As our political and economic landscape is constantly changing, only by keeping abreast of current Federal and State legislation will we be able to help those most in need. By continually advocating for the low-income community, we can help affect change. These changes come in the form of legislative bills, ballot initiatives, and amendments. As we watch the progress and implementation of agendas and movements of decision-makers, we have the power to educate our elected officials on issues that effect our low-income communities, creating a successful outcome for all.
THE GOVERNOR'S AGENDA
ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Although climate change effects everyone, it has the potential to disproportionately impact low-income and minority communities. Climate change is a global problem and must be addressed on a global scale. However, each of us can make smart choices individually to help propel a positive change in our communities. Some of the most effective changes that can be made to improve energy efficiency are also the simplest ones. Let's not forget that the cleanest energy is the energy that we never have to use.
California has led the way in this effort — setting energy efficiency standards for appliances and buildings that now make us 40% more energy efficient than average Americans. The changes that can be made are not always as glamorous as the newest technologies, but can ultimately be more effective and energy efficient.
Below is Governor Schwarzenegger's challenge to Californians to embrace change and help make a difference in California's environment. Take advantage of the information below and empower yourself to lower your energy bill and join the billions embracing the climate change movement.
Governor Schwarzenegger's 20% in 20 Days Challenge
In an article for The Sun’s SOS Planet Earth series, Governor Schwarzenegger sets out what California has done to cut its carbon emissions. And with Earth Day, he explains what we can ALL do to become less reliant on energy that damages our world.
Become a Clean Energy Champion
CLIMATE-SMART STRATEGIES FOR YOUR HOME |
Average Annual C02 Pounds Saved! |
Heating / Cooling |
|
- Adjust your thermostat by 2 degrees. Cooler in winter, warmer in summer. |
2,000 |
- Replace the filters on your air conditioner and while you’re at it, replace those filters in your car and vacuum too for even more savings. |
350 |
- Wrap your water heater in an insulating blanket. |
550 |
- Lower your water heater thermostat to 120 degrees F. For every 10 degrees you turn the temperature down, you can save 600 pounds of carbon dioxide if you have an electric water heater or 440 pounds for a gas heater. |
500 |
- Invest in a solar water heater |
2,500 |
Electronics |
|
- Unplug electronics when not in use. Even when electronics are turned off, items like cell phone chargers, stereos, toasters, and computers keep using energy. |
1,000 |
- Adjust your computer settings so both the computer and monitor go to sleep when inactive for 10 minutes. Even when your display switches to screensaver mode, your computer is still using a great deal of power. |
250 |
- Replace electronics such as TVs, VCRs, DVD players and telephones with ENERGY STAR® models — which use as much as 50 percent less energy. This could save more than 25 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, the equivalent to taking 3 million cars off the road for one year, according to EPA. |
It’s up to you! |
Lighting |
|
- Use CFL light bulbs. Lighting accounts for close to 20 percent of the average home’s electric bill. ENERGY STAR® qualified CFLs use up to 75 percent less energy than incandescent light bulbs, last up to 10 times longer, cost little up front, and provide a quick return on investment. One CFL replacing an incandescent can cut CO2 emissions by 822 pounds in five years which equals 164 pounds a year. |
164 |
- Let “Mother Nature” light your home. Sunlight is brighter than a multitude of light bulbs, and it’s free. |
It’s up to you! |
- Turn off all lights not in use to save money and energy. |
It’s up to you! |
Appliances |
|
- Only run your dishwasher when it is full and use the energy-saving setting if you have one. By eliminating just one load per week, you can save 100 pounds of carbon dioxide and $40 per year. |
100 |
- Move your fridge and freezer. The refrigerator or freezer uses more energy if it is located next to hotter equipment or appliances like the cooker or boiler. For example, if the fridge or freezer is located in a hot cellar room where the temperature is about 88ºF, energy use is almost double and causes an extra 320 pounds of CO2 emissions for fridges per year and 640kg for freezers. |
320 |
- Wash your clothes in cold water or use the warm/cold setting instead of the warm/warm setting. Switching to cold water would save 350 pounds of GHGs a year. |
350 |
- Air-dry your clothes instead of using the dryer. Save 700 ounds of carbon dioxide and $75 per year. |
700 |
Water Use |
|
- Take a shower instead of a bath. Showers require as little as a third of the water. However, this is true as long as you keep them under five minutes long. So be quick and use a shower timer to keep track of time next time you hop in! |
It’s up to you! |
- Reduce the water you use for showers. Even if you don’t want to take shorter showers, avoid the habit of turning the shower on to let it warm up for a few minutes before you get in. Showers use 2.5 gallons of water per minute, and each gallon uses three ounces of carbon dioxide. If you run your shower for two less minutes a day, you can save 342 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. |
342 |
- Cooking. When making tea or cooking, boil only the water you actually need (heating more water wastes energy) and cover pots on the stove. Using a pressure cooker is even more efficient, saving 70% of energy used compared to a pot. |
It’s up to you! |
Home Improvements |
|
- Get a home energy audit. Many utilities offer free home energy audits to find where your home is poorly insulated or energy inefficient. You can save up to 30% off your energy bill and 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. |
1,000 |
Insulate and weatherize your home. Properly insulating your walls and ceilings can save 25% of your home heating bill and 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Caulking and weather-stripping can save another 1,700 pounds per year. |
3,700 |
- Switch out your windows to double pane. Save 10,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $436 per year. |
10,000 |
- Plant a few trees. Trees sequester – or store – between five and 400 pounds of carbon dioxide annually depending on their size and growth rate. Properly placed trees shade our homes and office buildings, reducing air conditioning needs up to 20 percent, thereby reducing the amount of fossil fuels burned to produce electricity |
It’s up to you! |
- Switch to green power. In many areas, you can switch to energy generated by clean, renewable sources such as wind and solar. |
It’s up to you! |
THE CALIFORNIA SOLAR INITIATIVE (CSI)
Single Family Low Income Program
On November 17th, 2007, the CPUC adopted the innovative $108 million CSI Single Family Low Income Incentive Program. GRID Alternatives, a non-profit solar organization, manages the Single Family Low Income Program on the Commission's behalf. The CSI Single Family Low Income Program provides fully subsidized 1 kW systems to very low income households, and highly subsidized systems to other low income households.
To qualify for a fully subsidized 1 kW system, homeowners must meet the legal definition of "low-income residential housing" in Public Utilities Code 2852 (see the text of Assembly Bill 2723, which established this definition, above). Eligibility is limited to those households who financed their home through local, state and federal housing assistance programs and whose household income is at or below the 50 percent of the area median income.
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Eligibility for a highly subsidized solar system is determined by housing stock eligibility (P.U. Code 2852 as amended by AB 2723, above), Federal Income Tax liability, and eligibility for the California Alternative Rates for Energy (CARE) Program. Lump-sum incentives will be provided at the following per-watt rates:
Incentive Rates for Highly Subsidized Systems
(shown in $ per watt)
Federal Income Tax Liability CARE Eligible Not CARE Eligible
| $0 |
$7.00 |
$5.75 |
| $1 to $1,000 |
$6.50 |
$5.25 |
| $1,001 to $2,000 |
$6.00 |
$4.75 |
Multifamily Affordable Solar Housing (MASH)
Solar Incentives for Multifamily Affordable Housing Properties are now available!
The Multifamily Affordable Solar Housing (MASH) Program provides solar incentives on qualifying affordable housing multifamily dwellings. The MASH program provides two types of incentives-Track 1 incentives and Track 2 incentives. Track 1 incentives provide fixed, up front capacity-based incentives for solar PV systems that offset common area and tenant loads. The MASH Track 1 incentive rate structure is as follows:
MASH Track 1 Incentive Rates
(shown in $ per watt)
Track 1A:
PV System Offsetting
Common Area Load |
Track 1B:
PV System Offsetting
Tenant Load |
| $3.30 |
$4.00 |
Track 2 offers higher incentives to applicants who provide quantifiable "direct tenant benefits" (i.e. any operating costs savings from solar that are shared with their tenants). Track 2 incentives will be accepted every six months through a competitive process. The MASH Program Administrators are currently developing a statewide application and review process for Track 2 incentives.
Also coming soon: Virtual Net Energy Metering, a new electric tariff which will allow MASH program participants to apply the credits from a single solar system to multiple accounts at an eligible low income building.
ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
The energy challenges our country faces are severe and have gone unaddressed for far too long. Our addiction to fossil fuels undermines our national security, wreaks havoc on our environment, cripples our economy and strains the budgets of working families all across America. President Obama and Vice President Biden have a comprehensive plan to invest in alternative and renewable energy, end our addiction to foreign oil, address the global climate crisis and create millions of new jobs.
The Obama-Biden comprehensive New Energy for America plan will:
• Help create five million new jobs by strategically investing $150 billion over the next ten years to catalyze private efforts to build a clean energy future.
• Within 10 years save more oil than we currently import from the Middle East and Venezuela combined.
• Put 1 million Plug-In Hybrid cars -- cars that can get up to 150 miles per gallon -- on the road by 2015, cars that we will work to make sure are built here in America.
• Ensure 10 percent of our electricity comes from renewable sources by 2012, and 25 percent by 2025.
• Implement an economy-wide cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050.
Energy Plan Overview
Provide Short-term Relief to American Families
• Crack down on excessive energy speculation.
Eliminate Our Current Imports from the Middle East and Venezuela within 10 Years
• Increase fuel economy standards.
• Put one million plug-in hybrid cars on the road by 2015.
• Create a new $7,000 tax credit for purchasing advanced vehicles.
• Establish a national low carbon fuel standard.
• A "Use it or Lose It" approach to existing oil and gas leases.
• Promote the responsible domestic production of oil and natural gas.
Create Millions of New Green Jobs
• Ensure 10 percent of our electricity comes from renewable sources by 2012, and 25 percent by 2025
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• Deploy the cheapest, cleanest, fastest energy source – energy efficiency.
• Weatherize one million homes annually.
• Develop and deploy clean coal technology.
• Prioritize the construction of the Alaska natural gas pipeline.
Reduce our Greenhouse Gas Emissions 80 Percent by 2050
• Implement an economy-wide cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050.
• Make the U.S. a leader on climate change.
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