CURRENTS Spring 2016
Intro |Messages from Paris | New Code Resources | Valuing Efficiency | The Rolling Portfolio
Introducing the New Statewide Coordinator, Jordan Decker
We’re pleased to introduce our new Statewide Local Government Energy Efficiency Best Practices Coordinator, Jordan Decker! Jordan joins LGC and SEEC to serve as Coordinator having recently moved to California from New York, where she worked in local government as Director of Clean Energy and Innovative Technologies for the City of New York. As such, she was responsible for developing short and long-term plans, budgets, and goals for the new municipal clean energy program – including roll-out of large-scale solar arrays on 24 schools, and contract development for a solar power purchase agreement (PPA). She also co-developed and oversaw the City’s municipal building cleantech demonstration program, which during her tenure deployed and reviewed building controls technologies, and identified and developed contracts for energy storage demonstrations. Jordan also managed an energy efficiency-focused cross-department competitive capital grants program (called the Accelerated Conservation and Efficiency, or “ACE” program), with over $100 million in active projects – including fire and police stations, schools, hospitals, courthouses, wastewater treatment plants, and street lighting.
Jordan is now working to share expertise and best practices across California’s local governments – and track energy efficiency progress – to support the achievement of energy efficiency and sustainability goals. You can learn more about the Coordinator’s role in helping local governments achieve these goals here.
Unpacking the Paris Agreement: Implications and Inspiration for Local Governments
by Jordan Decker, Local Government Commission
For those of us following energy and climate issues, December 2015 was an exciting month. The meetings in Paris held by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and by other climate action-focused groups that used the opportunity to also convene, drew global attention to latest climate forecasts, to the events we are already seeing around the world, and to the need for global collaboration and action. This twenty-first Conference of Parties, or “COP21” resulted in the approval of the Paris agreement, which commits to actions and investment for resiliency, sustainability, and a low-carbon future – by more than 190 countries.
Preparing for the 2016 Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Title 24 Part 6) – New Resources, and Ways to Leverage the Standards for Local Goals
by Jordan Decker, Local Government Commission
The adoption of the 2016 Building Energy Efficiency Standards for Residential and Nonresidential Buildings by the California Energy Commission created some exciting and unprecedented new opportunities for energy savings. As an example: single-family homes built following the 2016 standards will use 28% less energy compared to those built to the 2013 standards.
Demonstrating the value of energy efficiency – the latest resources
by Jordan Decker, Local Government Commission
We’ve heard from a number of local governments that the growing market-based interest in the value of energy efficiency is a huge help to building departments and energy code compliance, effective community program rollout, the spreading of sustainability best practices – and the list goes on. Several new reports and resources are showing more and more compelling data on the benefits of energy efficiency and green certifications in the market:
The Rolling Portfolio Framework, the Energy Efficiency Coordinating Committee, and Why to Participate as a Stakeholder in the Program Administrator Business Plan Development
by Jordan Decker, Local Government Commission
Our Winter 2015 edition of CURRENTS provided some coverage of the CPUC’s Proposed Decision on the new rolling portfolio structure for energy efficiency program planning (first released in August, and updated/rereleased in October), including discussion of the launch of the Energy Efficiency Coordinating Committee.
