The City of San Leandro’s Water Pollution Control Plant facility processes and treats wastewater for approximately 50,000 residents using 125 miles of sanitary sewer pipelines and 13 pump stations, making it the largest single electricity user under the city’s control. City officials wanted to reduce electricity costs and tackle their climate action plan goals.

The California Energy Commission’s Local Government Challenge provided the opportunity to help solve both issues. San Leandro secured nearly $2 million, the largest award from the challenge, from the competitive Energy Innovation Challenge grant.

San Leandro will use the money for upgrades at the Water Pollution Control Plant, highlighted by a 1-megawatt solar power generation system. The grant will also help fund high-efficiency LED lighting and a new automation system. These improvements will reduce electric power use at the plant by 53 percent, decrease greenhouse gas emissions by more than 2.7 million pounds annually, and save nearly $240,000 in annual energy costs, according to the city.

“The Energy Commission’s Local Government Energy Innovation Challenge fills a critical gap by providing resources directly to local governments, which is where the action is for ensuring that the state’s building stock is running as efficiently as possible,” said Commissioner Andrew McAllister, who is the Energy Commission’s lead on energy efficiency. “Optimizing energy use across the building stock is fundamental to achieving the city’s and state’s climate and energy goals. Our partnership with the City of San Leandro will help develop innovative solutions that meet the needs of local communities.”

The Energy Innovation Challenge grant program funds the deployment of innovative energy-efficiency projects that could serve as leading examples for other municipalities across the state. In total, the Energy Commission awarded $6.7 million to four municipal agencies.

The Local Government Challenge grant program is part of the Energy Commission's Existing Buildings Energy Efficiency Action Plan, which provides a roadmap to transform California's existing residential, commercial, and public buildings to become high performing and energy efficient. The plan is an important tool in implementing Senate Bill 350, which requires the Energy Commission to establish targets and meet goals to double energy efficiency in buildings.

The California Energy Commission and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will hold a joint public workshop Aug. 29 to examine the impact of climate change on California’s natural gas and electrical systems.

The Energy Commission, CPUC and other stakeholders will discuss how utilities are responding to climate change, and what tools and scientific information are available to help utilities adapt.

The workshop is one of a series being held to develop the 2017 Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR), expected to be released in February 2018. Energy Commission Chair Robert B. Weisenmiller and CPUC Commissioner Liane M. Randolph will lead the workshop, which begins at 10 a.m. at the Energy Commission.

The IEPR is published every two years by the Energy Commission and an update is published in alternate years. The reports assess energy issues and provide policy recommendations. The 2017 report builds on efforts detailed in the previous two IEPRs to weave climate change considerations into the business practices of key organizations.

Research examining regional climate vulnerabilities to critical energy infrastructure will be highlighted during the workshop. The research, funded by the Energy Commission and done in partnership with the utilities, helps identify the highest priority adaptation measures for critical assets.

The workshop will also focus on the impact of climate on disadvantaged communities and vulnerable populations such as prolonged and more frequent heat waves and a lack of access to cooling centers. Input from these communities is being sought to help the state and utilities develop adaptation strategies to address those issues.

Cal-Adapt 2.0, a public online tool to help local governments and others visualize projected climate impacts in their regions and develop strategies to deal with them, will also be discussed. The tool was developed with Energy Commission funds.

Details on the workshop can be found at the Energy Commission’s calendar page.

A Stanford University student who interned this summer at the California Energy Commission was able to help with the work involved in the efforts to ensure all Californians have access to and benefit equally from the clean energy services, investments and opportunities that the state has to offer.

Akua McLeod, who is a sophomore at Stanford, worked in the Office of Energy Commission Chair Robert B. Weisenmiller. She was one of the four student fellows at the Energy Commission from the Stanford Energy Internships in California/Colorado (SEIC) program.

The program, which is in its second year, provides undergraduate and graduate students at Stanford with internships at energy-related public service organizations in California. Twelve students are interning this summer at five agencies including the Energy Commission, the California Air Resources Board, and the California Independent System Operator.

McLeod said she was grateful for the opportunity with the Energy Commission.

“Ultimately, I think it is this increased appreciation for public service that will stay with me,” she said.

Her work during the summer focused on developing energy equity metrics for the Energy Commission study that examined barriers and provided recommendations on how to help low-income residents and disadvantaged communities participate in the state's transition to a low-carbon energy future.

The Energy Commission adopted the Senate Bill 350 Low-Income Barriers Study in 2016. The study stems from a directive in SB 350, which established new energy efficiency and renewable electricity targets by 2030.

The California Clean Energy Equity Framework and Indicators draft staff report expands on a recommendation from the study by identifying 12 energy equity indicators that can be used to measure these barriers.

McLeod gathered datasets for the indicators and helped to create maps that highlight existing barriers and identify low-income communities that are of greatest need.

At the August 9 business meeting, McLeod discussed the progress in developing the indicators and offered a preview of the tools generated through this process. The indicators highlight the complexity of energy barriers and the efficacy of using maps to identify regions for targeted investment.

Ultimately, these maps will serve to identify with greater granularity which communities are most impacted by barriers such as high energy burden, low clean-energy related investment, and limited access to renewables, she said.

“More than anything, this process has taught me that energy equity challenges are undeniably multifaceted and that real solutions must be equally complex,” McLeod said.

When Julia Levin talks about biogas as a renewable resource, she does so with a sense of urgency.

For Levin, who is executive director of the Bioenergy Association of California, biogas is an important flexible baseload renewable power source. And she believes biogas has not gotten its due.

“With renewables we’ve made a lot of progress on the electricity side, but not as much on the biogas side,” said Levin during an Aug. 17 talk at the California Energy Commission.

It was a homecoming of sorts for Levin, who was an Energy Commissioner from 2009 to 2010. She also served as deputy secretary for climate change and energy at the California Natural Resources Agency.

Levin believes biogas will be essential to reducing short-lived climate pollutants, especially methane.

Biogas comes from a mixture of different gases produced by the breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. It can be produced from agricultural waste, manure, municipal waste and plant material.

Methane is an aggressive short-term greenhouse gas. It is 25 times more aggressive than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas.

California ranks first in the United States for methane production potential from biogas sources, according to the American Biogas Council.

Source: American Biogas Council

Most of the methane emitted into California’s atmosphere comes from dairy farms. Landfills and wastewater treatment facilities are also sources.

“Dairies are responsible for half of California’s methane,” said Levin.

Methane emissions from manure and enteric fermentation at dairies should be captured and used as transportation fuel, Levin said.

Biogas can be compressed in the same way that natural gas is compressed as clean natural gas for transmission through pipelines. However, that process comes with challenges for biogas, including the financing of biodigesters, biogas cleanup, access to pipelines for fuel distribution, and eventual competition with natural gas.

California has supported the development of biogas as a renewable source. Senate Bill 1383, which passed in 2016, allows ratepayer funds to be used to install pipeline infrastructure for dairy biomethane projects. The bill also requires a 75 percent diversion of organic waste by 2025 and various measures to reduce methane emissions from dairies.

Turning biogas into fuel is not new in California.

At the Langerwerf Dairy in Durham in Butte County, manure is fed into a digester and the resultant biogas fires an 85 kilowatt (kW) capacity gas engine. The engine, which operates at 35 kW, drives a generator to produce electricity.

The system, which became operational in 1982, offsets all of the dairy’s energy demand.

Listen to Julia Levin's full presentation here:

The California Energy Commission will hold two public workshops in Los Angeles this week on research funding that supports California’s energy and greenhouse gas reduction goals.

A pre-application workshop will be held at 10 a.m. Aug. 23 at the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, 52 South Hewitt Street. Potential applicants can learn about a $44.7 million grant funding opportunity supporting microgrid projects that advance the technology and move it closer to commercialization.

Microgrids are small-scale electrical systems that provide and manage power independent of the larger electric grid. Many incorporate clean energy resources such as solar photovoltaics and can store energy using batteries and other technologies.

As part of the Energy Commission’s commitment to ensure all Californians are able to participate in and benefit from the 21st century grid, the solicitation requires that a number of the projects be permanently installed at locations such as military bases, ports, Native American tribal areas and disadvantaged communities.

Funding for the solicitation is through the Energy Commission’s Electric Program Investment Charge program, which invests in innovations and strategies that advance clean energy technologies. The application deadline is Oct. 20.

A separate pre-application workshop at 2 p.m. will be held in the same location. That workshop will provide information on a $10.7 million grant funding opportunity for projects that reduce natural gas use in industry through innovative energy efficiency concepts, or by utilizing renewable energy or advanced generation technologies.

Projects with test or demonstration sites located in disadvantaged communities and that can demonstrate how the project will benefit the community will receive additional points during proposal scoring.

Funding is through the Natural Gas Research and Development program, which supports projects that identify and address emerging natural gas‐related trends important to California’s energy future. The deadline to submit applications is Oct. 10. Winning applications are expected to be announced in mid-November and approved by Energy Commissioners in mid-February.

Instructions for participating in the workshops remotely are included with each solicitation. Applicants may ask questions at the workshops, and may submit written questions via mail, electronic mail, or fax.

California will experience a drop in the production of solar power when the moon eclipses the sun on August 21. Energy entities like the California Independent System Operator (California ISO), which manages most of the state’s electric grid, are preparing for that reduction.

The eclipse will be most pronounced in the Pacific Northwest where a total solar eclipse will occur. California will experience a partial eclipse.

The expected time of the partial eclipse in California will be between 9:02 AM to 11:54 a.m., with peak obstruction at 10:22 a.m.

A study by California ISO expects that Northern California will see 76 percent of the sun blocked. In Southern California, the sun will see 62 percent of the sun’s rays blocked in the Los Angeles Basin and 58 percent in the San Diego region.

Electricity from solar photovoltaic and solar thermal will likely be produced throughout the eclipse, but at lower levels than normal.

California has 10,000 megawatts (MW) of installed commercially operational gird connected solar capacity within California ISO’s grid balancing area. The expected loss of power is predicted at about 4,200 MW of California’s large scale solar electricity, according to California ISO.

About 1,400 MW of rooftop is expected to be curtailed, which will add pressure on the grid since it is a backup power source.

In total, more than 6,000 MW of solar power will have to be made up.

The eclipse illustrates how California ISO handles the power demands of the grid. Typically, California ISO ramps down non-solar energy, like natural gas-fired power, when the sun rises. It does the opposite when the sun sets.

During the eclipse, the California ISO will conduct a second, smaller version of the ramp up and ramp down to fill the gap in solar power.

California ISO plans to maintain grid reliability by coordinating with Southern California gas and thermal generators and the state’s hydropower plants to make sure enough resources are ready to handle power needs during the eclipse.

While the ISO has enough energy supply to make up for lost solar production during the eclipse, consumers should always use energy wisely. Conservation is always of value, reduces emissions and makes the grid more reliable.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has a website, caleclipse.org, for more information on conservation during the eclipse. The website a partnership between the California Energy Commission, the CPUC and the California ISO.

The California ISO has a webpage on eclipse-related matters. The webpage includes links to fact sheets, forecasts, safe viewing tips, and a live feed showing the path of the eclipse as it moves across the United States.

The California Energy Commission is hosting two participants from the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders who plan to take their experiences back home.

Dina Ramaromandray of Madagascar and Errol Renaud of Seychelles are participants in the fellowship, which is a United States government program. It is the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative, which empowers young African leaders through academic coursework, leadership training, and networking opportunities.

During their six-week stay, they will be working for Energy Commission Chair Robert B. Weisenmiller, engaging with staff and working on projects. They both come from island nations and understand the threat that climate change poses to their culture and way of life.

“Humankind must change its ways and radically decarbonize the economy to manage the threat of climate change,” said Weisenmiller. “It is opportunities like this where best practices are shared that enables us to have a global response to climate change.”

Ramaromandray and Renaud are committed to advancing energy access, reliability, affordability, and security. They also welcome the opportunity to serve as role models for younger generations. They hope to incorporate some of the lessons learned at the Energy Commission into their work back home.

Ramaromandray currently works in law and research for Madagascar’s Ministry of Water, Energy and Hydrocarbons. She is interested in becoming a leader in Madagascar’s public energy sector, where she will be able to help shape laws and policies to advance access to electricity and combat the effects of climate change.

Renaud is an electricity regulator in the newly created tariffs and economic affairs unit in the regulatory section of Seychelles Energy Commission. He has an international economics, trade and industrial economics background and has worked in the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change. He considers energy access critical to the sustainable economic growth of developing countries and small islands states.

While taking in the sights, visitors to Mendocino County will soon be able to recharge - in more ways than one - at one of 15 new electric vehicle charging sites. Many of the chargers will be located in state parks. All will be free to the public.

Working with the Mendocino Land Trust, California Department of Parks and Recreation, and other partners, the California Energy Commission is bringing 18 Level 1 charging stations and 30 Level 2 charging stations to sites throughout the county.

Chargers at Russian Gulch State Park are currently operational. The remaining sites are scheduled to open by end of 2017.

“The California Energy Commission is pleased to support these new additions to California’s electric vehicle charging network,” said Janea A. Scott, Commissioner at the Energy Commission. “These new charging stations provide drivers of plug-in electric vehicles with increased access to Mendocino County’s majestic state parks and other tourist destinations. They also promote consumer confidence in the availability of charging infrastructure, supporting efforts to get 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles on the road in California by 2025.”

Installation of the charging stations is being made possible through a $498,040 grant to the Mendocino Land Trust from the Energy Commission’s Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program (ARFVTP). To date, the program has invested more than $748 million to support innovations in transportation and fuel technologies that help California meet its energy, clean air, and climate change goals.

As of March 2017, the Energy Commission has funded more than $80 million in ARFVTP funds to support the installation of almost 8,000 charging stations throughout the state.

Community members Judy Tarbell, Ann Cole, and Jim Tarbell.

“Drivers of electric vehicles can now enjoy some of the state’s most beautiful and awe-inspiring landscapes while their cars are charging at one of these stations,” said California State Park’s Director Lisa Mangat. “Thanks to the work of the Energy Commission, Mendocino Land Trust, and other project partners, these charging stations will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Mendocino County’s state parks, improve air quality throughout the region, and help the state to reach its climate change goals.”

The Energy Commission grant supports the Mendocino Land Trust’s mission to facilitate public access to the Mendocino County’s natural resources. Previously, access to charging stations for plug‐in electric vehicles along the Mendocino coast was limited to a few private hotels and wineries, inhibiting regional tourism by drivers of electric vehicles.

Other project partners include the Mendocino Council of Governments, Visit Mendocino County, and the Mendocino County Air Quality Management District.

Photos courtesy of Mendocino Land Trust.

The California Energy Commission and the Emerging Technologies Coordinating Council will sponsor an Aug. 16 webinar to highlight an energy saving building process that utilizes the same basic concept that keeps drinks cold at a tailgate party.

Representatives from RMS Energy Consulting and the University of California, Los Angeles will discuss how the use of phase change materials can cut energy consumption in buildings and lower the cost of making them zero-net energy.

Phase change materials – water is a good example – become solid or liquid at certain temperatures. Their ability to change from one phase to another helps them excel at controlling temperatures. When ice is placed in a cooler full of beverages, it absorbs the surrounding heat and melts, lowering the temperature and cooling the drinks. The beverages stay cool because the melting ice absorbs the thermal energy.

But water is a poor phase change material for buildings. It has a fixed melting point of 32 degrees Fahrenheit and would remain a liquid if used in most California homes. Instead, builders use materials that freeze and melt at higher temperatures such as paraffin, biomass, or salt hydrate. Some phase change materials have melting points close to room temperature.

During construction, phase change materials are integrated into the walls and ceilings of buildings. The materials absorb heat throughout the day and stabilize interior temperatures as they melt. At night, the stored heat is released, causing the phase change materials to refreeze and begin the cycle all over again. Some phase change materials work so well, they can reduce or even eliminate the need for heating and cooling systems in buildings.

During the webinar, the results of a three-year study conducted by UCLA will be discussed. Researchers examined and identified phase change materials that would work in California’s 16 climate zones, measured their effectiveness, and developed models to help validate their findings. The study was funded by a Public Interest Energy Research grant from the Energy Commission.

RMS Energy Consulting will discuss its project to measure and verify energy savings at the Easton Archery Center at the United States Olympic training facility in Chula Vista. The two-story concrete facility, which was built in 2015, uses phase change materials in the stud cavities and below the roof sheeting. San Diego Gas & Electric funded the study.

The webinar begins at 10 a.m. Details are on the Energy Commission’s calendar page.

When consumers shop for appliances, how do they choose from the vast array of models? Most people may focus on purchase price, while never considering what it costs to actually use the appliance over years.

Enervee is trying to change that. The company’s software platform compiles data to make energy efficiency choices simple, clear and engaging. They have partnered with utilities and retailers to make the research and shopping experience integrated.

Anne Arquit Niederberger, Enervee’s vice president of government affairs, said their research reveals that when an energy score is shown to consumers, people choose appliances that have double digit savings over appliances that have no score listed.

“When you give people the information in easy to understand ways, they know how to use it,” Niederberger said at an Aug. 2 talk at the California Energy Commission.

“Fortunately, research results suggest that making efficiency visible and interjecting this information into the modern –increasingly digital—shopping journey can empower us to make energy-smart purchasing decisions,” Niederberger said.

Consumers can shop for products through a site hosted by their utility, which uses the Enervee platform. Shoppers will discover an easy to understand energy efficiency score for an appliance and compare it to similar available models. It also shows the price, reviews, which stores have the item in stock and links to any applicable rebates. The energy bill savings calculator can even be personalized to create realistic figures for consumers.

“The key to becoming more energy efficient is helping people understand how making the initial investment benefits them,” said Energy Commissioner Andrew McAllister, who is the lead on energy efficiency. “Plug loads are a key area where we lack solutions. A marketplace, like Enervee, can provide data on what influences consumer’s shopping choices.”

An integrated online shopping experience can simplify the consumer experience while creating a comparison among all models of products. The Enervee online experience is one example of how people can use their purchasing power to change which products are available in the market.

The Energy Commission’s 2016 Existing Buildings Energy Efficiency Action Plan Update states this type of market transformation as important to saving energy in existing buildings.

Marketplaces hosted by California utilities include Pacific Gas and Electric, San Diego Gas and Electric, and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. If you are served by a different utility, visit enervee.com to search by zip code to see energy savings based on electricity rates.

The California Energy Commission and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) held a public workshop on Aug. 1 to discuss ongoing efforts to ensure all Californians have access to and benefit equally from the clean energy services, investments, and opportunities that the state has to offer.

This workshop continued the discussion of barriers and recommendations that began at the May 16 Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR) workshop.

Led by Energy Commission Chair Robert Weisenmiller, Energy Commissioners Janea A. Scott , Andrew McAllister, and Karen Douglas, as well as CPUC Commissioner Martha Guzman Aceves, the Aug. 1 workshop centered on an Energy Commission study that examined barriers to low-income residents and disadvantaged communities participating in the state's transition to a low-carbon energy future.

“We know that many of the challenges are not new, have varying complexities and can’t all be solved overnight, but we are working together to ensure that low-income and disadvantaged communities are part of the clean energy revolution,” Commissioner Scott said.

The Energy Commission completed and adopted the Senate Bill 350 Low-Income Barriers Study in 2016. The study stems from a directive in SB 350, which established new energy efficiency and renewable electricity targets by 2030.

“We want all Californians to have the opportunity to contribute and benefit from the 21st century grid,” said Commissioner Guzman Aceves.

The Energy Commission developed the study based on input from advocacy groups and residents of low-income and disadvantaged communities across the state and available literature on the subject. The study identified barriers these communities face when looking to adopt energy efficiency and weatherization measures or access renewable energy resources.

The study also examined barriers preventing small businesses in disadvantaged communities from participating in contracting opportunities and clean energy investments. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is working on a companion study on the barriers these communities face in pursuing clean transportation options.

The Aug. 1 workshop focused on ways to prioritize and implement recommendations from the study and included presentations and panel discussions on consumer protections, adoption of advanced technologies, appliance efficiency opportunities for low-income customers, utility efforts to engage with low-income customers and disadvantaged communities, and strategies to increase contracting opportunities for local small businesses located in disadvantaged communities.

Workshop participants included industry experts, utility representatives, environmental organizations, community- based organizations, and others.

The Energy Commission plans to continue engaging with the CPUC, CARB, other state and local agencies, community groups, and other key stakeholders to implement the solutions identified in the study.

The Energy Commission plans to report on the progress of the recommendations in the 2017 IEPR and in a tracking progress report focused on low-income and disadvantaged communities.

Commissioner Andrew McAllister and CPUC Commissioner Martha Guzman Aceves recap the Aug. 1 SB 350 Barriers Study Workshop:

#CalEnergy's Andrew McAllister & @californiapuc's Martha Guzman recap today's #SB350 workshop. Feedback welcome: https://t.co/P5dExqg8WW ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/5nf7KrNhli

— CA Energy Commission (@CalEnergy) August 2, 2017

En español:

Andrew McAllister de #CalEnergy y Martha Guzman de @californiapuc comparten lo que se discutió en el taller de #SB350 de ayer. ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/O5GnQCxyQS

— CA Energy Commission (@CalEnergy) August 2, 2017

Much has changed in the 27 years that Nolberto Acosta has worked in bus maintenance, including the technology powering the vehicles.

“We’ve switched from diesel to hybrid to electric. It’s a total change,” said Acosta, a GTrans employee of 22 years.

Before that, he worked five years for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Maintenance needs have dropped since the switch to hybrid gasoline-electric technology, he says. But the work has become more technical, electronic and computer-based.

Now, GTrans is operating five all-electric buses in economically disadvantaged communities throughout the city of Gardena, thanks to a grant from the California Energy Commission.

GTrans converted five buses from its fleet of hybrid gasoline-electric buses using Zero Emission Propulsion System technology. The change was made possible by a $2.7 million grant to GTrans from the California Energy Commission’s Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program (ARFVTP). To date, the program has invested more than $748 million to support advancements in alternative, renewable fuels and the vehicles powered by them.

GTrans and Gardena officials hope the demonstration of the retrofitted buses will lay the groundwork for similar projects across the country, creating new jobs throughout the transit industry.

The current pilot project supports local workforce development for the employees who built the buses at the Complete Coach Works’ facility in Riverside -- and for the workers who drive and maintain the vehicles.

Acosta has taken two courses preparing him to repair the new electric buses. A new consideration because of the technology is the high voltage nature of the buses’ power system.

GTrans employee Uneice Jones

“You have to learn safety first,” he said. “There’s fear. People used to be afraid of it, the unknown. Training helps with that.”

Training also helps maintenance workers like Acosta retain their positions as transportation technology continues evolving. It’s also important for those new to the bus repair trade, and for drivers learning how to handle buses powered by alternative technology.

“Driving the electric buses, the ride is a lot quieter,” said Uneice Jones, who has worked with GTrans for 25 years, eight of them as a bus operator.

She said drivers must now pay extra attention to pedestrians to ensure they are aware of the buses’ movements. It helps that the bus plays voice recordings to alert passersby.

Operators must also learn how to use the buses’ regenerative braking systems, which recover kinetic energy to help power the vehicle. Other new considerations include the buses range per electric charge, and how that range is affected by things including the use of air conditioning.

Jones not only drives the buses, but rides them to and from her home in Gardena.

“I’m always attracted to going green,” she said.