Matthew Marshall has served as Executive Director of RCEA since 2010, during which time the organization has expanded into the areas of alternative transportation vehicles and fuels, community scale renewable energy, and Community Choice Aggregation.

Co-sponsors are EPIC, Sierra Club and HUUF Climate Action Campaign.

For details and to RSVP:

https://actionnetwork.org/events/solar-microgrids-with-matthew-marshall-executive-director-of-the-rcea

This was an online presentation by RCEA consultant Michael Furniss about the potential of small-scale, run-of-the-river hydroelectric power for the North Coast.

RCEA is launching a regional effort to facilitate the development of small hydroelectric projects “done right”, and we are ready to discuss any questions you may have, such as:

• Why is hydropower needed when solar is now so widely available and inexpensive?
• How will fish be protected if you are diverting water from streams to make electricity?
• Won’t the development of watersheds cause impacts to water and the ecosystem?
• What are the Best Practices for hydropower development?
• For systems that cannot be feasibly connected to the grid, how will this project help?
• How will landowners and investors be incentivized to develop small hydropower?
• Why hasn’t more hydropower been developed so far?
• What does RCEA expect to get from this effort?
• How does small hydro fit into RCEA’s power portfolio?

If you are a small diverse business owner, we want to help you certify in the CPUC Supplier Diversity program and amplify your business opportunities throughout the state. In this webinar, you will learn about the benefits and opportunities available through this certification and how to access California’s multimillion-dollar utility contracting clearinghouse.

Commonly referred to as “Supplier Diversity,” General Order (GO) 156 is a statewide program that encourages utilities to prioritize contracts and subcontracts from businesses that meet diversity qualifications. To qualify, businesses must be 51% woman-owned; minority-owned; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT)-owned; or disabled veteran-owned enterprises.

After being certified as a diverse supplier, qualified businesses are listed in the CPUC’s Clearinghouse, which utilities can then access for their contracting needs and to meet their contracting quotas.

The COVID-19 pandemic has squeezed our local businesses into even more competitive environments and tighter margins, making Supplier Diversity certification another way to get local businesses noticed and ensure that they stand out among the competition.

RCEA wants to make sure that businesses in our communities are aware of this program, know how to qualify for the Clearinghouse, and get their questions answered by our guest speakers from the CPUC, Pacific Gas & Electric, and a local business like themselves.

When diverse community businesses thrive, we all thrive.

Download Flyer:    PDF    JPG

Summer 2021 Solar and Net Energy Metering Webinar

RCEA is dedicated to supporting customers who wish to generate their own renewable energy and boost their energy independence. Billing and generation credits were explained by RCEA Account Services Manager, Mahayla Slackerelli. Both webinars included time in the end for questions.

Links to the NEM webinar materials:

• Video recording 
• Presentation Slide Deck 

Battery Storage Basics Webinar

One week after our Net Energy Metering webinar – energy storage options for your home or business.

RCEA’s Project Manager Mike Avcollie presented along with Kyle Hass, Senior Program Manager at Swell Energy. Swell is working with RCEA to develop a local “Community Grid” program where customers receive a payment in exchange for scheduling a portion of their battery to be shared with the grid.

Learn about battery basics, how solar systems can be paired with batteries, and how to begin investing in a battery storage system. Economic, environmental, and resilience benefits will be covered. Both webinars included time for questions.

If you have questions about batteries or the RCEA Community Grid Program, you can email Mike and Kyle directly:

• Mike Avcollie – mavcollie@redwoodenergy.org
• Kyle Haas – khaas@swellenergy.com

Links to Battery Basics materials:

• Battery Storage Webinar video recording (morning, the full webinar)
• Q&A of the evening Battery Storage Webinar (just the Q&A, not the full webinar)
• Presentation Slide Deck

October 2020

The transition to increased use of renewable energy has progressed greatly in recent years, but at the same time, we are seeing rapid changes to our climate and new challenges to our energy distribution systems. How are these phenomena connected? What are the causes of the rolling blackouts and PSPS events, and what does the future of energy look like? What is the role of RCEA and community choice energy programs in all of this? How will RCEA’s renewable energy projects and strategic planning help Humboldt County become more resilient and stable as the state of California phases out its aging gas infrastructure and nuclear power plants?

Session one, “Renewable and Doable: California Rises to the Clean Energy Challenge”

RECORDING of the 1st Webinar

Guest panelists will include some of our state’s top authorities:

• Karen Douglas, Commissioner, California Energy Commission
• Beth Vaughan, Executive Director of the California Community Choice Association
• Matthew Marshall, Executive Director at RCEA

Session two, “Energy Reliability, Resilience, and Innovation in Humboldt County”

RECORDING of the 2nd Webinar

This segment will discuss Humboldt County projects, programs, and leadership with:

• Jana Ganion, Sustainability and Government Affairs Director at the Blue Lake Rancheria
• Jon Fortune, Senior Director at Swell Energy
• Jim Zoellick, Principal Engineer, Schatz Energy Research Center
• Richard Engel, Director of Power Resources at RCEA

Mahayla Slackerelli, Account Services Manager, and Jocelyn Gwynn, Power Resources Manager, moderated the discussions.

Email outreach@redwoodenegy.org or call (707) 382-7110 if you have questions.

Press release (updated)        PDF of the full flyer        JPG of the flyer 

This was a five-part webinar series by the Schatz Energy Research Center. Details and captioned recordings can be found at schatzcenter.org/wind. 

Topics included energy generation and transmission, local economic and job development, port and coastal infrastructure, ecological and geological environmental considerations, and community perspectives on regional impacts and opportunities. There was a moderated panel discussion and a community conversation after each presentation.

Schedule of topics

• Monday, September 14, 2020: Energy Production and Delivery, and Economic Development
• Monday, September 21, 2020: Ecological and Geological Environment
• Monday, September 28, 2020: Port and Coastal Infrastructure
• Monday, October 5, 2020: Community Perspectives on Regional Impacts and Opportunities
• Monday, October 12, 2020: Reflections and Next Steps

If you’re interested in receiving updates on Schatz’s offshore wind research, including newly released reports and upcoming events, please send an email to windstudies@schatzcenter.org.

RCEA Transportation Specialist Lee Valenzuela spoke about the different types of electric vehicles, financial incentives and assistance, consumer benefits, environmental benefits, fuel and maintenance savings, and charging options.

RCEA’s Transportation Program supports the use of low-carbon fuel vehicles in Humboldt County by planning, managing, and implementing zero-emission vehicle infrastructure. RCEA also provides information, education, and incentives to encourage local residents, businesses, and public agencies to adopt low-carbon fuel vehicles.