Rural Voices Part 2 | Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments

The Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG) was organized in 1968 as a Joint Powers Authority for the purpose of regional collaboration and problem solving across the Monterey Bay. AMBAG serves as the Council of Government for Monterey and Santa Cruz County as well as the Metropolitan Planning Organization for Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz County. The Monterey Bay region is most well-known for our rich and diverse natural landscapes, from the condors of Pinnacles National Park to the redwoods of the Santa Cruz Mountains, as well as the rich agricultural production area of the Salinas Valley and of course the wild coast of Big Sur.

Despite this idyllic beauty and rich history, our largely rural region suffers from inadequate access to statewide opportunities and programs. For decades, AMBAG has been dedicated to bringing rural perspectives to the attention of decision and policy makers through collaboration and problem solving. In 2006, the AMBAG Sustainability Program was created to provide more services to Monterey Bay communities. One of the main objectives was to offer energy efficiency resources to all customers, with a focus on underserved communities, through the AMBAG Energy Watch Program, a local government partnership with PG&E funded under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission.

Through years of program implementation, AMBAG staff has come to understand that if a program can successfully serve the smallest, most rural, and hardest-to-reach customers, it will also be highly successful with all other customers. A great example of this simple truth is how the implementation of the Proposition 39 program unfolded in the AMBAG region. Proposition 39 p exposed a significant gap in access to resources and expertise for school districts in general, and specifically between larger and smaller school districts. Most larger school districts lacked the necessary staff capacity or grant implementation expertise to apply for proposition 39 funds and were approached by consultants to design their Proposition 39 Energy Expenditure Plan at the cost of 15% of a district’s Proposition 39 funding allocation. However smaller, underserved, districts were not approached by consultants, since the funding allocations involved were deemed to be non-cost effective by most consultants. Recognizing an emerging gap, the AMBAG Energy Watch Program started to work with small school districts providing no-cost turnkey Proposition 39 management services as well as rebates for lighting projects. As work with smaller school districts proceeded, larger school districts started reaching out and expressing interest in working with AMBAG. In the end, AMBAG provided full turnkey grant management services to 46 of the 64 school districts and charter schools in our region, managing $27 million out of the $34 million of Proposition 39 implementation funding that came to the Monterey Bay region. AMBAG also provided lighting rebates for a further $3 million of Proposition 39 funded projects and provided technical assistance to a further ten school districts. By designing an offering to serve the hardest to reach customers, AMBAG also achieved great success with most customers.

It is to capitalize on this simple truth, that AMBAG is partnering across Rural California to create the Rural Regional Energy Network (RuralREN). Rural ratepayers are not actively choosing to ignore programs nor actively refusing to address energy efficiency opportunities. Often, policies and programs designs create barriers to participation. RuralREN programs will be designed by rural communities, in rural communities, and for rural communities specifically to remove these barriers.

RuralREN partners bring a diversity of perspectives and knowledge to the table along with a deep commitment to providing as many opportunities to rural communities as possible. This diversity and deep commitment to equity will not only drive the creation of successful programs but also enable partners to learn from each other on energy efficiency issues, on the numerous other sustainability issues that we agencies engage in.

The promise of RuralREN is to level the playing field, bringing energy efficiency and employment opportunities to hard to reach, underserved, rural communities are at risk of being left behind. The RuralREN will create a network of peers who learn from each other, create collaborative and innovative energy efficiency programs that uplift communities. By unlocking the energy efficiency potential of rural communities, RuralREN will also lead the way in meeting California’s climate goals and creating a more equitable, sustainable future for all.

Amaury Berteaud
Sustainability Program Manager,
Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments