Convening the Sierra – Fall 2026
September 25, 2026
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Join SBC at these Upcoming Events Across the Region
Public agencies and K–12 school districts in SNEW service areas can take advantage of the Government & K–12 School Energy Efficiency Program, a limited time opportunity to complete facility energy upgrades at low or no cost. The program offers incentives, financing, and technical services to help local governments and schools improve their facilities at low or no cost. The program team expects its incentives to be fully subscribed by the beginning of summer.
This program offers enhanced incentives, on-bill financing options, and technical assistance to help local governments and schools reduce energy use, lower utility bills, and modernize aging infrastructure. The GK-12 team works directly with participating agencies to identify eligible projects, secure approvals, and manage the process from start to finish. Due to high demand, program incentives are expected to be fully subscribed during the second quarter of 2026, making early engagement essential!
Eligible upgrades may include:
Key Programs include:
Project viability varies by hot water demand. Elementary school districts (Pre-K–8) have the fewest eligible opportunities, with projects typically limited to sites that include gyms or pools. Unified school districts (Pre-K–12) offer moderate viability with a broader range of potential upgrades across facilities. High school districts present the strongest opportunities, as larger campuses and higher hot water demand, often from gyms and pools, create the greatest potential for impactful energy efficiency and electrification projects. City and county governments operating public pools or with a high hot water demand are also eligible for upgrades.
With promotional incentives available for a short time and full program subscription anticipated within the next few months, now is the time to act. If you are interested in heat pump water heaters, tankless water heaters, or lighting retrofits, and you are a school district or public agency, contact the Sierra Nevada Energy Watch (SNEW) team at SNEW@sierrabusiness.org to learn more about eligibility and next steps.
Join SBC at these Upcoming Events Across the Region
Two SNEW services that are often requested by Sierra Nevada public agencies are energy benchmarking (sometimes including AB 802 reporting for buildings
California’s 2026-27 legislative session wrapped up September 1 after a turbulent final week of negotiations over wildfire policy, funding, and the state budget. While a last-minute proposal on wildfire liability ultimately stalled, the Legislature did restore and increase funding for climate resilience through Proposition 4 and the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF)—a meaningful outcome for Sierra communities amid a challenging state budget year.
The final plan includes $329.5 million for wildfire and forest resilience through Prop 4 and $118 million for wildfire prevention through GGRF. While these investments are an improvement over the June budget, wildfire resilience funding remains near historic lows, with no clear plan for sustained investment in future years.
Read more about the final budget, Prop 4 and GGRF allocations, and what’s next for wildfire and climate resilience in the Sierra.