Ayla Peters-Paz
Local Clean Energy Alliance
339 15th St Suite 208
Oakland, CA 94612
[email protected]
510-619-8948
Subject: Need for Specifically-Allocated Funding for Community-Driven Resilience Hubs from 2023-2024 Budget Surplus
November 20, 2024
Dear Ava Community Energy Board Members, Alternates, and Community Advisory Committee,
We urge the Board of Directors of Ava Community Energy to allocate funding from the 2023-2024 budget surplus for a Community Resilience Hub program, beyond what has been outlined in the current budget surplus description.
This funding would support Community-Driven Resilience Hubs in day-to-day operations, microgrid readiness, and immediate needs in the face of climate crises and other disasters.
Local Clean Energy Alliance has long advocated for Ava Community Energy to allocate funding for resilience hubs in their budget or fiscal year surplus, in addition to solar and storage offerings. Although Solar and Storage incentives are necessary for resilience hubs, they are not enough to fully address a community’s resilience needs.
Local Clean Energy Alliance seeks to ensure that resilience hubs receive funding and resources not just for their energy resilience efforts, but also for other forms of resilience as well. With more comprehensive funding, resilience hubs could provide other vital services to their communities, such as food refrigeration, cooling and heating centers, air filtration, and access to portable solar batteries.
Local Clean Energy Alliance asks Ava Community Energy to fulfill its larger responsibility to its constituents by funding a diverse range of resilience hub programs in community trusted locations that support environmental justice needs.
We urge the Ava Community Energy Board of Directors to prioritize energy justice and equity by:
1. Committing funding from the 2023-2024 surplus budget for a Community Resilience Hub program,
2. Making sure that part of the Community Resilience Hub program funding is accessible to smaller, less resourced Community-Based Organizations. This funding should target established and trusted community spaces in Environmental Justice and frontline communities,
3. Allotting funding for a training and coalition building program (a “network”) for resilience hubs and their partners to ensure they develop into robust community spaces,
4. Providing a grants program for smaller CBOs at $50,000 annually over 3 years (totaling $150,000 per grant).
As climate change worsens and with uncertainty in a new federal administration, there will be an increased need for access to localized energy emergency services.
Now, more than ever, communities need stronger infrastructure to withstand the impacts of destabilizing climate events and investments in their day-to-day needs.
BIPOC and low-income communities are often the first and most vulnerable victims of climate crises. In light of that, we must invest in creative, holistic solutions to make sure these communities thrive.
Clean Power to the People,
Local Clean Energy Alliance
Jessica Tovar
Ayla Peters-Paz
Hernando Sanchez
Jesse Gutierrez
Karin Krisdiva
Kathy Liang