California Joins Alliance to Speed Transition to Zero-Emission Vehicles
California is joining with 10 European and North American governments as founding partners of a new international alliance to accelerate the world’s adoption of zero-emission vehicles.
Members of the International ZEV Alliance will collaborate on ambitious targets to get more zero-emission vehicles on roads, share data and best practices and encourage other governments to join them. The founding members were announced today at a signing event at the Quebec government office in New York.
The International Council on Clean Transportation estimates the one millionth plug-in electric vehicle will drive the world’s roads this month, but electric vehicle growth will have to ramp up significantly to achieve long-term climate goals. This is where the International ZEV alliance will step in.
“These collaborations and partnerships are essential to creating global markets for zero emission vehicles and to achieving our ambitious climate goals,” said California Energy Commissioner Janea A. Scott, who participated in the organizing of the International ZEV Alliance.
The California Energy Commission is committed to transitioning to alternative and renewable fuels and vehicles. It has invested $38.3 million in electric vehicle support, including 7,754 chargers. It has also invested $80.4 million for 54 hydrogen refueling stations to support zero-emission fuel-cell cars. Several stations have opened and others are anticipated to open by next year.
Monterey Park Opens CNG Station Funded by California Energy Commission
The City of Monterey Park has a new compressed natural gas (CNG) station, upgraded from an outdated fueling station at City Yard, which had slow fueling capacity and functional challenges because replacement parts were no longer available.
The station is one of 60 CNG or liquefied natural gas stations and five renewable gas stations in the state that have been funded through the California Energy Commission’s Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program (ARFVTP).
“California is working to meet its climate and clean air goals and the transportation sector is responsible for about 40 percent of the greenhouse gas pollution in the state,” said Janea A. Scott, lead commissioner on transportation for the Energy Commission. “With CNG offering a 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared with gasoline and diesel, it is important to support projects such as this to realize near-term greenhouse gas reductions.”
More than 4,000 natural gas vehicles will soon be on California roads needing fuel stations. The Energy Commission considers CNG a good near-term alternative fuel to petroleum products while cleaner alternative fuels are developed. The fuel is particularly useful in medium- and heavy-duty trucks.
In addition to fueling stations, the Energy Commission has invested in CNG-fueled moving vans and in 180 CNG trucks at the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports among other projects.
More about the ARFVTP can be found at: http://www.energy.ca.gov/drive/investing/
City of Torrance Dedicates the First of Six Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
The City of Torrance dedicated the first of six electric vehicle charging stations planned at libraries, parks and its civic center complex on the opening day of National Drive Electric Week. Four Level 2 chargers and one DC Level 3 charger were installed at the Katy Giesser Library-Civic Center Complex, while four Level 2 chargers and one Level 3 charger are planned for other sites – all with funding from the California Energy Commission.
The September 12 dedication was combined with an Electric Vehicle Expo and Electric Vehicle Ride & Drive to help drivers get better acquainted with plug-in electric vehicles available on the market and the network of chargers being installed around California. The Energy Commission recently invited public and private entities to seek grant funding to install electric vehicle chargers on major north-south highways to allow electric vehicle drivers to travel from San Diego to the Oregon border.
Since 2009, the Energy Commission has invested $38 million to fund 7,754 charging stations throughout the state. The charging infrastructure will help the state meet its goal of getting 1.5 million electric vehicles on California roads by 2025. It’s an important goal because 36 percent of the state’s greenhouse gases come from transportation.
“Electric vehicles are fun to drive, less costly to fuel and maintain, and help California achieve its clean air and greenhouse gas reduction goals,” said Janea A. Scott, lead commissioner on transportation for the Energy Commission.
Governance Plan Approved for Energy Imbalance Market
To make any train run on time you need a conductor, and this week the Energy Imbalance Market (EIM) did just that as it established a new governance structure.
The EIM is a real-time energy wholesale market that automatically dispatches the lowest cost electricity resources over a large geographic area of the western United States – participating balancing authorities. The EIM launched on November 1, 2014 and includes utility territories in six states. What was the result? A savings of more than $21 million in the first eight months of operation.
EIM benefits reflect more efficient dispatch, reduced renewable energy curtailment, reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the west and less need for flexible reserves.
This week the governance over EIM related matters was updated by the EIM Transitional Committee, which consists of members from throughout the west and is chaired by Commissioner Rebecca Wagner of the Public Service Commission of Nevada.
Robert B. Weisenmiller, Chair of the California Energy Commission and member of the EIM Transitional Committee, said the governance structure approved by the Board is carefully thought out and represents the interest all current and future participants.
“The governance structure was built from feedback from stakeholders in California and in other states to be well represented in the Energy Imbalance Market,” Weisenmiller said. “I’m proud of the Transitional Committee’s work and pleased that this has been approved by the ISO Board.”
The approved governance structure includes the following attributes, among others:
- Establishment of a regionally-minded EIM governing body with delegated authority over market rules of the EIM.
- The governing body would be comprised of five members, financially independent of stakeholders.
- Nominees for the governing body would be identified by a nominating committee comprised of stakeholder representatives.
- The governing body would represent all real-time market participants’ interests, regardless of where they are located.
Learn more about the EIM by visiting this California ISO web page.
Energy Commission’s Proposition 39 (K-12) Program Sends Millions to Schools for Energy Efficiency
Proposition 39 (The CA Clean Energy Jobs Act), a voter approved 2012 initiative, closed a tax loophole that had rewarded businesses for moving jobs out of state. Now those tax dollars are being invested in our children, our schools and our environment.
The Energy Commission's Proposition 39 kindergarten through 12th (K-12) grade program approves grant funding for energy efficiency and clean energy generation projects. As of September 13, 2015, $534 million has been allocated for planning and projects. Of this, 557 energy expenditure plans have been approved by the Energy Commission totaling $380 million dollars for projects at 1,875 school sites. The remaining $154 million has been requested by school districts for energy planning activities.
Of the approved 6,928 individual energy measures, about 60 percent are lighting and lighting controls and 30 percent are heating ventilation and air conditioning measures. Although school districts will not begin reporting project status until late 2015, the Energy Commission already knows of 43 completed Energy Expenditure Plan projects representing 91 school sites.
Visit the Energy Commission’s website for an updated snapshot of the K-12 program.
Regional Workshops Aim to Spark Community Interest in Local Renewable Energy Development
The California Energy Commission is holding seven regional workshops throughout the state to highlight opportunities for community-scale renewable energy development and demonstration projects. Recent developments at the state and federal level open up opportunities for communities to spark local renewable energy development while strengthening local economies and enabling a wide range of other benefits.
The workshops, which are scheduled to run from mid-September to early October, will showcase recent projects and provide information about resources and funding to help communities pursue local renewable energy projects. The Energy Commission will also use the information gathered at the workshops to refine research and development priorities for future funding opportunities.
Community-scale energy projects use renewable energy to power relatively small areas such as college campuses, military installations, business parks or neighborhoods. They generate less than 20 megawatts and provide numerous benefits. These benefits include leveraging economies of scale to provide a lower energy costs and minimizing transmission losses by locating projects close to load.
These projects are typically planned, developed, and/or owned by a group of customers. Community-scale projects are located close to electricity demand and consist of locally-available renewable resources such as agricultural waste and solar. In addition to the energy generated, community renewable energy projects offer an opportunity for local residents, business owners and government to participate in the development of a unified energy vision that empowers their community.
The workshops will provide information to local stakeholders about potential pathways to develop and demonstrate community-scale renewable energy projects. There will also be discussion about potential resources available to interested communities to help with developing projects.
Scheduled workshop details:
September 17, 10:00 a.m. — 12:00 p.m.
Elihu M. Harris State Building, Room 2
1515 Clay Street
Oakland, CA 94612
(Focus on urban solar and other local resources in the Bay Area)
September 21, 2:00 p.m. — 4:00 p.m.
City of Redding Community Room
777 Cypress Avenue
Redding, CA 96001
(Focus on woody biomass in North State rural communities)
September 23, 2:00 p.m. — 4:00 p.m.
San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
1990 E. Gettysburg Avenue
Fresno, CA 93726
(Focus on agricultural waste, dairies, and solar in the Central Valley)
September 29, 9:30 a.m. — 11:30 a.m.
Norman F. Feldheym Central Library
Kellogg Room A/B
555 West 6th Street
San Bernardino, CA 92410
(Focus on community solar and other local resources in the San Bernardino area)
September 29, 2:30 p.m. — 4:30 p.m.
Victorville City Hall, Room D
14343 Civic Drive
Victorville, CA 92393
(Focus on community solar and other local resources in the High Desert region)
September 30, 10:00 a.m. — 12:00 p.m.
Bateman Hall, Room 1
1131 Ernestine Avenue
Lynwood, CA 90262
(Focus on urban solar and local resources in the Los Angeles area)
October 7, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
SANDAG Facility
401 B Street #800
San Diego, CA 92101
(Focus on solar and other resources in the Southern California coastal region)
More information about the workshops can be found here: http://www.energy.ca.gov/research/notices/index.html
New Lighting Makes Old Facility Shine Brightly Again
Big Creek Unified School District sits in eastern Fresno County with one school. The K-8 grade school resides in an historic 100-year-old building. Although some upgrades have been made over the last century, the lighting system remained largely untouched. After examining what projects would save the district the most money, administrators at Big Creek Elementary School chose to update their ancient lighting system.
The district applied to the California Energy Commission for nearly $73,000 in funding from Proposition 39, an initiative California voters approved in 2012 that closed a tax loophole and had rewarded businesses for moving jobs out of state. Now those tax dollars are being invested in our children, our schools and our environment.
Because the school wanted to be sure they chose the most cost effective project, they took time and resources to review the energy analytics and data. This and studies showing the benefits of better lighting convinced administrators of investing in the lighting system retrofit upgrades.
Since the project’s completion, administrators noticed a drop in the electricity bills. They report a reduction in energy costs by 13 percent and expect this to increase over time. For the small school, the upgrades have created a better learning environment for the students and teachers. To make the facility even more comfortable and save more money, the district plans to look next at upgrading the building envelope – such as windows and insulation—or maybe even installing solar PV.
New Funding Opportunities to Advance California’s Energy Innovation Ecosystem
California’s forward thinking energy policies are spurring a new wave of entrepreneurs and researchers to develop innovative new solutions for a cleaner, safer, more affordable, and more resilient electric grid. But, energy entrepreneurs often face technical and non-technical barriers during the path-to-market.
The goal of the funding opportunities from the California Energy Commission is to help accelerate the development and market adoption of promising new technologies and strategies. The three opportunities are:
1. Sustainable Energy Entrepreneur Development (SEED) Initiative: The Sustainable Energy Entrepreneur Development (SEED) Initiative will support early-stage clean energy technology concepts. This solicitation will select a contractor to provide the expertise needed to develop and
implement the initiative, which will support energy entrepreneurs and researchers at two levels:
Series A will support selected entrepreneurs and researchers to establish the technical feasibility of their promising energy technology concepts. Series A will include up to $150,000 in funds along with technical consulting and guidance. A minimum of $4 million of Series A support must go to projects from underrepresented groups.
Series B will provide entrepreneurs and researchers whose energy technology concepts show significant commercial promise with additional support, including up to $450,000 in follow-up funding, to further develop their innovations. Series A funding recipients are the only ones eligible for Series B support.
2. Regional Energy Innovation Clusters: This solicitation will fund projects to further advance market acceleration efforts through Regional Energy Innovation Clusters in California. These regional clusters will provide and coordinate key services, assistance, resources, and infrastructure needed by entrepreneurs and researchers in each region to successfully bring to market energy innovations. This solicitation will provide four regions (Central Valley, San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego) funds to create regional networks for entrepreneurs and researchers.
3. Connecting Emerging Energy Technologies and Strategies to Market Needs and Opportunities: This solicitation will fund proposals to provide market intelligence, analysis, and expertise that will support the commercial success of emerging energy technologies and strategies. This independent market analysis will inform various aspects of the EPIC Program to maximize the market impact of the program’s investments.
The Energy Commission is holding public pre-bid workshops throughout the state to discuss these solicitations. These workshops will guide applicants through the application process and offers the opportunity for stakeholders to ask questions. It is an opportunity to learn about the various programs network with other potential applicants to form collaborative teams.
Workshops will be held at the following locations:
September 15, 2015, 10:00 a.m.– 4:00 p.m.
Elihu M Harris State Building
1515 Clay Street, Room 2
Oakland, CA 94612
September, 16, 2015, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Hugh Burns State Building
2550 Mariposa Mall , Assembly Room Suite 1036
Fresno, CA 93721
September, 22, 2015, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Lynwood Bateman Hall
11330 Bullis Road, Banquet Room 1
Lynwood, CA 90262
More information available about the three solicitations can be found here: http://www.energy.ca.gov/contracts/epic.html#active
Transmission Planning for More Renewable Energy
A packed audience attended a workshop at the California Energy Commission this week to discuss how the state should prepare its electrical transmission system to accommodate more renewable energy sources.
Energy Commission Chair Robert B. Weisenmiller and California Public Utilities Commission President Michael Picker, through a letter to California Independent System Operator President Steve Berberich, called to action agencies and participants to develop portfolios for use in long-term transmission planning for the Balancing Authorities of California.
RETI 2.0 is modeled after the first Renewable Energy Transmission Initiative of 2008. That project sparked further land-use planning exercises like the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan. The DRECP is addressing energy demand while guarding the state’s biodiversity in the Southern California area in a much more robust fashion than what might have happened through traditional approaches.
The latest initiative will help California meet its goal to increase renewable power generation to 50 percent. Increased renewable energy will play a part in helping California reach Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr.’s executive order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030.
Part of the motivation behind this effort stems from the experience of the Sunrise Powerlink, which had a contentious permitting process. That is why California energy leaders say it is important to get transmission planning smart from the start. Once the Sunrise Powerlink was energized, the transmission line was fully utilized by new wind, solar and geothermal projects from the east within a year. The transmission line allows for more than 1,300 megawatts of renewable energy to be delivered from the Imperial Valley to San Diego.
This week’s workshop kicked off what will be a transparent stakeholder process intended to reduce transmission permitting times through careful planning.
Public comments for RETI 2. 0 should be submitted by September 24 by visiting www.energy.ca.gov/reti.
Existing Buildings Energy Efficiency Action Plan
ENGLISH
SPANISH
The California Energy Commission adopted a roadmap to reach Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr.’s goal to double building efficiency savings in California by 2030. The roadmap, called the Existing Buildings Energy Efficiency Action Plan, is designed to achieve greenhouse gas reduction goals, and will help consumers save money and enjoy more comfortable homes through energy efficiency.
Commercial and residential buildings account for nearly 70 percent of California’s electricity consumption and 55 percent of its natural gas consumption. California has approximately 600,000 commercial buildings, 9 million single-family homes and 4 million multi-family units.
The Action Plan provides a comprehensive framework centered on five goals, each with a series of strategies for achievement. Implementation of the Action Plan is expected to accelerate growth of energy efficiency markets, more effectively target and deliver building upgrade services, improve quality of occupant and investor decisions, and vastly improve the performance of California’s existing buildings.
Watch Commissioner Andrew McAllister speak about the Action Plan in both English and Spanish above.
Prop 39: Helping Students and Improving Schools
As kids – and parents – prepare for school bells to ring again this fall, they’ll notice some big changes in California’s classrooms: air conditioning systems that work; new lighting systems that save energy; windows and shades that help keep classrooms warm in the winter and cool in the summer and solar panels on school facilities.
Parents dropping kids off at Temperance-Kutner Elementary School in Fresno will notice new energy-efficient lighting in the multi-purpose room, office, library and classrooms. Students returning to Costa Mesa High School in Orange County will see solar panels installed over the athletic center parking lot and the outdoor lunch seating area. At Helen Wilcox Elementary School in Oroville, students returned to school this week to find all 35 classrooms glowing with new LED lighting – upgrades that will save the school $15,000 annually in energy costs.
All of this was made possible by California voters, who approved Proposition 39 at the end of 2012. With this vote, Californians chose to close a tax loophole that existed in no other state in the nation and had rewarded businesses for moving jobs out of state. Now those tax dollars are being invested in our children, our schools and our environment. In fact, in less than three years, $2.35 billion in new funding already has been recaptured and is being prudently redirected to schools in districts from Los Angeles to Eureka.
For many of the schools, these are the first energy improvement projects in years. The upgrades will make it easier and safer for students to learn, and over time they will save school districts millions of dollars on their energy bills. These are savings that can be reinvested in the things that matter most – improving learning, boosting academic performance and preparing our children for a bright future.
While nearly a hundred projects already have been completed at 38 schools, others will take additional time and planning. Proposition 39 is an eight-year program that allows schools the flexibility to accelerate current construction, or plan more complex projects that require more time and investment. These are projects that will provide benefits for decades to come, the sort of projects that demand careful planning and don’t get done overnight. Taxpayers expect us to invest wisely and that is exactly what is happening.
Some schools also are stretching dollars further by working with the California Conservation Corps to carefully study, plan and install the most cost-effective upgrades. The CCC’s Energy Corps audits school buildings for free, saving schools the cost of having a private firm do so. This partnership also provides job training for the next generation of California’s workforce.
There is much more to do in the months and years ahead, but because of Proposition 39 investments, thousands of California students this fall will be learning in safer, more comfortable and energy-efficient classrooms – the sort of environment that can lead to real light-bulb moments.
City of Burbank Pioneers Curbside Electric Vehicle Chargers in California
The City of Burbank has installed the first municipal curbside electric vehicle chargers in California, and possibly the nation. Eight level 2 electric vehicle charging stations were dedicated last week along curbs in front of a library, a very popular shopping area and along other busy thoroughfares. The California Energy Commission contributed nearly $164,000 toward the project with matching funds from the City of Burbank.
“This project not only expands the city’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure by offering charging that is publicly available 24-7, it also is one of the first projects we are aware of to install charging stations curbside, where drivers can readily see and easily access the stations,” said Janea A. Scott, lead commissioner on transportation for the Energy Commission.
Brian Fauble, the Energy Commission’s manager of the project, said the chargers are already getting more use in their first month of operation than chargers from other Energy Commission-funded projects. Greenlots, which installed and operates the chargers, has a free Internet application to let drivers know which chargers are in use or available at any moment.
The chargers will help California reach its goal of providing infrastructure to support 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles on roads by 2025, creating healthier air for our communities.