The image that California evokes in the minds of most
Americans is one of bright sunshine and famous celebrities. So
many are likely to be surprised when they hear that the State
of California is one of the leaders in promoting energy
efficiency, and is (not coincidentally) the single largest
partner the HeatSmart Campaign has had to date. Our writer
recently interviewed Arleen Novotney, the administrator for
the Association of California Community and Energy Services
(ACCES) that became one of the leaders of California’s energy
efficiency programs.
According to Novotney, California has the largest
weatherization program in the nation. She says, “Everyone
thinks of California as a warm weather state, but we have some
of the highest mountains and it’s very cold, as in the east,
in northern California. Even 10 miles from LA it can get into
the 30’s in the winter.” To bring efficiency programs to as
many people as possible, they not only use DOE funds, but 25%
of the LIHEAP funds granted by the federal government. This is
a marked difference from most other states, who use LIHEAP
grants almost exclusively to pay the heating bills of low
income families.
Even so, she says, “We can offer our weatherization
services to only about 7% of low income households each year.”
To fill the gap, and to maximize the value of the
weatherization services they do provide, they have conducted
energy efficiency workshops throughout the state. “The
workshops were a state project supported by some federal
emergency funding. They were for people receiving
weatherization and cash assisstance, but we wanted to make
them as popular as possible. The State Department of Community
Services and Development (CSD) wanted to do a meaningful give-
away for the low-income households.”
This is where a match was found with the HeatSmart
Campaign, which shares California’s philosophy of combining
energy efficiency tools with education. In this case, the
HeatSmart blankets wound up as part of a promotional education
bag that contained several efficiency items, including
conservation information, energy-saving light bulbs and
low-flow aerators.
“The bags were very positively received; people really
seemed to like them,” says Novotney. “We ended up making over
41,000 of them and sent them to the network of 47 LIHEAP
providing agencies throughout the state for distribution to
their clients.”
According to Novotney, many of the agencies responsible for
last winter’s program would like to continue it. Already, they
are concerned about what rising costs will do to those who
struggle to pay their heating and cooling bills. While the
state is ahead of the curve in providing weatherization
assistance, leaders like ACCES know that short-term measures
are needed to maximize resources.
“Last year, we had an energy crisis with prices going up
rapidly in the winter, and the CSD wanted to do something
pro-active,’ says Novotney. “This year, we don’t know exactly
how we’re going to react.”
However they address the ongoing energy crisis, California
has shown already that it is ahead of the curve in providing a
smart mix of education and services to help residents conserve
energy.
