2026 is shaping up to be one of California's most consequential years for energy efficiency regulation. This quarter saw all 13 EE portfolio administrators file their 2028–2031 Portfolio and Business Plans with the CPUC, launching an 18-month review process for a combined $5 billion budget, while SDG&E's bid to exit its regional EE programs advanced with a contested two-party settlement.
2026 is shaping up to be one of California's most consequential years for energy efficiency regulation. This quarter saw all 13 EE portfolio administrators file their 2028–2031 Portfolio and Business Plans with the CPUC, launching an 18-month review process for a combined $5 billion budget, while SDG&E's bid to exit its regional EE programs advanced with a contested two-party settlement.
Trust is the foundation of every successful energy program, and Local Government Partnerships help deliver it. Reaching communities with energy efficiency programs takes more than generous incentives. It takes credibility. By partnering with local governments already embedded in their communities, GK12 bridges the gap between programs and the people they serve, turning skepticism into participation, and transactions into lasting relationships. The result is a more equitable, cost-effective model that drives real outcomes for communities across California.
2026 is shaping up to be one of California's most consequential years for energy efficiency regulation. This quarter saw all 13 EE portfolio administrators file their 2028–2031 Portfolio and Business Plans with the CPUC, launching an 18-month review process for a combined $5 billion budget, while SDG&E's bid to exit its regional EE programs advanced with a contested two-party settlement.
Trust is the foundation of every successful energy program, and Local Government Partnerships help deliver it. Reaching communities with energy efficiency programs takes more than generous incentives. It takes credibility. By partnering with local governments already embedded in their communities, GK12 bridges the gap between programs and the people they serve, turning skepticism into participation, and transactions into lasting relationships. The result is a more equitable, cost-effective model that drives real outcomes for communities across California.
SoCalREN Regional Partners like Gateway Cities COG, High Sierra Energy Foundation, and San Gabriel Valley COG don't just deliver programs, they translate statewide policy and funding into initiatives that feel relevant and credible to the communities they've spent years serving. Their deep local trust acts as a "co-sign" that turns good ideas into real participation and lasting impact.
In music, we call it the feature. And the best ones don’t just add a verse, they change what the song is capable of being. This month’s playlist is built on those moments. Songs where someone showed up on someone else’s track and made the whole thing bigger.
Rev. Frank Jackson, Jr., CEO of Village Solutions Foundation, has built his life's work around a truth that most programs overlook: trust takes time, and rushing it costs everything. Through his work connecting smaller faith communities to energy resources and funding, Frank takes the long road: educating pastors before reaching congregations, removing structural barriers, and building programs that are designed to last. His approach is a powerful reminder that real engagement isn't measured in meetings, but in the depth of the relationships behind them





