New ‘Decarbonization Roadmap’ takes aim at emissions from transportation, buildings
Highlights:
- Programs identified in SVCE’s new Decarbonization Roadmap focus on transportation and building electrification, power supply, customer engagement and innovation.
- Board approved $6.02 million in funding for programs over a two-year period.
- Building on GHG reductions of 21% since 2015 baseline, goal is to achieve a 30% reduction by 2021, 40% by 2025 and 50% by 2030.
Sunnyvale, Calif. – The Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) Board of Directors adopted a Decarbonization Roadmap at its December 13 meeting that provides detailed initiatives to help local communities, businesses and individuals further reduce carbon emissions.
SVCE was formed as a Community Choice Energy agency in March 2016 to serve 12 municipalities and Santa Clara County with clean power. Since that time, the public agency has delivered on its promise to supply carbon-free electricity at competitive rates. Clean electricity from SVCE’s carbon-free sources has contributed to a dramatic 21% reduction in area-wide carbon emissions from 2015 levels. The new roadmap sets ambitious goals to further reduce energy-related greenhouse gas emissions from 2015 baseline levels to 30% by 2021, 40% by 2025 and 50% by 2030.
The roadmap presents ten specific strategies to achieve deep decarbonization and meet the goal of cutting carbon emissions in half by 2030. The strategies are focused on procuring and maintaining a sustainable, affordable and carbon-free power supply, electrifying buildings and transportation, promoting energy efficiency and successful grid integration, customer engagement and innovation.
“We have seen amazing results towards reaching our carbon reduction goals so far, but now we are going to start taking things to the next level,” said Girish Balachandran, SVCE CEO. “While we maintain the important functions of our day-to-day business as a player in California’s energy market, we are also ready to take on the great challenge of helping our communities cut emissions from other sectors and bend the carbon curve.”
In addition to providing clean power, SVCE was founded by local governments to also reinvest in the community through local programs. Programs focused on all-electric building and design incentives, installing more electric vehicle charging infrastructure, as well as retrofits from gas to high-efficiency electric water heaters will provide jobs for area electricians, plumbers and others.
“There is a lot of work to do to in the years to come to achieve the goals we have set, but we listened closely to our community, industry experts and regional stakeholders, and believe this plan is achievable, and more importantly, scalable for other regions,” said Dr. Aimee Gotway Bailey, SVCE Director of Decarbonization and Grid Innovation. “The year-long customer and community engagement process to inform this plan provided us with some very encouraging results as there was a consensus among diverse groups that the steps we are taking are necessary to decarbonize and get us on a path to achieving California’s ambitious carbon reduction goals.”
“Through the Customer Program Advisory Group, the Silicon Valley Clean Energy board gave selected representatives of residential customers from our communities an opportunity to develop our contribution to the goals and elements of the decarbonization roadmap,” said Peter Evans, Chair of the Customer Program Advisory Group. “The committee implemented its own ideation process over the past year and we’re pleased to see our themes of customer empowerment, cost savings, GHG reduction, and demand and supply alignment in the roadmap.”
The roadmap also leverages Silicon Valley’s robust cleantech startup ecosystem with an innovation platform to establish pilot opportunities. SVCE will engage with key strategic partners to prototype novel program ideas and help support innovation and new technologies that further accelerate decarbonization.
Residential and business customers interested in becoming early adopters for the first set of programs, and companies interested in learning more about the innovation platform are encouraged to sign up for updates.
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About Silicon Valley Clean Energy
Silicon Valley Clean Energy is a community-owned agency serving the majority of Santa Clara County communities, acquiring clean, carbon-free electricity on behalf of more than 270,000 residential and commercial customers. As a public agency, net revenues are returned to the community to keep rates competitive and promote clean energy programs. Member jurisdictions include Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Saratoga, Sunnyvale and unincorporated Santa Clara County. SVCE is guided by a Board of Directors, which is comprised of a representative from the governing body of each member community. For more information, please visit SVCleanEnergy.org.
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