Introducing SoCalREN’s Community-Based Design Collaborative
The Community-Based Design Collaborative (CBDC) was launched to empower community involvement in energy efficiency program design, advancing the CPUC’s Environmental & Social Justice Action Plan. For over a decade, SoCalREN has helped communities across Southern and Central California save energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and meet sustainability goals.
The CBDC aims to develop a framework for designing innovative and impactful energy programs that are more relevant and responsive to local needs. We will do this by partnering with community-based organizations (CBOs) at every step. This ensures that energy solutions are shaped by the people they serve, particularly in hard-to-reach, underserved, and low-income areas. Additionally, our partnerships will help decision-makers better understand energy-related gaps and inspire creative solutions that benefit more communities.
Map of all Community-Based Design Collaborative members
The Members
SoCalREN has partnered with 9 CBOs in Los Angeles, Kern, San Bernardino, and Ventura Counties to help us build a more energy efficient future. Each brings a unique perspective about the communities they serve and how energy programs can best support them.
Active San Gabriel Valley
(ActiveSGV) Starting as a simple Facebook page devoted to cycling in the San Gabriel Valley, Active SGV blossomed into a community organization dedicated to developing a built and social environment that promotes active mobility, a sustainable climate, and health & wellness. Since its inception, Active SGV has facilitated, supported, and influenced the development of city transportation plans, the creation of green space, e-bike sharing programs, and more across the region.
Central California Asthma Collaborative
(CCAC) Central California Asthma Collaborative’s mission is to provide education and direct services, build regional capacity, and advocate for sensible policies that improve health and address inequities by reducing environmental impacts and emphasizing the prevention and management of chronic disease. They envision a San Joaquin Valley where the health of every resident is the foremost concern and environments and systems of support for health reflected in the resources, information, activities, and policies in every community.
Central Coast Climate Justice Network
(CCCJN) Central Coast Climate Justice Network is a collaboration of social justice and environmental organizations and leaders committed to a climate movement that advances social, economic, and environmental justice for Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. Through forging a regional partnership between social justice, anti-racism, and environmental movements, the network expands the region’s collective power to advance restorative actions and systems change. Their work centers on communities who bear the greatest burden of climate change impacts.
Climate First - Replacing Oil and Gas
(CFROG) Starting as a community-based watchdog organization monitoring oil and gas drilling in Ventura County, Climate First: Replacing Oil and Gas has evolved into an advocacy organization that promotes a fossil-fuel-free future in their region: clean power, green jobs, and environmental justice.
Community Action Partnership of Kern
(CAPK) A large national non-profit that was born out of the Kennedy Administration's War On Poverty, the Kern County chapter of Community Action Partnerships addresses the root causes of poverty in Kern county with programs like the Food Bank, Childcare centers, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA), and low-income energy efficiency programs.
Community Health Action Network
(CHAN) Community Health Action Network strives to support residents in the High Desert Region of California with tools and resources that promote a fruitful life. By using a participation-based approach, CHAN engages in community advocacy, workforce development, and service programs such as emergency assistance, financial educational programs, and health and wellness services.
Day One
Day One’s mission is to build vibrant, healthy cities by advancing public health, empowering youth, and igniting change. They pursue this mission by promoting cycling and pedestrian transportation, promoting environmental justice, and supporting youth development.
The People’s Collective for Environmental Justice
PCEJ is committed to advocating for a just transition towards zero emissions through local community organizing and regional and national policy advocacy. PCEJ advocates for communities in Bloomington, Colton, and San Bernardino, who have endured harmful and deadly effects from the logistics industry, including poor air quality and the impacts of rail yards and warehouses.
Ventura County Community Foundation
(VCCF) Established in 1987, the Ventura County Community Foundation has focused on building philanthropy in Ventura County by stewarding legacies through careful management of charitable capital.