Convening the Sierra – Fall 2026
September 25, 2026
No Comments
Join SBC at these Upcoming Events Across the Region
On July 9-10th, Sierra Business Council’s climate & energy team attended the 16th Annual California Climate & Energy Forum (CCEC), which brought together local governments, state agencies, and community organizations to advance climate and energy solutions. The opening plenary featured leaders from the California Strategic Growth Council, California Forward, California Public Utilities Commission, and California Energy Commission. Panelists emphasized the need for shovel-ready projects, alignment across agencies, and creative funding strategies, particularly in light of decreasing federal support and increasing climate-related disasters. With seven Regional Energy Networks (RENs) now serving 40 counties and over 37 million Californians, collaboration and cross-silo planning were take-away themes of the two day conference.
Workshops ranged from highlighting community-centered energy programs to info sessions on tools and platforms designed to help energy efficiency programs develop, scale and gain traction in California communities. In a session on community energy planning, speakers emphasized the importance of partnering with local community-based organizations CBOs to design equitable programs, especially for underserved and low-income households. Case studies included partnerships that provided home repairs, emergency solar backup, and clean energy upgrades—demonstrating that meaningful engagement and localized solutions are a major component for program adoption.
Another session focused on Home Energy Score (HES) programs. Developed by the U.S. Department of Energy, HES is a federally recognized tool that rates a home’s energy performance based on standardized criteria. Presenters shared how jurisdictions like Berkeley, Yolo County, and BayREN are using HES to increase transparency in home energy use and drive efficiency upgrades during the time of sale of a home. Key strategies included offering no-cost scores to low-income residents (currently an HES assessment costs a homeowner $350), bundling audits with incentives, and embedding equity through community-based partnerships. The forum overall emphasized that effective tools and community-centered action are key to reaching California’s climate and energy goals.
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.