ReEnergizing Communities

For episode number 13 of SoCalREN’s ReEnergizing Communities podcast, Greenlining Institute’s, Alvaro Sanchez, joins host Julie Castro to discuss Environmental Justice for Communities of Color. The Greenlining Institute is committed to building a just economy that is inclusive, cooperative, sustainable, participatory, fair, and healthy. Their multifaceted advocacy efforts address the root causes o...

For episode number 12 of SoCalREN’s ReEnergizing Communities podcast, Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy’s Community Organizer, Kameron Hurt, joins host Julie Castro to discuss Activism in Local Communities with RePower LA. Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE) is recognized nationally as an advocacy organization building a community-centric economy. LAANE promotes a new economic appr...

For episode number 11 of SoCalREN’s ReEnergizing Communities podcast, Cool Irvine’s Environmental Programs Administrator, Sona Coffee, joins host Julie Castro to discuss their campaign to reach carbon neutrality by 2030. Cool Irvine’s, Cool Block Program is developed to create planet friendly, disaster resilient, and community rich neighborhoods. The cities efforts to incorporate sustainability me...

For episode number 10 of SoCalREN’s ReEnergizing Communities podcast, US Green Building Council Los Angeles (USGBC-LA) Executive Director, Ben Stapleton, joins host Julie Castro to discuss sustainability in LA schools and businesses. USGBC-LA’s focus is people and creating a more sustainable future for Southern California. Their initiatives embody action, education, and engagement while collaborat...

For episode number 9 of SoCalREN’s ReEnergizing Communities podcast, City of West Hollywood Long Range Planning and Sustainability Manager, Robyn Eason, and Senior Administrative Analyst, Erin Hamant joined host Julie Castro to discuss local energy initiatives. The City of West Hollywood has been enrolled in the Southern California Regional Energy Network (SoCalREN) Public Agency Programs for 8 ye...

For episode number 8 of ReEnergizing Communities, Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Education (SCOPE) Executive Director, Gloria Medina and SCOPE Member, Peggy Scott join host Julie Castro to discuss Utility Debt Relief and Energy Justice. For over 10 years, SCOPE has worked with community-based organizations, labor unions, and environmental groups to ensure low-income communities of col...

For episode number 7 of ReEnergizing Communities, San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments (SGVCOG) Executive Director, Marisa Creter joins host Julie Castro to discuss Local and State Objectives and their Partnership with SoCalREN. SGVCOG is a regional government planning agency that aims to maximize the quality of life in the San Gabriel Valley. The SGVCOG is the largest and most diverse sub-re...

For episode number 6 of ReEnergizing Communities, Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) Program Manager, Kajsa Hendrickson joins host Chris Ford to discuss SOMAH, currently the largest solar-owned investment in the country. The program will deliver clean power and credits on energy bills to hundreds of thousands of California’s affordable housing residents. Kasja gives a detailed overvie...

For episode number 5 of ReEnergizing Communities, California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Commissioner Genevieve Shiroma joins host Chris Ford to discuss ongoing initiatives at the CPUC level. Shiroma discusses SB 350, the role local governments can play in achieving clean energy goals for the state, wildfire mitigation efforts, and more.

For episode number 4 of ReEnergizing Communities, Christine Marez of Cumming Corporation joins host Chris Ford to discuss Assembly Bill 841 and the School Energy Efficiency Stimulus Program that was created as a result of its passage. Marez discusses energy-related challenges schools are facing during the pandemic, which types of projects districts should prioritize with state and federal funding,...

For episode number 3 of ReEnergizing Communities, Jay Kim from the Colton Joint Unified School District joins host Chris Ford to discuss Assembly Bill 841 and the School Energy Efficiency Stimulus Program that was created as a result of its passage. Kim discusses the impact of this Program on both his district and other school districts in the process of reopening, as well as how to take advantage...

For episode number 2 of ReEnergizing Communities, Kurt Johnson from The Climate Center joins host Chris Ford to discuss his organization’s work, structuring energy efficiency-related policy at both the state and federal level, and how the state of California can become more energy resilient. Other topics include Kurt’s work on the EPA’s Green Power Partnership Program and the status of the Communi...

In the pilot episode of ReEnergizing Communities, host Dan Tyler sits down with four guests to discuss energy resiliency and the important role it plays for communities across Southern California. Energy resiliency is defined as an entity's ability to withstand or recover quickly from disruptions in available and affordable energy resources. The panel includes: Lujuana Medina, a manager for the Lo...