Spotlight on Ventura County Regional Energy Alliance

Congratulations to the Ventura County Regional Energy Alliance and Southern California Edison for being named the 2016 Beacon Program Champions by the Institute for Local Government and the Statewide Energy Efficiency Collaborative. Both organizations have provided valuable support to many of the 100 cities and counties participating in the Beacon Program.

Since its inception in 2003, Ventura County Regional Energy Alliance has worked diligently to assist its member cities and business in seeking incentives to promote energy efficiency projects.

This year, the alliance assisted its member agencies in joining the Institute for Local Government’s Beacon Program and, helped document activities and collect data that resulted in award recognition. The County of Ventura and the ten cities within the county collected a total of 26 awards for achievements in saving energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adopting policies and practices that contribute to a more sustainable community.

“The staff at VCREA is incredible,” said Steve Sanders, sustainability program director for the Institute for Local Government (ILG). “While each city and the county implemented these projects, you can see how the leadership of VCREA and the county has helped spearhead efforts and add capacity for the local agencies to gather and use the data to make effective decisions about implementing projects that reduce energy and greenhouse gas emissions.”

VCREA became a Beacon Program Champion at the beginning of this year; however VCREA has a long history promoting energy efficiency to its member agencies. In the past five years, the Ventura County region has saved over 26 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and 60,000 therms of natural gas, savings equal to more than $60,000 in incentives from the utilities that help offset the project cost.

“I am proud that VCREA was recognized as a Beacon Program Champion this year,” said Supervisor Kathy Long. “This recognition is a testament to our success as a viable regional alliance. By working together, we have an empowered community that actively engages in conservation, efficiency, and renewable initiatives. And more, VCREA efforts have truly established our region as a leader in the development and implementation of durable, sustainable energy initiatives.”

The Beacon Program champions and its partners in the Statewide Energy Efficiency Collaborative are critical agents for the program’s success. The Statewide Energy Efficiency Collaborative is comprised of Institute for Local Government, the Local Government Commission, ICLEI: Local Governments for Sustainability and the four investor-owned utilities. All partners provide valuable resources and support to help local governments achieve their energy efficiency and sustainability goals.

This year, Southern California Edison was named the Beacon Program Partner of the Year.

SCE helped provide data and resources to Beacon Program participants. As a result, 45 agencies received recognition for their achievements this year. Through its Energy Leader Program, Southern California Edison has helped 140 Local Governments save more than 93 million kilowatt hours of electricity.