Statewide LG EE Best Practices: Weekly Update

Here are your wEEkly updates:

News and Opportunities

Reason for Optimism: Making Climate Change Progress in a New Political Era
This month's Livable Places Update from the Local Government Commission attempts to address what the new administration might mean to leadership on climate change, energy, and infrastructure investments.

High Utility Bills Trigger Anxiety and Depression in Low-Income Households
A researcher at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health studied a hidden source of hardship: energy insecurity, the ability to adequately meet basic household energy needs, and its adverse environmental, health, and social consequences. The study provides real-world examples of three dimensions of energy insecurity: economic, physical, and behavioral.

2030 Target Scoping Plan Discussion Draft
ARB released the 2030 Target Scoping Plan Discussion Draft to provide the staff's current thoughts on how to achieve the State's SB 32 climate goal of reducing greenhouse gases of at least 40% below 1990 levels by 2030. Comments received on the Discussion Draft will inform the development of a comprehensive Proposed 2030 target Scoping Plan, which is expected to be released in January 2017. Comments due December 16, 2016.

RFP: Sustainable Communities Planning Grant and Incentives Program: Best Practices Pilot
The Strategic Growth Council in partnership with the Office of Planning and Research is soliciting proposals for an effort to support local land use planning related to climate and the State's statutory planning priorities. The program funding in the amount of $250,000 will be available for applicants to apply for up to $50,000. These grants will support the development and/or implementation of a specific portion of a land use plan, land protection or management practice, or development project. Proposals due January 11, 2017.

Revised Draft Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy and Revised Draft Environmental Analysis

ARB released these drafts for public review and will be conducting a series of public workshops to summarize these revisions. Comments due January 17, 2017.

Job Opportunity: Energy and Water Coordinator, County of San Luis Obispo
The County of San Luis Obispo Department of Public Works is seeking an innovative and experienced individual who is committed to work as part of a team in delivering a broad range of energy-related projects at County facilities. The position covers a wide range of duties, such as energy monitoring and reporting to researching and implementing program/projects in the County's EnergyWise Plan. Applications due December 29, 2016.

Job Opportunity: Customer Programs Specialist I, MCE
MCE is currently hiring a motivated individual to help implement a new pilot focused on providing energy efficiency services to income qualified communities. The position will require creativity, attention to detail, and ideally knowledge of energy efficiency and/or experience working with low-income communities in the Bay Area. Applications due January 13, 2017.

Job Opportunity: Energy and Sustainability Information and Communication Analyst, County of Sonoma
The County of Sonoma is hiring for a bilingual (English and Spanish) Information and Communications Analyst that will be responsible for planning, developing, coordinating, and implementing Energy and Sustainability Division information, communication, education, and marketing efforts, and who will act as the division spokesperson in dealing with the media and community groups. Application deadline extended to December 21, 2016.

Calendar
Click the Calendar link to view all upcoming events.

12/13 (San Francisco / remote) Quarterly EE EM&V Stakeholder Meeting

Join the CPUC for the upcoming Quarterly Energy Efficiency EM&V Stakeholder Meeting. Please propose agenda topics to Syreeta Gibbs at syg@cpuc.ca.gov by COB December 7, 2016. Agenda topics proposed so far include: 1) Review of the EM&V Masterplan, 2) CPUC and Program Administrator Update on EM&V Budgets and Activities, and 3) M&V 2.0 case studies presentation.

12/15 (webinar) Advanced Energy Year In Review: What happened in 2016 - and what to expect in 2017
In this webinar, you can hear about the most important policy developments impacting the advanced energy industry in 2016, as well as possible policy battles and breakthroughs coming in 2017.

1/25-1/26 (Sacramento) California Climate Change Symposium 2017
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. Early-bird registration ends 12/12/16.

2/2/17 (St. Louis, MO) New Partners for Smart Growth Conference
Early-bird registration has been extended to December 16th  for the 2017 New Partners for Smart Growth Conference. 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.

5/5/17 (Long Beach) The Business of Local Energy Symposium 2017
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. Save the date - registration will open in January.

​Resources and Reports

Current Practices in Efficiency Financing
This report serves as a guide to all customer-facing financing products - products offered by a lender directly to a borrower - used to pay for energy efficiency. View the video and presentations from the associated webinar.

Less Carbon, Higher Prices: How California's Climate Policies Affect Lower-Income Residents
This paper examines the Golden State's history of renewable-energy mandates, as well as its carbon cap-and-trade program; its tiered system of electricity pricing; how prices vary by county; and the impact of energy prices on households.

The Intersection of Energy and Justice
This paper explores the interactions of spatial, racial and socioeconomic patterns of residential heating affordability, consumption and efficiency in Wayne County, Michigan. Alongside energy consumption and efficiency disparities, ineffective targeting of inefficient homes are highlighted as the impetus to fuel poverty in this study.

Planning & Zoning for Health in the Built Environment
This Essential Info Packet offers planners a collection of resources to help them better understand the connections between health and the built environment and integrate community health considerations into their planning and zoning work.

And that's all for this week!