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10 Years of Transforming Energy Use In Local Communities

Impacts

 

Over the past decade, the Southern California Regional Energy Network (SoCalREN) has provided a strong foundation for regional energy efficiency and resiliency across the public, residential, and workforce education and training (WE&T) sectors. 

What would become SoCalREN began as an initiative to accelerate regional energy efficiency, initially funded in 2009 by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) via the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and later authorized by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in 2012. The County of Los Angeles Internal Services Department (ISD) and Energy & Environmental Service (EES) are proud to be a part of the progress toward achieving state and local clean energy goals through its ongoing administration of SoCalREN.

 

Impacts

SoCalREN’s accomplishments over the last 10 years

On September 6th, we gathered at The California Endowment’s Center for Healthy Communities to celebrate SoCalREN’s dedicated enrolled agencies and valued partners that helped accelerate regional energy efficiency throughout Southern California.

 

Attendees heard from several speakers in the energy industry, notably Assistant Secretary Gene Rodrigues from the U.S. Department of Energy and Commissioner Andrew McAllister from the California Energy Commission. Participants also heard about how new Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program funds will help advance Los Angeles County and SoCalREN’s ambitious climate and energy goals from Dr. Tony G. Reames and Adam Guzzo from the U.S. Department of Energy.

 

Schools

 

This event also served as a perfect opportunity to acknowledge six exceptional public agencies for their outstanding energy achievements made working alongside SoCalREN. Check out this video to learn more about the projects accomplished with SoCalREN support!

People

 

This celebratory event highlighted the successes, challenges, lessons learned, and milestones over the last 10 years and how what we’ve learned since the beginning of SoCalREN will propel the network to achieve even greater impacts in the next decade. 

 

 

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Making a Difference

In 2019, the SoCalREN Workforce Education and Training Program enrolled 67 ACES in the Program, established 20 new partnerships leading to 29 paid internships to participants, and conducted over 300 hours of training. 

By registering on socalren.org/agencies/register, public agencies can now gain access to an extensive library of information, tools, templates, and case studies while being introduced to exciting new program opportunities. 

SoCalREN also offers financial services for public agencies to obtain the necessary incentives or financing to make projects a reality. Reducing energy use reduces costs for public agencies, freeing up scarce public resources for services like public safety, firefighting, and educational resources. 

SoCalREN works collaboratively with engineering firms, contractors, Local Government Partnerships, Southern California Edison, and SoCalGas to ensure streamlined, “one-stop” services to customers. 

13,740 tenant units improved, $7,161,042 improvement incentives paid to multifamily properties, and 180 construction jobs created all in the 2019 calendar year. 

In 2019, 53 percent of the projects completed were performed in disadvantaged communities. These projects achieved 3,597,973 kWh gross (3,058,277 GWh net) and 194,514 therms gross (165,337 therms net).  

The SoCalREN Multifamily Program helps customers identify and prioritize project opportunities to achieve a percentage savings above baseline usage, regardless of utility. This allows property owners to make informed facility improvement decisions that best meet their property’s needs. 

The mission of SoCalREN is to harness the collective action of public agencies to save energy and lead their communities on the pathway to a safe, secure, resilient, affordable and sustainable energy future.

In 2019 SoCalREN achieved 17,692,420 kWh (39% DAC), 707 kW (47% DAC) and 15,203 (100% DAC) of energy savings, while supporting 260 construction jobs and paying out a total of $6.5 million in incentives. 

In 2019, SoCalREN’s energy efficiency programs collectively achieved 6,920,487 kWh and 492,655 therms of energy savings. 

SoCalREN works across 12 counties with one common goal: achieving unprecedented levels of energy savings throughout Southern California by delivering programs and information to the communities, businesses, and 20 million people who call the area home.

SoCalREN Workforce Education and Training Program serves as a response to high demand for skilled labor in the energy sector through targeted youth workforce education and training, small business training regarding current energy efficiency programs, and local public agency opportunities. 

SoCalREN’s Workforce Education and Training Program continually pursues new ways to provide greater employment opportunity to under-represented individuals performing energy efficiency project work. 

The Metered Savings Program, Pathway to Zero, and the Revolving Savings Fund aim to overcome significant market barriers and harness the collective actions of Southern California public agencies to save energy. These programs work together seamlessly as companion programs and have expanded services available to agencies to drive deeper energy efficiency savings and create more sustainable communities. 

In Q4 2019, the Residential Community Coordinator (RCC) Program interacted with nearly 748 customers through participation in 13 community events and seminars. These outreach events targeted Hispanic and Chinese audiences and successfully increased program awareness in these communities. SoCalREN’s RCC Program will continue to provide in-language support to hard-to-reach customers and provide opportunities for these customers to save money and add value to their multifamily properties. 

The Architecture, Construction, and Engineering Students Pathway Program provides education and career pathways for disadvantaged youth. The Program improves educational achievement and removes barriers to higher education by co-enrolling high school students in community college courses in science, technology, engineering, art, and math fields. 

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Professionalism of consultants and SoCalREN Public Agency Program staff has been high. The program is more hands on and personal than other programs we have used before.
— Alice Rod, Management Analyst, Administrative Services, City of Moreno Valley

SoCalREN has done a wonderful job and we both have learned a lot since we began working together. We are happy to be part of a collaborative partnership to save energy and the environment through the SoCalREN Public Agency Program.
— Dave Marshall, Facilities Services Director, Ventura Unified School District

With the SoCalREN Public Agency Program, we are able to do things that would not have been done otherwise. Technical expertise has been a huge help. It has been great working with everyone in the SoCalREN Public Agency Program!
— Benjamin Lucha, Sr. Administrative Analyst, City of Palmdale

I can truly say we would have not gotten this far this fast in such a cost-effective manner without SoCalREN’s guidance and technical assistance every step of the way. In short, the SoCalREN Public Agency Program is a fantastic program to assist local governments in energy efficiency that will pay dividends for years to come.
— Charles Herbertson, Public Works Director/City Engineer for Culver City

Their level of expertise and professionalism has been unsurpassed. They have suggested things that we never thought of, and weren’t even on our radar. They have done significant amounts of work on our behalf that has resulted in substantial savings of both energy and money.
— Rick Freed, Energy Educator/Manager for Conejo Valley Unified School District

It’s a great project for Whittier. It’s green and it helps us save energy. We’re getting a lot of bang for our buck. It’s win-win-win all the way around.
— Joe Vinatieri, Mayor, City of Whittier

The SoCalREN Public Agency Program provided engineering services, project management, and the resources needed to streamline the Cucamonga Valley Water District’s energy efficiency projects from start to finish.
— Mike Maestas, Water Production Manager, CVWD