| Post

Pathways Energy helps Romanini property harvest solar energy

By Susan Bryer-Shelton, Energy Program Coordinator for The Climate Center As a solar energy advocate, I admit to experiencing a bit of an elevated heart rate whenever I have the opportunity to check out a bright and shiny new solar installation. There’s something inherently exciting to me about each and every person’s newfound commitment to … Read more

| Post

A centralized, top-down power grid is outdated. Time for a bottom-up redesign.

Hybrid solar/wind system, 2400W windturbines, 4000W solar modules, island Zirje, Croatia by Nenad Kajić / Veneko.hr

The below article outlines many of the challenges and opportunities of transforming the current power grid to one that works for the mass deployment of renewables. The Climate Center’s Solar Sonoma County is working on this issue through our “Solar Plus” vision – a combination of solar, battery storage, electric vehicles, and all-electric homes and … Read more

| Post

Santa Rosa City Council moves toward innovative “electric-ready” building ordinance

Frog Song solar by Laurie-Ann Barbour

by Mike Turgeon, The Climate Center Climate Action Fellow In a marathon study session on Tuesday, October 23rd, the Santa Rosa City Council, at the urging of the Friends of the Climate Action Plan (FoCAP), received a long-overdue update on the progress of the 2012 Municipal and Community Climate Action Plans.  The Climate Action Plan implementation … Read more

| Post

The Center will offer another inspiring gathering based on October’s success

On October 11th we celebrated with about 100 of the Center’s supporting partners at the Charles Schulz Museum. After refreshments, mingling, and a welcome from Jeannie Schulz,  Adam Hochschild, author of Bury the Chains gave an inspiring talk about the movement that abolished slavery in the British Empire. Abolishing slavery seemed impossible at the time, … Read more

| Post

Tangier Island and Island Earth

I was about ten or eleven years old in the early 1970s when I visited Tangier Island in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay with my family. It left quite an impression. We walked the neighborhood streets, visited the crab, oyster, clam and fishing docks, and stopped in to a few shops before finding a … Read more

| Post

Welcome to Susan Bryer-Shelton, the Center’s new Energy Program Coordinator

Susan's first day on the job with fellow solar advocates

Hi! My name is Susan Bryer-Shelton and I’m delighted to have joined The Climate Center as its Energy Program Coordinator. I’ll be managing the Solar Sonoma County and Business for Clean Energy programs, both of which shine brightly as important collaborations with our local business community. I’m already in awe of the amazing entrepreneurs, installers, … Read more

| Post

Taking action

by Jane Bender, Board Member, The Climate Center “I am asking you to believe. Not in my ability to bring about change—but in yours.” I was surfing the internet for something else when I ran across these words from President Obama’s 2016 farewell speech to the nation.     Upon hearing these words, a lump rises in … Read more