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Utilities commission must act to encourage clean energy microgrids

by P.J. Quesada, CalMatters Highlights Many Californians are experiencing the negative health effects associated with dirty energy pollution To combat this, the California Public Utilities Commission should advance a regulatory framework for more microgrids throughout the state, especially for essential businesses  California ok’d the use of diesel powered generators during power shutoffs that occur during … Read more

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Congressional climate strategy includes microgrids and climate justice

Last week, Democrats on the US House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis issued a report, “Solving the Climate Crisis, “ which provides an emissions reduction policy framework which seeks to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Here’s a link to a summary article from Vox about the report.  One of the recommendations in the report is … Read more

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Our Community Energy Resilience letter to the Governor’s Economic Recovery Task Force and more

Rooftop PV installation on the Forest County Potawatomi Tribe administration building

Community Energy Resilience is a collaborative statewide effort to fund and support local governments for planning and implementing decentralized clean energy microgrids, prioritizing lower-income communities. Here is a recent Cal Matters op-ed we co-authored. This effort is especially urgent as we face extended wildfire seasons and additional power blackouts.

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What’s the ideal way for the microgrid industry to come back from COVID-19?

By Lisa Cohn, Microgrid Knowledge  Highlights The Clean Energy community called for relief in the recent federal stimulus package as the industry has taken a critical hit due to the COVID- 19 pandemic. Over 100,000 clean energy sector workers have lost their jobs due to business shifting during the pandemic and the industry could lose half … Read more

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New study supports distributed clean energy and community energy resilience

by Brian Bienkowski, Environmental Health News Highlights Small-scale energy projects are likely to help the world reach climate goals more effectively than larger-scale projects, according to a new study from Science Magazine. The study used existing technologies to see what would help countries lower emissions all the way down to net-zero by 2050 and examined … Read more

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LEGISLATIVE UPDATE – March 27, 2020

Due to the COVID-19 disruption, the legislature has gone into recess until April 13 at the earliest. While the legislature is on recess, The Climate Center continues to analyze the bills that were introduced in February, and is in the process of determining positions on many of them. Below are several, but not all, of … Read more

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Building a clean, affordable, resilient, equitable, and safe energy system to meet this moment

Rooftop PV installation on the Forest County Potawatomi Tribe administration building

by Janina Turner and Stacey Meinzen As we reel from the COVID-19 pandemic and think about the longer-term consequences, many of us are likely wondering how things will be in the fall. Many of us remember the Public Safety Power Shut-offs of 2019 that meant no electricity for refrigeration, heat, the internet, and in some … Read more

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Climate Center and partners: New Utility Reform and Clean Energy Resilience bills

solar by Stacey Meinzen

URGENT: Have your organization sign on here to support utility reform and clean community energy resilience. Individuals, please reach out to your state elected officials here. A key priority of The Climate Center’s Climate-Safe CA effort is to advance the ability of local governments to create fossil fuel-free, safe, resilient and accessible local electricity systems. Technology advances — including rapidly-declining … Read more

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New policy roadmap to combat wildfires, prevent power shutoffs and increase community resilience

Oakland, CA — Climate and clean energy experts released a new policy roadmap today to guide California state policymakers who want to use clean energy to combat wildfires and power outages. The roadmap details proposals that would accelerate the clean energy transition, transform the outdated investor-owned utility business model, and modernize the power system. “The 2020 wildfire season might … Read more