2016 Energy and Sustainability Predictions: Findings from Facilities Professionals
This report, derived from Ecova's 2016 survey, offers specific insight into how facilities managers are "prioritizing energy, water, and waste efficiency initiatives in light of the forces at work in today's market".

The Emerging Clean Energy Economy: Customer-Driven. Modernized. Reliable. (Southern California Edison)
New white paper released from Southern California Edison indicates that with a modern grid in place, SCE will be capable of delivering a full spectrum of distributed energy resources to customers within a decade.

If you missed BayREN's latest regional forum, fear not as all resources and recordings are available online. Resources from their other regional forums are also available on this webpage and many topics will likely spark your interest.
Future Electric Utility Regulation Series
A new series of reports from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory taps leading thinkers to grapple with complex regulatory issues for electricity. 


That's all for this week!





Weatherizing: N.H. does good, California not so much

Vice President Joe Biden today extolled a Recovery Act milestone of 200,000 homes weatherized nationwide.

"Thanks to the Recovery Act, thousands of construction workers across the country are now on the job making energy-saving home improvements that will save working families hundreds of dollars a year on their utility bills," he said in a statement.

Biden made his comments while visiting the Manchester, N.H. home of the Dumont family, which is expected to save over $600 a year on its utility bills. The vice president picked New Hampshire because of its success with the program, which is a component of stimulus spending.

He did not choose California for his face to face with the media for good reason. The state has not done well spending Weatherization Assistance Program funds.

Gregory H. Friedman, Department of Energy Inspector General, issued a scathing report earlier this year ripping the state and many others for their lack of distributing money and implementing programs meant to get people jobs. Friedman said of the 43,400 homes California planned to weatherize, just a dozen of them for .03 percent had been retrofitted by the time his report was released Feb. 19.

"Because the consequences of the lack of progress by grantees in the implementation of the Weatherization Program were so significant, we found this data alarming," he said. "In short, the Nation has not, to date, realized the potential economic benefits of the $5 billion in Recovery Act funds allocated to the Weatherization Program."

Of course that was then. The California Community and Services Department has moved forward with other grants to spread the weatherization money, but little of it appears to have hit the street.

Not so in New Hampshire. The Manchester area organization weatherizing Dumont family home has already hired seven new full-time employees and an estimated 68 subcontractors.

Biden said New Hampshire has been one of the nation's weatherization leaders, ramping up quickly and effectively to reach their goals ahead of schedule, weatherizing more than 1,000 homes by June.

Here's to that momentum spreading elsewhere. Friedman was none too pleased with his review Aug. 11 of another Recovery Act program, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Program. It also has problems busting free of government regulation and getting to the street.

"Due to a number of institutional impediments at all levels, these goals have yet to be met," he said.