ApprovedSBESClogoTOC

 


Save Water, Energy, Money and the Environment

Volume 10, Number 5

 May 2014 
IN THIS ISSUE...
Calling Volunteers!
SCG
SCE
L.A. Metro
Sanitation Districts
West Basin
City of Torrance
Staff Spotlight
Cities in the News
May 2014 Events & Workshops
A Worthy Read
Interesting Domestic and International Articles Discussing the Environment, Energy Efficiency and Water Conservation







 

Upcoming HHW/E-Waste Collection Events


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
 / Harbor Gateway & Wilmington

County Unincorporated Areas in South Bay 

2014 REBATE FORMS 

  

Southern California Gas Company  

 

Southern California Edison

 

West Basin Municipal Water District  

 

 En Espaņol

 

Southern California Gas Company


Southern California Edison

 

Sanitation Districts of LA County


Metro - "El Pasajero"

 

 

 

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 
City of Lawndale
City of Lomita
City of Manhattan Beach

 

Gold Tier
10% Energy Reduction 
City of El Segundo
City of Hawthorne
City of Inglewood

City of Rancho Palos Verdes

 

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

Did You Know?

With a heat wave peaking, Southern California Edison (SCE) officials are urging people to conserve electricity to help avoid an outage.

SCE recommends:

  • Setting thermostats lower than 78 degrees and using fans instead of air conditioning when practical
  • Turning off unused appliances and equipment, and turning off lights when leaving a room
  • Closing drapes and blinds to keep out direct sunlight during hot periods
  • Operating swimming-pool equipment and energy-intensive appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines and dryers in the mornings and evenings

Message From the Executive Director of SBCCOG

 

Summer is on the way! And while we enjoy the more relaxed schedules with friends and family, think about planning your summer activities with resource conservation in mind. Whether it's chaining trips together when traveling to limit your carbon footprint or planning a new California Friendly Landscape to battle the devastating effects of our statewide drought, you can make significant impacts on the environment while enjoying this time of year.

 
It's also National Bike Month, and we encourage you to think about how to take a bicycle instead of driving a vehicle. Save money and enjoy the summer traveling by bike. May 20th is "National Bike to Work Day" and is a great time to give a different set of wheels a spin for your commute. 
 
Also, as graduations take place, heed Southern California Edison's warning regarding the use of celebratory balloons-do not release them outdoors. Read the following articles and raise your awareness of how to be energy and water efficient in both a productive and safe way and get ready for the perennial increase in temperature that lies ahead. 


Jacki Bacharach

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).

Read More

 

Return to Top

Southern California EdisonSCE  

New Vendor Directory: Get Listed Where SCE Customers Are Looking

 

One of the benefits of becoming a Customer's Authorized Agent is being added to the SCE Vendor Directory, an exclusive resource to help SCE customers find their way to you. SCE is excited to announce that they've released a new, revamped version of the vendor directory.

 

SCE needs CAAs who want to be listed in the Vendor Directory to submit a Vendor Directory Form as soon as possible. Please download and complete the form and submit it to vendordirectory@sce.com.

Read More 

Don't Let Power Outages "Balloon" During Graduation This Year

 

Balloon-caused outages are on the rise for SCE. They experienced 689 balloon-related outages last year - an 18-percent jump over the 583 such outages in 2012. And the 2012 numbers had been the highest since 2007.

 

"We can't stop rainstorms," said Larry Pena, manager of Corporate Safety Policy and Regulations at SCE. "But people can control their Mylar balloons."

 

When Mylar balloons are allowed to drift away, they can land on power lines and in substations, causing electrical equipment to short-circuit or even sometimes bringing down power lines. And it takes only one Mylar balloon to disrupt the lives of thousands of customers.

 

The first and best solution is to keep the balloons indoors. But if they must be taken outdoors, they should be secured to a heavy weight to keep them from floating away, as required by state law. Never remove the weight. Mass balloon releases also are illegal in several states, including California.

 

No one should ever try to retrieve a balloon - or any foreign object - caught in power lines or poles. Instead, call SCE at 800-611-1911 and report the problem. Also, never attach latex or metallic streamers to balloons because they too are excellent conductors of electricity. 

 

Return to Top

L.A. Metro
Vanpool: FAQs

 

Once enrolled, when does the Metro Vanpool Program subsidy begin?

 

Applications must be received by Metro on or before the 15th of the month to be considered for the subsidy. The subsidy will appear as a credit on the following month's vanpool lease statement. Applications received by Metro after the 15th of the month, will incur a one-month delay for payment.

More FAQs

 

Return to Top

Sanitation Districts of LA County

Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County

Water Recycling Promises to Ease Impact of Long-Term Drought

 

The Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County reached a milestone when the annual output of their 10 plants put to "beneficial use" exceeded 100,000 acre feet for the first time this past year, said Grace Robinson Hyde, chief engineer and general manager.  

 

The district is making plans to increase that by as much as 40 percent.

 

Statewide, a bill for an $8 billion water bond measure to go on the November ballot would provide up to half a billion dollars to improve and expand water recycling, along with other steps to make California more drought-proof.
Read More

 

Return to Top

West Basin Municipal Water DWest Basinistrict 
New Recycled Water Pipeline to Help With Future Droughts

 

West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin), received a $1,000,000 grant from the California Department of Water Resources to expand its water recycling system in coastal Los Angeles County.  The expansion could not have come at a better time, as the State continues to be caught in the grips of a serious drought.  The project will save 29 million gallons of drinking water each year and offset the use of imported drinking water.

Read More

Rip Out Your Lawn, Get Paid Double, Says Drought-Minded Metropolitan Water District

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is hoping that sweetening financial incentives will encourage residents and businesses to conserve water during the statewide drought.

 

Metropolitan's Board of Directors is doubling the incentive for turf removal, as well as extending rebates for rain barrels and high-efficiency toilets, to further entice Southern Californians to institute water-saving practices at home and in businesses.

 

...The incentive changes adopted Tuesday include doubling the per-square-foot rebate for turf removal from $1 to $2, extending funding for rain barrels and the residential high-efficiency toilet program.

Read More

 

City of Torrance 
City of Torrance

Environmental Measures Come Before Torrance City Council on Earth Day

 

A multimillion-dollar effort aimed at complying with strict new stormwater quality regulations went before the City Council for review on, coincidentally enough, Earth Day.

 

A decade or so in the making, the multifaceted initiatives called for a more efficient street-cleaning schedule, improved trails and public access at Torrance's Entradero Basin and an increased use of recycled water on some local ball fields.

Read More
Staff Spotlight 
Amanda Maki 

 
Amanda recently started working at SBCCOG as an Environmental Services Analyst, supporting the Enterprise Energy Management Information System (EEMIS) program and assisting with Energy Efficiency Climate Action Planning (EECAP). Last year, Amanda graduated from UCLA with a degree in Environmental Science and a minor in Environmental Engineering. She enjoys both watching and playing sports and following UCLA basketball. Additionally, Amanda spends time reading, going to the beach and watching her favorite television shows. She is excited to contribute to SBCCOG's endeavors and looks forward to building off of what she has absorbed so far. 

 

Cities in the News 
Three South Bay students each win $40K Edison scholarships

 

Three South Bay students were among 30 high school seniors across Southern California Edison's service territory named 2014 Edison Scholars.

 

Like the 27 others, Hyun Sik Kim of North High School in Torrance, Edwin Gonzalez of Carson High and Michelle Ziko of Leuzinger High School in Lawndale each won a $40,000 scholarship offered by Edison International, parent company of Southern California Edison.

Read More 

Harbor Community Benefit Foundation - Community Benefit Grant Program

 

HCBF is excited to launch the second round of their Community Benefit Grant program. Last year, they awarded $506,000 in grants to 19 organizations serving Wilmington and San Pedro.

What They're Looking For:

This year, they're awarding $550,000 in grants for three funding paths that address Port and Port-related impacts in Wilmington and/or San Pedro: 

  1. Beautification
  2. Environmental Education
  3. Community Resources
For details on the kinds of projects and programs they are looking for, read the Application Guide and visit their Community Benefit Grants page. 

 

Return to Top

May 2014 Events & Workshops 
Click Here to See a List of Upcoming Workshops & Events