Effort to Bring Clean Energy, Transportation and Energy Efficiency to Low-Income, Disadvantaged Communities Moves Forward
Officials from the California Energy Commission, the California Air Resources Board (CARB), and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) discussed the progress in removing obstacles barring low-income and disadvantaged communities from accessing opportunities for renewable energy, energy efficiency, and transportation at a recent workshop.
The August 29 joint workshop was part of an ongoing effort to identify and remove these obstacles as required by Senate Bill 350, legislation signed into law in 2015 that also established new energy efficiency and renewable electricity targets to support California's long-term climate goals and air quality standards.
“It’s important to ensure that low-income and disadvantaged communities are included in and benefit from the state’s transition to clean energy and transportation,” said Commissioner Janea A. Scott. “The Energy Commission looks forward to continuing to work with our partner agencies, as well as both the current and future Administration, in making excellent progress toward putting solutions in place.”
In 2016, the Energy Commission published a study examining barriers that have traditionally prevented residents and businesses in low-income or disadvantaged communities from benefiting from renewable and energy efficiency technologies. Earlier this year, CARB published a study examining barriers preventing low-income residents from having greater access to zero-emission and near zero-emission transportation and mobility options.
During the workshop, Energy Commission, CARB, and CPUC staff highlighted progress of several equity efforts recommended in these studies, including the August 2018 release of an action plan identifying early actions to improve existing programs focused on multifamily housing.
Earlier this year, the Energy Commission also released a report and interactive map to help identify opportunities to improve access to clean energy technologies and increase clean energy investment in low-income and disadvantaged communities.
Discussions at the workshop also highlighted the ongoing need for community outreach and education to ensure success of equity efforts, as well as the need to coordinate plans for access and sustainability with broader dialogue on equity issues including workforce development and affordable housing.
Other Energy Commissioners who participated in the workshop were Robert B. Weisenmiller, Karen Douglas and David Hochschild. CPUC Commissioners Cliff Rechtschaffen and Martha Guzman-Aceves, Alice Reynolds with the Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr., and CARB Executive Officer Richard Corey also attended the workshop.
