Convening the Sierra – Fall 2026
September 25, 2026
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Join SBC at these Upcoming Events Across the Region
One of the many services offered by the Sierra Nevada Energy Watch (SNEW) team is energy benchmarking and Assembly Bill 802 (AB 802) compliance support. Energy benchmarking provides agencies with actionable insight into how their buildings use energy, helping identify cost-saving opportunities, operational inefficiencies, and strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while improving long-term energy resilience. SNEW analyzes total energy consumption data — including electricity, natural gas, and solar — and compares building performance against similar facilities in comparable climate zones.
Understanding AB 802 Requirements
California Assembly Bill 802 is a statewide mandate requiring owners of non-federal public, commercial, and multifamily buildings larger than 50,000 square feet to benchmark energy use annually and submit the data to the California Energy Commission by June 1. The goal of the law is to increase transparency and encourage improved building performance through publicly available energy data.
If your agency has buildings that may be required to submit this data, contact SNEW as soon as possible to start the data collection process and ensure you meet the deadline to avoid penalty.
How SNEW Supports Agencies
In addition to AB 802 support, SNEW offers energy benchmarking reports that will track the energy usage and costs of any facility, regardless of square footage. We help simplify this process by assisting with:
Agencies that benchmark regularly are better positioned to track performance trends, prioritize upgrades, and make informed budgeting decisions related to energy use.
If your agency is interested in understanding its energy performance through a benchmarking report or has a building exceeding 50,000 square feet, contact the SNEW team at snew@sierrabusiness.org to learn more about available support services.
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.