FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 10, 2021
September 10, 2021
MEDIA CONTACT: Allison MacMunn
allison@sunstonestrategies.org, 312.622.4004
allison@sunstonestrategies.org, 312.622.4004
BDC Lauds State Of CA. Effort To Address Extreme Heat Crisis With Investments In Community Resilience Centers, Clean Cooling, And Urban Greening
California Legislature invests more than $500 million in programs to
boost resilience in the face of extreme heat
Funding will go towards community resilience centers, upgrading homes with highly efficient
electric heat pump cooling systems, and urban greening programs
Sacramento, Calif.— As yet another climate-fueled heat wave grips California this week, legislators moved today to approve over $500 million in funding for next year for programs to boost community resilience in the face of extreme heat. The funding, which was agreed upon by the Legislature and the Newsom administration, includes $100 million for community resilience centers, $400 million for various extreme heat programs, including upgrading homes with highly efficient heat pump cooling systems, $65 million for low-income home weatherization and $250 million for urban greening.
Extreme temperatures across California and the West have fueled a spike in heat-related illness and death this summer, and lack of access to cooling is a major risk factor. The funding package takes aim at expanding access to cooling through landmark investments in both heat pumps in homes and resilience centers in communities.
A portion of the $400 million allocated to miscellaneous resiliency programs is expected to go to programs to upgrade homes with highly efficient electric heat pumps, which provide both cooling in the summer and heating in the winter. These updates, in addition to boosting resilience during heat waves, will also cut climate pollution, as heat pumps can eliminate the need for fossil fuel furnaces during the winter months.
“The reality is that in a hotter California, access to cooling in homes is a survival necessity. By equipping homes with highly efficient heat pump cooling systems, we can keep families safe during bouts of extreme heat, while reducing our state’s reliance on fossil fuels,” said Jose Torres, California director at the Building Decarbonization Coalition.
Lawmakers’ $100 million investment in community resilience centers will also go a long way to protecting households during heat waves. Community resilience centers located at trusted places like libraries, community centers and places of worship are designed to provide a convenient place for households to cool off during bouts of extreme heat, as well as access backup power and on-going community services and programs.
“This groundbreaking investment in community resilience hubs goes much further than the addition of cooling centers, which have been underutilized in the past. These hubs are designed to be places where community members can gather and access the services they need, both during periods of extreme heat, and throughout the year,” said Amee Raval, Policy and Research Director at the Asian Pacific Environmental Network.
Research shows that low-income communities are especially vulnerable to the heat-related health impacts, as they are less likely to have access to cooling at home. To maximize the life-saving impact of California’s extreme heat programs, it will be essential that low-income communities are first-in-line for investment.
The budget trailer bill next moves to Governor Newsom’s desk, where he is expected to sign the funding bill into law.
Extreme temperatures across California and the West have fueled a spike in heat-related illness and death this summer, and lack of access to cooling is a major risk factor. The funding package takes aim at expanding access to cooling through landmark investments in both heat pumps in homes and resilience centers in communities.
A portion of the $400 million allocated to miscellaneous resiliency programs is expected to go to programs to upgrade homes with highly efficient electric heat pumps, which provide both cooling in the summer and heating in the winter. These updates, in addition to boosting resilience during heat waves, will also cut climate pollution, as heat pumps can eliminate the need for fossil fuel furnaces during the winter months.
“The reality is that in a hotter California, access to cooling in homes is a survival necessity. By equipping homes with highly efficient heat pump cooling systems, we can keep families safe during bouts of extreme heat, while reducing our state’s reliance on fossil fuels,” said Jose Torres, California director at the Building Decarbonization Coalition.
Lawmakers’ $100 million investment in community resilience centers will also go a long way to protecting households during heat waves. Community resilience centers located at trusted places like libraries, community centers and places of worship are designed to provide a convenient place for households to cool off during bouts of extreme heat, as well as access backup power and on-going community services and programs.
“This groundbreaking investment in community resilience hubs goes much further than the addition of cooling centers, which have been underutilized in the past. These hubs are designed to be places where community members can gather and access the services they need, both during periods of extreme heat, and throughout the year,” said Amee Raval, Policy and Research Director at the Asian Pacific Environmental Network.
Research shows that low-income communities are especially vulnerable to the heat-related health impacts, as they are less likely to have access to cooling at home. To maximize the life-saving impact of California’s extreme heat programs, it will be essential that low-income communities are first-in-line for investment.
The budget trailer bill next moves to Governor Newsom’s desk, where he is expected to sign the funding bill into law.
Events
Visit the event page to learn about upcoming decarbonization events.
The Flipside Report Launches--
And Leads California Away From Gas Use To A New Era Of Equitable Electrification
Petaluma, California—July 20, 2021--The Building Decarbonization Coalition (buildingdcarb.org) and Common Spark Consulting (common-spark.com)—leaders in the development of clean energy powered communities—announced the debut of The Flipside Report—calling for aggressive financial and public policy investment in targeted electrification to accelerate California’s transition away from fossil gas use.
The Flipside Report proposes a community-led, whole home and whole community approach to electrifying residences and commercial buildings as the pathway towards responsible reductions in gas usage. The report recommends implementing targeted decommissioning (‘Strategic Trimming’) of the gas pipeline network.
The report recommends that all the relevant California state agencies provide the regulatory reforms, financial resources, and leadership to ensure that electrification provides an accessible, cost effective and equitable solution for creating a decarbonized future.
The Flipside Report calls for dedicated funding to be provided to low income and vulnerable communities to support their transition toward all-electric homes and buildings. In addition, The Flipside Report urges that lawmakers implement anti-displacement and renter protection measures, and support programs that provide high quality job training and employment opportunities.
A Proactive, Progressive and Practical Path Towards Community Electrification, Equity and Empowerment:
The Flipside Report provides California’s policymakers with three key strategies for ensuring the state’s transition away from gas is equitable and cost-effective, avoiding otherwise anticipated skyrocketing gas costs to ratepayers:
PRIORITIZE INVESTMENT IN VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES:
ACCELERATE INVESTMENTS IN NON-PIPELINES ALTERNATIVES:
“The Flipside Report provides California—and our nation—a warning about the risks of moving away from gas without a clear plan. We must end our reliance on fossil fuels and move thoughtfully to a clean energy future in a responsible and cost-effective way,” said Michelle Vigen Ralston, Founder of Common Spark Consulting. “Implementing the report’s recommendations will ensure that communities take the lead in their own decarbonized future, and that the benefits of a clean energy economy are shared by everyone. The fight for climate change must be for our communities, not just for the climate itself.”
“The Flipside Report lays out the responsibility we have to our climate and our communities as we transition rapidly to clean electric alternatives and end the use of fossil gas,” said Panama Bartholomy, Executive Director of the Building Decarbonization Coalition “We must ensure that our transition to a clean energy economy results in a more equitable and affordable future for every resident of California and the entire country.”
The Flipside Report proposes a community-led, whole home and whole community approach to electrifying residences and commercial buildings as the pathway towards responsible reductions in gas usage. The report recommends implementing targeted decommissioning (‘Strategic Trimming’) of the gas pipeline network.
The report recommends that all the relevant California state agencies provide the regulatory reforms, financial resources, and leadership to ensure that electrification provides an accessible, cost effective and equitable solution for creating a decarbonized future.
The Flipside Report calls for dedicated funding to be provided to low income and vulnerable communities to support their transition toward all-electric homes and buildings. In addition, The Flipside Report urges that lawmakers implement anti-displacement and renter protection measures, and support programs that provide high quality job training and employment opportunities.
A Proactive, Progressive and Practical Path Towards Community Electrification, Equity and Empowerment:
The Flipside Report provides California’s policymakers with three key strategies for ensuring the state’s transition away from gas is equitable and cost-effective, avoiding otherwise anticipated skyrocketing gas costs to ratepayers:
PRIORITIZE INVESTMENT IN VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES:
- Provide resources and investment in trusted community-based organizations to lead and support a community-driven transition to electrification.
- Expand successful direct installation, integrated programs and approaches that provide subsidized and comprehensive energy upgrades to make electrification a cost-saving transition.
- Partner with affordable housing and housing rights advocates to establish tenant protection and anti-displacement measures that state or local agencies can adopt to limit rent increases and restrict evictions.
ACCELERATE INVESTMENTS IN NON-PIPELINES ALTERNATIVES:
- Develop cost recovery, financing and amortization solutions which encourage the decommissioning of pipeline networks and encourage utilities to invest towards clean energy and decarbonization goals.
- Develop policies and regulations which encourage community based electrification, and a managed transition from gas based power that shares costs and benefits in an just and equitable way.
“The Flipside Report provides California—and our nation—a warning about the risks of moving away from gas without a clear plan. We must end our reliance on fossil fuels and move thoughtfully to a clean energy future in a responsible and cost-effective way,” said Michelle Vigen Ralston, Founder of Common Spark Consulting. “Implementing the report’s recommendations will ensure that communities take the lead in their own decarbonized future, and that the benefits of a clean energy economy are shared by everyone. The fight for climate change must be for our communities, not just for the climate itself.”
“The Flipside Report lays out the responsibility we have to our climate and our communities as we transition rapidly to clean electric alternatives and end the use of fossil gas,” said Panama Bartholomy, Executive Director of the Building Decarbonization Coalition “We must ensure that our transition to a clean energy economy results in a more equitable and affordable future for every resident of California and the entire country.”
THE BUILDING DECARBONIZATION COALITION APPOINTS LISA DIX AS
NEW YORK DIRECTOR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 8, 2021
PLEASE CONTACT:
Mr. Richard G. Harris
1.917.445.2375
Richard@buildingdecarb.org
Former Leader of Sierra Club’s ‘Beyond Coal’ Campaign Will Spearhead Coalition’s Action Plan For Clean Energy Building Electrification, Phasing-out Fossil Fuel Use and Building Carbon Free Communities
New York, NY—June 8, 2021—The Building Decarbonization Coalition, (BDC) (buildingdecarb.org), an innovative policy and market transformation organization advancing the development of zero-emission, clean energy powered Homes, Commercial Buildings and Communities, today announced that Lisa Dix, formerly the Sierra Club’s New York State Senior Campaign Manager, has been appointed as the BDC’s New York Director.
Ms. Dix will be responsible for implementing the BDC’s bold and comprehensive agenda for powering New York’s homes and businesses with clean energy, ending the use of fossil fuels as a power source and ensuring that the benefits of a decarbonized, clean power economy are shared by all communities in New York state.
Prior to joining the BDC, Ms. Dix served as the Senior Campaign Manager of the Sierra Club’s groundbreaking ‘Beyond Coal,’ campaign, where her leadership was instrumental in ending the use of coal fired power plants in New York State. A longtime and vigorous advocate for renewable energy, Ms. Dix helped launch the state’s Offshore Wind Master Plan, committing New York State to generate 9,000 gigawatts of electricity from wind, the nation’s largest amount of wind generated energy.
“The BDC has been so instrumental in uniting all stakeholders—from builders, to utilities, governments and environmental organizations—in supporting the use of clean energy to power homes and companies,” Ms. Dix said.
“As the BDC’s first-ever New York Director, I am determined to forge alliances and partnerships with a broad range of organizations, so that together, we can execute an ambitious and achievable action plan for powering all of our buildings with clean energy,” Dix said. “We must end our use of fossil fuel power and ensure that our transition to a clean energy based power grid and economy is equitable, affordable and available to every citizen of New York State.”
“Lisa Dix, is a respected and exceptional leader in the mission to end our nation’s dependence on polluting fossil energy—she’s an expert at harnessing the power of collective community action to build a healthy, prosperous future powered by clean energy,” said Panama Bartholomy, Executive Director of the BDC.
“Lisa’s capabilities and expertise will play a vital role in achieving the BDC’s national strategy of driving the development of zero-emission Homes, Commercial Buildings and Communities—all operating with renewable power,” Bartholomy said. “We’re elated to welcome Lisa Dix to the BDC’s Senior Leadership Team.”
About The Building Decarbonization Coalition:
Launched in 2018, the Building Decarbonization Coalition (BDC), (buildingdecarb.org), forges Public-Private Partnerships among Government Authorities, Utilities, Manufacturers, Builders and other vital sector stakeholders. These diverse and dynamic partnerships drive the development of clean energy powered, zero-emission Homes, Commercial Buildings and Communities.
Discover how the BDC’s Market Transformation, Consumer, Public Policy and Research Initiatives help create prosperous, diverse and environmentally sustainable communities at: buildingdecarb.org
June 8, 2021
PLEASE CONTACT:
Mr. Richard G. Harris
1.917.445.2375
Richard@buildingdecarb.org
Former Leader of Sierra Club’s ‘Beyond Coal’ Campaign Will Spearhead Coalition’s Action Plan For Clean Energy Building Electrification, Phasing-out Fossil Fuel Use and Building Carbon Free Communities
New York, NY—June 8, 2021—The Building Decarbonization Coalition, (BDC) (buildingdecarb.org), an innovative policy and market transformation organization advancing the development of zero-emission, clean energy powered Homes, Commercial Buildings and Communities, today announced that Lisa Dix, formerly the Sierra Club’s New York State Senior Campaign Manager, has been appointed as the BDC’s New York Director.
Ms. Dix will be responsible for implementing the BDC’s bold and comprehensive agenda for powering New York’s homes and businesses with clean energy, ending the use of fossil fuels as a power source and ensuring that the benefits of a decarbonized, clean power economy are shared by all communities in New York state.
Prior to joining the BDC, Ms. Dix served as the Senior Campaign Manager of the Sierra Club’s groundbreaking ‘Beyond Coal,’ campaign, where her leadership was instrumental in ending the use of coal fired power plants in New York State. A longtime and vigorous advocate for renewable energy, Ms. Dix helped launch the state’s Offshore Wind Master Plan, committing New York State to generate 9,000 gigawatts of electricity from wind, the nation’s largest amount of wind generated energy.
“The BDC has been so instrumental in uniting all stakeholders—from builders, to utilities, governments and environmental organizations—in supporting the use of clean energy to power homes and companies,” Ms. Dix said.
“As the BDC’s first-ever New York Director, I am determined to forge alliances and partnerships with a broad range of organizations, so that together, we can execute an ambitious and achievable action plan for powering all of our buildings with clean energy,” Dix said. “We must end our use of fossil fuel power and ensure that our transition to a clean energy based power grid and economy is equitable, affordable and available to every citizen of New York State.”
“Lisa Dix, is a respected and exceptional leader in the mission to end our nation’s dependence on polluting fossil energy—she’s an expert at harnessing the power of collective community action to build a healthy, prosperous future powered by clean energy,” said Panama Bartholomy, Executive Director of the BDC.
“Lisa’s capabilities and expertise will play a vital role in achieving the BDC’s national strategy of driving the development of zero-emission Homes, Commercial Buildings and Communities—all operating with renewable power,” Bartholomy said. “We’re elated to welcome Lisa Dix to the BDC’s Senior Leadership Team.”
About The Building Decarbonization Coalition:
Launched in 2018, the Building Decarbonization Coalition (BDC), (buildingdecarb.org), forges Public-Private Partnerships among Government Authorities, Utilities, Manufacturers, Builders and other vital sector stakeholders. These diverse and dynamic partnerships drive the development of clean energy powered, zero-emission Homes, Commercial Buildings and Communities.
Discover how the BDC’s Market Transformation, Consumer, Public Policy and Research Initiatives help create prosperous, diverse and environmentally sustainable communities at: buildingdecarb.org
The BDC Announces New Appointments to Our Executive Leadership Team
The Building Decarbonization Coalition is thrilled to announce a strategic expansion of our Senior Executive Team. Enhancing the BDC’s capabilities in the areas of Mission Implementation, Operations, State Level Initiatives, Communications and Strategic Partnerships, each new member of the BDC’s Senior Executive Team will report to Panama Bartholomy, Executive Director:
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Johanna Partin has been appointed as the Deputy Director of The Building Decarbonization Coalition. Prior to her appointment as Deputy Director, Ms. Partin was the Founding Director of the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance. She is the former North American Regional Director of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and Senior Environmental Policy Advisor to former San Francisco Mayors Gavin Newsom and Edward Lee. Johanna@buildingdecarb.org |
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Jose Torres has joined the BDC as California Director. Mr. Torres is the former Energy Equity Program Manager for the California Environmental Justice Alliance. Mr. Torres has also served as an Analyst with the California Energy Commission and as a Legislative Aide to Members of The California State Assembly. Jose@buildingdecarb.org |
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Bryce Butler has been named the BDC’s Director of Strategic Partnerships. Mr. Butler is the former VP of Operations and Business Development for Proposal Lab, a corporate consulting and advisory firm. Prior to his tenure at Proposal Lab, Mr. Butler served as an Administrator for St. Paul's Senior Services and Executive Director with Bridgestone Senior Living. A U.S. Veteran, Mr. Butler served as a Green Beret, U.S. Army Special Forces. Bryce@buildingdecarb.org |
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Jessica Leader has been named as the BDC’s Co-Director of Communications. Prior to joining the BDC, Ms. Leader served as the Corporate Communications Manager for Sunrun, the national leader in home solar and energy services. Prior to Sunrun, Ms. Leader served as the Communications Director for FreeWire Technologies and as the Director of Eco, Wellness and Social Responsibility Partnerships for the HuffPost Partner Studio. Jessica@buildingdecarb.org |
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Richard G. Harris has been named as the BDC’s Co-Director of Communications. From 2015-2020, Mr. Harris served as the Strategic Communications Advisor to the Chairman and Senior Leadership of Afghanistan’s Bayat Group, Afghanistan’s largest company, and to Bayat Power, Afghanistan’s largest Energy Exploration, Development and Production Company. Prior to the Bayat Group, Mr. Harris served as Strategic Communications Counsel to Energy, Cleantech, Finance, Technology, and Public Policy Enterprises located in the U.S., EU, MENA, and India. Richard@buildingdecarb.org |
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Ashleigh Spurgeon has been named as the BDC’s Associate Director of Strategic Partnerships. Ms. Spurgeon previously served as the BDC’s Operations Manager, responsible for the implementation of the organization’s Membership, Research and Communications Initiatives. Ashleigh@buildingdecarb.org |
First-of-its-kind Policy Roadmap Provides Strategies to Ensure Equitable Access to Pollution Free Homes and Workspaces
The New Accessible Financing White Paper is Here!
Innovative financing tool could ensure that clean technologies are not just for affluent Californians
San Francisco, Calif.— On the heels of newly released data showing that California’s clean energy programs disproportionately benefit the wealthy, a first-of-its-kind roadmap outlines how policymakers could work with stakeholders to help low-and moderate-income and renter households across California, which together make up more than 40 percent of the state’s population, access building upgrades that enable greater access to clean technologies that slash indoor air pollution.
Widespread participation in clean, electric home upgrades is critical to meaningfully reduce harmful building emissions, yet clean energy investments remain out of reach for many energy customers who have neither the money to afford the upgrades nor the credit necessary to borrow what they cost.
“This roadmap is needed now more than ever as California breaks new ground in expanding building electrification,” said Panama Bartholomy, executive director of the Building Electrification Coalition. “The road to adoption and implementation has not yet been paved for building decarbonization. This map is essential for ensuring everyone can access cutting edge, clean building technologies.”
The roadmap in the new report “Towards an Accessible Financing Solution: A Policy Roadmap with Program Implementation Considerations for Tariffed On-Bill Programs in California” outlines how policymakers can:
“The overarching goal is finding an accessible financing solution for clean energy upgrades that is universally accessible to all California households, without regard to income level,” said Holmes Hummel, founder of Clean Energy Works and co-author of the report. “We believe that a solution that works for renters as well as lower income households will also expand accessibility to clean energy for higher-income property owners.”
The Building Decarbonization Coalition commissioned researchers to investigate successful program models from other states and compile stakeholder input into the report with the goal of opening the state’s clean energy economy to all households and renters, recommending innovative financial tools to help solve the problem.
One innovative financing tool would expand access to cleaner, healthier electric homes using tariffed on-bill programs that allow a utility to pay for cost-effective energy improvements at a specific residence, such as home heating and cooling units, and to recover its costs for those improvements over time through a dedicated charge on the utility bill that is immediately less than the estimated savings from the improvements.
Similar tariffed on-bill programs for energy efficiency upgrades have been successfully implemented during the past 18 years in eight states by 18 utilities from Hawaii to New Hampshire, including investor owned, cooperative, and municipal utilities. Program results indicate consistently high adoption rates for clean energy upgrades and low charge-off rates for nonpayment, even in areas characterized by conditions of persistent poverty.
Thirty cities and counties across California have already moved to make buildings healthier and more climate friendly by passing all-electric building measures to cut pollution from new homes and buildings—which are responsible for 25% of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions—almost half (12%) of which come from residential homes. Slashing these emissions would help the state meet its 100% clean energy goals.
The roadmap is a tool to help policymakers craft policies that eliminate long standing barriers like high upfront costs that prevent many California households from making clean energy investments—and also support the scale of investment needed to meet California’s looming climate targets. The Equitable Building Electrification framework released by Greenlining Institute and Energy Efficiency For All has also called on policy-makers to find ways to support financing solutions such as tariffed on-bill investments to ensure all communities can be served.
The roadmap identifies four criteria as benchmarks for successful policy design:
These financing tools boost clean energy investments among low-income Californians–those most likely to be left depending on the declining gas system as wealthier customers voluntarily switch to clean energy—while at the same time expanding access to clean energy across all incomes.
“California will need an artful combination of updated building codes, appliance standards, regulatory requirements, public funding, and ratepayer-funded incentives, combined with policies to ensure low-income households and renters have access to affordable clean energy solutions to achieve building decarbonization at the scale necessary to meet the state’s climate protection goals,” said Hummel.
Read the full report!
On July 9, the Building Decarbonized Coalition hosted a webinar to celebrate the publication of BDC’s policy roadmap for Tariffed On-Bill investments in California featuring a video conference briefing on the white paper contents. The white paper outlines a policy roadmap for expanding access to clean energy investment opportunities, particularly for low- and moderate-income households and renters. The report represents the culmination of six months of research and stakeholder input and calls for $36 billion in private capital investments to augment California’s publicly funded programs.
Speakers included Holmes Hummel, a nationally recognized subject matter expert on tariffed on-bill investments, having written the investment plans for utility program in North Carolina and Arkansas and securing millions of dollars of low cost capital for investment in service areas recognized for persistent poverty, and project manager Bruce Mast, who shepherded the white paper to completion and contributed a career’s worth of experience in California energy policy, program implementation, performance risk management, and the customer economics of building electrification.
Webinar Recording
Presentation
The New Accessible Financing White Paper is Here!
Innovative financing tool could ensure that clean technologies are not just for affluent Californians
San Francisco, Calif.— On the heels of newly released data showing that California’s clean energy programs disproportionately benefit the wealthy, a first-of-its-kind roadmap outlines how policymakers could work with stakeholders to help low-and moderate-income and renter households across California, which together make up more than 40 percent of the state’s population, access building upgrades that enable greater access to clean technologies that slash indoor air pollution.
Widespread participation in clean, electric home upgrades is critical to meaningfully reduce harmful building emissions, yet clean energy investments remain out of reach for many energy customers who have neither the money to afford the upgrades nor the credit necessary to borrow what they cost.
“This roadmap is needed now more than ever as California breaks new ground in expanding building electrification,” said Panama Bartholomy, executive director of the Building Electrification Coalition. “The road to adoption and implementation has not yet been paved for building decarbonization. This map is essential for ensuring everyone can access cutting edge, clean building technologies.”
The roadmap in the new report “Towards an Accessible Financing Solution: A Policy Roadmap with Program Implementation Considerations for Tariffed On-Bill Programs in California” outlines how policymakers can:
- Open a more accessible and equitable path to clean energy solutions.
- Remove barriers to accessing clean energy solutions.
- Address embedded barriers to clean energy solutions.
“The overarching goal is finding an accessible financing solution for clean energy upgrades that is universally accessible to all California households, without regard to income level,” said Holmes Hummel, founder of Clean Energy Works and co-author of the report. “We believe that a solution that works for renters as well as lower income households will also expand accessibility to clean energy for higher-income property owners.”
The Building Decarbonization Coalition commissioned researchers to investigate successful program models from other states and compile stakeholder input into the report with the goal of opening the state’s clean energy economy to all households and renters, recommending innovative financial tools to help solve the problem.
One innovative financing tool would expand access to cleaner, healthier electric homes using tariffed on-bill programs that allow a utility to pay for cost-effective energy improvements at a specific residence, such as home heating and cooling units, and to recover its costs for those improvements over time through a dedicated charge on the utility bill that is immediately less than the estimated savings from the improvements.
Similar tariffed on-bill programs for energy efficiency upgrades have been successfully implemented during the past 18 years in eight states by 18 utilities from Hawaii to New Hampshire, including investor owned, cooperative, and municipal utilities. Program results indicate consistently high adoption rates for clean energy upgrades and low charge-off rates for nonpayment, even in areas characterized by conditions of persistent poverty.
Thirty cities and counties across California have already moved to make buildings healthier and more climate friendly by passing all-electric building measures to cut pollution from new homes and buildings—which are responsible for 25% of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions—almost half (12%) of which come from residential homes. Slashing these emissions would help the state meet its 100% clean energy goals.
The roadmap is a tool to help policymakers craft policies that eliminate long standing barriers like high upfront costs that prevent many California households from making clean energy investments—and also support the scale of investment needed to meet California’s looming climate targets. The Equitable Building Electrification framework released by Greenlining Institute and Energy Efficiency For All has also called on policy-makers to find ways to support financing solutions such as tariffed on-bill investments to ensure all communities can be served.
The roadmap identifies four criteria as benchmarks for successful policy design:
- The ability to finance upgrades over long period time (10-15 years) even in rental units with multiple changes in tenancy
- Ability to leverage utility bill savings to defray investment costs, rather than rely on consumer credit or home equity
- Cash-positive outcomes that assure low and moderate income customers will not experience increased energy burdens
- Ability to scale to serve millions of California households
These financing tools boost clean energy investments among low-income Californians–those most likely to be left depending on the declining gas system as wealthier customers voluntarily switch to clean energy—while at the same time expanding access to clean energy across all incomes.
“California will need an artful combination of updated building codes, appliance standards, regulatory requirements, public funding, and ratepayer-funded incentives, combined with policies to ensure low-income households and renters have access to affordable clean energy solutions to achieve building decarbonization at the scale necessary to meet the state’s climate protection goals,” said Hummel.
Read the full report!
On July 9, the Building Decarbonized Coalition hosted a webinar to celebrate the publication of BDC’s policy roadmap for Tariffed On-Bill investments in California featuring a video conference briefing on the white paper contents. The white paper outlines a policy roadmap for expanding access to clean energy investment opportunities, particularly for low- and moderate-income households and renters. The report represents the culmination of six months of research and stakeholder input and calls for $36 billion in private capital investments to augment California’s publicly funded programs.
Speakers included Holmes Hummel, a nationally recognized subject matter expert on tariffed on-bill investments, having written the investment plans for utility program in North Carolina and Arkansas and securing millions of dollars of low cost capital for investment in service areas recognized for persistent poverty, and project manager Bruce Mast, who shepherded the white paper to completion and contributed a career’s worth of experience in California energy policy, program implementation, performance risk management, and the customer economics of building electrification.
Webinar Recording
Presentation