October 2020
Save Water, Energy, Money, & the Environment
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LADWP Community Solar Program Earns Accolades for Innovation
One of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s (LADWP) three community solar programs, the Solar Rooftops Program, has been honored for its innovative and effective approach to serving local community needs. The California Municipal Utilities Association (CMUA) recently presented LADWP with a 2020 CMUA Resource Efficiency & Community Service award for first place in the “Community Service Programs – Large-size Utility” category.
LADWP created the Solar Rooftop Program to help more homeowners install solar panel systems on their rooftops, particularly customers who may not have been able to invest in solar in the past because of the high cost of installation. To reduce solar participation barriers, there are no upfront costs, no annual fees and no credit checks or maintenance costs for program participants. Areas of low solar penetration also receive priority enrollment to promote a more equitable solar community in Los Angeles.
“We want all LADWP customers to be able to participate in Los Angeles’ clean energy future. This program has been so well received because it addresses the issue of cost and maintenance, which have been significant barriers to installing solar,” said Martin Adams, LADWP General Manager and Chief Engineer. “Along with our other community solar programs, our Solar Rooftop Program is an important Department initiative because it helps us reach our renewable energy goals while also directly benefiting the customers we serve and supporting the green economy.”
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Get to Know Where Torrance Water Comes From
Torrance Municipal Water (TMW), a community-owned water utility and a founding member of the Metropolitan Water District (MWD), is dedicated to serving its customers in a cost-effective manner, with a reliable supply of high-quality water, essential to maintaining public health and safety, economic vitality, and community well-being. The Torrance Municipal Water serves approximately 105,000 residents and business customers covering 78 percent of the City. The Department is responsible for local water supply, the monitoring and maintenance of water quality, planning preventive and maintenance, the operation and repair of the water system, distribution system, and interfacing with the State Health Department and other agencies regarding water quality matters.
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Sanitation District Tours Go Virtual |
The Sanitation Districts is offering virtual tours open to the public on the dates listed below. These tours are also available for groups by appointment only. Please contact Michelle Vieville at (562) 908-4288, extension 2300, or at michellevieville@lacsd.org, for more information on virtual tours. They will post to their website when the in-person school tour program reopens to the public.
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Legislation Expands Definition of Natural Gas
Recently, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 3163 (Salas) into law. This legislation significantly expands the definition of renewable natural gas to include energy that comes from additional forms of organic waste, such as dead trees, agricultural waste and vegetation removed for wildfire mitigation. AB 3163 has a twin benefit of helping to manage wildfires with reduced debris and also lowering greenhouse gas emissions. SoCalGas issued the following statement to media in response:
"Today, California took another step in the fight against climate change, by joining leaders like Oregon who are turning their organic waste problem into an affordable, and renewable energy solution."
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Public Agencies Save Money with Project Delivery Program
SoCalREN’s Project Delivery Program was established in 2013 to help public agencies achieve unprecedented levels of energy savings quicker than ever before. Agencies enrolled in SoCalREN Public Agency Programs are assigned a project manager to assist
from the beginning of a project through closeout. Services include:
- Energy consumption benchmarking
- Technical support, including audit calculations, identification of pumping and wastewater measures, and more
- Analysis of financing options
- Procurement and construction support
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West Basin and the Water Replenishment District Team Up to Launch Virtual Career Day Series
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West Basin Municipal District (West Basin) and the Water Replenishment District (WRD)are working together to present the 2020 Water Industry Careers and Guest Panel, a virtual career day video series for students ranging from sixth grade through college seniors. The free series will culminate in a live panel on October 15, where students will have the opportunity to learn and ask questions about career paths, training programs, and other opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math
(STEM) fields, with a special focus on jobs in the water industry.
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WRD Receives Groundwater Resources Association Kevin J. Neese Award |
The Water Replenishment District has been presented with the Kevin J. Neese Award from the Groundwater Resources Association of California
(GRA) for its Albert Robles Center for Water Recycling & Environmental Learning (ARC). The Kevin J. Neese Award recognizes a “recent, significant accomplishment by an entity that fosters the understanding, development, protection, and management of groundwater.” The GRA is a statewide organization that is dedicated to resource
management that protects and improves groundwater supply and quality through education and technical leadership. The award was presented at the GRA’s Annual Western Groundwater Congress event.
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WRD offers virtual tours of its newest advanced water treatment facility, the Albert Robles Center for Water Recycling and Environmental Learning (ARC) here.
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Sanitation Districts and LA County Offer Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Help
The Household Hazardous Waste and Electronic Waste Collection Program (HHW) gives Los Angeles County residents a legal and cost-free way to dispose of unwanted household chemicals that cannot be disposed of in the regular trash.
Upcoming events in the South Bay:
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S.A.F.E. Center locations and days/hours of operation in Los Angeles can be found here
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Metro Receives Robust Response to Sepulveda Transit Corridor Pre-Development Agreement RFP |
For many of you closely tracking the Sepulveda Transit Corridor project and our efforts to build this rail line as quickly as possible, Metro is happy to report that it has received a very strong response from firms bidding to help Metro accelerate the project. The proposals are part of Metro’s Pre-Development Agreement process for the project. The deadline for responding to the PDA Requests for Proposals, or RFPs, ended on August 26. While Metro cannot disclose any details about the number of proposers or their names due to rigorous procurement rules and guidelines, they can say that they are greatly encouraged by the level of interest they’ve received.
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News for Southern California Commuters: September / October 2020
Learn about opportunities for ridesharing, public transportation, and the benefits that an Employee Transportation Coordinator (ETC) can offer your workplace. This monthly newsletter addresses the broad audience of commuters that rely on transportation agencies from Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside & San Bernardino Counties, and Ventura County.
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California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC)
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California Ramps Up Consumer Drug Takeback Program
California is roughly a year away from rolling out regulation requiring the pharmaceutical industry to design and fund a consumer drug takeback program (SB 212), and it’s getting closer to having sufficient infrastructure to support the mandate—thanks to a private-public partnership. The players are the California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC), technology services company Inmar Intelligence, the National Action Stewardship Council, and grocery and pharmacy retail chain Albertsons Companies, who teamed to double the number of consumer drug takeback bins through California. Each of these new 18.7-gallon containers holds about 350 bottles.
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California Green Business Network (CAGBN) |
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Small Business Resiliency: Helping Small Businesses Adapt to Uncertainty
The California Green Business
Network quickly switched to virtual
assistance for small businesses and
is helping them adapt during this
challenging economic time. We will
be critical in helping SMBs increase
efficiency, bring in customers, and
cut costs so they can bounce back.
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Census 2020 can still be completed if you have not done so yet! |
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SBCCOG General Assembly 2020 Sponsors |
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SBCCOG’s General Assembly is an annual public forum that engages elected officials, private and public organizations, general public, and other South Bay stakeholders during a program composed of exhibitors and guest speakers, speaking individually and in panels, presenting content unified under a central theme. |
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We want to thank our 2020 General Assembly sponsors
for their continued support of the SBCCOG even though the event was canceled due to COVID-19:
Golden Circle
Benefactors
Sponsors
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Links to Partner Resources En Español:
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