April 23, 2021

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Community Energy Resilience Update

 

The Climate Center’s Community Energy Resilience (CER) initiative is working to create a new electricity system for California which is clean, affordable, reliable, equitable and safe -- prioritizing microgrid and distributed energy resource development in vulnerable communities that suffer the most from air pollution and power outages.  If you wish to subscribe or unsubscribe, click here.

 

SB 99, The Community Energy Resilience Act, Approved by California Senate Energy Committee with Bipartisan Vote of 12-0
On Monday April 19th the California Senate Energy Committee approved SB 99, the Community Energy Resilience Act, sponsored by The Climate Center and authored by Senator Bill Dodd, with a bi-partisan 12-0 vote.  The bill would require the California Energy Commission to develop and implement a technical assistance and grant program to support local governments in developing community energy resilience plans, prioritizing state support for the most vulnerable communities. For more information about the bill, read the author’s factsheet or press release, the OpEd that came out in the Sacramento Bee or visit our Community Energy Resilience page. Here is a link to SHOW YOUR SUPPORT.

Presentations Available from March 24th Webinar: Creating Climate Resilient Communities – What Will it Take? 

Slide presentations and a recording from the March 24th webinar are available here.   The policy-focused webinar included presentations from the following presenters: Amee Raval, Asian Pacific Environmental Network; Melicia Charles, Silicon Valley Clean Energy; Lorenzo Kristov, former CAISO Policy Principal; Katrina Leni-Konig, California Energy Commission; David Burdick, TerraVerde Energy; Rachel McMahon, Sunrun; Jason Simon, Enphase; and Ardi Arian, Renewable America. 

New Report: Overcoming Barriers to Solar+Storage in Critical Facilities Serving Low-Income Communities

The Clean Energy Group released a report yesterday summarizing common barriers to development of solar & storage serving critical facilities in low-income communities.  The report makes five key recommendations:

  1. Increase Awareness of Battery Storage
  2. Create Opportunities for Capacity Building
  3. Provide Technical Assistance Support
  4. Develop Innovative Incentive and Finance Options
  5. Establish a Monetary Value for Resilience
 

Register Now for May 12th Community Energy Resilience Workshop

Every community needs leaders to plan its energy future.  

We will help you pave the way for local clean energy projects!

There is a wave of state and federal funding on its way to fund local clean energy resiliency projects.  This workshop series will enable and empower local communities to take advantage of these upcoming opportunities. You can’t afford to wait to take action!

Format: A virtual community of practice workshop series

Best suited for: Sustainability staff at local governments and agencies, and community-based organizations 

Activities: Faculty will lead participants step-by-step through PECI’s award-winning Community Energy Resilience Toolkit to methodically identify and advance clean, local, and reliable energy projects.

Goals: Every participant will identify feasible and fundable projects that meet community and funders’ objectives, and develop a strong, self-sustaining community of practice with like-minded peers.

Cost: Free to elected officials, staff, community leaders, environmental justice organizations.

Register now for this series of eight workshops to be held via Zoom on the second Wednesday of each month, 10-11:30 AM, May through December 2021.

  • May 12: Policy and Funding Briefing and Workshop Overview
  • June 9: Identifying Community Stakeholders 
  • July 14: Aligning Stakeholders 
  • August 11: Mapping Community Assets —Strategy
  • September 8: Mapping Community Assets —Tactics
  • October 13: Designing Technical Feasibility 
  • November 10: Establishing Financial Feasibility 
  • December 8: Engaging Community
 

AB 1087 Scheduled for Hearing Next Week: Take Action to Show Your Support

AB 1087, legislation bill that would invest in “resilience hubs” across California where communities can gather and access resources before, during, and after disasters hit, is scheduled for a hearing in Sacramento on April 28th.  AB 1087 would fund clean energy and health upgrades for trusted institutions in working-class communities of color like senior centers, schools, and libraries -- places our communities can go to charge their devices, breathe clean air, and access resources. Click here in order to show your support and contact your legislator urging them to support AB 1087 as well as SB 467.  

The Climate Center
1275 - 4th St. #191  | Santa Rosa, California 95404
707-525-1665 | info@theclimatecenter.org

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