April 2, 2015

We've spent our careers evaluating potential risks and making investment decisions based on the best available data. But when it comes to the impacts of a changing climate, these risks have often proved difficult for businesses to quantify, making them all too easy to ignore.
 

You don't need to look far to see the dramatic impact that climate change is already having - a recent troubling study on the unexpectedly rapid melting of the Totten Glacier in East Antarctica, the warning of a top NASA scientist that California's reservoirs may soon run dry.
 

Luckily, we believe that businesses and cities have the potential to be key players in solving the climate crisis. We joined the Risky Business Project in large part to make the urgency of these issues real and quantifiable to public and private investors.

To read the full article, click here.

The Silicon Valley Leadership Group is hosting its annual Sustainability Summit at Oracle on June 25. Attendees will learn how to employ the latest innovative technologies and practices to create lasting value and learn what they can do on a practical level to prepare for a changing landscape.  

Traditional sources of business value are being eroded and new opportunities are being created in our carbon and water constrained world. How can your company ensure it is best prepared to adapt to this changing landscape?      

What's more, with Governor Brown's announcement regarding his clean energy goals and next steps regarding AB 32 implementation being discussed, the state will again be called on to help lead the development of clean air and clean energy solutions. What will the impact be to businesses across the state?The Summit will feature three concurrent tracks around the Governor's 50-50-50 plan:

• Energy Efficiency
• Next Generation Transportation
• Renewables Deployment

To learn more and register, click here.

This year's event topics will explore the following questions:

• How do utility business models change as they absorb a rapid influx of advanced energy technologies?
• What innovative finance mechanisms can be used to maximize the impact of cap and trade revenues?
• How can California most cost-effectively achieve an RPS goal of 50%?
• What can be done to significantly increase the energy efficiency of homes and businesses?

Admission to the event is complimentary for AEE Members and government officials. Register today to take advantage of early bird pricing.

 Register for Pathway to 2050

Financing Gives Boost to Small Businesses,

Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) has caught fire in California, becoming a significant force in the state's drive toward water conservation and cleaner power. PACE Financing allows residential and commercial property owners to make water- and energy-efficiency upgrades and to pay for these investments over time through their property taxes. As more and more municipalities approve and launch PACE programs, increasing numbers of property owners are saving money on their utility bills. Local economies are also seeing a boost from increased demand for contractor services, and cities are better able to meet water and greenhouse gas emissions reduction mandates.
  

HERO, the largest PACE provider in California, is now available to 72% of California households. Operating in almost 300 communities, HERO has financed 30,000 residential efficiency projects since its inception in late 2011, totaling more than $581 million in financing. By increasing demand for contractor services, HERO has helped create almost 5000 jobs.

Business leaders are increasingly recognizing HERO as a powerful, practical tool in promoting a robust green economy in California. PACE programs like HERO are now flourishing in 31 states, becoming a cornerstone of America's push for cleaner power and energy independence.
 

Over the past three and a half years, the HERO Program has created $988 million in annual economic impact in communities throughout California. HERO, and PACE, represents precisely the type of innovative, public-private partnerships that are sure to be key to a prosperous future for California. 

For more information, visit HeroProgram.com.