(pictured: Extraordinary Emission Reduction Award Art presented to the City of Palmdale)

On September 6th, SoCalREN celebrated a decade of success alongside their dedicated enrolled agencies and valued partners at their 10 Year Anniversary Leadership Luncheon. 

The event featured several speakers in the energy industry on two panels, notably Assistant Secretary Gene Rodrigues from the U.S. Department of Energy, Commissioner Andrew McAllister from the California Energy Commission, as well as key SoCalREN regional partners and public agency energy champions. Dr. Tony G. Reames and Adam Guzzo from the U.S. Department of Energy also provided an insightful and thoughtful reflection about the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program (EECBG). 

Six exceptional agencies were acknowledged for their energy achievements with SoCalREN. 

• City of Palmdale received the Extraordinary Emission Reduction Award for the highest energy savings achieved by a public agency 
• City of Culver City received the Sustainable Solutions Award for the most projects completed by a public agency  
• City of Pomona received the Decade of Sustainable Excellence Award for ten years of dedicated public agency commitment to sustainability 
• Cucamonga Valley Water District received the H2O Hero Award for the highest emission reductions by a water agency 
• El Monte Union High School District received the Sustainable Trailblazer Award for the most groundbreaking public agency project  
• Los Angeles Unified School District received the Future Green Leader Award for inspiring the next generation of future green leaders

Participants joined in discussions around project successes, challenges, lessons learned, and milestones presented by leaders who have paved the way for SoCalREN’s innovative and collective efforts. Attendees heard a thoughtful assessment of the current and future energy landscape, with useful insights into how SoCalREN can build on its success and achieve even greater results over the next ten years!

Access the full SoCalREN 10 Year Anniversary Leadership Luncheon event program and view all awards  here. 

(pictured from left to right: Minh Le (County of Los Angeles) presenting the Sustainable Trailblazer Award to El Monte Union High School District Energy Champion, Lena Luna; Assistant Secretary Gene Rodrigues (DOE) speaking about energizing our communities for the next 10 years; Lujuana Medina (County of Los Angeles) providing the opening remarks at the luncheon)