
Thank you for attending the 10th Annual Statewide Energy Efficiency Forum!
June 26-27, 2019 | Long Beach, CA
Stay updated on the 2020 Forum by subscribing below
Stay updated on the 2020 Forum by subscribing below
You may know that cost-effectiveness, and specifically Total Resource Cost (TRC), guides energy efficiency (EE) portfolio decisions, but do you understand how the TRC calculation actually works and why EE programs and projects that benefit your community may not make the cut? In a repeat performance from the 2019 SEEC Forum breakout session on the topic, this webinar will review the history and components of TRC, discuss why understanding TRC is important to successfully leveraging Third Party programs, and explore best practices and alternatives for accurately valuing efficiency, protecting customer funds, and aligning with state policies.
Reach codes (local energy ordinances) are one of the tools local governments can use to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as save energy and money. This session will discuss the local goals that can be addressed with reach codes, including decarbonization, and will provide an overview of various reach code strategies and options local governments can consider. The issue of treatment and drug delivery will not be addressed. Attendees will also hear about experiences and lessons learned from local governments who have adopted reach codes in the past, and will leave with information about resources available to assist with reach code efforts.
The Local Government Commission, in partnership with the Statewide Energy Efficiency Collaborative, will host the 10th Annual Statewide Energy Efficiency Forum (SEEC Forum) in June 26-27, 2019 in Long Beach, CA.
The 10th Annual SEEC Forum will focus on empowering local governments and the communities they represent to implement impactful energy efficiency measures locally while helping meet the state’s ambitious climate and energy goals. To make real progress towards a decarbonized future, we must accelerate the pace of investment in, and deployment of, integrated energy efficiency strategies and more deeply engage underserved and disadvantaged communities. Through transformative action on the ground, the gap between opportunity and community need can be bridged.
The Local Government Commission invites you to become a sponsor of the SEEC Forum! By sponsoring the Forum, your agency, organization, or company can demonstrate your commitment to helping California local governments save energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions in their communities, and catalyze climate action. For more information, please contact Helena Rhim at hrhim@lgc.org or Margaret Bruce at mbruce@lgc.org.
The SEEC Forum provides learning, sharing, and networking opportunities to help local governments save energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions in their communities, and catalyze climate action.
The forum features engaging sessions, expert plenaries and keynotes, and new innovative activities to help energy leaders and practitioners connect to learn about innovative projects and strategies, share best practices, and troubleshoot challenges.
The Local Government Commission (LGC) has hosted the annual Statewide Energy Efficiency Forum since 2010 to feature updates from key state agencies, highlight innovative local energy and climate change programs and resources, and provide opportunities for networking and collaboration.
LGC is a nationally recognized non-profit organization with a rich history of connecting leaders, advancing policies and implementing solutions for sustainable communities. For the last 35 years, the LGC has been at the forefront – identifying promising approaches and fostering persuasive models that can be replicated and used to inform public policy.
In addition to our SEEC partners, we would like to extend special thanks to our advisory committee of local, regional and state government representatives, as well as others who are providing valuable guidance, for helping shape the forum program and format.
8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
New to local government EE and sustainability and looking to get oriented? Or been in the space for awhile and need a refresher? Join the Statewide EE Coordinator, CPUC, and SEEC partners for this EE 101 bootcamp! This short, intensive workshop will provide key information on policies, programs, and resources to support your local EE and sustainability efforts
1:00 PM – 1:30 PM
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1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
To meet our ambitious state and local goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we must accelerate the pace of investment in, and deployment of, energy efficiency and other integrated energy strategies, as well as more deeply engage underserved and disadvantaged communities across California. This session will provide the opportunity for leaders from key statewide organizations to discuss their vision for California’s low carbon future and the role of local governments in this evolving policy and program landscape.
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2:45 PM – 4:00 PM
Faced with limited budgets and a lack of capacity, the small cities in the Gateway Cities region found themselves unable to develop the plans, inventories and projects needed to compete for valuable state Cap & Trade Funding. To remedy this, the Council of Governments led a multi-partner effort to create a Regional Climate Action Framework that now is helping cities advance their goals for economic development, public health, air quality, climate resiliency, equity, public engagement and job creation while planning for the impacts of climate change. In this session, you will get a preview of the innovative framework, learn about the resources and partners that led to this project and hear how it is helping local governments compete for state funding.
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San Francisco’s “Zero Cities” project is a comprehensive, data-driven effort that articulates specific mechanisms to catalyze net zero emissions in the building sector by 2050. Learn about:
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Chasing the Twin Goals of Carbon Reduction and Racial Equity Volunteer Notes
Many local government agencies are following California’s ambitious energy and climate goals. However, bandwidth, expertise, information availability, system and process deficiencies, and incumbent policies, behaviors and contracts make it difficult to overcome structural inertia that limits innovation. Recognizing these challenges, the California Energy Commission is launching a procurement assistance program that addresses widespread barriers and that is available for everyone. This panel will: (1) review technical potential for different end uses, (2) engage the audience in a facilitated discussion to highlight opportunities to innovate procurement systems, processes and policies, and (3) share how SEEC members can participate in the program.
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Catalyzing Decarbonization and Market Transformation through Procurement Volunteer Notes
California provides the California Green Business Network with funding for Cities and Counties to start Green Business Programs. A Green Business Program can be a powerful incentive for businesses to go beyond compliance. The best part is the process is fully fleshed out in an easy to use framework complete with training. Come to this session to learn what a successful Green Business Program looks like. Hear from one of our newest programs in Long Beach. In addition, learn how EnergyUpgrade California, CCAs and the IOUs partner with Green Business Programs to promote energy efficiency at small businesses.
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4:15 PM – 5:30 PM
Everyone has been told that cost-effectiveness, and specifically Total Resource Cost (TRC), guides portfolio decisions, but do you understand the TRC calculation and why the programs that benefit your community may not make the cut? This session will continue the discussion started at the SEEC Forum in 2018. The panel will review the history and components of TRC, the impact that relying on the TRC has on energy efficiency programs, and what national best practices could improve California’s approach. The panel will also raise alternatives for how to accurately value efficiency, protect customer funds, and align with state policies.
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It can be a significant challenge to translate into action the ambitious greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals of local government agencies’ Climate Action Plans. This session will demonstrate how Energy Master Planning (a cost-effective, strategic approach) addresses this implementation gap. Energy Master Planning is a process where emissions reduction goals are mapped onto clear and actionable implementation plans. It provides a roadmap for identifying, planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating the impacts of high value projects. This interactive session will explore how Energy Master Planning optimizes existing assets, identifies cost-effective energy generation opportunities, generates predictable savings over time, and increases resiliency.
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Putting “Action” into your CAP: Energy Master Planning Volunteer Notes
This panel will showcase proven ways to engage employees in energy conservation and efficiency through gamification. The Port of San Diego, along with The Energy Coalition and Center for Sustainable Energy, will break down two recent engagement campaigns. Panelists will highlight lessons learned from each of the campaigns, while providing panel attendees with best practices to implement an educational campaign at their organization. You will even have a chance to participate in a game and slay energy vampires. Get inspired to test out similar behavior change campaigns with your employees to help reach your sustainability goals!
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Fueling Energy Conservation and Efficiency through Gamification Volunteer Notes
Energize! is a municipal behavioral energy efficiency competition for high school districts (or other geographies) to compete against each other to deploy home energy retrofits. The Energize! program provides an innovative and effective tool for local governments to improve existing residential building energy efficiency, a sector in which cities typically have little programmatic authority. This session provides participants with cutting-edge big data tools, behavioral social science strategies, and program resources to implement new municipal EE programs.
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Energize! A Municipal Residential Energy Efficiency Competition Volunteer Notes
8:45 AM – 9:45 AM
This session will evaluate how energy efficiency investments currently target and benefit disadvantaged (DAC) and low-income communities. The speakers will discuss how that definition is broadening to include an understanding of climate vulnerability, incorporating climate impacts and adaptation, and how to target current and future investments based on this evolving definition. The session will cover the importance of a common framework, challenges and opportunities in this process, metrics to measure progress, and how various stakeholders including local governments, utilities, and community-based organizations are working toward a shared goal of climate resilience.
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10:00 AM – 11:15 AM
Join to hear updates on the REN vision, programs, lessons learned, and case studies on how the RENs have been leveraged to meet community needs and addressing climate change. We will share how we address gaps in the energy efficiency marketplace and serve residential, business, and public customers that have been traditionally underserved. We will discuss new RENs, and enhancements RENs offer Local Government Programs and Community Choice Aggregators. Also learn how local governments can best diversify and partner with other EE implementers and climate change stakeholders to provide tangible impacts and to thrive in the midst of funding uncertainty.
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For many public agencies, utility incentives and On-Bill Financing (OBF) with fund disbursement months after project completion can be a significant hindrance to program utilization and project implementation. A Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Program overcomes this barrier by providing access to upfront funds that cover 100% of the project construction costs. The session highlights RLF models and provides practical and proven strategies to successfully design and sustain a RLF. Participants will learn why Revolving Loan Funds must be considered as an important tool to finance energy projects.
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Revolving Loan Funds in a Post-Incentive World Volunteer Notes
While some of the approaches to deploying EVI in rural and DAC communities compare to other regions (e.g., increase awareness, increase affordability, reduce range anxiety, provide funding opportunities, streamline permitting), there are also unique approaches that are beneficial to communities where: air quality improvement is a priority; Residents are multi-cultural and speak numerous languages; Significant residents do not have access to home charging (e.g., MUDs); Daily commutes to work are above average; Corridor travel is significant; and existing rebate programs have not been fully utilized.
In this session, we will explore the barriers that are common to all and unique to these communities. We will ask for audience participation to prioritize deployment strategies, share results of work conducted, and provide toolkits for decision-makers to utilize in their own community.
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Reach codes (local energy ordinances) are one of the tools local governments can use to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as save energy and money. This session will discuss the local goals that can be addressed with reach codes, including decarbonization, and will provide an overview of various reach code strategies and options local governments can consider. Attendees will also hear about experiences and lessons learned from local governments who have adopted reach codes in the past, and will leave with information about resources available to assist with reach code efforts.
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11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Reducing emissions from non-renewable fossil fuels from buildings is a key strategy for ensuring California meets its aggressive climate goals. This session will explore IOUs’ visions for the path forward for decarbonizing energy in support of these statewide goals.
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1:30 PM – 2:45 PM
This session will debate the merit of free ridership policy in the public sector. The goal is to promote a balanced perspective on the topic while increasing participants’ understanding of the policy and how it influences program design, implementation and cost-effectiveness calculations. Panelists will be prompted by moderator questions and participant feedback. Example questions include: What is free ridership and why are we so worried about it? How do we document program influence? Is the concept of free ridership in government valid? And, should we be concerned about how free ridership assumptions may impact hard to reach communities?
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Wild fire, extreme weather linked to climate change, ever-present earthquake threats, and other possible disruptions, along with decarbonization policy goals, are leading local governments to examine microgrids. What kinds of critical facility microgrids are moving forward today? How are they being financed? How are they designed? Communities can tap into new energy innovations to support critical functions while supporting business continuity and other local economic development goals.
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A growing number of cities are setting ambitious energy and carbon goals. Buildings are often the largest source of municipal emissions. However, there is often a disconnect between day-to-day building operations, capital planning, and long-term goals. This team has been working with several cities around the country to “lead by example” in municipal building. Cities can leverage basic energy benchmarking data to cost-effectively develop a strategic plan for municipal facility improvement. Join us to hear about successes and lessons learned and to receive free, comprehensive resources and tools to strategically advance the energy performance of your own portfolio of buildings.
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Aligning Municipal Policies and Actions with Energy and Carbon Goals Volunteer Notes
This session will explore the individual motivations of different public agencies throughout Southern California as they strive to achieve energy efficiency-equity across their regions through Local Government Partnerships (LGPs). LGP implementers The Energy Coalition (TEC), along with program administrators Southern California Edison (SCE) will share their first-hand experience with providing municipal energy efficiency project support to cities through the West Side Energy Partnership and North Orange County Cities (NOCC) Energy Partnership. Insider perspectives into the distinctive motives of each region that inspire local leadership actions will be explored.
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3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Gather around the campfire and listen closely, as masterful Local Government Partnership storytellers from around the state share perspectives about how the LGP program model has made a lasting impact in their region. Walk back in time to the origins of Local Government Partnerships, initiated as a single city-utility collaboration, and through the evolution into the statewide program offered by every Investor Owned Utility. By celebrating the countless accomplishments of LGPs, this presentation will serve as a celebration of this public sector program as we know it today while addressing the continued need to deliver support into the future.
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