Local Clean Energy Alliance of the Bay Area

Approximately 20 percent of banks around the world are public, meaning they are controlled by a government body instead of private investors. Unlike most banks in the U.S., public banks are managed to support local lending within their jurisdiction and invest within the community to maximize local public good. Instead of being driven by short-term profits to shareholders, decisions regarding public banks are generally in the interest of the public. Profits generated by public banks, which comes mostly from the interest paid on loans, are utilized to lower interest rates and make banking accessible to a broad spectrum of customers in the community across various income levels and social standings.  In Germany, public banks have been largely responsible for the tremendous growth of local, clean energy resources.

On September 25, 2017, the Local Clean Energy Alliance teamed up with the Friends of the Public Bank of Oakland to host Wolfram Morales, Chief Economist at the East-German Savings Bank Association, Sparkasse, for a community forum at Oakland’s City Hall. The presentation detailed the connection between the benefits of a transparent, local banking system and the ability to procure democratically-controlled clean energy.

On October 5-8, the 12^th annual Northern California Building Resilient Communities Permaculture Convergence will be held at the Solar Living Institute in Hopland, California. The Local Clean Energy Alliance will present a workshop on Community Choice energy as a powerful vehicle for democratizing energy, spurring local sustainable economic development, and building more resilient communities - workshop date and time to be determined, but we hope you’ll join us at the Convergence!

On August 10^th, Local Clean Energy Alliance presented “What’s Up with Utility Bills”, the latest in a series of educational events. Inviting attendees to “learn how to read, understand, and take control of your utility bill,” presenters Kirsten Andrews-Schwind from Peninsula Clean Energy, and Mark Toney from TURN (The Utility Reform Network) did an excellent job delivering on that guarantee, and stimulated interesting discussions with the attendees in the process.

This summer, East Bay Community Energy (EBCE), Alameda County’s new Community Choice energy program, continued progress towards providing electricity to residents and businesses in the spring of 2018. Most relevant for community-minded advocates, the major activities since May have been the seating of a Community Advisory Committee, drafting of an Implementation Plan, progress on the local development business plan, and hiring of a CEO. 

Come hear Rosana Francescato from MyDomino discuss the nuts and bolts of rooftop solar, including:

• Rooftop solar basics
• How to prepare
• Steps in the process
• Maintenance and monitoring

In April, the Oakland-based East Bay Shared Solar Collaborative was awarded a $10 thousand technical assistance grant by the U.S. Department of Energy.  Local Clean Energy Alliance convened the East Bay Shared Solar Collaborative in partnership with other community organizations and advocates* to advance the development of community owned and controlled shared solar energy projects to further grassroots economic empowerment, advance social equity, and promote community resilience.

In April, progress continued toward the launch of East Bay Community Energy (EBCE), Alameda County’s new Community Choice energy program. Most relevant for community-minded advocates, the governing board is soon to seat a Community Advisory Committee and a contractor has begun work on creating a local development business plan.