Celebrating a Productive Year of Climate Action

March 13, 2021

min

Tara Hammond

Collage of Hammond Climate Solution Foundation climate events

Hammond Climate Solutions was founded by Tara and Justin Hammond a year ago to help expedite positive change for a just and livable future, and we’re excited to share the strides we’ve made towards our mission during a time that humbled us all.

Before jumping in, we’d like to acknowledge our talented colleagues Shelah Ott (Climate Justice Advocate) and Karinna Gonzalez (Climate Justice Policy Advisor), who joined the team during our first year. Their sincere passion and dedication have truly bolstered Hammond Climate Solutions’ impact.

“When I joined the team six months ago, I knew it would be much more than a job, but I didn’t realize the full extent of the impact we would be making as a small (yet mighty) team. Reflecting on our journey and all of the accomplishments we have made in our advocacy, program management and partnership building, I can confidently say that there is nowhere else I’d rather be. Every step of the way, I have been encouraged and motivated to show up for the climate, for communities traditionally marginalized, and for my team. Working at Hammond Climate Solutions has helped me build skills and perspectives that not only support the creation of a just and livable future, but support self-sustainability, too.”

- Shelah Ott, Climate Justice Advocate

“As I join Hammond Climate Solutions at our year one mark, I am filled with gratitude to be joining a team who has already accomplished so much. Looking forward, I am excited to contribute to our amazing portfolio of projects, while advocating for climate policies that create a just and equitable clean energy future.”

-Karinna Gonzalez, Climate Justice Policy Advisor

Our work, which is centered on stopping the climate crisis and advancing climate justice, is categorized into three main areas of expertise - climate project management, policy and advocacy. Below are highlights by category.

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‍Our Climate Project Management Impact

During our first year in business we were proudly involved in 341 solar projects, resulting in 186 megawatts of new solar power systems being built across 35 states and Puerto Rico. This solar capacity is equivalent to more than half a million solar panels, which are now energizing communities with clean energy, improving local air quality, stimulating the local economy and supporting green jobs.

On behalf of our client Left Coast Fund, Hammond Climate Solutions manages the Solar Moonshot Program, an initiative with an annual budget of $1 million and a mission to help nonprofits afford the switch to solar and reduce the impacts of the climate crisis.

Last year we worked with 57 nonprofit organizations across the country to help make their solar dreams a reality, and have enabled them to save money that can be reinvested into their missions. The nonprofits ranged from eco villages to Indigineous resilience organizations, youth homeless shelters, Black women-owned organizations, schools and places of worship. We have another $1 million budget for Solar Moonshot grants in 2021, which will help fund renewable energy projects for an estimated 40 nonprofit organizations across the nation.

A handful of Solar Moonshot Program grant recipients have been in our home town of San Diego, including Activist San Diego, Solidarity Farm, Casa de Amparo and University Christian Church. University Christian Church, home to the San Diego Climate Hub, which we have the pleasure of managing, awarded Hammond Climate Solutions with its “2020 Community Partner of the Year Award.” This was our first award, and will always be dear to our hearts.

In addition to the Solar Moonshot Program, Hammond Climate Solutions also manages two electric bike “ride off” programs, one for Business for Good San Diego and another for Climate Action Campaign. With these programs, participants are loaned an e-bike, and for every mile ridden $1 dollar is deducted from the bike loan. The goal of the programs is to ride off the entire loan and replace dirty vehicle miles travelled with human-powered, emission-free transportation. Hammond Climate Solutions is also a partner of San Diego County’s Pedal Ahead Program, for which we facilitated the procurement of 400 e-bikes through our client’s donations.

Hammond Climate Solutions was also hired by a local foundation to help secure public funding and get electric vehicle (EV) charging stations installed at nonprofit organizations that support traditionally underrepresented and underfunded communities (especially in respect to green infrastructure). So far we’ve already secured $42,000 in California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program (CAleVIP) rebates, which paired with the foundation’s grants, is providing a nonprofit organization free EV charging stations for their community.

Our Climate Policy Impact:

Hammond Climate Solutions proudly signed on to over a dozen coalition letters to elected officials and government bodies, helping to shape policies relating to building energy efficiency standards, clean transportation, climate action plans and energy franchise agreements. We participated in over 1,150 meetings with elected officials, coalitions and activists discussing climate policies and priorities. We also started a coalition to protect rooftop solar in California, which plays a vital role in moving to a zero carbon future.

Our Climate Advocacy Impact:

Hammond Climate Solutions is a proud member of 15 nonprofit organizations, and active members of 10 coalitions. Our team is pleased to serve in various leadership roles including:

Chair, California Solar+Storage Association, San Diego
Vice Chair, San Diego Community Power Community Advisory Committee
Steering Committee Member, San Diego Green New Deal Alliance
Executive Committee Member, Surfrider San Diego
Board Member, Climate Defenders Action Fund
Board President, GRID Alternatives San Diego
Steering Committee Co-chair, San Diego Building Electrification Coalition
Justice, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Resource Development Chair, San Diego Green New Deal Alliance

We helped organize three Climate Hub events, which reached folks from across the country, and attended multiple socially-distanced, outdoor press conferences (and even multiple car caravans) related to energy franchise agreements and workers rights.

We’re a member of 1% for the Planet, whose members pledge to donate one percent of their earnings to nonprofit organizations working to stop the climate crisis. We’re delighted to announce that Hammond Climate Solutions’ contributions far surpassed the pledge requirement.

Lastly, our CEO Tara Hammond completed the Climate Reality Project Leadership Training, and has been sharing the scientific knowledge she gained to educate others.

So what does this year have in store for Hammond Climate Solutions?

We are going to take the momentum we’ve gained and continue fighting for the greater good! We will be growing our climate project management, policy and advocacy efforts to drive more change.

With the help of our network and communities, we look forward to accomplishing our main policy objectives of:

Getting a strong rooftop solar agreement at the California Public Utilities Commission while fighting off anti-solar legislation, allowing solar to grow sustainably, helping support green jobs while reducing CO2 emissions.
Pushing for reach codes that would require new buildings to be all electric, lowering costs of construction while eliminating new, unnecessary gas infrastructure, which poses significant health and climate risks.
Advocating that the City of San Diego gets better, short-term gas and electric franchise agreements that support the climate, equity and a plan to accelerate the transition off of fossil fuels.
Updating Climate Action Plans with progressive policies, such as zero carbon, to help address the climate crisis at a faster pace, while prioritizing communities of concern, who are first and foremost impacted by climate injustices.
Supporting legislation that would create regional climate authorities across California
Voicing support for the San Diego County Zero Carbon Sustainability Plan
Advocating for policies that prioritize communities of concern in climate efforts across the country

We are excited for the second year of the Solar Moonshot Program, and will continue managing the Business for Good and Climate Action Campaign e-bike ride off programs while staying connected with the Pedal Ahead program.

As far as new initiatives, we are working with a coalition to help bring an e-bike ride off program to residents in multi-family affordable housing complexes. We’re helping a local foundation that’s supporting lower interest EV loans for people in communities of concern. We’re expanding our reach to assist solar companies in tracking policies and being more engaged in protecting the solar and storage industry. We’ve committed to helping a global leader in energy storage with a Corporate Social Responsibility project.

We’ll continue to advocate for good climate and equity programs that counter the climate crisis, including initiatives through our local community choice energy program, San Diego Community Power (our CEO advocated for community choice energy in San Diego County for nearly a decade, and we are thrilled to finally see San Diego Community Power officially launch this month).

Last but certainly not least is our pursuit of helping to establish pilot programs to show proof of concept, and help lay the foundation for big public initiatives. We welcome your creative ideas for climate programs and incentives, and look forward to helping you implement them.

Stay updated on our efforts by following us on social media. We can be found using @HammondClimateSolutions on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram, and @DynamicActions on Twitter.

To learn more about Hammond Climate Solutions, please explore the rest of our site!

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Photo of the largest rooftop community solar project in the U.S, located in Carroll County, Maryland

California could lead the nation in Community Solar, if the utilities stop fighting it

Policy

September 29, 2023

min

California could lead the nation in Community Solar, if the utilities stop fighting it

California leads the nation in rooftop solar installations but has fallen short in creating a viable community solar market. Now, that can change.

California leads the nation in rooftop solar installations but has fallen short in creating a viable community solar market. Last year, Assembly Bill 2316 (AB 2316) unlocked the potential for California to lead the nation in community solar over the coming years by finally creating legislation that will tell the utilities to create a program that will credit customer’s accounts for renewable electricity produced elsewhere and set a compensation for the bill credit. Now, the utilities are attempting to derail a new proposed program called the Net Value Billing Tariff (NVBT).

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The NVBT would finally allow California renters, nearly 17 million people, and low-income households to take advantage of bill savings while using clean energy. There are a couple of things that make the NVBT different from failed community solar programs in California. The first is that it would require the installation of batteries with community solar projects, to alleviate the strain on the grid during peak hours (currently 4-9 p.m.), once demand is higher and solar energy being exported to the grid is dropping off as the sun sets. The second is that AB 2316 requires that low-and-moderate income households make up a majority of subscribers, ensuring that this program will benefit those who are paying a disproportionate amount of income towards skyrocketing electricity rates. Finally, this program has no caps on capacity, meaning the doors are truly open for developers that want to build these projects.

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One of the biggest advantages of community solar is that the solar power systems can be placed on rooftops and in parking lots, and the systems don’t require large plots of land like utility scale solar does. Community solar can also support local clean jobs and stimulate the regional economy. With the state’s target to procure 85 gigawatts of clean energy by 2035, there is already a large amount of projects in the desert trying to connect to the grid, however community solar projects can be a lot closer to the customers they serve, meaning they are able to connect to the lower voltage grid, eliminating the need for more costly and fire-causing transmission and distribution lines.

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It is no surprise that the only arguments against a program that could potentially replace dangerous peaker plants comes from the state’s three investor-owned utilities. The main argument coming from the utilities is that community solar should be treated like large-scale generators that have a different set of rules and guidelines than other distributed energy resources like rooftop solar.

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The California Public Utilities Commission proceedings tend to move pretty slowly, so there isn’t a definitive date for when we can expect the NVBT to be voted on by the commissioners. California has now passed the September 26 deadline for states to apply to $7 billion in federal funding as part of the Solar For All grants and having a community solar program in place would have made California’s application a lot more competitive.

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While the utilities have successfully blocked attempts to make solar more accessible, including the decision to slash the state’s net energy metering program last year, hopefully the state can get it right on this one.

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Let’s Go! San Diego Transit Relief

August 1, 2023

min

Let’s Go! San Diego Transit Relief

Do you live in San Diego County? How satisfied are you with the current state of roads and public transportation? You may be approached, if you have not been already, with these questions by a friendly volunteer in the next few months as the November 2023 deadline to submit measures for the 2024 ballot quickly approaches.

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The County’s transit infrastructure has been in decline for many years now. Local governments in the region have poured millions of taxpayers’ dollars into expanding freeways, but we know from looking at Los Angeles and other regions that more lanes increase the number of cars on the road. More cars on the road means more air pollution, which disproportionately burdens the health and well-being of BIPOC communities and communities of concern.

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It’s time for us to come together and create change. Let’s Go! San Diego is a campaign focused on building a better future for local families by delivering essential transportation improvements: reducing congestion, upgrading highway safety, fixing roads and making public transit more reliable and accessible. Some of the other projects that Let’s Go! will fund include:

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Purple trolley line extending from South County to Sorrento Valley
Moving Rail Line connecting to San Diego International Airport
Increased service on bus and trolley routes
Habitat preservation and stormwater upgrades

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Vehicles make up 50 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in California, 80 percent of nitrogen oxide pollution and 90 percent of diesel particulate matter pollution. Thus, an improvement to our transportation system means progress for meeting local and statewide climate goals.

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So, how will this be funded? The measure proposes a half-cent increase to the County’s sales tax, meaning for every $20 you spend, $0.10 will go towards improving our transit system. Tax increases are not often appealing, however, we wholeheartedly believe that the impact of this measure far outweighs the individual costs. The lack of viable transportation alternatives for County residents limits access to jobs, education, medical offices and recreational facilities. San Diego County needs more and better options, which is why it is crucial that residents bring this measure into next year’s ballot.

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The broad coalition supporting this important effort is composed of over 30 nonprofits, unions, environment groups and businesses. Launched by SanDiego350 and the Environmental Health Coalition, this grassroots effort continues to grow in strength. Check out the complete list of endorsements here: Let’s Go! San Diego Endorsements.

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If you haven’t signed the petition yet, visit one of the locations here to bring this measure one step closer to becoming a reality. Also, consider joining the campaign to stay up to date on our progress and spread awareness to friends, family and neighbors so that San Diego may deliver long-awaited transit improvements to the County.

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Photo Credit: Let’s Go! San Diego

The Future of Schools is Electric

May 18, 2023

min

The Future of Schools is Electric

I (Karen Cederholm, Hammond Climate Solutions Foundation Climate Justice Intern) remember when my high school installed solar panels in its vast and barren parking lot; the blacktop used to capture so much heat you could feel it radiate back up at the end of the day. It was wonderful to see that the empty space was now producing clean energy while also providing shade to student and faculty vehicles during a typical sunny day in San Diego. Now, students from other schools within the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) will be able to see this transition as well as the Board of Education recently passed a fossil fuel free resolution on April 26, 2023 to make all schools in the district fully electric.

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Spearheaded by the Schools Team of the San Diego Building Electrification Coalition, which we are members of, activists and students worked effortfully to call upon the Board of Education to commit the district to phasing out the use of fossil fuels. SanDiego350 garnered over 600 signatures on its petition and organized a rally outside of the district office on April 25 before the board meeting, demanding the adoption of a clean energy resolution. Participants also made comments to the board during the meeting, advocating for a fossil fuel free future (check out the Fossil Fuel Free Pledge where businesses, nonprofits, philanthropists and elected officials make this commitment!). With this new resolution, bus fleets and maintenance vehicles currently running on fossil fuels will be phased out, appliances in existing buildings will be replaced with electric ones and a reach code will be established for new construction. A Green Jobs curriculum will also be established to raise awareness of environmentally focused professions, and SDUSD will enroll in San Diego Community Power’s Power100 by the end of 2024, using 100 percent renewable and carbon-free energy.

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This transition to clean energy is happening nationwide. The Environmental Protection Agency currently has a Clean School Bus Program running through 2026 that is distributing $1 billion to 389 public and charter school districts, and so far there are over 5,000 committed electric school buses across the U.S. Our own Solar Moonshot Program helps organizations make the switch to solar energy affordable by awarding grants to nonprofits. Solar and storage systems act as resilience hubs for schools and the surrounding community, and so far we have helped 9 solar projects happen across the country. Right now, we have $750,000 to help schools across the U.S. adopt solar power. If you know of an educational institution that wants to go solar but requires additional funding, consider sharing or submitting an application, which is located at the bottom of our Solar Moonshot Program page (www.solarmoonshot.org).

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Times are changing, and it’s more important than ever for public entities to get behind a green future. These switches are vital to improving the health of students, providing equitable education and reducing the human-carbon footprint that worsens climate change. If you are interested in reading more about climate education and why it matters, check out our previous blog post.

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Photo credit: Solar Moonshot Program awardee, School District of West Salem