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Happy April! We're seeing those March showers bring some April flowers. It's also the time of year when California's energy supply is dominated by clean, renewable energy. If you're energy geeks like us, you're hitting refresh on the California ISO website or app, to see if the early afternoon is getting California above 80% powered by renewable electricity. It's remarkable, particularly for those of us who have been advocating for renewable energy for so long, to see these dramatic gains. But other challenges lie ahead, like ensuring that we protect customers from getting their utilities disconnected when PG&E ultimately removes it's disconnections moratorium. EBCE is busy working on strategies: read on for some updates. In the mean time, stay safe, get vaccinated, and enjoy the fine weather. |
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The final round of local sponsorships for this fiscal year
Three times per year, EBCE reviews applications from local non-profits for community sponsorships. The awards are a maximum of $2,500 each. This round's recipients are:
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Community Kitchens, Oakland, to purchase hot meals from local restaurants to distribute to unhoused community.
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Hayward Chamber of Commerce, Hayward, to host a "Shred Day" for businesses and organizations in the region to bring their confidential documents to be shredded and recycled.
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Housing Consortium of the East Bay, Oakland, to provide solar power to homeless encampments and safe parking sites.
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Hively, Pleasanton, to provide low-income families with a month’s supply of diapers and wipes.
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Local Ecology and Agriculture Fremont (LEAF), Fremont, to install an automatic irrigation system for the newest LEAF Food Garden, to further increase the amount of fruits and vegetables that LEAF is able to donate to food bank partners.
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Castro Valley Independent Sports League (CVISL), Castro Valley, to fund the electronic health screener for players and coaches.
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We Love Pi, Fremont, to buy hardware for the robot and register team for robotics competitions. Funds will also be used for buying Lego Robotics kits for running the local after school programs.
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Roots of Success Environmental Literacy and Work Readiness Program, Berkeley, to provide teaching materials free of charge to teachers and staff in East Bay schools, job training programs, and reentry programs.
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Sunflower Hill, Pleasanton, to support Sunflower Hill’s Cooking Class Program, which provides a wide variety of programming for chefs of all ability levels and is specifically designed for adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.
The next application submittal deadline is July 31. Details here.
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The Latest EBCE Video: Celebrating Earth Day and Alameda County Wind Power with Oakland Roots Sports Club
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We'd rather be with you at the park!
Like you, EBCE is longing to return to the vibe of Earth Days past, where we could all gather at the local city park, enjoy some food and music, take in the lovely East Bay spring weather, and think about how we might work together to help the planet. This month, we'll be doing that by video calls 😞. We hope to see you at events sponsored by StopWaste, and we're hosting some webinars about our Resilient Home program for those interested in adding solar + battery backup to their homes. Details here.
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This month your PG&E bill features some good news (the semi-annual Climate Credit of $17.20 for electricity and $24.62 for gas, from the state Cap & Trade program) and some bad news (a new Wildfire Fund Charge and PG&E rate increase). Questions about your bill? Visit here.
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EBCE's new web portal to help customers in need
PG&E currently has a moratorium on service disconnections for non-payment for residential and small business customers. The moratorium was put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, and is expected to end as early as June 30. EBCE's analysis of the impact of the pandemic on our customers shows that the amount owed on past-due bills is increasing for our customers. We are using that data to help customers navigate their options and receive the assistance they need, to avoid service disconnections. As part of that work, EBCE launched a set of Energy Bill Payment Assistance web pages. The web pages are designed to help customers better understand which programs are available, what the program eligibility criteria are, and how to enroll in the programs that are right for them. We appreciate any help you can provide in sharing this information with your local contacts.
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Resilient Home Webinar | April 26 at 6 PM | Link
Executive Committee | April 30 at noon | Link
Board of Directors | May 19 at 5 PM | Link
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