The Business of Local Energy Symposium - Clean Coalition
A worker in a hard hat and safety harness installs solar panels on a rooftop.

The Business of Local Energy Symposium

Executive Director Craig Lewis presented at this event, which took place on March 4, 2016 in San Jose, CA.


Craig Lewis, ExecutiveDirector for the Clean Coalition, discussed Community Microgrids at The Business of Local Energy Symposium, which took place on March 4, 2016 in San Jose, CA.The Clean Coalition was also a proud partner organization for this event.

The Center for Climate Protection organized the Symposiumto accelerate California’s shift to a clean energy economy, driven by local government and business. This event provided a forum to exchange ideas about Community Choice Energy programs and to learn about current energy policy, regulations, markets, and technology.Mr. Lewis tookpart in a group discussion titled “Big ideas to optimize Community Choice Energy impact and sustainability.”

Symposium Topics included:
  • Community Choice 101: Governance, risk assessment,financing, procurement, operations
  • Critical elements of successful Community Choiceprograms
  • Community Choice 201: Getting up and operating fast
  • Designing programs that drive economic development
  • Opportunities and challenges of developing distributedenergy resources
  • Policy and regulatory trends that will impact localenergy efforts
  • The PCIA exit fee – its impact and what can be done aboutit
  • Top local renewable energy and efficiency programs
  • Financing Community Choice – addressing the bottleneck
  • Forecasts about utilities, regulations, and markets ofthe future
  • Leveraging storage, electric vehicles, and microgridsto enhance local energy projects
  • Community Choice as a system integrator and platformfor innovation
  • The water-energy nexus and how they relate todeveloping Community Choice programs
  • What local programs need from the state and how theycan get it

Who Attended:
Community Choice energy operators andadvocates, elected officials considering a program, electric service providers,clean tech entrepreneurs, utility experts, businesses with an interest in distributedenergy resources, and anyone interested in the energy system of the future.

Thoseinvolved with private utilities and Community Choice cross-pollinated with energyentrepreneurs working on storage, energy efficiency, automated demand response,microgrids, and cutting-edge renewable energy technologies. Participants explored the creation of a cost-effective path toward a renewable energy future.