RCEA wants to help California contractors and vendors receive the Supplier Diversity Certification.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) administers the Utility Supplier Diversity Program which requires regulated utilities to establish a program to increase procurement from women-owned, minority-owned, disabled veteran-owned and LGBT-owned business enterprises (diverse businesses). The program also requires regulated utilities to submit an annual report summarizing their procurement progress and planned activities to increase supplier diversity in the future.

As a public agency, RCEA cannot give preferential treatment based on race, ethnicity, gender, or other classes as proscribed by Proposition 209. We are nevertheless committed to doing everything we can to help build a more diverse and equitable energy-sector supply chain, as well as support workforce development and small, local, and diverse business enterprises in our region.

If you have questions for RCEA about Supplier Diversity, please email supplierdiversity@redwoodenergy.org or call (707)269-1700.

Here are RCEA’s previous Supplier Diversity Reports:

• 2022
• 2021
• 2020

• Regulated utilities establish a program to increase procurement from women-owned, minority-owned, disabled veteran-owned and LGBT-owned business enterprises (WMDVLGBTBEs).
• Regulated utilities submit annual reports

• Official recognition of your Women, Minority, Disabled Veteran, Disabled Person or LGBT-owned business enterprise status
• Promotion and visibility to the CPUC and 16 major utility companies
• Inclusion in pertinent marketing and bid announcements events
• Faster contracting process with privately owned utilities

• Business must be, at least, 51% owned by person or persons who fall under the diverse business criteria (minority, woman, disabled, disabled veteran, disabled person, or LGBT) and whose management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more of those persons
• Go to Supplier Diversity application page
• Certification is free
• Application is reviewed within 4 weeks of submission
• Must renew certification every 3 years

Connect Your Business to California’s Contracting Clearinghouse

This event took place in November 2021. See recording links below.

Small diverse businesses who certify have special access to multimillion $ contract opportunities with utilities, large and small, across the state.

The Redwood Coast Energy Authority hosted a free webinar to introduce local businesses to the benefits and opportunities available through the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC)  Supplier Diversity program.

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, attendees learned about the benefits and opportunities available through this certification and how to access California’s multimillion-dollar utility contracting clearinghouse.

The Utility Supplier Diversity program 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. Privately-owned utilities also utilize this database to meet their contracting quotas.

The COVID-19 pandemic has squeezed 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.