GRID Alternatives GLA is proud to announce the fourth event in our Los Angeles Energy and Equity Series (LEEPS), "Our Shared Solar Future: Expanding Access through Community Solar."

Community solar has emerged across the country as a powerful policy strategy to encourage clean energy equity. The event will introduce attendees to the concept of community solar and its potential to expand solar access to our most vulnerable communities, including those households who face the greatest adoption barriers such as renters. Our panel of experts and advocates will review successful community solar case studies from around the country, with specific focus on programs that deliver benefits to low-income customers. Panelists will then turn focus to California and discuss our state’s recent community solar policy developments, as well as additional steps that must be taken to ensure significant utility bill savings for the households that need it most.

We're honored to announce our lunch keynote: Commissioner Martha Guzman Aceves from the California Public Utilities Commissioner.

Agenda

Coffee and Registration (9:30am)

Welcoming Comments (10:00am)

Alex Turek, Multifamily Manager, GRID Alternatives Greater Los Angeles

Councilwoman Jeannine Pearce, District 2, City of Long Beach

PANEL 1 (10:20am): Community Solar Successes from Around the Country

Throughout the country, community solar has emerged as a viable policy option for the expansion of solar access and energy equity. This panel will review the community solar successes from around the country, particularly as they pertain to low-income communities, and discuss what lessons can be learned as community solar begins to take root in California.

Marta Tomic, Program Director, Vote Solar

Brandon Smithwood, Policy Director, Coalition for Community Solar Access

Tom Figel, Policy & Regulatory Manager – Community Solar, GRID Alternatives

Steph Speirs, Co-Founder & CEO, Solstice (Invited)

Juliana Pino, Policy Director, Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (Invited)

PANEL 2 (11:40am): California's Community Solar Policy Landscape: Now and Into the Future

In 2018, community solar policy developments occurred on multiple fronts throughout California. The California Public Utilities Commission passed the “Green Tariff Community Solar” program to establish a new statewide community solar tariff, the California Department of Community Services and Development released $5 million in grant funding for the implementation of low-income community solar pilot projects, and investor-owned utilities such as Southern California Edison (SCE) submitted for approval a suite of shared solar programs including SCE’s Community Renewables Program. This panel will review the year’s policy developments and look forward to a future community solar policy landscape that ensures solar access to the most vulnerable Californians.

Ted Bardacke, Executive Director, Clean Power Alliance

Anthony Hernandez, Principal Manager, Energy Procurement & Management, Southern California Edison

Phoebe Seaton, Co-Director, Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability

LUNCH AND KEYNOTE DISCUSSION (1:00pm):

Martha Guzman Aceves, Commissioner, California Public Utilities Commission

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*If you have any questions or qualify for a reduced ticket price (students, Veterans), please contact Emily Scherer at escherer@gridalternatives.org.

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This event is made possible by The 11th Hour Project, a program of the Schmidt Family Foundation.

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