News

A W.I.S.H Awarded Intervenor Compensation in California for Work on Low-Income Energy Proceedings (October 2009)

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) recently awarded $86,473.99 to A W.I.S.H. for its substantial contributions to Decision 08-11-031. A W.I.S.H has been awarded a cumulative total of over $280,000 by the CPUC for its work on low-income solar and efficiency proceedings these past few years.

Background (from the CPUC announcement):

"Decision (D.) 08-11-031 approved the energy-related low income programs totaling approximately $3.6 billion for our four major investor-owned utilities (IOUs) for 2009-2011. The Low Income Energy Efficiency (LIEE) program budgets approved total almost $1 billion for that period, and the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) subsidy budgets will be nearly $2.6 billion.

With ratepayer funding at these levels, the low income programs can no longer operate with a business-as-usual approach. As the Commission stated in its adopted California Long-Term Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan (Plan),1 the LIEE program has evolved into a resource program that garners significant energy savings in our state while providing an improved quality of life for California's low income population.

The utilities affected by this D.08-11-031 proposed significant LIEE budget increases, as we asked them to do in D.07-12-051, a decision that set forth a new, strategic direction for the Commission's LIEE program, and emphasized the program's capacity for energy savings, while acknowledging the LIEE program's contributions to the quality of life of low income communities. D.08-11-031 created a framework within which to carry out this vision."

Solar Hot Water Training to be Offered by A W.I.S.H. and Partner (October 2009)

A W.I.S.H and The Building Performance Center of the Opportunity Council are partnering to offer training on solar hot water to five geographically diverse and interested weatherization assistance providers in Washington State, starting October 1, 2009 and ending December 31, 2010. The funding is coming from the U.S. Federal Department of Energy stimulus funding.

This contract will result in five strong agencies with experience in solar hot water, that can then serve as a core for helping train the rest of the network in the following year, depending on funding.  A train the trainer approach with neighboring agencies in their region.

We believe that this investment will catapult the state weatherization program into the forefront as technicians in retrofitting renewable energy, while rejuvenating the network, assuring the spend down of new funds without having to ramp up the whole network, reduce carbon, and create green jobs all at the same time.

Solet Initiative Launches New Web Site (July 2009)

The Solet Initiative web site has a new, fresh look and lots of information about our work! Check it out at www.solet.org.

Sustasis Foundation Releases 2009 Mid-Year Update (July 2009)

Executive Director Michael Mehaffy's summarized Sustasis Foundation's activities and accomplishments for the first half of 2009. To read the report, click here.