For episode number 18 of SoCalREN’s ReEnergizing Communities podcast, host Julie Castro, speaks with Tinuviel Carlson, Program Manager at The Energy Coalition, and Cassie Smith & Megan Kendall from the California Climate Action Corp, about their individual experiences in the energy industry to date, as fellows and ultimately as energy sector professionals in their early careers to date ..read more

For episode number 6 of ReEnergizing Communities, Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) Program Manager, Kajsa Hendrickson joins host Chris Ford to discuss SOMAH, currently the largest solar-owned investment in the country. The program will deliver clean power and credits on energy bills to hundreds of thousands of California’s affordable housing residents. Kasja gives a detailed overview of the unique program as it is the first of its kind. She also discusses the sustainability goals, program design, benefits for tenants, and more ..read more

For episode number 4 of ReEnergizing Communities, Christine Marez of Cumming Corporation joins host Chris Ford to discuss Assembly Bill 841 and the School Energy Efficiency Stimulus Program that was created as a result of its passage. Marez discusses energy-related challenges schools are facing during the pandemic, which types of projects districts should prioritize with state and federal funding, and the specific steps districts should take to attain grant funding ..read more

In the pilot episode of ReEnergizing Communities, host Dan Tyler sits down with four guests to discuss energy resiliency and the important role it plays for communities across Southern California. Energy resiliency is defined as an entity's ability to withstand or recover quickly from disruptions in available and affordable energy resources. The panel includes: Lujuana Medina, a manager for the Los Angeles County Internal Services Department, Environmental Initiatives Division, which administers SoCalREN. Chris Ford, Assistant Director of Energy Services for The Energy Coalition, also know ..read more

For episode number 17 of SoCalREN’s ReEnergizing Communities podcast, host Julie Castro, welcomes Jenny Berg (recently retired) of BayREN and RaChelle Taccone with the LA County Public Works Department, about their experience in the energy industry, their challenges, and successes in their work to date, and what they look forward to in the years to come ..read more

With episode 16, we interviewed Pam Bold (Executive Direction of High Sierra Energy Foundation) who joined HSEF in 2015 after a hiatus spent raising two active boys and volunteering extensively in the area she serves today. As stated in her bio, “Pam has a degree in something she never worked one day in, spent her early career in the tech field, and couldn’t be happier that she found her way to a role that allows her to have a positive impact on people and the environment.” She now lives out a long-time passion of working in energy and has been a vital partner in the collaboration with SoCalRE ..read more

For episode number 15 of SoCalREN’s ReEnergizing Communities podcast, host Julie Castro, welcomes John Zhao, with the La Virgenes Municipal Water District. John discusses how his team is addressing water supply challenges and utilizing their partnership with SoCalREN to pave the path of energy savings ..read more

For episode number 14 of SoCalREN’s ReEnergizing Communities podcast, host Julie Castro, welcomes Laurie Jacobs, Program Coordinator with South Bay Cities Council of Governments, and Dan Bonn, an educator with Towne Avenue Elementary School. Both have been involved in an innovative education program, Kits for Kits, that educates students, teachers, and families alike about the importance of energy efficiency. Along with providing easy to install, no-cost items like LED bulbs to help parents and guardians save at home, participating classrooms can earn an $1000 incentive for their efforts ..read more

For episode number 13 of SoCalREN’s ReEnergizing Communities podcast, Greenlining Institute’s, Alvaro Sanchez, joins host Julie Castro to discuss Environmental Justice for Communities of Color. The Greenlining Institute is committed to building a just economy that is inclusive, cooperative, sustainable, participatory, fair, and healthy. Their multifaceted advocacy efforts address the root causes of racial, economic, and environmental inequities to meaningfully transform the material conditions of communities of color in California and across the country. They envision a future where communitie ..read more

For episode number 12 of SoCalREN’s ReEnergizing Communities podcast, Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy’s Community Organizer, Kameron Hurt, joins host Julie Castro to discuss Activism in Local Communities with RePower LA. Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE) is recognized nationally as an advocacy organization building a community-centric economy. LAANE promotes a new economic approach based on good jobs, thriving communities, and a healthy environment. LAANE’s campaign, RePower LA is a citywide coalition of community groups, environmentalists, and small businesses anchored by ..read more