Low-to-moderate income Californian homes get climate equity boost

California-based community choice aggregator East Bay Community Energy (EBCE) is partnering with Brooklyn-based BlocPower to electrify 60 low- to moderate-income (LMI) homes in EBCE’s market territory. The effort follows an initial pilot to upgrade and electrify 12 Oakland, California homes.

EBCE is providing $1.4 million in project financing incentives to fund the initiative, which equates to about $23,000 per home. Recipients are expected to receive new heating, cooling, and hot water systems that use heat pump technology, electric appliances as well as weatherization and upgraded infrastructure, said the companies.

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The home retrofits are designed to help reduce indoor air pollution, improve health outcomes, and increase home values and resiliency during extreme weather events.

The companies predict customers will save on average nearly $1,000 in annual energy bills.

BlocPower and EBCE said they work with independent community partners, including Revalue.io and as well as local minority and women-owned businesses, to provide installation services and safeguard customer interests.

“Though we face a long road ahead, we’re taking the next step forward in reaching climate equity nationwide by putting the power into homeowners’ hands,” said Nick Chaset, CEO of East Bay Community Energy.

Since 2014, BlocPower has completed energy projects in more than 1,200 buildings in 26 cities, it said.

EBCE is a not-for-profit public agency that operates a Community Choice Energy program for Alameda County and 14 incorporated cities, serving more than 1.7 million residential and commercial customers.

This post was originally published on Powergrid International.