Just before the start of the pandemic, SoCalREN began partnering with regional organizations to equitably expand program reach. By mid 2020, we had onboarded five regional partners—a mix of non-profit organizations and councils of governments—with a tremendous breadth of insights into how we could craft more regionally-relevant resources. Fast forward two years, and we’ve got a lot to show for our collaborative efforts! This session will highlight how regional partners have worked with SoCalREN to break through agencies’ skepticism of a region-wide program, promote existing offerings, and co-create new ones. SoCalREN’s regional partners will feature the initiative pilots that they designed and launched this year, including a home energy assessment program, and a comprehensive Energy Resiliency Action Plan program for climate-vulnerable communities. As we enter the third year of regional partnerships, we will engage the audience in a discussion of best practices to increase local energy action so that all communities can realize the benefits of energy savings.

Speakers

• Kim Fuentes, South Bay Cities Council of Governments, Deputy Executive Director
• Sumi Gant (She/Hers), Gateway Cities Council of Governments, SoCalREN Program
• Pam Close Bold, High Sierra Energy Foundation, Executive Director
• Amy Whitehouse (she/her) (Moderator), SoCalREN, Project Manager
• Samantha Dodero, San Joaquin Valley Clean Energy Organization, Associate Executive Director
• Nicholas Ryu, San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments, Manager of Natural Resources & Sustainability
• Lujuana Medina, SoCalREN, Environmental Initiatives Manager