00:22:11 Jerilyn Lopez Mendoza (she/her) The Climate Center: https://theclimatecenter.org/events/california-climate-policy-summit-2023/ 00:22:46 Jerilyn Lopez Mendoza (she/her) The Climate Center: Good morning! Please feel free to drop any questions into the chat or the Q&A tabs at the bottom of your screen. Thanks. 00:22:58 Kevin Ablett: Is the Climate Policy Summit going to be streamed? 00:23:34 Jerilyn Lopez Mendoza (she/her) The Climate Center: The Climate Policy Summit is an in-person event. Thanks. 00:23:44 Li Zhang: Can you send the presentation slides to us after the call today? 00:25:25 Jerilyn Lopez Mendoza (she/her) The Climate Center: Yes, we will be sending out the presentation slides after the webinar to all registrants. Thanks. 00:25:59 Jerilyn Lopez Mendoza (she/her) The Climate Center: Link to April 11 Climate Policy Summit in Sacramento: https://theclimatecenter.org/events/california-climate-policy-summit-2023/ 00:26:02 John Knox: What impact will the demise of Silicon Valley Bank have on pending clean energy projects in the Silicon Valley area and beyond? 00:26:07 Deborah Robbins: Hard to hear Woody! 00:26:24 Jerilyn Lopez Mendoza (she/her) The Climate Center: Good morning! Please feel free to drop any questions into the chat or the Q&A tabs at the bottom of your screen. Thanks. 00:27:21 Rick Theis: Ditto on Woody’s audio 00:27:27 Rob England, The Climate Center: https://theclimatecenter.org/climate-safe-california/ 00:29:26 Rob England, The Climate Center: https://theclimatecenter.org/climate-safe-california/ 00:30:06 Rob England, The Climate Center: https://theclimatecenter.org/our-work/bill-tracker/ 00:30:24 stephenhonikman: Is the endorsement for companies or individuals (or both?) 00:30:41 Rob England, The Climate Center: Both 00:30:49 Rob England, The Climate Center: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kr4Ve95RuVbLE04E8W5dcX3sjvmTQtN-J6Q8FQmNYIY/edit?usp=sharing 00:31:17 Doron Amiran - The Climate Center: Hi Stephen. Both! 00:31:52 Rob England, The Climate Center: Good morning! Please feel free to drop any questions into the chat or the Q&A tabs at the bottom of your screen. Thanks. 00:32:35 Jerilyn Lopez Mendoza (she/her) The Climate Center: https://theclimatecenter.org/about/people/fatima-abdul-khabir/ 00:32:53 leslie: In our neighborhood, PG&E keeps giving different reasons why we can’t go electric—electric too close to gas lines to add more load, homeowners have to pay to upgrade load capacity of street electricity, transformer can’t handle any more—-What do we do? 00:34:18 Beckie Menten: Very compelling graphic Fatima 00:37:02 Alice La Pierre: Leslie, the demand for more energy on the grid is a serious problem. We are having the same issue, just trying to get a solar PV system connected on a City building. The reason is that the infrastructure is not currently capable of handling more load, whether it's renewable energy, or EV charging, etc. This isn't going to be solved anytime soon. I've been waiting for two years to get a PV system connected on a ZNE building. The best thing you can do for your home, is to install a Smart Panel to switch the loads around, and to become as energy efficient as possible. 00:37:27 Li Zhang: Not sure about the statements on the older houses: Most of the neighborhood in Palo Alto, Los Altos and Mountain View have very old homes. A lot of the areas have been out of power since late afternoon yesterday and still not sure when the power will be back today. 00:37:55 Cooper at QuitCarbon: Leslie - services like QuitCarbon and BayREN can give you free, expert advice and make a plan to electrify your home while avoiding the issues you are encountering. 00:38:01 Jerilyn Lopez Mendoza (she/her) The Climate Center: Good morning! Please feel free to drop any questions for our speakers into the chat or the Q&A tabs at the bottom of your screen. Thanks. 00:38:50 Nick Despota: What is a DER? 00:39:00 leslie: Thanks, Alice. So what are policymakers doing to resolve this? What can we do to get this moving? Is there money in the CA budget to build this infrastructure? Is this issue in Biden budget? 00:39:40 Doron Amiran - The Climate Center: DER - Distributed Energy Resources (ie: solar, wind, etc) 00:40:01 stephenhonikman: A DER is a “Distributed Energy Resource” 00:40:15 Cooper at QuitCarbon: DER = Distributed Energy Resource (residential and commercial solar, home batteries, etc - energy production and storage devices that are “distributed” as opposed to be “centralized” like traditional large power plants) 00:40:47 leslie: Cooper, I went to BayRen and got a referral. My company filled out two 500 question questionnaires for PGE, 50 pictures. No resolution. Are you suggesting I recontact BayRen and tell them problems? 00:40:54 Alice La Pierre: Leslie, it's a physical infrastructure problem at the moment. Other ways to avoid this are to install battery storage, and disconnecting from the grid, but we don't want to encourage people to do this. A Smart Panel will really help with the load management in a house. Hopefully one of our speakers will address this today. 00:42:50 Daniela: Can we access this Case Study/report to look at more in depth? 00:42:58 leslie: I installed two Tesla battery backups and two Tesla solar roof panels. There is no way I’m pulling 200 amps at one time. We need policy makers to step in and we need to fund the infrastructure upgrade in the State and Federal budget bills. Who is working on this? 00:44:06 Rob England, The Climate Center: https://theclimatecenter.org/about/people/fatima-abdul-khabir/ 00:44:35 Jerilyn Lopez Mendoza (she/her) The Climate Center: Tony's Bio - https://theclimatecenter.org/about/people/anthony-eulo/ 00:46:04 Cooper at QuitCarbon: Leslie, sure you could try working more with BayREN - or try out QuitCarbon’s free electrification assistance service - there are certainly ways to fully electrify homes without involving PG&E and without incurring the cost and delay of a PG&E service upgrade. These techniques are, unfortunately, not yet well known - we are working hard to change that :) 00:46:29 Fatima Abdul-Khabir: Full evaluation report on the SJV pilot: http://live-evergreen-economics.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2022-SJV-DAC-Report-091622-clean.pdf 00:46:49 Mariano Orellana: Good afternoon from Chile. Mariano Orellana rmou@progos.cl 00:46:53 Ken Branson (Office of Senator Becker): On the problem of long delays in getting service upgrades and new interconnections, Senator Becker has a bill this year (SB 410) aimed at exactly this problem. 00:48:37 John Knox: Cooper, does QuitCarbon advise homeowners outside the SF Bay area? In SoCal? 00:49:00 Tom Kabat: In a study we performed for County of San Mateo we found that by selecting right sized efficient equipment and occasionally a passable EV charger circuit, we could fit big lifestyles on 100 Amp panels. And with the incentives it was lower cost to install than the cost of re-upping with gas devices again. 00:49:04 Austin Sos: heat pump water heaters are much more expensive than resistive heat water heaters. Even if you provide assistance to a landlord to replace a gas water heater with a heat pump water heater. When the heat pump water heater breaks, what is there to incentivize the landlord to install another heat pump water heater vs a much cheaper resistive heat water heater when the tenant pays the electricity bill? 00:49:11 leslie: Excellent, Ken. Does this bill contain money to do the upgrades? The money needs to be in the May Revise otherwise, little chance of realization. Do you know if Governor has made such a request or the legislature holding budget hearings on this issue? 00:49:29 Cooper at QuitCarbon: John Knox - QuitCarbon currently serves the SF Bay Area, but we’ll be expanding to Southern California shortly 00:52:37 Tom Kabat: Pause-able EV charger circuit. Some smart EV chargers come with this built in. More advances are arriving every month. 00:54:16 Woody Hastings - The Climate Center: BayREN = Bay Area Regional Energy Network: https://www.bayren.org/ 00:58:23 Jerilyn Lopez Mendoza (she/her) The Climate Center: Beckie's Bio - https://theclimatecenter.org/about/people/beckie-menten/ 01:02:50 Denise Donaldson she/her: I’m in SF and trying to get off gas heating/cooking - in short - electrify my home - and have solar panels. Before I can install a heat pump I’ve been working to upgrade my electric panel. I learned the other day SF might be behind on codes and I might not actually need to upgrade (practically speaking not according to code) - what are the standards in other counties that SF might need to catch up to? (where can I go to look into this - this is in part b/c of the cost and i’ve been waiting to complete this process 1.5 year - between PG&E etc) 01:03:11 Chuck Stein: What is electrified reach code? 01:03:22 Rob England, The Climate Center: Yes, the meeting is being recorded 01:04:26 Woody Hastings - The Climate Center: Re-sharing the info about the historic BAAQMD vote today that Beckie just mentioned: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kr4Ve95RuVbLE04E8W5dcX3sjvmTQtN-J6Q8FQmNYIY/edit?usp=sharing 01:05:11 Rick Theis: You need a lot of patience if you want to make your home all electric. The services to help you find a contractor are woefully lacking. 6 months ago when we started this, they suggested no oral contractors, but several more than 50 miles away. Not a way to reduce GHG on contractor travel time. We had to do a lot of homework ourselves to find and vet a contractor who could arrange for total conversion AND had positive references. It was very frustrating. But don’t give up. 01:05:43 Woody Hastings - The Climate Center: An electricity reach code is a lode code that “reaches” beyond the state mandates. It is when a local city or county code is trying to do even better than state standards. 01:05:53 Rick Theis: typo No local contracctors 01:05:54 stephenhonikman: Reach Codes are local building codes, usually related to energy efficiency and source (pro electrification) that “reach” beyond normal requirements 01:05:57 Woody Hastings - The Climate Center: “Local” code 01:06:15 Chuck Stein: Thank you 01:06:15 Tom Kabat: @Chuck, An Electric preferred Reach Code is a local amendment to the state base energy code, to more strongly encourage or require the use of non-gas versions of water heaters, and furnaces ( using heat pump water heaters and two way air conditioners) 01:06:15 Martin (he/him): Sounds like CA should bring down the hammer on counties and utilities to speed these things up, just like it’s forcing housing buildout 01:08:18 Austin Sos: subsidies for heat pump window units could be a way to reach lower income households that can't afford an hvac overhaul that is often necessary in older homes 01:08:23 Denise Donaldson she/her: thanks Rick. The conundrum is this - we are paying for it, and waiting it out…BUT not everyone is able to afford or has the patience/time to do this. SF will never get a heavy majority of the city to upgrade if everyone has such delays. Where can info be found on what the all electric standards currently are and should be (I recently heard that SF has outdated policy w re: electric standards and it should be lower - esp since we have solar 01:10:24 Woody Hastings - The Climate Center: And what Beckie is talking about right now is what the paper coming out later this month will be all about: Tariffed On Bill Financing. Stay tuned! 01:11:24 Jerilyn Lopez Mendoza (she/her) The Climate Center: Senator Becker's Bio - https://theclimatecenter.org/about/people/senator-josh-becker/ 01:11:45 Loraine Lundquist, she/her: where can we get notified when this paper on Tariffed On Bill Financing comes out? 01:12:06 Kevin Ablett: Is there any assistance for people who want to move off of propane? 01:12:49 Tom Helm, Sonoma County: Heads up on a rapid timeline for agencies, municipalities, state etc. https://www.epa.gov/inflation-reduction-act/climate-pollution-reduction-grants#:~:text=The%20Climate%20Pollution%20Reduction%20Grants,and%20other%20harmful%20air%20pollution. 01:13:12 Tom Helm, Sonoma County: States, Municipalities, and Air Pollution Control Agencies All lead organizations representing a state or metropolitan area must submit a Notice of Intent to Participate (NOIP) according to the deadlines and requirements laid out in the program guidance. The lead organization for a state must submit the NOIP by March 31, 2023. The lead organization for a metropolitan area must submit the NOIP by April 28, 2023. 01:16:06 Felicia Federico (UCLA): Excellent presentation by BDC. A question about attracting 3rd party financing, though. Low-income households use relatively little energy, and the replacement of gas furnaces by HP heating + AC may mean that bills are similar (before vs. after) but with improved thermal comfort and consequent health benefits. Can these small $ (or no $) reductions attract investments? And if there is money to be made, why isn’t the State investing? Why are we setting up a system for private companies to benefit from finally investing in low-income households? 01:16:32 Woody Hastings - The Climate Center: To be notified about when The Climate Center’s paper about TOBF comes out later this month, please sign up for our e-news. Just enter your name and email address where its say “Join Us” on this page: https://theclimatecenter.org/ 01:17:15 Beckie Menten: I know the NEM issue is a really challenging one. The reality is that the prior NEM subsidy resulted in a very regressive program, where low income customers who could not access solar were paying (through rates) for subsidies to higher income customers who could afford to install solar. I am not defending the recent CPUC decision on NEM but acknowledging that it is a difficult, multi-faceted issue. 01:17:16 Brian DiGiorgio: I'm so excited to see tariff-based financing moving forward. When I designed and managed the on-bill financing program at PG&E, I could not get any management support towards tariffed financing… It was just too much work at an organization that was under so many stressors. .. 01:18:13 Woody Hastings - The Climate Center: SB 410 Interconnections: https://theclimatecenter.org/our-work/bill-tracker/sb-410-interconnection-electrical-service-response-time/ 01:19:37 Nick Despota: Was that SB1175 for one-stop incentives/financing applications 01:21:24 Harriet Harvey-Horn: Sorry, is there a bill for these panel upgrade alternatives, or are they part of SB755? 01:21:42 Tom Helm, Sonoma County: Another important piece about the EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grants noted above, Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program, which will support states, tribes, territories, and metropolitan areas in creating or updating plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. These plans will in turn help applicants in receiving grants from the $4.6 billion available for plan implementation. 01:22:07 Woody Hastings - The Climate Center: SB 48 (Becker) Building Performance: https://theclimatecenter.org/our-work/bill-tracker/sb-48-building-performance-standards/ 01:22:41 Lawrence Abbott: My son is an IBEW Electrician Apprentice in Alameda County. The fact that he and 40 other Electricians are layed off is proof that we are not transitioning to electricity quickly enough !!! 01:22:49 Nick Despota: PUBLIC EDUCATION OPPRTNY East Bay participants may want to promote a free Building Electrification Fair in Berkeley on April 22 (Earth Day): https://tinyurl.com/ElectrifyHome Organizer: Alameda Chapter of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby. 01:23:06 Tom Kabat: SB 68 is the bill that has the CEC developing information and guidance to efficient ways to avoid needing panel upsizing. 01:23:50 Lawrence Abbott: laid 01:23:51 Alice La Pierre: Lawrence Abbott, please tell your son to apply to the City of Berkeley. We are hiring three electricians. As long as he can work with higher voltages, he has a good chance for a steady job with great benefits. 01:24:06 Harriet Harvey-Horn: Tnx, Tom 01:26:37 Ken Branson (Office of Senator Becker): SB 48 includes several tenant protection measures as a key part of the building performance standard proposal, but Fatima is right that one of the challenges is how to make sure building departments will actually enforce the law. 01:28:51 Jon-Mark Chappellet: will the chat comments be available after the webinar? 01:30:00 Daniel: Thanks to the panelists for the very interesting answers on tenant protection! 01:30:25 Fatima Abdul-Khabir: Greenlining has worked with our national partners to submit recommendations to the DOE around structuring IRA electrification incentives. A piece of that is also considering incentives for landlords because, as I mentioned, because they hold a lot of power in rental units. 01:31:47 Jerilyn Lopez Mendoza (she/her) The Climate Center: We can certainly make the chat available to participants after the webinar. 01:34:09 Daniel: @Fatima, that's great to hear--other federal programs (thinking of WAP) have had tenant protections that seem pretty ineffective, so it's great to hear that DOE will be getting ideas for more stringent tenant protections 01:34:32 Tom Kabat: I’m part of a sub committee exploring the upstream benefits of applying the strategies from Sen Becker’s SB 68 electrification efficiency information act. We are looking for electrical engineers to help define the pole-top equipment savings and workforce efficiency in being able to meet the challenge of more rapid electrification with more efficient electrification. 01:36:54 Jan Cecil: Tangent - We are discovering more and more the danger to our lower, insect, etc life forms by light. They have evolved over centuries to require darkness to reproduce etc. Is there any thought to prioritizing electrical use for needed applications, not just decorative lighting at night? 01:38:53 Tom Kabat: Since heat pump water heaters are so much safer than gas water heaters, perhaps it makes to mail a free “easy permit” to every single family home telling them this permit lets them install the new 120 Volt plug in heat pump water heater in their garage water heater location, (according to the linked directions and install requirements) and simply call for the inspection afterwards. Think of it as a free 01:39:00 Marie Cobian: Another disincentive for pulling permits for upgrades/improvements is the prospect of increased property taxes, in particular for retired or lower income households. 01:39:35 Tom Kabat: Think of it as a free “push permit” to help get complying installations happening faster and easier. 01:42:22 John Knox: Did the powerful utilities push so hard for a monthly solar tax and slashing solar credits, as in NEM 3.0, because they care so much about equity or because they are concerned that the growth of rooftop solar in cutting too much into profits? 01:43:12 Tom Kabat: A 120 volt heat ump water heater has the same connections as a washing machine that does not need a building permit to replace. (Connections: cold water, hot, water, drain water and a 120 volt power cord.). Washing machine replacement does to need a permit. 120V HPWH installation should have an easy permit. 01:44:03 Felicia Federico (UCLA): @Tom Kabat - great idea on free push permit! 01:44:57 Tony Eulo, SVCE: And we must recognize that to the extent that solar incentives raise the overall cost of electricity, they create a disincentive to electrify gas appliances 01:45:43 Harriet Harvey-Horn: Outstanding program on such an impactful topic! Thank you Climate Center and speakers! 01:47:18 Craig Perkins: We should all be very careful about repeating the self-serving IOU talking points on NEM 3.0. The customer impacts data that was ostensibly used by the CPUC to justify their decision was both incomplete and flawed. 01:47:31 Chris Gilbert: There legislation being introduced that would separate CARE/FERA from rates, to the general budget. 01:48:02 Harriet Harvey-Horn: Agreed! Thank you, Senator Becker! 01:48:30 Rob England, The Climate Center: Call to action https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kr4Ve95RuVbLE04E8W5dcX3sjvmTQtN-J6Q8FQmNYIY/edit?usp=sharing 01:49:08 Nick Despota: Is that the right link? The once you added goes to the BAAQMD vote info 01:49:16 Chris Gilbert: Yes, wrong link I think. 01:50:02 Rob England, The Climate Center: sorry, one moment 01:50:45 Sen. Josh Becker: Yes and please send thanks to all who vote for the BAAQMD vote - need positive reinforcement as they are getting attacks for sure 01:50:47 ECA Chapter Leaders: PLEASE include these chat notes with the link to the recording of this wonderful session!!! 01:51:01 Jerilyn Lopez Mendoza (she/her) The Climate Center: Chat notes have been saved. Thank you! 01:51:07 Tony Eulo, SVCE: Thanks for all you all do! 01:51:18 Paul Whang: Looking forward to the summit! 01:51:23 Daniel: Thanks everyone for the wonderful presentations! 01:51:43 Rob England, The Climate Center: We can email out link to atendees 01:51:59 Deborah Robbins: Thanks for a great session! 01:52:01 Denise Donaldson she/her: thank you all 01:52:02 Felicia Federico (UCLA): Thank you! 01:52:05 Brian DiGiorgio: Excellent webinar 01:52:06 O.G. Strogatz: thank you! 01:52:10 Ellen Maremont Silver: Great job, all!