Local Clean Energy Alliance of the Bay Area

(05/2023) East Bay Community Energy (EBCE) Board of Directors and the public got their first look at the agency’s 2023-2024 draft budget at the Executive Committee meeting, Wednesday, May 3. That budget will be discussed at the May 15 meeting of the EBCE Community Advisory Committee, and May 17 by the full Board of Directors. The final budget will be approved at the June 21 Board meeting.

LCEA encourages all EBCE communities to attend the budget meetings to see how their energy dollars are being spent. The Alliance will be pushing for more equitable financing of local projects, recognizing the long history of injustice in how infrastructure money is spent and the urgent need for increased energy resilience in frontline communities.

On Tuesday, April 18th, Local Clean Energy Alliance staff visited Castlemont High School to view Castlemont students’ final resilience hub designs  for the Lion Creek Crossings. Last fall, LCEA facilitated workshops with the Castlemont Students and youth at Lion Creek Crossings on resilience hubs and microgrids to support them in their projects.

(04/2023) Have you ever wondered why utilities are so against distributed, renewable energy like rooftop solar?
Then join us next Thursday, April 13th at 1pm PT/4pm ET, for an exciting briefing on the Center for Biological Diversity’s new report Rooftop Solar Justice.  Click here to register

(04/2023) It's good to be back in person in the LCEA office! Please let us know if you'd like to stop by for a meeting.

We've done some remodeling and could use some funds to further fix up the office furnishings and power our work.
Click here to DONATE. 

On Wednesday, March 15th, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) voted to pass regulation on phasing out gas water and space heating appliances by 2027 and 2029 respectively. These appliances release NOx (nitrogen oxides) which contribute to particulate matter and greatly affect air quality. The Local Clean Energy Alliance, along with several other community based organizations, has been active in the pre-implementation working group held by Emerald Cities Collaborative in order to advocate for equitable implementation of this rule. There are still several active concerns!

On Tuesday March 7th, 2023, Local Clean Energy Alliance joined Reclaim Our Power (ROP) coalition members in protesting outside of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) San Ramon Conference Center. PG&E was holding a conference with Governor Gavin Newsom and his regulators in discussion about wildfire mitigation. The governor’s regulators have time and time again made excuses for the destruction that PG&E has caused, instead of actually holding them accountable.

To find out, check out this article What’s Going on with California’s Rooftop Solar Battle published in Non-profit Quarterly in February 2023.  The article mentions the work of the Local Clean Energy Alliance and quotes LCEA’s lead organizer, Jessica Tovar.

See also the article What Did California Miss with Its Recent Slashing of a Key Solar Incentive? published in Non-Profit Quarterly in March 2023.

(01/2023) Just as rooftop solar has begun to become accessible for medium and low income communities, Net Energy Metering 3.0, passed in December of 2022, has destroyed any chance of solar staying financially feasible. For anyone attempting to install solar after April 15, 2023, solar credits will be cut to 25% of the NEM 2.0 rate, while the grandfathering clause ensures that anyone who already has a solar system will continue to get the higher rate.

However, there is still hope! The Center for Biological Diversity has appealed the CPUC’s unanimous decision to slash rooftop solar benefits and side with the utilities. The appeal focuses on statutory mandates of the CPUC that this decision violates and legal errors.

The Local Clean Energy Alliance (LCEA) team was very busy throughout last year fighting the bad, and advancing the good that is centered in energy equity and the needs of people. We were part of a fierce fight to defend local solar incentives in California, holding East Bay Community Energy accountable to the community they serve, fighting for an equitable path to home electrification, and working with young people to foster the next generation of energy democracy warriors. We need you; your action and your support to meet our fundraising goals to continue this fight.

(12/2022) On December 15th, Governor Newsom’s California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will likely vote on a utility-backed proposal that would effectively kill rooftop and community solar, while jeopardizing the state’s clean energy and environmental justice goals. You can learn more watching this short video: https:ww.facebook.com/watch/?v=653751152888776