The Multi-jurisdictional Renewable Energy Taskforce emerged out of the 2nd Annual Central Coast Sustainability Summit, hosted by UCSB in October 2012, as a way for representatives from different agencies throughout the region to come together and work on renewable energy projects that would benefit Santa Barbara County. With the coordination of multi-jurisdictional partners, the taskforce has the ability to leverage a vast amount of knowledge and help renewable energy projects gain momentum and acceptance. A number of projects were brainstormed during the 2nd annual summit, and the taskforce provides a vehicle for representatives to continue meeting and further exploring the project ideas during the time in between summits.

The taskforce allows UCSB to coordinate with other stakeholders in the region on renewable energy projects.  Increasing the renewable energy sector in Santa Barbara County has the potential to create jobs, grow the local economy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and lower our dependency on fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas.   This effort is an important step to strengthen the region’s commitment to environmental sustainability and increase the deployment of renewable energy.

The taskforce has had two meetings so far, with a total of 19 different institutions from Santa Barbara County represented, including six cities.  Together, the taskforce members have chosen to focus on community choice aggregation (CCA) and  joint renewable energy projects as potential initiatives on which they can collaborate for the benefit of Santa Barbara County.  Please see below for the outcomes of each meeting.

Summary of Initial Workshop Outcomes

Summary of April Meeting