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General
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Written by BACC Editor
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Thursday, 06 December 2012 18:58 |
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New Guide Helps Local Governments Achieve Climate and Budgetary Goals
  
SAN JOSE, C.A., Dec. 6, 2012 – Today the Bay Area Climate Collaborative (BACC) and Energy Solutions are releasing Next Generation Streetlights: LED Technology and Strategies for Action, a comprehensive street lighting guide to provide local governments with the most current information on LED streetlight upgrades. LED streetlights can reduce power use and electricity costs by as much as 60 percent from incumbent lighting technologies.
The guide is being unveiled today at the Next Generation Streetlight Workshop at Hayward City Hall, co-organized by the BACC and the California Lighting Technology Center (CLTC), part of the University of California, Davis. The workshop is hosting local government lighting specialists and industry representatives, and will address financing and implementation strategies. The City of Hayward is advancing a comprehensive streetlight upgrade to LED technology. “We know how beneficial the upgrade to advanced streetlights is to a city’s budget, to the environment, and to public safety,” says Morad Fakhrai, Director of Public Works for the City of Hayward. “We also know that a successful transition can be complex. This guide is a great resource and will be of great benefit to all forward-thinking cities.” Through a survey of Bay Area agencies, the BACC and Energy Solutions have identified over 240,000 city-owned fixtures ready for conversion within the 67 participating agencies. “Upgrading these streetlights to LEDs would yield annual energy savings of 60 million kilowatt-hours, enough to power 10,000 single-family California homes,” says Ted Pope, Vice President at Energy Solutions. “Furthermore, advanced controls networks that tune light levels, communicate status and provide other features can generate additional energy and maintenance savings through smarter management of streetlight systems.”
The Next Generation Streetlights guide is co-authored by BACC and Energy Solutions, with input from CLTC and support from Public Financial Management, Inc. It is part of the Next-Generation Streetlight Initiative, which aims to provide leading-edge education, resources and support to accelerate streetlight upgrades in the Bay Area. The guide covers the benefits of lighting upgrades, an overview of the technology, and details on financing and implementation strategies. “The technology is moving very quickly, and it is important to get the most current information out to decision-makers,” says Professor Michael Siminovitch, Director of CLTC. “Features such as lighting controls merit close attention, so cities can maximize the value of their upgrades.”
In the first quarter of 2013, the BACC and CLTC will be providing individual consultation to select local governments in the Bay Area to address key questions and needs. “This is a good time for cities to act given the currently substantial incentives available, low cost of financing and very attractive payback times,” said Rafael Reyes, BACC Executive Director. “A city such as Hayward with 8,000 lights could save $450,000 per year or more in power and maintenance costs, improve lighting quality, and reduce its climate impacts.”
About the Bay Area Climate Collaborative
The Bay Area Climate Collaborative (BACC) is a public-private initiative accelerating the clean energy economy. Major partners include Bank of America, PG&E, Environmental Defense Fund, and local governments representing over 70 percent of the Bay Area population. The BACC is driving electric vehicle, energy efficiency, residential upgrades and distributed renewables innovation. Partners of BACC’s Next Generation Streetlight Initiative include the Lisa & Douglas Goldman Fund, GE, SWARCO Americas, Siemens, Xeralux, BridgeLux, and Leotek. For more information on the BACC, please visit: www.baclimate.org
About the California Lighting Technology Center
The California Lighting Technology Center (CLTC) is a technology-neutral research, development, and demonstration facility at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis). CLTC’s mission is to stimulate, facilitate, and accelerate the development and commercialization of energy-efficient lighting and daylighting technologies. This is accomplished through technology development and demonstrations, as well as offering outreach and education activities in partnership with utilities, lighting manufacturers, end users, builders, designers, researchers, academics, and government agencies. For more information on CLTC, please visit: cltc.ucdavis.edu.
About Energy Solutions
Energy Solutions specializes in research and implementation of energy efficiency programs and codes, and standards development. Founded in 1995, Energy Solutions’ mission is to create large-scale energy and water savings benefits for clients by implementing market-based solutions and developing programs and policies that contribute to these goals. Energy Solutions has completed several LED street lighting emerging technology demonstrations and market research studies since 2008, working with organizations such as the PG&E, Electric Power Research Institute, and the US Department of Energy. For more information on Energy Solutions, please visit: www.energy-solution.com.
About the City of Hayward
Hayward is known as the “Heart of the Bay” because of its central and convenient location in Alameda County – 25 miles southeast of San Francisco, 14 miles south of Oakland, 26 miles north of San Jose and 10 miles west of the valley communities surrounding Pleasanton. Serviced by an extensive network of freeways and bus lines, Hayward has two BART stations (Hayward and South Hayward), an Amtrak station, and the Hayward Executive Airport, with easy access to San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose airports. In addition, Hayward was one of the first cities to adopt a Climate Action Plan which identifies actions that the City can take to address climate change and sustainability concerns. As a part of these goals, the City is in the process of upgrading about 8,000 streetlights to LEDs. For more information about the City of Hayward, please visit: www.ci.hayward.ca.us/.
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 15 January 2013 00:40 |
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General
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Written by BACC Editor
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Tuesday, 30 October 2012 23:08 |
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Initiative to Support Municipal Upgrades to Advanced Energy-Efficient Streetlights
  SAN JOSE, C.A., Oct. 31, 2012 – The Bay Area Climate Collaborative (BACC) and GE Lighting today announced a project to advance the energy-efficient street-lighting market. The Bay Area Next Generation Streetlight Initiative aims to catalyze the upgrade of over 200,000 municipal streetlights in the region to advanced light-emitting diode (LED) technology.
Through the Bay Area Next Generation Streetlight Initiative, the BACC is developing educational resources and pooling Bay Area-wide interest in LED streetlight conversions with a joint procurement option to secure improved purchase and financing terms on the latest lighting technology. The initiative will serve as a business model that local governments in the Bay Area and beyond can replicate to upgrade streetlights at lower costs while engaging local workforce development. Over five years, the upgrades will deliver up to $50 million in reduced costs for local governments, over 100,000 metrics tons of CO2 avoidance, and many jobs.
GE Lighting will support the BACC’s outreach to local governments on the benefits of LED streetlight technology and development of tools and educational resources that facilitate lighting upgrades. GE also will provide its expertise to inform the resources and strategies for the initiative.
GE has long been at the forefront of next-generation energy-efficient ecomagination lighting. The company has invented every major lighting technology, including the world’s first visible LED, which was created 50 years ago this month. GE is currently working with the City of Las Vegas to convert more than 80 percent of the City’s 50,000 streetlights to LED fixtures, which will provide $2.7 million in annual savings. The BACC is a public-private initiative of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, launched by regional civic and business leaders to accelerate the Bay Area clean energy economy through high-impact, market-oriented projects that can be replicated and scaled.
“Roadways are the new frontier of the solid-state lighting revolution,” said Steve Briggs, GE Lighting’s global product general manager. “We’re finding that once community leaders understand the LED value proposition—over 50 percent energy savings and 10-plus years of life for significant maintenance cost savings versus older incumbent technologies—a shift to LED becomes a priority. They get to think and act like a CFO, which constituents love, with the additional good-neighbor and environmental benefits that LED systems deliver.”
“LED lighting has been identified as a top opportunity for excellent financial, community and environmental benefits, and GE has tremendous expertise on efficient lighting solutions,” said Rafael Reyes, Executive Director of the Bay Area Climate Collaborative. “Through our collaboration, we will help local governments save millions of dollars that can be reinvested to strengthen the regional economy.”
About the Bay Area Climate Collaborative
The Bay Area Climate Collaborative (BACC) is a public-private initiative accelerating the clean energy economy. Major partners include Bank of America, Pacific Gas & Electric, and local governments representing over 70 percent of the Bay Area population. The BACC is driving electric vehicle, energy efficiency, residential upgrades and distributed renewables innovation. For more information on the BACC, please visit: www.baclimate.org.
About GE Lighting
GE Lighting invents with the vigor of its founder Thomas Edison to develop energy-efficient solutions that change the way people light their world in commercial, industrial, municipal and residential settings. The business employs 16,000 people in more than 100 countries, and sells products under the Reveal® and Energy Smart® consumer brands, and Evolve™, GTx™, Immersion™, Infusion™, Lumination® and Tetra® commercial brands, all trademarks of GE. General Electric (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter to build a world that works better. For more information, visit www.gelighting.com.
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 31 October 2012 15:38 |
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General
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Written by BACC Editor
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Tuesday, 02 October 2012 16:50 |
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Collaboration to Further AB32 Implementation and Accelerate Strategies Supporting the Clean Energy Economy
SAN JOSE, C.A., Oct. 2, 2012 – The Bay Area Climate Collaborative (BACC) and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) today announced a renewed partnership to advance clean energy, building and transportation innovations in the Bay Area.
  Over the past three years, EDF has supported the BACC in advancing clean energy implementation, including the establishment of the Bay Area EV Strategic Council, the cross-sector executive forum to drive regional action on plug-in EVs; the Bay Area Next Generation Streetlight Initiative, which is driving the upgrade of 200,000 municipal streetlights for $50 million in savings to local governments and 100,000 tons of CO2 avoided over 5 years; and the $5 million Local Government EV Fleet National Demonstration Project deploying electric vehicles with 11 Bay Area municipal agencies and catalyzing the adoption of EVs in fleets.
Founded in 1967, EDF is a growing environmental advocacy group that grounds itself in sound science and economics, while forging partnerships with organizations from across all sectors to harness the power of market-based initiatives for the creation of lasting solutions. The BACC is a public-private initiative of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, launched by regional civic and business leaders to accelerate the Bay Area clean energy economy through high-impact, market-oriented projects that can be replicated and scaled.
“EDF is proud to partner with the BACC,” said Derek Walker, Director of Strategic Climate Initiatives at EDF. “By implementing its Bridge to the Clean Economy action plan, the BACC is playing an instrumental role in making the clean economy real – cutting pollution, demonstrating clean economy benefits and helping build the social consensus to drive further progress.”
“The Environmental Defense Fund understands the importance of bringing market solutions to bear to accelerate the clean economy and address the challenge of climate change,” said Rafael Reyes, Executive Director of the Bay Area Climate Collaborative. “EDF’s deep expertise and support are essential to the work of the BACC and to the progress of the Bay Area in implementing clean energy solutions.”
About the Bay Area Climate Collaborative
The Bay Area Climate Collaborative (BACC) is a public-private initiative accelerating the clean energy economy. Major partners include Bank of America, Pacific Gas & Electric, and local governments representing over 70 percent of the Bay Area population. The BACC is driving electric vehicle, energy efficiency, residential upgrades and distributed renewables innovation. For more information on the BACC, please visit: www.baclimate.org.
About the Environmental Defense Fund
Environmental Defense Fund, a leading national nonprofit organization, creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. EDF links science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships. For more information on EDF, please visit: http://www.edf.org/.
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 02 October 2012 17:49 |
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General
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Written by Claire Barton
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Thursday, 06 September 2012 15:56 |
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Renewed Support to Further Advance Strategies Supporting the Clean Energy Economy
SAN JOSE, C.A., Sep. 6, 2012 – The Bay Area Climate Collaborative (BACC) today announced a renewal of $50,000 in financial support and strategic guidance from anchor partner Bank of America to further accelerate market-oriented clean energy initiatives in high-impact domains such as energy efficient lighting, solar power and electrical vehicles (EVs). 
Over the past three years, Bank of America has provided $175,000 in grants and sponsorships to the BACC in support of a wide range of work to advance clean energy innovations, including the establishment of the Bay Area EV Strategic Council, the cross-sector executive forum to drive regional action on plug-in EVs; the Bay Area Next Generation Streetlight Initiative, which is catalyzing the upgrade of 200,000 municipal streetlights for $50 million in savings to local governments and 100,000 tons of CO2 avoided over 5 years; the $5 million Local Government EV Fleet National Demonstration Project, deploying electric vehicles with 11 Bay Area municipal agencies for significant cost savings; and SunShares, a first-of-its-kind residential solar group-buy benefits program for companies lowering costs and complexity for consumers.
“Bank of America has made environmental consciousness a priority, not simply because it is the right thing to do but because it also makes solid financial sense,” said Gail Mohr, SVP Market Manager, Marketing and Corporate Affairs for Bank of America. “The Bay Area Climate Collaborative drives initiatives that are characterized by real impact, lowering costs and strengthening the local economy while reducing emissions. Our collaboration is a natural economic and environmental win-win.”
“Bank of America is a leader in deploying the power of human and financial capital to advance the clean energy economy,” said Rafael Reyes, Executive Director of the BACC. “In recognizing the connection between profitability and sustainability, Bank of America is enabling work that helps scale these vital clean energy markets and bolsters regional prosperity. They have supported the BACC since its inception, and we look forward to our continued partnership.”
Bank of America is the nation’s largest retail bank and, through its 10-year $50 billion environmental business initiative, is pursuing opportunities to support, finance and invest in the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency. The BACC is a public-private initiative of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group launched by regional civic and business leaders to accelerate the Bay Area clean energy economy through high-impact, market-oriented projects that can be replicated and scaled.
About the Bay Area Climate Collaborative
The Bay Area Climate Collaborative (BACC) is a public-private initiative accelerating the clean energy economy. Major partners include Bank of America, Pacific Gas & Electric, and local governments representing over 70 percent of the Bay Area population. The BACC is driving electric vehicle, energy efficiency, residential upgrades and distributed renewables innovation. For more information on the BACC, please visit: www.baclimate.org
About Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small- and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 57 million consumer and small business relationships with approximately 5,700 retail banking offices and approximately 17,750 ATMs and award-winning online banking with 30 million active users. Bank of America is among the world's leading wealth management companies and is a global leader in corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 4 million small business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations in more than 40 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
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Last Updated on Thursday, 06 September 2012 16:38 |
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General
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Written by BACC Editor
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Wednesday, 16 May 2012 18:25 |
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Mayors of San Jose and Oakland, and other Bay Area Leaders to Celebrate Three Years of BACC Successes and Launch the Bridge to the Clean Economy Strategy
SAN JOSE, C.A., May 16, 2012 – The Bay Area Climate Collaborative (BACC) will make a major regional clean energy announcement on Friday, May 25, with San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed and Oakland Mayor Jean Quan at SunEdison Headquarters in Belmont, CA. The event will launch Bridge to the Clean Economy: Low Carbon, High Impact Market Initiatives for the Bay Area, a new action plan outlining high-impact initiatives in electric vehicles (EVs), renewable power, and energy efficiency that can support economic development and job growth while reducing regional greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
What: BACC 3rd Anniversary and Bridge to the Clean Economy Launch Announcement
Where: SunEdison Headquarters 600 Clipper Drive, Belmont, CA 94002
When: Friday, May 25, 2012, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
RSVP: http://bacc3rdanniversary_bridgetothecleaneconomy.cocodot.com/
This executive-level event, hosted by Steve O'Rourke, Chief Strategy Officer of MEMC, parent company of SunEdison, also will include Silicon Valley Leadership Group CEO Carl Guardino, Janet Lamkin, President of Bank of America California and Steve Malnight, Vice President Customer Energy Solutions for PG&E. In addition, there will be executive attendees from SolarCity, Kleiner Perkins, Wells Fargo, Hewlett Packard, Applied Materials, Genentech, Lawrence Berkeley National Labs and many others.
“At SunEdison, we believe that through collaboration – sharing ideas, technologies and talents – we can drive economic growth and job creation while protecting our energy security,” said Steve O’Rourke, Chief Strategy Officer for MEMC, the parent company of SunEdison. “With the participation of regional leaders, the BACC has crafted an impressive action plan that leverages the private sector to accelerate the adoption of alternative energy solutions. We are pleased to be hosting the BACC 3rd Anniversary and to be highlighting actionable high-impact clean energy projects.”
For more information about the Bay Area Climate Collaborative 3rd Anniversary & Bridge to the Clean Economy Launch, please contact Claire Barton at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or (408) 634-4554.
About the Bay Area Climate Collaborative
The Bay Area Climate Collaborative (BACC) is a public-private initiative accelerating the clean energy economy. A project of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, major partners include Bank of America, Pacific Gas & Electric, Environmental Defense Fund and local governments representing over 70 percent of the Bay Area population. Under the direction of Executive Director Rafael Reyes, BACC initiatives include the Bay Area Next Generation Streetlight Initiative to upgrade 200,000 streetlights to LED and deliver $10 million in annual cost savings. For more information on the BACC, please visit: www.baclimate.org.
About SunEdison:
SunEdison is a global leader in delivering solar power. The company develops, finances, installs and operates distributed power plants using proven photovoltaic technologies, delivering fully managed, predictably priced solar energy services for its commercial, government and utility customers. In 2011 SunEdison interconnected approximately 300 Megawatts of solar throughout the world. For more information about SunEdison please visit www.sunedison.com
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Last Updated on Thursday, 17 May 2012 19:20 |
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