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Save Water, Energy, Money and the Environment

Volume 9, Number 6

June 2013 

IN THIS ISSUE...
Calling Volunteers!
SBESC Online Survey
SCG
California: "Epicenter of the US Clean Tech Market"
SCE
Test Your Energy IQ
L.A. Metro
California Carbon Price Hits Record High
Sanitation Districts
SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A.
West Basin
City of Torrance
U.S. Department of Energy's New Secretary of Energy: Ernest Moniz
Legislation Corner
Cities in the News
June / July 2013 Events & Workshops
A Worthy Read
Interesting Domestic and International Articles Discussing the Environment, Energy Efficiency and Water Conservation








CALLING VOLUNTEERS!

There has never been a better time to help out and be recognized.
  

Complete our volunteer application and submit it by email or mail.   
You can make a huge difference! 
 

 Visit Our Cities


Carson
El Segundo
Gardena
Hawthorne
Hermosa Beach
Inglewood
Lawndale  
Lomita

Manhattan Beach
Palos Verdes Estates
Rancho Palos Verdes
Redondo Beach
Rolling Hills
Rolling Hills Estates
Torrance

SCE Customers in
San Pedro & Harbor City


County Unincorporated Areas in South Bay 

2013 REBATE FORMS 

  

Southern California Gas Company  

 

Southern California Edison

 

West Basin Municipal Water District  

 

 En Espa�ol

 

Southern California Gas Company
Southern California Edison Sanitation Districts of LA County
Metro

  County of Los Angeles 

 

 

Find us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterView our profile on LinkedIn

 

 

www.sbesc.com 

  
  
To read the South Bay Cities Council of Governments' latest edition of its newsletter,
South Bay Watch,
click here

Where Does Your City Rank in the 

SCE Energy Leader Partnership Program?

 

Platinum Tier
20% Energy Reduction 
Stay Tuned

 

Gold Tier
10% Energy Reduction 
City of Hawthorne
City of Lomita 

City of Manhattan Beach

City of Rancho Palos Verdes

 

Silver Tier
5% Energy Reduction 
City of Carson
City of El Segundo
City of Hermosa Beach
City of Inglewood
 
City of Redondo Beach
City of Torrance 
 
Valued Level
City of Lawndale
City of Palos Verdes Estates
City of Rolling Hills
City of Rolling Hills Estates
City of Gardena

Did You Know?

An ENERGY STAR qualified light bulb:

  • Saves money about $6 a year in electricity costs and can save more than $40 over its lifetime
  • Meets strict performance requirements that are tested and certified by a third party
  • Uses about 75% less energy than a traditional incandescent bulb and lasts at least 6 times longer
  • Produces about 75% less heat, so it's safer to operate and can cut energy costs associated with home cooling
  • Learn more about the difference of ENERGY STAR qualified light bulbs

Message From the Deputy Executive Director of Environmental Programs

 

Summer solstice is upon us once again.  Summer officially begins on June 21, the longest day and the shortest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.  Whether you celebrate it in any formal way, school is out and summer adventures begin.  This is the season to embrace being outdoors!

 

Some spend time at the beach building sandcastles, body surfing in the ocean or collecting sea shells.  Others travel by car with family members to explore new sights.  There are those who paint picket fences like Huckleberry Finn, catching up on chores around the house.  And as outdoor temperatures soar, cool air is a precious commodity indoors. 

 

It is no coincidence that June is designated National Safety Month. If the beach is closed, there is good reason for it - don't swim in contaminated water.  Trash in the sand is dangerous for sand castle builders and Frisbee throwers so "search and destroy" unwanted debris.  Be careful with levels of air conditioning, heeding the guidance from the Southern California Edison Company as to when and what degrees are prudent so that there is no brownout emergency.  And for travelers, did you know that for safety reasons, there are expiration dates on children's car seats?  Check out more information here

 

On a more enticing note, why not celebrate summer solstice in the community with fresh fruit and vegetables from a local Famers' Market?  Be safe and be well.

 

 

Catherine Showalter

 

SBESC Online Survey
Congratulations to Catheryn Pu and Ben Fujimoto for Winning the Electricity Usage Monitor Drawing!

Over here at SBESC, we are constantly trying to engage our South Bay communities. Recently, we released an online survey to our entire database, asking how you found out about us and what environmental subject matter you think we should be covering. We had a randomized drawing for two contestants to win a free electricity usage monitor and, with resounding enthusiasm, you responded that you were interested in such energy efficiency freebies! We want to thank all those who participated in addition to the winners of the drawing. Your input drives us to become more "efficient" in using our "energy" to help you "save water, energy, money and the environment".

 

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Southern California Gas CompanyThe Gas Company

What is the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) Program?

  

Eligible customers of SoCalGas may receive a 20 percent discount on their monthly gas bill at their primary residence through our California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) program. New customers, who are approved within 90 days of starting new gas service, may also receive a $15 discount on their Service Establishment Charge. You will receive your discount once your completed application is approved by Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas).

See If You Qualify 

 

Save Money, Improve Quality and Reduce Emissions? Where Do I Sign?

 

Sign up for a no-cost energy-efficiency assessment. Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas�) will visit your facility at no charge and make recommendations for saving energy and improving operations.

"I'm very impressed with the money my company is saving after SoCalGas' assessment," said Tony Glassman, plant services manager at California Amforge. The assessment recommended a burner upgrade and a new refractory, which ended up saving about 10,200 therms per year. The changes also improved product quality and reduced emissions-and SoCalGas provided a $10,200 incentive as well. 

Learn More

 

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California: "Epicenter of the US CleanTech Market"
Clean Energy Future is Seeing California Leading the Charge

This analysis comes from Clean Edge's 2013 US Clean Tech Leadership Index,  echoing other recent reports that rank America as the most attractive country for renewable energy investment, while underscoring the importance of defeating conservative attacks on state renewable energy standards.

"Clean tech deployment is being driven by state and metro-level activity," said Ron Pernick, Clean Edge managing director. "And it's no longer about small, barely visible slices of market share."

Read More

 

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Southern California EdisonSCE  

SCE Permanently Shuts San Onofre Nuclear Plant

 

Utility Southern California Edison has decided to permanently retire its San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.Units 2 and 3 of the plant, which is also known by the abbreviation SONGS, have been shut down since January 2012. Unit 1 was retired in 1992.

Read More 

 

EARN FINANCIAL REWARDS THIS SUMMER!!! Good News for Pool Pump Retailers, Contractors and Residents

 

Southern California Edison ("SCE") is offering a $100 incentive to pool pump retailers or contractors for installing qualifying residential variable-speed pool pumps at SCE customer residences during 2013. This incentive is for you, the retailer or contractor, to help promote customers to upgrade their pool pumps to more energy efficient variable speed models.

 

Read More

 

Dear Valued Customer

 

SCE's Energy Education Center - Irwindale announces the 2013 3rd Quarter classes and workshops are now available. You can print a copy of this calendar for your use or go online to ww.sce.com/workshops and register for any of the 3rd Quarter classes and workshops.

Click here to view the pdf calendar.

 

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Test Your Energy IQ
What You Don't Know About Energy Can Cost You

If you're like the typical American, you know a thing or two about energy efficiency, but you're also leaving serious savings on the table. That's clear from our 2012 Energy IQ Quiz, a nationally representative survey of 1,035 Americans conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center. No one got every question right, and only a third answered most correctly. Test your own Energy IQ, then read through our answers to learn the latest efficiency news and advice, which could lower your utility bills by hundreds of dollars.

Take the Quiz!

 

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L.A. Metro
Vanpool - Additional Benefits 

 

Both employers and employees can benefit by participating in Commuter Benefits, a program outlined in the federal tax code, that offers employers tax breaks for subsidizing vanpools for employees. In addition, your employees may benefit when they set aside pre-tax dollars for vanpool commuting expenses.

Participating vanpool leasing agencies accept TransitChek vouchers which can make providing vanpool subsidies to employees easier.

Employer sponsored vanpool lease agreements with an authorized partner leasing agent are also eligible applicants for the Metro Vanpool Program.

Employer sponsored subsidies can lower vanpool fares even more.

Employer sponsored Guaranteed Ride Home Program programs can supplement these programs.


Give SBESC a call (310) 371-7222 and ask to speak with Melissa to learn more about how your business can take advantage of a vanpool today!

  

Metro Extends Period to Pay ExpressLanes Violations

  

Metro has become aware of an issue impacting those who receive violation notices for the ExpressLanes on the 10 and 110 freeways: some people are receiving the notices in the mail very close to the due date. Metro is also aware that many people don't open their mail right away - by the time they do, the notices are due.
Read More

 

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California Carbon Price Hits Record High
California Raised More than $280 Million Selling Greenhouse Gas Emissions Permits in its Third Auction

All 14.5 million available allowances for use this year sold, the California Air Resources Board says. The $280 million includes the state's sale of 7,515,000 carbon allowances for 2016 at the minimum price of $10.71 a metric ton, according to the state.

Read More

 

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Sanitation Districts of LA County

Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County

Insect Walk at Bixby Marshland

Saturday, July 6 at 10 am

 

Discover insect life at the marsh. Learn about beetles, dragonflies, butterflies and more!

RSVP Here

  

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SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A.
SAFE and GREEN Expands to the South Bay 
 
An innovative, award-winning program to protect kids from riding in unusable safety seats while keeping the seats out of the landfills is picking up steam in the South Bay. SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. has partnered with South Bay businesses, hospitals, and agencies from San Pedro and Redondo Beach to become drop-off sites for the seats before TMC Horizon, Inc. of Pomona fetches them for disposal. TMC is the only LA Co. company that pledged to repurpose all parts of these items which, otherwise, would overload the landfill.

West Basin Municipal Water DWest Basinistrict 
Water Reliability 2020

 

Water Reliability 2020 is a program to reduce dependence on less reliable imported water to coastal LA from 66% all the way down to 33% by the year 2020.

West Basin's Water Reliability goals will be achieved by more than doubling their effort to recycle water, double their conservation efforts, increase their programs to educate our youth about conservation and begin an ocean-water desalination program.

Learn More

 

City of Torrance
City of Torrance

Catch Up on What's Happening in Torrance

 

Watch THIS WEEK IN TORRANCE with anchors Jin Chun and Ben McCain. Make sure to tune in every week for news reports that affect our community! 
U.S. Department of Energy's New Secretary of Energy: Ernest Moniz
Promises to Focus on Energy Efficiency 

The argument for energy efficiency is simple. Every year, much of the energy the U.S. consumes is wasted. That's why during his first public speech today at the 2013 Energy Efficiency Global Forum, Dr. Ernest Moniz said he was making energy efficiency a focal point during his tenure as Secretary of Energy.

Read More

 

Secretary Moniz Speaks at the 2013 Energy Efficiency Global Forum
Secretary Moniz Speaks at the 2013 Energy Efficiency Global Forum

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Legislation Corner 

Leveraging Private Capital to Boost Prop 39 Energy Savings
 
In November 2012, California voters approved Proposition 39, which is anticipated to generate approximately $1 billion per year in corporate tax revenue, with approximately half of this revenue over the first five years dedicated to energy efficiency and advanced energy projects in schools and public buildings.
Read More
Cities in the News 
Car2Go Gets Green Light in Hermosa Beach

 

Car2Go, the South Bay's first regional car share program was approved by the Hermosa Beach City Council making Hermosa Beach the first of the three beach cities to approve the proposed nine-city eco-friendly car sharing model.

 

The program, which would span a 40-mile geographic area, distributes vehicles throughout the designated region and allows members of the program to rent them for as long or as little as they want. When they are finished, members leave the car at their last destination.

Read More

 

 

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June / July 2013 Events  
Click Here to See a List of Upcoming Events