Sixty leaders from housing, energy, environmental, and workforce development organizations gathered in Los Angeles and San Francisco this month to help the California Housing Partnership’s Green Rental home Energy Efficiency Network (GREEN), Natural Resources Defense Council, and Energy Efficiency for All (EEFA) partners set priorities for our collective energy efficiency, water and renewable energy work in California for 2017. In the New Year, GREEN-EEFA members will organize through a series of working groups to dive into these priority areas, and develop clear and actionable next steps. To join a working group, click here.
Highlights from the Summit include:
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Scaling Whole-Building Energy Programs:
- Energy Savings Assistance Program Whole Building Multifamily Program: A November 10th California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) decision dedicated $80 million in unspent Energy Savings Assistance Program (ESA) funds for a new multifamily whole-building energy efficiency retrofit for rent-restricted multifamily housing. In 2017, GREEN-EEFA partners will:
- Follow ESA improvements through implementation and work to unlock new policy and program opportunities. To learn more about this recent decision, see California Regulators Dedicate $80 Million to Empower Affordable Housing Owners to Play a Key Role in Meeting State’s Energy Efficiency Goals and CPUC Adopts Major Improvements to Low Income Efficiency Program.
- Low Income Weatherization Program: The Low Income Weatherization Program for large multifamily (LIWP-LMF) is funded through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and administered by the California Department of Community Services and Development. The program launched in early 2016, and is the first program to breakdown the barrier between energy efficiency, renewable energy, and solar thermal, by offering all three under the same program. The program receives annual funding appropriations through the legislature. Currently, the program is available for properties that fall within designated Disadvantaged Communities. In 2017, GREEN-EEFA partners will:
- Work to ensure continued and expanded funding for the program.
- Assist building owners in identifying and enrolling large multifamily properties. Please contact Blanca de La Cruz, bdelacruz@chpc.net, for information on program eligibility and to schedule an interest call.
- Energy Savings Assistance Program Whole Building Multifamily Program: A November 10th California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) decision dedicated $80 million in unspent Energy Savings Assistance Program (ESA) funds for a new multifamily whole-building energy efficiency retrofit for rent-restricted multifamily housing. In 2017, GREEN-EEFA partners will:
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Shielding Affordable Housing and Low-Income Tenants From the Risks of Electric Rate Reforms:
In 2015, the CPUC directed the large investor-owned utilities to reform the residential electric rate structure and begin the transition to Time-of-Use rates in 2019. The passage of AB 693 last year created a new funding source for onsite-solar installations that provide bill savings benefits to low-income tenants of affordable housing. In 2016, GREEN-EEFA actively participated in the CPUC’s AB 693 proceeding and partnered with additional organizations to submit a joint proposal for program implementation that would shield affordable housing and low-income tenants from the risks of changing electric rates over the long term. In 2017, GREEN-EEFA will:
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Continue to work with the CPUC and coalition partners to ensure that the AB 693 program will benefit affordable housing and low-income tenants over the long-term.
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Support demonstration projects to showcase solutions for shielding affordable housing and low-income tenants from changing electric rates.
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Provide owners with fact sheets to inform owners about changing residential and commercial electric rates and opportunities for mitigating these risks.
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Aligning Existing Programs and Continuing the Push for a “One-Stop-Shop” Approach:
Navigating the complex web of utility energy efficiency, solar, and water programs continues to be a daunting task for providers of affordable rental housing. In 2016, GREEN-EEFA launched a “Program Alignment” working group to come up with potential solutions, and strategize regarding potential advocacy venues for improving programs. In 2017, GREEN and EEFA will:
- Develop concrete recommendations and build consensus with partners around the best approach for streamlining programs so they work for low-income multifamily building owners.
- In Los Angeles, improve LADWP and SCG efficiency and renewable program offerings, and identify demand for a One-Stop-Shop market.
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Exploring Legislative Opportunities:
GREEN-EEFA members have expended a lot of resources engaging at the regulatory and programmatic level to make meaningful improvements to energy efficiency and renewable energy program. The coalition has also explored whether there are legislative changes that could help accelerate and expand our work moving forward. In 2017, GREEN-EEFA will:
- Explore opportunities for advocating that the legislature address the following:
- Setting a common definition for low-income program eligibility across all utility and GGRF programs.
- Providing technical support for owners and renters to access programs, scope out project plans, find financing, hire contractors, etc.
- Authorizing a budget for health remediation and structural improvements outside of energy efficiency that can be paired with retrofit and solar programs
- Explore opportunities for advocating that the legislature address the following:
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Increasing Investment in Water Efficiency:
In 2016, GREEN received a grant from the California Drought Action Initiative program of the Resources legacy fund to advance our water efficiency work, and support owners in achieving greater water efficiency. CHPC launched a working group to explore issues related to graywater, sub-metering, and using data to inform water retrofits. Priorities for 2017 include:
- Identifying funding sources for advancing water efficiency and water reuse in the low-income affordable rental sector.
- Building new relationships with water utilities, agencies, and advocates to encourage consistency across programs serving low-income affordable rental housing.
Over the course of 2017, GREEN and EEFA will work to turn the these priorities into actionable items that help improve and expand access to energy efficiency, water and renewable energy resources for the low-income rental housing sector in California.
Background on GREEN and EEFA
The California Housing Partnership established the Green Rental home Energy Efficiency Network (GREEN) in 2010 to work collaboratively with multifamily housing organizations and low-income households in California to increase access to energy efficiency and renewable energy resources and to ensure that publicly assisted properties serving the state’s lowest-income households receive an equitable distribution of these resources. Energy Efficiency for All (EEFA) is dedicated to linking the energy and housing sectors together in order to tap the benefits of energy efficiency for millions of low-income families. In California, core EEFA partners include: The California Housing Partnership, NRDC, The Greenlining Institute, Build it Green (BIG), and Association for Energy Affordability (AEA).
GREEN and EEFA work together with multifamily property owners and managers and numerous other partners to expand energy efficiency program offerings, increase market demand for energy efficiency products and services, promote best practices to improve the energy performance of multifamily properties, and ensure that low-income people benefit from cleaner, healthier, and more affordable housing.
GREEN-EEFA Working Groups
GREEN-EEFA facilitates four ongoing work groups to provide an opportunity for discuss and strategize around the following topics:
- Policy Implementation: Covers efforts to implement and improve existing efficiency, solar, and data access policies in California, i.e) AB 693, AB 802, etc.
- Program Alignment/One-Stop-Shop Initiative: Works collectively on the development and writing of a statewide One-Stop-Shop proposal and high-level goals, which may be leveraged for an executive order or legislation in 2017.
- Los Angeles: Develops targeted initiatives in Los Angeles to enhance energy efficiency and renewable energy programs for multifamily properties.
- Water Efficiency: Improve LADWP and SCG efficiency and renewable offerings, and establish proposal for LA concierge/one stop shop services, and Complete LA market characterization and solutions study.
How Do I Get Involved?
- To sign up for a GREEN-EEFA Working Group, click here.
- To learn more about GREEN, click here. To join one of the working groups listed above, please contact Caroline McCormack at cmccormack@chpc.net, or 415-433-6804 x313.
- To get engaged with EEFA, click here or contact Maria Stamas of NRDC at mstamas@nrdc.org