November 2021
Save Water, Energy, Money and the Environment
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Make Every Drop of Water Count with a West Basin Rain Barrel |
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SBCCOG Congratulates El Segundo As 200th Agency to Join SoCalREN Network
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Metro to Address How Gender Impacts Ridership |
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Conserve Water and Reduce Runoff with West Basin's Rain Barrel Program
Free Home Delivery:
Registrations for the free home delivery program will be accepted November 5, 2021 – January 20, 2022.
The first round of deliveries is expected to occur in late November 2021/early December 2021. Home delivery registration is capped and subject to availability, so early registration is encouraged.
Pick Up Events:
Residents may register for one of two rain barrel pick up events scheduled for early 2022.
- Pick Up Event #1: January 29, 2022 – Edward C. Little Water Recycling Facility (El Segundo) – 8 to 11 a.m.
- Pick Up Event #2: February 5, 2022 – West Basin Municipal Water District Headquarters (Carson) – 8 to 11 a.m.
To find out if you qualify (see program flyer here), follow the link below for more information on registration.
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LADWP Simplifies Sign-Up Process Low-income Families to Facilitate Savings
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has improved its customer application process for the ‘LADWP Cares’ Low-Income ‘EZ-SAVE’ Customer Assistance Program to provide qualified customers a simple and easy way to enroll quickly and learn about added cost-saving opportunities.
‘EZ-SAVE’ is part of DWP’s broad customer assistance efforts to help low-income customers afford the cost of water and electricity they use each month. Currently, 123,000 income-qualified LADWP customers are enrolled in the utility’s Low-Income ‘EZ-SAVE’ program and receive monthly cost savings on electric, water and specified sanitation services.
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Participate in an Upcoming Virtual Public Tour on Saturday, November 20 |
Take a virtual tour of LACSD's Puente Hills Materials Recovery Facility and find out how LACSD separates recyclables from trash using a variety of high-tech equipment, including a robot with artificial intelligence.
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Metro will Address Gender Equity in Ridership at Virtual Workshop, Tuesday, November 16 |
Metro will host a live, virtual workshop on Tuesday, November 16, from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. to share updates on the Gender Action Plan (GAP), a plan currently in progress based on the recommendations from the 2019 Understanding How Women Travel (UHWT) study.
The UHWT study was the first step in Metro’s process to better understand and better serve the needs and preferences of women riders. The GAP will recommend specific actions to improve the travel experiences on our system for people who identify as women. The GAP is being crafted to identify immediate opportunities and long-term actions that will support gender equity goals for Metro.
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SBCCOG Congratulates El Segundo As 200th Agency to Join Partner SoCalREN Network |
The South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG), which through its South Bay Environmental Services Center (SBESC) serves the sub-region's constituents as a central hub for energy efficiency, water conservation and waste reduction, congratulates the City of El Segundo as the 200th agency to enroll in the Southern California Regional Energy Network (SoCalREN).
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For Cities and Building Owners, It Pays to Compare When it Comes to Energy Use
Some say comparison is the thief of joy, but in the world of energy efficiency it’s a great way to save. By comparing facilities’ energy use to similar buildings, cities and other building owners can find and prioritize energy efficiency improvements and track their success over time. Benchmarking helps building owners take action to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and lower their utility bills.
Assembly Bill 802, authorized in 2015, actually requires buildings over 50,000 square feet to be benchmarked. Thankfully, the South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG) and its partner, the SoCalREN, are here to help public agencies in the South Bay to comply with AB802 and take full advantage of their building energy benchmarking data. The SBCCOG has already helped obtain energy data for more than 550 South Bay municipal properties in preparation for benchmarking in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager (ESPM).
The SoCalREN also helps support compliance by working with school districts, cities and other public agencies to collect utility data, upload data to ESPM, and submit building energy usage through the California Energy Commission (CEC) compliance portal. In addition to meeting state requirements, these benchmarking efforts will be immensely helpful for identifying new opportunities for energy-saving projects. Benchmarking also helps public agencies understand their energy usage and costs to better manage their facilities.
To learn more about SoCalREN and find out if your city is enrolled, click here. If you’re interested in following your cities’ and school districts’ lead and benchmarking at your own home, check out Energy Star’s home advisor website!
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Op-Ed: Clean Fuels and Electrification Both Needed to Meet California’s Climate Goals
Solar panels, windmills and electric vehicles might be the most visible signs of our changing energy landscape, but clean fuels such as hydrogen and renewable natural gas also will play a significant role in transforming our nation’s energy system. California can accelerate a more equitable and affordable energy transition by adopting several important policy changes to accelerate the deployment of fuels that produce fewer greenhouse-gas emissions.
SoCalGas recently released a new analysis that examines the complexity of reaching zero-emission energy sources by 2045.
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SoCalREN Multifamily Program Helps Property Owners, Managers and Contractors Make Energy-Saving Upgrades |
The SoCalREN Multifamily Program provides property owners and managers two ways to help upgrade their property:
Technical Assistance: an energy and green building consultant will work with you to identify cost-effective upgrade measures for your project and connect you to applicable incentive Programs.
Incentives: Improvement incentives help offset the cost of purchasing and installing energy conservation measures, such as upgrades to lighting, water heating, and HVAC systems.
Opportunities for improvements can range from a system replacement to a full rehabilitation. The program design is based on analysis of how your property uses energy, and encourages full building, integrated upgrades rather than individual measures. Ready to get started? Fill out its Interest Form.
Participating Contractors can offer their multifamily property owner customers incentives to offset the cost of energy efficiency upgrades. If you work in HVAC, lighting, or water heating, you can work with SoCalREN to grow your business in the multifamily market. Enjoy benefits for your business and access help to ensure your success. Learn more about becoming a Participating Contractor today by clicking here.
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Get a Free Drought Toolkit from WRD |
Continue the legacy of water conservation by making some changes at home. Take a look at WRD's Drought Toolkit to see how you can meet the Governor’s challenge to reduce your water use by 15%. By taking action, residents can continue these downward trends to meet the new statewide goal of using 55 gallons per day for indoor water use by 2023.
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The Lillian Kawasaki Eco Gardener Program teaches homeowners about the multiple benefits of planting a sustainable garden through a series of in-person classes. Whether you attend one or all of them, you are certain to walk away with knowledge about sustainable garden design concepts as well as plant and material selections for creating an attractive, water efficient garden.
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Help to Unload Household Hazardous Waste is Here
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S.A.F.E. (Solvents / Automotive / Flammables / Electronics) Center locations and days/hours of operation in Los Angeles can be found here. |
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Discover How Torrance Plans to Combat Homelessness
The City of Torrance is located in Service Provider Area (SPA) 8 of Los Angeles County. It has local resources available to assist its residents in their greatest times of need.
While there are many service providers in the area, Torrance promotes a focused ‘Coordinated Entry System’ or CES, to help file everyone through the same starting point, so that professionals can link those in need to the appropriate service providers and resources.
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California Green Business Network (CAGBN) |
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California Green Business Network Helps Businesses Through Uncertain Times
The California Green Business
Network quickly switched to virtual
assistance for small businesses and
is helping them adapt during this
challenging economic time. It will be critical in helping SMBs increase
efficiency, bring in customers, and
cut costs so they can bounce back.
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Businesses in Torrance, Hawthorne and El Segundo can join the CAGBN by contacting Martha Segovia: (310) 371-7222 or [email protected]
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Homesharing Offers Win-Win for Homeowners and Renters
Are you a homeowner looking for extra monthly income? Help around the house? Companionship? The SBCCOG has partnered with Silvernest to create a program called Home Share South Bay. It's designed to match homeowners who have extra room(s) in their home with someone in need of housing due to high rents and cost of living. Homesharing is a way to relieve financial pressure.
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Links to Partner Resources En Español:
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