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Energize Fresno Creating an energy-independent Fresno, one neighborhood at a time.
Energize Fresno
Community Scope Report November 2016
The Local Government Commission
Energize Fresno Creating an energy-independent Fresno, one neighborhood at a time.
Abstract
The Energize Fresno Community Scope Report is a summary of conditions that outlines the
opportunity for creating an “Energy Opportunity Zone” in the heart of Fresno. It defines
Energize Fresno’s role in moving the city towards becoming an Advanced Energy Community,
facilitating targeted deployment of technology and resources as effectively as possible, while
supporting Fresno’s city goals and addressing community needs.
The information presented in this report reflects the work accomplished by the Energize Fresno
team as of the publication date, and may not necessarily reflect the program’s design in its
most recent form.
Project Specifics
Contractor: Partners: Amount: Co-funding: Term:
Local Government Commission Tierra Resource Consultants, City of Fresno, CalSTART, Fresno Metro Ministry $1,500,000 $12,445 in-kind support May 2016 – March 2018
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ABSTRACT
Energize Fresno supplements Fresno community efforts by consolidating the selection process
of high-quality, cost-effective projects that contribute to community prosperity through an
Advanced Energy Community (AEC).
The City of Fresno and Fresno Council of Governments (COG) have developed policies in recent
years that direct Energize Fresno to focus on an “Energy Opportunity Zone” (EOZ) in Fresno’s
Blackstone-Downtown area with “nodes” of project activity at existing or planned transit sites.
Prioritizing projects within a determined area provides an effective way of increasing grid
reliability, reducing costs, and improving economic opportunity.
Fresno has great diversity in cultures and languages as well as large disparities in resident
incomes. As the population grows, increased pressures are placed on the current transportation
system, economy, housing stock, energy infrastructure, and other existing resources.
Responding to demographic and market pressures, Energize Fresno created a filter to rank
projects based on their ability to increase energy and water efficiency while reducing emissions,
deploying clean technologies, and creating jobs. “Good fit” projects also align with local
planning goals, have political support, or embody goals of the California Energy Commission’s
Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) grant, including: increased grid reliability and
resiliency, improved energy efficiency, deployment of renewable energy, smart grid, and zero
net energy technologies.
Energize Fresno solicited the City of Fresno and a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) to guide
the team in selecting and deploying AEC projects for maximum impact. This process has
uncovered 29 potentially suitable projects. By leveraging community plans and improvements,
Energize Fresno can integrate AEC strategies into current and future projects for increased
efficiency and resource conservation. Moving forward, Energize Fresno will place great
emphasis on utilizing various methods of communication to appeal to Fresno’s diverse
populations and promote community inclusiveness and representation in identifying local
needs in pursuit of the AEC.
Keywords: California, solar, energy, photovoltaic, PV, cell, panel, building, integrated, BIPV,
electricity production, distributed generation, initiative, emerging, renewables, program, Fresno,
Energize Fresno, EPIC, Blackstone Corridor, EOZ, Energy Opportunity Zone, ZNE, Zero Energy
District, ICRM, Integrated Community Resource Market, Electric Program Investment Charge,
LGC, Local Government Commission
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................................. i
TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................................................... ii
LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................................... iii
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................................................... 1
CHAPTER 1: Report Goals & Methods ................................................................................................. 5
Goals ..........................................................................................................................................................5
Methods .....................................................................................................................................................5
Fresno Demographic and Planning Information .............................................................................5
Project Pipeline .....................................................................................................................................5
Project Filtration ..................................................................................................................................6
Role of Stakeholder Input ...................................................................................................................6
CHAPTER 2: Major Planning Initiatives .............................................................................................. 8
Overview of the Fresno General Plan ....................................................................................................8
Overview of the Sustainable Community Strategy, Fresno Council of Governments ...................9
Initiative – Energy Efficiency ............................................................................................................... 10
Initiative – Downtown Planning Area & Fulton Street Corridor ..................................................... 10
Initiative – High Speed Rail Station .................................................................................................... 11
Initiative – Blackstone Bus Rapid Transit Corridor & Activity Centers ........................................ 11
Initiative – Infill Development ............................................................................................................ 12
Overview of the Metropolitan Water Resources Management Plan .............................................. 13
Overview of the San Joaquin Valley Plug-In Electric Vehicle (PEV) Readiness Plan .................... 14
CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................................... 14
CHAPTER 3: City of Fresno Overview ................................................................................................ 15
Demographics ....................................................................................................................................... 15
Resource Consumption Information ................................................................................................. 23
Clean Energy, Efficiency, and Renewable Development.................................................................. 26
CHAPTER 4: Summary of Guiding Conditions ................................................................................ 31
CHAPTER 5: Project Identification & Scoring................................................................................... 33
Project Identification & Review Methodology................................................................................... 33
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CHAPTER 6: Conclusions ...................................................................................................................... 39
GLOSSARY ............................................................................................................................................... 41
APPENDIX A. City of Fresno General Plan 17 Priorities ................................................................ 42
APPENDIX B. City of Fresno Project Solicitation Document ......................................................... 45
APPENDIX C. Energize Fresno Phase I Pre-Filter ............................................................................. 46
APPENDIX D. Local Technical Advisory Committee Agenda & Participant List ...................... 49
LIST OF FIGURES
Page
Figure 3-1 – 2014 Demographic Distribution of Sex and Age ......................................................... 16
Figure 3-2 – 2009-2035 Projected Fresno County Employment Growth ........................................ 17
Figure 3-3 – 2013 Poverty Distribution ................................................................................................ 18
Figure 3-4 – 2014 Demographic Distribution of Race ....................................................................... 19
Figure 3-5 – 2013 Language Distribution ............................................................................................. 20
Figure 3-6 – Population Growth from 1960 to 2016 ........................................................................... 21
Figure 3-7 – 2013 Housing Stock and Decadal Build ........................................................................ 22
Figure 3-8 – Overall Natural Gas Use and Change from 2005-2015 ............................................... 24
Figure 3-9 – 2013-2016 City of Fresno Overall Water Consumption Graph.................................. 25
Figure 3-10 – 2014-2015 Energy Efficiency Financing Trend ........................................................... 26
Figure 3-11 – 2014 PG&E Composition of Renewable Power ......................................................... 27
Figure 3-12 – Residential Solar Sites from 2001 to 2015.................................................................... 28
Figure 3-13 – Non-Residential Solar Sites from 2002 to 2015 .......................................................... 29
Figure 5-1 – Projects After Phase I Pre-Filter Stage 1 Scoring ......................................................... 35
Figure 5-2 – Map of Projects within the EOZ ..................................................................................... 38
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Community Scope Report is a summary of conditions that outlines the opportunity for
creating an “Energy Opportunity Zone” (EOZ) in the heart of Fresno and defines Energize
Fresno’s role in moving the city towards becoming an Advanced Energy Community (AEC),
facilitating targeted deployment of technology and resources as effectively as possible, while
supporting Fresno’s city goals and addressing community needs. Both the City of Fresno and
Fresno Council of Governments (COG) have undertaken a series of activities (with strong
community stakeholder and political engagement) that have resulted in sustainability-oriented
plans and policies that support AEC concepts and have set the stage for Energize Fresno
(including a 2014 General Plan update and a Blackstone Corridor Bus Rapid Transit system).
This scope report includes a high-level view of these policies and planning initiatives as well as
a demographic and market profile for the city to inform guiding principles for Energize
Fresno’s program development and design as well as project selection. It also provides the
methodology and results of an initial project selection process to advise future AEC plans.
The California Energy Commission uses the term “Advanced Energy Community” to denote
communities that are employing technologies and strategies to improve grid reliability and
resiliency, increase energy efficiency, and deploy renewable energy, smart grid, and zero net
energy technologies. Energize Fresno has incorporated many of the city’s regional planning
initiatives to help define Fresno as an AEC, including the Metropolitan Water Resources
Management Plan, the San Joaquin Valley Plug-In Electric Vehicle (PEV) Readiness Plan, and
various greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction plans such as the 2014 Regional Transportation Plan
Sustainable Communities Strategy. In addition, the California High Speed Rail Authority (HSRA)
has plans to build a station in downtown Fresno, making the area a major transit hub. By
leveraging these community plans and existing city sustainability efforts, Energize Fresno can
integrate AEC components into current and future projects to support energy efficiency and
resource conservation and expedite the local vision for the future of Fresno.
These planning and policy goals strongly suggest that focusing innovation and investment in
clean energy and resource efficiency in the downtown area and along the Blackstone Corridor is
both in line with local and state goals and takes advantage of currently planned initiatives.
Energize Fresno established these two planning areas to be the EOZ because they are
representative of the diversity of projects and stakeholders that exist throughout all of Fresno,
with “nodes” representing transit hotspots to encourage the concentration of mixed-use and
advanced energy projects. The EOZ concept embraces the Energy Commission’s definition of an
AEC, but also offers the additional dimension that the AEC will effectively leverage a city’s
unique planning infrastructure and associated stakeholder groups and market conditions as a
basis to implement more sustainability projects.
Demographically, Fresno is culturally and racially diverse, with a large percentage of the
population living in or near poverty. While economically stressed, Fresno has made progress on
some important energy-related conservation activities. The city has routinely reduced water and
overall energy consumption, while electricity consumption increases along with population. The
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number of renewable energy installations continues to rise each year, however, paving the way
for increased self-production and consumption in the city. If this energy capacity is expanded
and leveraged, the city’s renewable sources could prove to be a positive force for the security of
Fresno’s energy and some of the most vulnerable populations in the state. As such, Energize
Fresno will emphasize clean energy deployment to increase grid reliability, conserve resources,
and stimulate the local economy.
In parallel with research on policy and profile conditions, Energize Fresno has collected
information regarding potential EOZ projects and organized it into a comprehensive project
inventory. Sustainable Fresno, the City of Fresno’s sustainability division, led the initial project
collection effort by collaborating with the Mayor’s Office to gather both public and private
projects known to the city and solicit information on public works projects, initiatives, and
projects that might align with Energize Fresno, yielding 45 projects. The Energize Fresno team
added several additional projects to this list based on known initiatives and project concepts
that aligned with program goals and engaged a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) of local
community members to guide the team in selecting and deploying AEC projects for maximum
impact.
Based on the foregoing policy and profile information and results of the broad discovery
process, the project team developed a filter to narrow its focus on projects that increase the
community’s energy, water, and corridor efficiency while enhancing clean technology
deployment and creating jobs and economic opportunity in Fresno. Projects were deemed a
good fit if they additionally aligned with the city’s planning goals, had political support, or
embodied some of the goals of the California Energy Commission’s Electric Program Investment
Charge (EPIC) grant. This process has uncovered 29 potentially suitable projects, including a
mixture of public works, planning initiatives, private projects, and energy and water efficiency
advances across new construction, renovations, programmatic initiatives, and others. The costs
for these projects range from a few hundred thousand to a billion dollars and are primarily
located in the downtown section of the EOZ, demonstrating a downtown-centric development
emphasis that predates initiation of the Bus Rapid Transit corridor along Blackstone. The
filtering mechanism has helped to organize the identification of projects that focus on resource
conservation while enhancing mixed-use development and the smart growth vision set by local
policy, and also will allow the project team to define how the Energize Fresno platform can be
scaled to other communities with a long-term planning process similar to Fresno (which
includes the majority of cities in California). The list of projects may also continue to evolve
and grow as outreach to various stakeholders continues through the term of the Phase I AEC
EPIC grant period, scheduled for completion in early 2018.
In order to create a robust Master Community Design across a zone that encompasses highly
varied neighborhoods and socioeconomic groups, Energize Fresno plans to undertake extensive
community outreach to find projects that span the breadth of the EOZ, including projects of
varying size and scope and projects that address the concerns of disadvantaged communities
and residents. In appealing to Fresno’s culturally diverse populations, Energize Fresno ensures
that the EOZ is designed to meet the needs of its community members.
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These results will help the Energize Fresno team to further identify programs, technology
measures, and policies that offer significant impacts for the level of investment available. As a
resource for external stakeholders, the Community Scope Report also provides a transparent
description of the project identification process, as well as a roadmap for future Integrated
Community Resource Market model users.
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CHAPTER 1: Report Goals & Methods
Goals
The goals of the Community Scope Report are as follows:
• Provide a transparent description of the project selection and community identification
process.
• Define how Fresno’s city and county planning initiatives and local market conditions can
best be employed to target and drive sustainability in large redevelopment,
infrastructure projects, and private investment.
• Provide the community identification and demographic information to guide the
Community Delivery Capacity Report, which will be an analysis of the community’s
capacity to deliver projects and results, as well as a “project pipeline” of potential
projects for the Energize Fresno program.
• Provide a roadmap for future Integrated Community Resource Market1 model users.
Note that both Figures and Tables are numbered sequentially using whole numbers, from 1
onward. Please avoid renumbering at the start of each chapter and using decimal points or
letters (such as Figure 1.1 or Figure 1a).
Methods
Fresno Demographic and Planning Information
The Energize Fresno team reviewed Fresno’s General Plan and Sustainable Communities
Strategy and summarized the key community initiatives in this report for the purpose of
evaluating Energize Fresno’s alignment with local policy and vision. This will allow Energize
Fresno to identify and prioritize projects that further Fresno’s energy and development goals
for the designated project area. The team also included demographic and energy market data to
identify current conditions in Fresno and guide program efforts and marketing strategy.
Project Pipeline
The City of Fresno was responsible for the initial project discovery as part of the Community
Scope Report, obtaining information on public works projects and initiatives. Sustainable
Fresno, the City of Fresno’s sustainability division, led the project collection effort by
collaborating with the Mayor’s Office to collect both public and private projects known to the
city. Inclusion of the Mayor’s Office was crucial from the standpoint of project momentum; the
mayor’s staff were able to provide information on potential projects, funding availability, and
1 The Integrated Community Resource Market is the model that Energize Fresno is building. It refers to the platform with integrated planning, analysis, verification, and reporting for use by communities to identify and deploy high-impact community-level projects using a portfolio approach.
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planning goals of the city. To do this, city members circulated an initial data request and
template project form (Appendix B). City staff then collected the results from this initial data
request and undertook further analysis and initial characterization of projects.
The Energize Fresno project team also solicited additional projects from the community. The
team deemed projects a good fit if the project plans already had political support or embodied
the goals of the Energy Commission’s EPIC grant and aligned with the city’s planning goals.
Project Filtration
The initial project discovery process uncovered a large number of projects, of which a
significant amount were non-energy public infrastructure projects, and therefore unlikely to be
relevant to the AEC goals of the platform. Due to the high number of projects and the wide
variety of projects, initiatives, and programs that were collected by the City of Fresno, the team
developed a preliminary filtration process in order to prioritize and include only those projects
that fit the basic criteria for the Energize Fresno program. The team utilized this initial project
list to iteratively generate a project “Pre-Filter” to quickly and easily score projects. This
developmental process included basic high-level project analysis, evaluation of scoring, and
question creation. The “Pre-Filter” consists of questions that elicit the information necessary to
ascertain if a project is suitable for a more detailed analysis and potential inclusion in the final
project portfolio.
In order to create a streamlined filtration process that could align with the project solicitation
process, the Energize Fresno team split the Pre-Filter into two parts: a “Phase I Pre-Filter” and a
“Phase II Pre-Filter.” The team intends to use the Phase I Pre-Filter during project solicitation
and consists of nine high-level questions to fill out with a basic understanding of local and
state policy, energy technology, and building systems. This allows the Energize Fresno team (or
the local government, specifically) to use the Phase I Pre-Filter to quickly assess the feasibility
of projects before submission. Additionally, the Phase I Pre-Filter creates a transparent, easy,
and trackable method for eliminating unsuitable projects before moving forward with more
detailed analysis.
The Phase II Pre-Filter consists of more in-depth questions that allow for the team to quickly
ascertain the continuing viability of a project and make a “yes” or “no” decision on moving a
project forward for detailed modeling and analysis.
Role of Stakeholder Input
Local stakeholder input has been a feature of the Energize Fresno program since inception. The
Energize Fresno team itself consists of local stakeholders representing local government,
community organizations, and residents.
In order to solicit broader local stakeholder input on specific items, the team formed a local
Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) that includes representatives from local government,
regional government entities, non-profits, community organizations, educational institutions,
developers, and businesses. While the primary purpose of the TAC is to guide the strategy and
focus of Energize Fresno in terms of project type, technology type, and geographic area, it also
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serves as an avenue to introduce potential projects and new project partners to the Energize
Fresno program. The TAC will meet quarterly to review project status and provide feedback.
Between meetings, the committee will be engaged on specific project elements and encouraged
to continue engaging with their respective communities. Specifically, for the Community Scope
Report, the Energize Fresno team solicited feedback on the filtration process and project
concepts under review.
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CHAPTER 2: Major Planning Initiatives
Over the last several years, both the City of Fresno and Fresno Council of Governments have
undertaken a series of activities (with strong community stakeholder and political engagement)
that have resulted in sustainability-oriented plans and policies that support the concepts of an
Advanced Energy Community and have set the stage for Energize Fresno.
Energize Fresno is first and foremost an effort for the City of Fresno. Being in alignment with
the local planning documents ensures that the EOZ is for the city and addresses the concerns of
local community members. In following the redevelopment guidelines set down by the City of
Fresno and Fresno COG, Energize Fresno is working to simply accelerate existing community
plans for priority areas rather than dictate new plans that may be incompatible with Fresno’s
local culture and values.
This chapter describes the priority planning strategies of Fresno’s local government entities and
summarizes key points from these initiatives as they relate to Energize Fresno’s goals.
Overview of the Fresno General Plan
The City of Fresno approved its 2035 General Plan Objectives and Policies in December 2014
after five years of planning (including two years of intensive public and private community
engagement). The update process that created the General Plan took a comprehensive look at
where the city is, where it would like to be by its General Plan Horizon in 2035, and by its
General Plan Build-Out beyond 2035. This plan expresses the vision of the city’s leaders and
outlines civic priorities to guide Energize Fresno efforts while ensuring the project is supportive
of the local agenda.
The General Plan’s 17 goals focus on current and future community needs, neighborhood
character, economic development challenges and opportunities, mixed-use and infill
development strategies, development considerations outside the current city limits, and the
fiscal resources and management strategies needed to attain the city’s goals. Key strategies
include the strengthening of existing centers of activity and commercial corridors, as well as
expanding Fresno’s industrial capacity, retail base, and new residential neighborhoods. Lastly,
the plan incorporates residents’ input regarding different land uses such as housing, shopping,
industry, parks and recreation, the location of public facilities, and how city resources should
be leveraged to achieve the plan’s goals. There is strong community alignment across all 17
General Plan Goals, a number of which are particularly relevant to Energize Fresno and can be
capitalized on in the project selection process. The applicable goals are outlined below.
• Goal 1: Increase opportunity, economic development and business and job creation.
• Goal 2: Support a successful and competitive downtown.
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• Goal 3: Emphasize conservation, successful adaptation to climate and changing resource
conditions, and performance effectiveness in the use of energy, water, land, buildings,
natural resources, and fiscal resources required for the long-term sustainability of
Fresno.
• Goal 4: Emphasize achieving healthy air quality and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
• Goal 8: Develop Complete Neighborhoods and districts with an efficient and diverse mix
of residential densities, building types, and affordability which are designed to be
healthy, attractive, and centered by schools, parks, and public and commercial services
to provide a sense of place and that provide as many services as possible within walking
distance.
• Goal 10: Emphasize increased land use intensity and mixed-use development at
densities supportive of greater use of transit in Fresno.
• Goal 11: Emphasize and plan for all modes of travel on local and major streets in
Fresno.
• Goal 12: Resolve existing public infrastructure and service deficiencies, make full use of
existing infrastructure, and invest in improvements to increase competitiveness and
promote economic growth.
Overview of the Sustainable Community Strategy, Fresno Council of Governments
The Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS), as defined by California Senate Bill No. 375 (2008),
illustrates the Fresno Council of Governments’ (COG) plan for reducing greenhouse gas
emissions through transportation and land use strategies within the COG’s sphere of influence,
which includes the City of Fresno. The SCS emphasizes more compact, transit-oriented
development in local transportation and land use planning by integrating sustainability into
Fresno COG’s Regional Transportation Plan.
Infill is a major priority of the SCS, which has the goal of strengthening existing communities
by concentrating high-density and mixed-use housing and employment centers along major
corridors where there is existing or planned transportation infrastructure. The SCS has an
additional focus on providing more transportation options by expanding and improving upon
current alternative transportation systems and infrastructure, including public transit,
alternative vehicles, vanpools, bicycling, and walking. Fresno COG estimates that there will be
more than 500 miles of bike lanes and 120 miles of sidewalks constructed in the COG’s
planning area by the end of 2040. The SCS is also sensitive to environmental justice and
underserved communities and makes it a priority to involve those communities in their plan.
The SCS’s overall message is that Fresno has a great need for incentive programs to implement
its smart growth strategy.
To complement these efforts, the Energize Fresno team has selected a project area along the
Blackstone corridor and will prioritize development projects along major transportation
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arteries in project design. Upon implementation, Fresno should be able to provide an integrated
financing and operations model to help development projects that meet these goals.
Initiative – Energy Efficiency
The City of Fresno has consistently promoted energy and resource conservation in local,
regional, and statewide efforts. In adopting the latest California Energy Code (2013), the city
demonstrated its commitment to improving the energy efficiency of new permitted projects in
alignment with the state’s ambitious goals as well as Goal 3 of the city’s General Plan.
The City of Fresno makes a concerted effort to be a good steward of the environment. City staff
members have installed solar photovoltaic systems at numerous city-owned facilities, and the
city is continuously looking for new opportunities to conserve energy and other resources,
including the installation of renewable resources.
In an effort to reuse process waste, the Fresno-Clovis Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility
reclaims its methane production and uses it to run generators, which in turn provides
significant electrical energy for the plant. This effort traps methane, a potent greenhouse gas,
and simultaneously helps to decrease the load on the electricity delivery infrastructure.
The city not only leads by example by utilizing renewable energy technologies, but staff also
promote and facilitate renewable energy adoption in residential and non-residential buildings.
One of their major efforts is a comprehensive no-cost residential and non-residential energy
efficiency survey program to help educate community members about potential energy
efficiency and resource conservation measures currently available.
Additionally, the city has partnered with Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) on the Fresno Energy
Watch program, a collaborative effort to leverage resources in order to increase awareness of
energy and resource conservation and facilitate energy-efficient retrofits for residential and
non-residential businesses. To support these projects and explore new opportunities, the City
of Fresno has dedicated staff that promote sustainability and conservation in the community
along with city adoption of progressive state guidelines.
Fresno’s current initiatives and energy priorities align well with the goals of Energize Fresno
and with those of an AEC. The successful city programs such as PACE deployment and Fresno
Energy Watch will allow Energize Fresno to build projects from an existing base instead of
starting anew. The city’s increasing demand for renewable energy and energy efficiency will be
a major driving factor in the potential success of Energize Fresno; demand for projects such as
those in the Energize Fresno program should reflect the historical desire for solar PV
installations, and should complement renewable energy deployment.
Initiative – Downtown Planning Area & Fulton Street Corridor
The centerpiece of Fresno is the Downtown Planning Area, as defined in Goal 2 of the General
Plan. This goal envisions a new focus on land use and design along the major streets and
neighborhoods that support Fresno’s downtown, with an emphasis on Fulton Street. The focus
includes proposals for increased density and vibrant mixed-use centers that will emanate from
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the downtown area along the Blackstone Avenue, Ventura Avenue-Kings Canyon Road, and
California Avenue transportation corridors, extending the reach of connections to downtown in
all directions.
The General Plan anticipates specific and community plans will further enhance and define the
Downtown Planning Area, such as the proposed Downtown Neighborhoods Community Plan2
(DNCP) and the Fulton Corridor-Specific Plan3 (FCSP), and be further implemented through the
adoption of a new Development Code for regulations specific to the Downtown Planning Area.
The existence of these planning areas directs Energize Fresno to focus the Energy Opportunity
Zone on the downtown core. In initiating the place-making, development, and revitalization in
Fresno’s city center and major transportation arteries, investments and resource savings will
have a better chance of emanating throughout the city.
Initiative – High Speed Rail Station
California High Speed Rail (HSR) Authority has plans to build a station in Fresno’s downtown to
be completed by 2019. As a modern train station designed to serve the region, the HSR station
represents a very significant infrastructure investment and one that is likely to have spillover
developmental impacts on the entire downtown area. Beyond mobilizing infrastructure and
development improvements, the station represents a significant economic boon for Fresno. Of
particular interest to Energize Fresno, HSR’s Request for Qualifications for the Fresno station
require detailed sustainability measures and “eco-district” principles prioritized for the site’s
construction with the hopes of creating new and energy-efficient mixed-use development in the
surrounding area.
The HSR station is an additional reason to focus Energize Fresno’s efforts on the downtown
area, as it represents another leverage opportunity for infill and clean energy deployment.
Although the HSR Station planning aligns with the downtown area plan, as a state project, it
does bring additional goals and stakeholders that need to be considered.
Initiative – Blackstone Bus Rapid Transit Corridor & Activity Centers
Chapter 4 of the General Plan outlines a preliminary plan for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
development. BRT is expected to travel along the major corridors of Blackstone, Shaw
(enhanced system only), Ventura/Kings Canyon, and California Avenues, connecting residents
2 “The Downtown Neighborhoods Community Plan (DNCP) is the community’s tool for guiding the successful regeneration of Downtown Fresno and its surrounding neighborhoods. It is a visionary document that lays out the community’s long-term goals for the Plan Area and provides detailed policies concerning a wide range of topics, including land use and development, transportation, the public realm of streets and parks, infrastructure, historic resources, and health and wellness. Along with the accompanying form based Downtown Development Code, the DNCP is intended to protect Fresno’s oldest neighborhoods, while encouraging and accommodating future development, in a manner that contributes to a stronger and healthier community for everyone.” (City of Fresno)
3 “The Fulton Corridor Specific Plan is the community’s tool for guiding the future development of Downtown Fresno. It is both a visionary document that lays out the community’s long-term goals for the Plan Area, as well as an implementation plan for immediate and midterm actions needed to achieve the long-term vision. It provides detailed policies concerning a wide range of topics, including land use and development, historic resources, the public realm, transportation, and infrastructure.” (City of Fresno)
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to Downtown, North Fresno, West Fresno, Southwest Fresno, Southeast Fresno and Clovis. Stops
will be at major shopping centers, future activity centers, Fresno State University, established
neighborhoods, places of employment and other transit options (High Speed Rail, AMTRAK,
Yosemite Area Regional Transit System, etc.), furthering the connectivity goals as outlined by
Goal 11 of the General Plan.
Blackstone Avenue is currently the most prominent major street corridor connecting the
downtown area to the northern areas of Fresno, including the large commercial centers
concentrated between Herndon and Nees Avenues. This major passageway is part of the first
phase planned BRT route for transit-supportive corridor-related land use development and
contains many “opportunity sites” that may be developed into Activity Centers4 in the future.
This development will occur over time as properties become available or landowners choose to
re-develop. Initially, the BRT stops will occur every half-mile, with the eventual expansion of
major BRT stations and surrounding mixed-use centers at one-mile intervals, located at the
intersections of major east-west avenues (Bullard, Shaw, Ashlan, Shields, and McKinley).
Energize Fresno will prioritize projects centralized around BRT stops to enhance planned
mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented development and will facilitate the stations’ integration into the
surrounding neighborhood. Development around BRT stops will help to increase the economic
effect of Energize Fresno investments and push developers towards a more transit-centric
model.
General Plan References to BRT and Activity Centers - Sections 1.1 Context, 1.3 Development
Under the Plan, 3.2 Citywide Urban Form, 3.3 Infill Development, 3.4 Development Areas, 3.5
Land Use, 4.5 Transit Service, 4.6 Objectives and Policies, 12.3 Infill Initiatives, and 12.6
Defining and Supporting Infill, and Figures 1-3 Residential Capacity Allocation and IM-1 Priority
Areas for Development Incentives.
Initiative – Infill Development
While the prior two initiatives focus on specific areas or activities, Goal 10 of the General Plan
underscores the city’s desire for a more general increase in infill5 development. Infill
development is an essential component of smart growth, as it focuses development inwards.
With outward growth, urban sprawl destroys fertile farmlands and other sensitive ecosystems.
As large sections of downtown and the Blackstone Corridor become available for
redevelopment, infill development offers the opportunity for new, compact mixed growth that
ensures residents are not far from amenities, thereby drastically improving walkability while
4 Goal 10 of the General Plan encourages the development of vibrant “Activity Centers” with public spaces, medium-high and high-density residential, retail, and employment uses located along these major street thoroughfares. The Activity Centers will also support surrounding neighborhoods, multi-modal transportation including the BRT system, and downtown. These corridors offer great opportunities for future growth over time as nodes of mixed-use development create more walkable, transit-oriented spaces. Such sites are currently underutilized or vacant, thereby enabling the city to also capitalize on infill development.
5 The terms “infill area” and “infill development” are intended to be used interchangeably, and shall be defined consistent with the definition of “infill area” set forth in Objective UF-12 of the General Plan. However, the City acknowledges that various statutes articulate alternative definitions for “infill.” To the extent that the City must comply with those alternative statutory definitions, the definitions of “infill” contained within Public Resources Code 21061.3 and CEQA Guidelines 15332 may apply.
13
reducing traffic congestion and vehicle miles traveled. This supports the City of Fresno’s goals
of providing for revitalizing activity and commercial districts as well as expanding transit
access.
In addition to infill development along the corridors, Fresno also prioritizes well-designed infill
and rehabilitation to create “Complete Neighborhoods,” as defined in Goal 8 of the General
Plan. This includes improvements to single-family lots, small multi-family lots, and small
subdivisions as well as the revitalization and rehabilitation of small retail centers, employment
centers, and some multi-family properties. These infill developments and redevelopments will
focus on creating Complete Neighborhoods in existing residential areas. Some tools that can be
used to accomplish this include: transportation connectivity, financial incentives for investing
in established neighborhoods, design compatibility, providing missing uses such as recreation,
enhanced landscaping, maintenance of public right-of-way areas, and providing community-
based services.
Fresno’s focus on infill and Complete Streets advises Energize Fresno in two specific ways.
First, without a focus on infill development and turning existing streets into Complete Streets,
there wouldn’t be the focus needed on redeveloping the downtown and Blackstone corridor
areas needed to support enough projects. Secondly, infill and Complete Streets align with
Energize Fresno’s stated goals of AEC deployment and resources savings, thus offering the
ability to leverage existing city priorities, projects, and plans and code updates.
General Plan References to Infill Development - Sections 1.1 Context, 1.3 Development Under
the Plan, 3.3 Infill Development, 3.4 Development Areas, 3.5 Land Use, 12.3 Infill Initiatives, and
12.6 Defining and Supporting Infill, and Figure IM-1 Priority Areas for Development Incentives.
Overview of the Metropolitan Water Resources Management Plan
The 2014 update to the Metro Plan Update includes near-term and future project elements
including defining various water conservation measures to be implemented on an ongoing
basis. During the development of the downtown and Blackstone corridor RTP project pipeline,
the Energize Fresno project will coordinate with stakeholders to incorporate various water
conservation activities defined in the plan including:
• Completing residential water metering program (completed)
• Implementing rebate programs for water conserving devices and systems
• Implementing Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional water conservation programs
• Joining the California Urban Water Conservation Council and participating in
informational and training workshops and jointly-funded water conservation programs
• Enacting a Retrofit Upon Resale Ordinance
• Implementing Turf Replacement Rebates (“Cash for Grass”)
• Developing a Landscape Water Audit and Budget Program
• Developing a Prioritized Leak Detection Program
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• Conducting a Complete Water System Audit
• Billing with Commodity Rates (and eventually Tiered Rates)
Overview of the San Joaquin Valley Plug-In Electric Vehicle (PEV) Readiness Plan
The primary focus of the San Joaquin Valley Plug-In Electric Vehicle (PEV) Readiness Plan is on
the installation of PEV charging infrastructure, or electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE). The
plan provides an assessment of five core actions critical to preparing municipalities for PEV
deployment, including 1) zoning and parking, 2) permitting and inspection, 3) building codes, 4)
training and education, and 5) outreach to local businesses and residents. Each of these core
activities includes a profile of three critical components:
• Policy Gaps and Areas for Improvement
• Addressing Policy Gaps and Areas for Improvement
• Recommendations for Regional Next Steps
During the development of the downtown and Blackstone Regional Transportation Plan (RTP)
project pipeline, Energize Fresno will coordinate with PEV readiness plan stakeholders to
incorporate various plan components.
CONCLUSION
Based on the foregoing policy and planning initiatives, Energize Fresno sees clear value and
alignment in focusing efforts on the Blackstone BRT corridor, downtown planning area, and
relevant activity corridors. By defining the EOZ as the Blackstone and Downtown areas, Energize
Fresno can concentrate on infill development and energy deployment where the city sees the
most benefits accruing, leverage existing public plans, develop clean energy and resource
efficiency, bolster infill development, and increase low-impact, high-mobility improvements.
Additionally, due to the nature of energy efficiency and the desire for cost-effectiveness, any
energy infrastructure improvements to public property will carry with them the fiscal
responsibility that the City of Fresno General Plan prizes.
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CHAPTER 3: City of Fresno Overview
Chapter 3 provides an overview of the City of Fresno based on community demographics,
consumption habits, and energy development with the purpose of providing insight into
existing conditions affecting all sectors (residential, commercial, and industrial) in Fresno. The
Energize Fresno team will use this information to identify project focus, outreach and
marketing opportunities, as well as to inform the project evaluation process as needed. This
material was derived from different sources including: City of Fresno internal data, City of
Fresno 2035 General Plan, City of Fresno Consolidated Plan, and PG&E.
Demographics
This section summarizes key demographic information and provides analysis of the
implications for Energize Fresno. Understanding Fresno’s demographic information ensures
Energize Fresno’s cultural sensitivity, local integration, and commitment to community needs. It
is also vital to identifying gaps and opportunities for the program’s outreach components.
Fresno has a relatively young population (Figure 3-1); the largest age group in Fresno, ages 25
to 34, makes up 15 percent of the total population. This age group presumably comprises a
significant portion of the workforce and young families.
16
Figure 3-1 – 2014 Demographic Distribution of Sex and Age
Source: City of Fresno
Fresno consistently has higher levels of unemployment than the rest of California (currently 9
percent vs. 6.3 percent in California as a whole). In 2009, the Local Government sector had the
highest level of employment in the city with 47,800 jobs, and Educational Services had the
lowest proportion of total employment with only 4,400 jobs (Figure 3-2). Geographically, the
greatest estimated number of jobs are located in Downtown Fresno with 31,597 jobs. The
lowest level of employment is located along the Blackstone corridor south of Shaw Ave.
17
Figure 3-2 – 2009-2035 Projected Fresno County Employment Growth
Source: City of Fresno
18
Fresno has long been an economically challenged community. Figure 3-3 lists Fresno’s
distribution of poverty in 2013. As seen in the table, 32 percent of the population of Fresno are
classified as either moderately poor, severely poor, or on public assistance. According to the
2015 American Community Survey, Fresno’s median income was $46,949 in 2015, $17,551
lower than the median California household income and $8,826 less than the US median
household income.
Figure 3-3 – 2013 Poverty Distribution
Source: City of Fresno
Fresno’s population is racially diverse; Hispanics/Latinos make up nearly 50 percent of the
city’s total population as shown in Figure 3-4, with White at 28.4 percent and Asian at 13.2
percent. Due to Fresno’s multicultural diversity, it is unsurprising that the language distribution
varies greatly among residents. According to Figure 3-5 English is the most common language
in Fresno at 59 percent, Spanish comes in second at 30 percent, with Asian, Indo-European, and
other languages representing the remaining percentages.
19
Figure 3-4 – 2014 Demographic Distribution of Race
Source: City of Fresno
20
Figure 3-5 – 2013 Language Distribution
Source: City of Fresno
Additionally, California’s Central Valley is one of the fastest growing regions in the state. With a
population of 520,772 in 2016, the City of Fresno has more than doubled in size since 1980 and
is expected to continue growing for decades to come (Figure 3-6). This expansion will place an
increased burden on already aging infrastructure in a city where 78 percent of the housing in
Fresno was built prior to 1990 (Figure 3-7).
21
Figure 3-6 – Population Growth from 1960 to 2016
Source: City of Fresno
22
Figure 3-7 – 2013 Housing Stock and Decadal Build
Source: City of Fresno
This demographic information portrays a diverse community with great variety in cultural
values that are important to address when developing a program like Energize Fresno. To
respond to a growing population, but also one that has a significant percentage who are in or
near poverty, Energize Fresno should prioritize projects that provide high-quality affordable
housing while not increasing street traffic and congestion. Additionally, with such a significant
older housing stock, projects in Fresno should prioritize energy efficiency upgrades and
retrofits in existing neighborhoods over new construction.
Energize Fresno should also consider job growth and economic development metrics when
evaluating community benefits of potential EOZ projects. Particularly advantageous projects
would offer financing or other mechanisms that reduce upfront costs as much as possible to
yield the largest benefit to the community. Taken further, this demographic profile suggests
that a focus on development with accessible transportation and housing in proximity to
workplaces and amenities would cater to these demographic pressures, while also responding
to a younger population’s desire for more transit-oriented and accessible communities.
In terms of marketing factors, the diversity of cultural backgrounds and languages present in
the Fresno community stresses the importance of having a variety of communication methods
23
available to reach different populations when collecting community input and implementing
projects whose successes depend on broad community participation. Especially with the
prominence of the Spanish language and Hispanic/Latino communities, it is critical that
Energize Fresno engages and coordinates with those cultural community organizations. In
addition, Fresno’s economic profile suggests that project messaging may be more successful if
it emphasizes cost savings ahead of other possible benefits (e.g. energy independence, clean
air).
Resource Consumption Information
In 2015, 60 percent of energy was non-residential and 40 percent was residential. Between 2005
and 2015 Fresno saw a 2.8 percent increase in electricity consumption. The average single-
family home in Fresno consumes 40 percent more electricity than a multi-family home.
According to PG&E data, the most residential electricity use is seen in North, West, and
Southeast edges of Fresno, which correspond to newer homes and more affluent
neighborhoods.
Figure 3-8 shows the natural gas usage for the City of Fresno from 2005 to 2015; total gas
usage for 2015 was 125,823,169 therms. Between 2005 and 2015 Fresno saw a 15.6 percent
decrease in natural gas use. Within the City of Fresno, gas is most commonly used for
residential heating (58 percent) and electricity (36 percent).
24
Figure 3-8 – Overall Natural Gas Use and Change from 2005-2015
Source: City of Fresno
25
In July 2013, the City of Fresno consumed 5,679 million gallons of water (Figure 2-2). Between
2013 and 2016 Fresno saw a decrease in water usage of 19.2 percent. According to the
California Energy Commission, water-related electricity use accounts for nearly 20 percent of all
electricity consumption and 30 percent of non-power plant natural gas use in the state of
California.
Figure 3-9 – 2013-2016 City of Fresno Overall Water Consumption Graph
Source: City of Fresno
Over the 10-year period between 2005 and 2015, the City of Fresno has decreased its overall
annual energy consumption by 8 percent even with significant population growth. This
potentially signals the community’s adoption of more energy-efficient technologies and
reduced consumption habits; however, with the recession, this reduced use may be tied to
lower economic activity. The majority of electricity consumption in Fresno is non-residential
however, and overall Fresno is seeing an increase in energy demand per capita. As such,
Energize Fresno should emphasize energy efficiency in non-residential buildings while also
innovating new ways to encourage affluent residents to further reduce energy consumption.
Unlike electricity consumption, natural gas consumption is decreasing while population is
increasing, despite widespread penetration of natural gas appliances. This potentially indicates
a movement towards electrification of home heating systems and away from natural gas. If this
is the case, Energize Fresno has the opportunity to encourage increased efficiency in electrical
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appliances, and the ability to offset electrical consumption through renewable energy
deployment. In contrast, with continued natural gas consumption, the energy is not offset with
increased renewable deployment, making a net zero energy district more difficult.
Fresno has, on average, decreased its water consumption over the past three years. This is
encouraging, as it suggests that increased water consumption is not synonymous with Fresno’s
rapid population growth rate. However, it is also concerning that Fresno saw an over 35 percent
increase in water consumption in 2016, a critical year in the midst of California’s historic
drought. The significant attention being paid to water savings in California and the history of
water consumption increases is a major opportunity for Energize Fresno to capitalize on
existing water saving programs and offer new water efficiency measures, conserving both water
and energy in the process.
Clean Energy, Efficiency, and Renewable Development
Figure 3-10 shows energy and resource conservation measures financed by the Property-
Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program operating within the City of Fresno. For 2015, the non-
residential total was $695,419 over 5 sites. This work encompassed 40 chillers, 40 lights, 20
solar and 20 roofs. The 2015 Home Energy Renovation Opportunity (HERO) PACE residential
total was $10,212,934 over 1027 sites. This work encompassed 43 solar installations, 18
windows, 13 air conditioners, and 10 roof renovations. Additionally, CaliforniaFIRST PACE
financed 97 residential site improvements at a cost of $8,124,020. Specific measure
breakdowns for CaliforniaFIRST were not available.
Figure 3-10 – 2014-2015 Energy Efficiency Financing Trend
Source: City of Fresno
Since Fresno is in Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) territory, the city energy mix reflects that of
PG&E. Figure 3-11 shows the composition of renewable power delivered by PG&E. Renewable
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energy represents 27 percent of total power production, with Solar Photovoltaic (PV) and Wind
generation being the primary sources. PG&E has a significant number of renewable energy
sources and, in part because of the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), is expected to
increase its portfolio in the decades to come. The utility also expects to make improvements to
the electric transmission infrastructure in Fresno to accommodate both the increasing demand
for electricity and renewable generation around Fresno (primarily solar PV).
Figure 3-11 – 2014 PG&E Composition of Renewable Power
Source: City of Fresno
Privately owned solar PV installations have increased dramatically over the past 10 years.
Figure 3-12 shows the annual number of new, residential solar installations located within the
City of Fresno, and Figure 3-13 shows the annual number of new, non-residential solar
installations over time. At the beginning of 2016, there were 11,416 residential solar
installations (2010 total housing units: 170,495) and 294 commercial solar installations in the
City of Fresno. Based on the current trajectory and increased cost-competitiveness of solar,
there is reason to believe that the number of annual installations will continue to increase.
28
Figure 3-12 – Residential Solar Sites from 2001 to 2015
Source: City of Fresno
29
Figure 3-13 – Non-Residential Solar Sites from 2002 to 2015
Source: City of Fresno
Energize Fresno could leverage pending energy infrastructure investments in Fresno (e.g. by
deploying a microgrid) in ways that help both PG&E and the city accommodate more renewable
technologies and ensure grid resilience and reliability. Energize Fresno can also take advantage
of PACE activity and residential and non-residential solar sites to supplement regional efforts
and build out Fresno’s efficiency and renewable capacity.
The success of renewable energy deployment to date in Fresno demonstrates a consumer
demand that Energize Fresno can capitalize on. From a marketing perspective, it is easier to get
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consumers on board with new technologies or treatments if their neighbors have already
participated.
Furthermore, the steady increase in renewables offers the opportunity to increase Fresno’s
consumption of renewable energy by utilizing AEC technology such as battery storage, to
decrease energy costs and flatten loads on the grid.
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CHAPTER 4: Summary of Guiding Conditions
Fresno is a city that has a great diversity of cultures and languages as well as a large disparity
in resident incomes. As the population continues to grow, increased pressures are placed on
the current transportation system, local economy, housing stock, energy infrastructure, and
other existing resources, exacerbating the financial strain on many citizens.
In response, Energize Fresno will prioritize projects that address these pressures, increasing
the community’s energy and water efficiency while streamlining traffic flow, deploying clean
technologies, and creating jobs and economic opportunity in Fresno. Measurable goals should
center on resource conservation and innovative financing options while enhancing mixed-use
development and the smart growth vision set down by local policy. Energize Fresno will
supplement Fresno’s efforts for change by consolidating the selection process of high-quality,
cost-effective city projects that contribute to community prosperity through means of an AEC.
In summary, the preceding chapters suggest the following guiding conditions:
1. Focus Area: Energize Fresno focuses on the EOZ in the Blackstone-Downtown area (E.
Clinton Ave to McKinley Ave, E. Dakota Ave to E. Shields Ave and E. Olive Ave to 180 SB).
This EOZ incorporates all of the preceding local planning initiatives, policies, and goals
to support projects within its boundaries. The EOZ was defined in consultation with the
project team and selected based on a variety of reasons, including but not limited to:
high-density of project activity, diversity of development, and transportation
improvements. In reviewing Fresno’s General Plan and Fresno COG’s SCS, guidelines for
Energize Fresno’s program design have become apparent, directing project efforts
towards energy efficiency and infill development along the Blackstone and Fulton Street
Corridors as well as in the central downtown planning area. “Nodes,” or target points
prioritized for projects within the EOZ, have been defined and encompass existing or
planned transit sites at the intersections of Blackstone/Shields, Blackstone/Weldon,
Blackstone/Olive, along the Fulton Street Corridor, and at the sites for the proposed High
Speed Rail station and South Stadium Area.
2. Project Emphasis: Development of an EOZ provides a chance to increase grid reliability,
reduce costs, and improve economic opportunities. Energize Fresno projects should
appeal to culturally diverse populations within Fresno and should strive to reduce
income disparities for low-income community members. A mix of commercial and
residential projects that engage all community members in the EOZ should be a high
priority. Projects should balance an emphasis on clean energy deployment, resource
savings, and infill development with other important goals such as health, sustainability,
and economic development.
3. Leveraging for Increased Impact: By leveraging community plans and improvements,
Energize Fresno can integrate AEC strategies into current and future projects for
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increased grid reliability, efficiency, and resource conservation. Additionally, by
furthering PACE and city sustainability efforts to decrease energy usage, Fresno may
enter into a more sustainable energy and resource model, unaffected by potential
burdens brought about by population growth.
4. Community Engagement Principles: Moving forward, Energize Fresno’s community
outreach and marketing strategy needs to be approached from a variety of directions.
Only by appealing to different populations, seeking out underrepresented groups, and
overcoming language barriers will the partnership successfully implement an AEC. What
this means for Energize Fresno is outreach in Spanish and other prominent languages in
the community, coordination with community organizations, and working with
environmental justice organizations and other entities representing disadvantaged
communities.
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CHAPTER 5: Project Identification & Scoring
This chapter contains a compilation of projects, their details, and an EOZ site map. In order to
create the project list, the Energize Fresno team reached out to departments at the City of
Fresno and requested input on known projects both internal to the city (public) and external
(private). The team also gathered similar fields of information for each of the submitted
projects to help facilitate the project evaluation process by maintaining a consistent level of
project presentation.
The project list is not an exhaustive list, as there are likely to be projects that are unknown to
the Energize Fresno team or that arise during the project process. The Energize Fresno team
will consider and evaluate new projects using similar methods.
Project Identification & Review Methodology
The Sustainable Division worked together with the Energize Fresno team to develop a Project
Detail Template below (Appendix B). The purpose of this template was to maintain consistency
in the information gathered from different sources within the city to allow the team maximum
comparative capability. The template accompanied a department memo (and the Energize
Fresno Fact Sheet) in communications to departments and divisions within the City of Fresno.
City staff compiled the initial list and then built out details in consultation with the project
team.
The Energize Fresno team collected the project information generated by the City of Fresno into
a comprehensive project inventory that initially included 45 projects. Team members added
several additional projects based on known initiatives and project concepts that aligned with
program goals. The project inventory includes both city and private projects with 70 percent
being private projects.
The current project list includes a range of types including new construction, renovation, and
programmatic initiatives such as planning, code improvements, etc. Programs and initiatives
are included in the project list because each of them represents the implementation of an AEC
technology or adoption of an AEC practice that goes above and beyond traditional performance.
Potential project costs range from a few hundred thousand to a billion dollars.
In many cases, there is no known start date (especially for private projects with unknown
funding). Based on the assumption that EPIC Phase I planning activities can identify potential
funding to move some of these projects into development, the projects were assigned a flexible
start date that could coincide with EPIC Phase 2 (after May 2018).
Energize Fresno used initial identified projects and assumptions about the projects (Start Dates,
Type, Cost, Sector, Alignment with 2035 General Plan, Potential Technology and Potential
Energy Use Intensity) to develop and refine the Phase I Pre-Filter (described in Chapter 1). From
34
this process, 29 projects emerged and are described in Table 5-1 below. At this time, it is too
early in the process to determine the types of AEC technologies that would be deployed with
each project.
35
Figure 5-1 – Projects After Phase I Pre-Filter Stage 1 Scoring
Project Number
Project Category Project/Program Description Project Timeline Pre-Filter
Score
3 New Construction 200 room hotel or 150 residential units overlooking sports facility on current surface parking lot with structured parking
TBD 61
4 Adaptive Reuse Adaptive reuse into office / restaurant with rooftop dining overlooking a sports facility
TBD 74
5 Adaptive Reuse Adaptive reuse into office/institutional uses with potential ground floor retail TBD 74
15-16 Rehab/New Construction
New buildings, upgrade/update structures in and around an activity center, opportunity for energy efficiency and smart grid technology.
2016-2020 141
17 Mixed Use 5-story mixed-use building with 51 units of mixed-income rental housing and 10,000 sf of retail/office space on ground floor. Building is proposed to include rooftop solar; may exceed CalGreen Title 24 standards or achieve LEED certified.
May 2017 groundbreaking,
complete in May 2018 144
18 Planning Project
Master Plan focused on the area within roughly a quarter-mile of the future Fresno HSR Station. Mainly focuses on optimal development scenarios, market study, financing and implementation strategies. Will likely include a significant energy efficiency component.
Start in late 2014, completed in fall 2016
135
19 Planning Neighborhood approach to Identify potential business locations within the project zone to invest in energy and resource conservation.
Planning due to be complete by Q3 or
2017 126
20 Adaptive Reuse Master-planned, 2.5 million square foot campus for technology and innovation education in the South Stadium Area (Chukchansi Park) as well as a light rail system spanning Fresno County.
In the next few years 112
21 Rehab Rehab of historic 6 story structure into 75 mixed income residential units, potential inclusion of energy efficiency measures, and renewables.
TBD 111
22 Rehab Reconstruction and revitalization of infrastructures located within the mall. This includes more food courts, moving offices upstairs, and making infrastructure energy efficient.
TBD 120
23 New Construction 5 to 8 story mixed use building with hotel, apartments/condos over ground floor retail, wrapped around shared HSR/City parking structure
TBD 83
24 Rehab Rehab of 4 story historic building to include 3 stories of residential lofts over retail/restaurant space. Potentially funding energy efficiency and AEC components through GGRF.
TBD 87
25 New Construction 81 units and 8,000sf of commercial, infill, compact development, lower transportation footprint.
Fall of 2017 86
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26 A 180,000-square foot pediatric building and increase bed space by one-third at a hospital. Opportunity for energy efficiency implementations, such as EV charging in parking lots.
Late 2018 76
27 Transit Hub Intermodal transit center that will be a transfer hub for regional transit systems (including an electric shuttle to downtown Amtrak) to HSR
Start 2017-2025 100
28 Rehab Rehab of 10 story historic as a potential office or boutique hotel with ground floor retail
TBD 51
29 Rehab Rehab of historic 9 story building with existing office and ground floor retail TBD 51
30 New Construction 5 story building, 54 residential units, 18,364 sf retail, 3,672 sf office, 210 stall parking structure
TBD 65
31 New Construction 5 story apartments/condos over retail, infill, energy efficiency potential. TBD 64
32 New Construction 70-unit mixed-use development over roughly 10,000 square feet of retail/office space
TBD 74
33 Street Improvement Improving H Street next to HSR station as a multimodal corridor with bike lane Start 2017-2025 53
34 New Construction 5 story building, 104 residential units, 6908 sf retail, 574 stall parking structure TBD 73
35 Adaptive Reuse Adaptive reuse of existing warehouse into office space, surface parking could be developed with HSR parking structure and or residential/retail
TBD 73
36 Planning Project Community plan covering downtown and surrounding neighborhoods to SW and SE. Chapters cover energy efficiency and resource savings through efficient land use patterns, transit, active transportation options, and green infrastructure
TBD 47
37 Rehab Rehab of existing 1,284-seat historic building with some second-floor office space TBD 66
38 New Construction 8-unit townhome development, infill and energy efficiency opportunities. TBD 71
39 Program WECAN offers rebates (or upfront installation costs) for turf replacement, efficient irrigation systems, and greywater irrigation systems for residential, commercial, and institutional buildings.
2015 86
40 New Park New park in Chinatown, very likely to include storm water management and green infrastructure
Start 2017-2025 55
41 Tulare Street Improvement
Improving Tulare Street as a multimodal corridor with a protected bike lane Start 2017-2025 55
Projects 3, 4, 5, and 14-15 (Rehab and New Construction Projects) are from the final Energize Fresno project portfolio.
Source: The Local Government Commission
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The projects represent a mixture of public works, planning initiatives, private projects, and
energy and water efficiency initiatives. Geographically the projects are located primarily in the
downtown section of the EOZ, demonstrating the downtown-centric development that was
planned before the initiation of the BRT corridor along Blackstone.
Additionally, most of the projects require significant capital expenditure and are focused on
commercial and municipal development. There are mixed developments planned, and some of
the programs actively target residential homes, however these are largely outweighed by the
commercial projects.
The two programs included in the project list are operational, funded programs currently active
in Fresno. However, more programs are needed to address the “smaller” needs of businesses
and residences that don’t warrant their own project (e.g. weatherization of an individual
building, appliance rebates, and lighting upgrades).
Given apparent gaps in this current list, Energize Fresno should conduct additional outreach to
find projects that are located in different sections of the EOZ, projects of varying size and
scope, and projects that address the needs of more of the disadvantaged community
neighborhoods and residents to develop a robust Master Community Plan that responds to the
needs of Fresno across the entire EOZ.
38
Figure 5-2 – Map of Projects within the EOZ
Source: The Local Government Commission
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CHAPTER 6: Conclusions
This report first summarizes local planning goals and initiatives that demonstrate the vision of
local planners and policymakers in the City of Fresno, then draws applicable sections out in
order to inform the development of the program. As a whole, the planning documents focus on
encouraging investment in downtown and along the major Blackstone and Fulton Street
arteries. In order to align with these priority areas, Energize Fresno selected the Blackstone-
Downtown area as the EOZ. The team also determined the area nodes based on planned BRT
and transit stops and has placed priority on infill and mixed-use development as well as
increasing the efficiency of existing buildings to coordinate with the redevelopment plans.
Transit access is also to be made convenient, appealing, and available to all residents.
Even with significant population growth, energy usage in Fresno has decreased, which is
promising. However, it is important to note that electricity consumption is increasing while
natural gas consumption is decreasing. Building off of the momentum of solar installations
throughout the city, Energize Fresno will advance AEC components in the new utility upgrades
to further reduce costs, provide for increasing renewable energy sources, and build up the
capacity of the grid. Additionally, Fresno has been on the right track in reducing water usage as
well (despite an increase in consumption in 2016), and Energize Fresno can continue those
efforts by connecting projects to water-efficiency and drought resistance programs.
Moving forward, the Energize Fresno team should put extensive time and research into
identifying viable financing solutions that encourage people to reduce their energy
consumption and costs, with cost savings emphasized in marketing materials. Furthermore,
due to the great cultural and language diversity in Fresno, the team must utilize multiple
avenues of communication to ensure minority and low-income populations are represented in
discussions regarding community issues and in identifying community needs. This includes
outreach in multiple languages, outreach to underserved communities, as well as a focus on
engaging and including low-income communities that would otherwise not be able to
participate.
In focusing revitalization efforts and resource savings in the heart of Fresno and along major
transportation corridors, the Energize Fresno team hopes its endeavors will carry forth
throughout the city and provide a model for clean energy deployment and reliability in the San
Joaquin Valley region.
To address these concerns and opportunities, Energize Fresno is developing a platform to
evaluate projects based on their cost-effectiveness and ability to conserve resources and
provide other community benefits. Energize Fresno will match projects that pass the
preliminary filter and are selected for deployment with funding sources as well as community
organizations to help market, manage project components, and ensure that projects are well-
suited to be part of the EOZ and address Fresno’s needs. Given the gaps in the current list of
40
projects however, Energize Fresno should conduct additional outreach to find projects of
varying size and scope and projects that address the needs of disadvantaged community
neighborhoods and residents to develop an effective Master Community Plan that
acknowledges the needs of all of the different sections across the entire EOZ. There should be
an additional focus on gathering more programmatic approaches that can address “minor”
improvements across the EOZ in a single pass, while potentially seeing significant resource
savings; for example, an attic insulation program that can decrease energy consumption by 10-
20 percent at a low-cost point.
In order to address the gaps in project identification, and in recognition that projects must
come from the community and reflect community priorities, Energize Fresno has engaged a
local TAC. The TAC is being used to solicit projects, ensure projects target communities
effectively, address real problems, and are the most effective use of limited resources.
41
GLOSSARY
Term Definition
AEC Advanced Energy Community
BRT Bus Rapid Transit
COG Council of Governments
EOZ Energy Opportunity Zone
EPIC Electric Program Investment Charge
EVSE Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment
GHG Greenhouse Gas
HERO Home Energy Renovation Opportunity
HSR High Speed Rail
HSRA High Speed Rail Authority
PACE Property-Assessed Clean Energy
PEV Plug-in Electric Vehicle
PG&E Pacific Gas & Electric (utility)
PV Photovoltaic
RPS Renewable Portfolio Standard
RTP Regional Transportation Plan
SCS Sustainable Communities Strategy
TAC Technical Advisory Committee
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APPENDIX A. CITY OF FRESNO GENERAL PLAN 17
PRIORITIES
1. Increase opportunity, economic development, business and job creation.
Use urban form, land use, and Development Code policies to streamline permit approval,
promote local educational excellence and workforce relevance, significantly increase business
development and expansion, retain and attract talented people, create jobs and sustained
economic growth, strategically locate employment lands and facilities, and avoid over-
saturation of a single type of housing, retail or employment.
2. Support a successful and competitive Downtown.
Emphasize infill development and a revitalized central core area as the primary activity
center for Fresno and the region by locating substantial growth in the Downtown, and along
the corridors leading to the Downtown. Use vision-based policies in a development code
specific to the Downtown, when adopted, to ensure the creation of a unique sense of place in
the central core.
3. Emphasize conservation, successful adaptation to climate and changing resource conditions,
and performance effectiveness in the use of energy, water, land, buildings, natural resources,
and fiscal resources required for the long-term sustainability of Fresno.
4. Emphasize achieving healthy air quality and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
5. Support agriculture and food production as an integral industry.
Emphasize the economic and cultural role of Fresno as a center of agriculture and food
production systems by conserving farmland through a focus on developing vacant and
underutilized land within the established Sphere of Influence of the City, limiting any further
urban boundary expansion, and developing urban agriculture within the city and designated
growth areas.
6. Protect, preserve, and enhance natural, historic, and cultural resources.
Emphasize the continued protection of important natural, historic and cultural resources in
the future development of Fresno. This includes both designated historic structures and
neighborhoods, but also “urban artifacts” and neighborhoods that create the character of
Fresno.
7. Provide for a diversity of districts, neighborhoods, housing types (including affordable
housing), residential densities, job opportunities, recreation, open space, and educational
venues that appeal to a broad range of people throughout the city.
8. Develop Complete Neighborhoods and districts with an efficient and diverse mix of
residential densities, building types, and affordability which are designed to be healthy,
attractive, and centered by schools, parks, and public and commercial services to provide a
sense of place and that provide as many services as possible within walking distance.
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Intentionally plan for Complete Neighborhoods as an outcome and not a collection of
subdivisions; which do not result in Complete Neighborhoods.
9. Promote a city of healthy communities and improve quality of life in established
neighborhoods.
Emphasize supporting established neighborhoods in Fresno with safe, well maintained, and
accessible streets, public utilities, education and job training, proximity to jobs, retail services,
health care, affordable housing, youth development opportunities, open space and parks,
transportation options, and opportunities for home grown businesses.
10. Emphasize increased land use intensity and mixed-use development at densities supportive
of greater use of transit in Fresno.
Greater densities can be achieved through encouragement, infrastructure and incentives for
infill and revitalization along major corridors and in Activity Centers.
11. Emphasize and plan for all modes of travel on local and Major Streets in Fresno.
Facilitate travel by walking, biking, transit, and motor vehicle with interconnected and linked
neighborhoods, districts, major campuses and public facilities, shopping centers and other
service centers, and regional transportation such as air, rail, bus and highways.
12. Resolve existing public infrastructure and service deficiencies, make full use of existing
infrastructure, and invest in improvements to increase competitiveness and promote
economic growth.
Emphasize the fair and necessary costs of maintaining sustainable water, sewer, streets, and
other public infrastructure and service systems in rates, fees, financing and public investments
to implement the General Plan. Adequately address accumulated deferred maintenance, aging
infrastructure, and risks to service continuity, desired standards of service to meet quality-of-
life goals, and required infrastructure to support growth, economic competitiveness and
business development.
13. Emphasize the city as a role model for good growth management planning, efficient
processing and permit streamlining, effective urban development policies, environmental
quality, and a strong economy. Work collaboratively with other jurisdictions and institutions
to further these values throughout the region.
Positively influence the same attributes in other jurisdictions of the San Joaquin Valley—and
thus the potential for regional sustainability—and improve the standing and credibility of the
City to pursue appropriate State, LAFCO, and other regional policies that would curb sprawl
and prevent new unincorporated community development which compete with and threaten
the success of sustainable policies and development practices in Fresno.
14. Provide a network of well-maintained parks, open spaces, athletic facilities, and walking and
biking trails connecting the city’s districts and neighborhoods to attract and retain a broad
range of individuals, benefit the health of residents, and provide the level of public
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amenities required to encourage and support development of higher density urban living
and transit use.
15. Improve Fresno's visual image and enhance its form and function through urban design
strategies and effective maintenance.
16. Protect and improve public health and safety.
17. Recognize, respect, and plan for Fresno's cultural, social, and ethnic diversity, and foster an
informed and engaged citizenry.
Emphasize shared community values and genuine engagement with and across different
neighborhoods, communities, institutions, businesses and sectors to solve difficult problems
and achieve shared goals for the success of Fresno and all its residents.
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APPENDIX B. CITY OF FRESNO PROJECT SOLICITATION
DOCUMENT
Source: The Local Government Commission
Project Title
Is this project sensative/confidential
If project is sensative and/or
confidential please provide a brief
explanation
Please provide brief project/program
description or planned policy change.
Please include known energy or other
resource saving technologies, or
practies that will be utilized.
If there is a budget for this project and
you can list it, please provide. Include
sources of funding if known or planned
for.
Please provide project address or
approximate location
What sector of the community will this
project affect? (Residential,
Commercial, Industrial, All)
What is the anticipated start or
completion year of this project? Or is
this project in concept?
Who would be the person we could
contact who is most informed on the
project planning?
POTENTIAL PROJECT WITHIN ICRM (blackstone corridor and downtown) AREA
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APPENDIX C. ENERGIZE FRESNO PHASE I PRE-FILTER
Energize Fresno Phase I Pre-Filter
Energize Fresno is a partnership between the Local Government Commission, the City of Fresno, Fresno Metro Ministry, CALSTART, and Tierra Resource Consultants, funded by the California Energy Commission to accelerate the deployment of Advanced Energy Communities. In support of this effort, we are seeking to identify potential projects that are candidates for development under the program. In order to streamline identification of projects with strong potential, we have created a “pre-filter” tool to quickly and easily assess projects at a high level.
The pre-filter is utilized as projects are found and is conducted in two phases. This document represents the first phase of that filtering process and is meant to be used for any project that anyone wants us to consider. This “Phase I Pre-Filter” is a tool to highlight very broad characteristics of potential projects prior to passing them to the project team for detailed analysis, and ultimately consideration for development through the Energize Fresno program.
Phase I Pre-Filter The Phase I Pre-Filter is a high-level rapid assessment tool for identifying elements of a given project that suggest it warrants further consideration, or should instead be set aside. This is not meant to be a totally inclusive quantitative methodology, but will rather provide a less subjective evaluation. Projects are evaluated on the merits listed below.
The pre-filter is separated into two main categories: 1.) Critical Path and 2.) Semi-Critical Path and Added Benefits/Support. The first section must earn a passing grade in order to continue on to the second section.
We want to hear from you As invested community members, we want your input and suggestions to help make Energize Fresno a success.
Please use the Phase I Pre-Filter to suggest projects, initiatives, partner organizations, and geographic areas that you think align with the Energize Fresno model and meet the basic project criteria below.
If you have comments, questions, or suggestions, please contact the Energize Fresno team or visit the Energize Fresno website: www.lgc.org/energize-fresno.
Neil Matouka Project Manager, LGC [email protected] (916) 448-1198 x303
Keith Bergthold Executive Director, FMM [email protected] (559) 485-1416 x101
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Project Title: _________________________________________
Brief Project Description: _________________________________________
_________________________________________
Project Location: _________________________________________
1. Anticipated build schedule: a. Earliest Potential Start
i. ◯ Early-Mid 2017 (1)
ii. ◯ Late 2017 (2)
iii. ◯ 2018 - 2019 (3)
iv. ◯ 2020-2022 (2)
v. ◯ 2023+ (1)
b. Expected Duration
i. ◯ 0 - 2 years (3)
ii. ◯ 2 - 4 years (2)
iii. ◯ 4+ years (1)
2. Are there “Advanced Energy Community” components to this project? (0) (5) (10)
a. Grid reliability and resiliency [ ◯ No | ◯ Maybe | ◯ Yes ]
b. Energy savings [ ◯ No | ◯ Maybe | ◯ Yes ]
c. Renewable energy [ ◯ No | ◯ Maybe | ◯ Yes ]
d. Other ZNE or smart grid ____________ [ ◯ No | ◯ Maybe | ◯ Yes ]
3. Are there non-energy resource savings opportunities for this project? (0) (2) (5)
a. Water [ ◯ No | ◯ Maybe | ◯ Yes ]
b. Waste [ ◯ No | ◯ Maybe | ◯ Yes ]
c. Air Quality [ ◯ No | ◯ Maybe | ◯ Yes ]
d. Transportation [ ◯ No | ◯ Maybe | ◯ Yes ]
e. Other __________________________ [ ◯ No | ◯ Maybe | ◯ Yes ]
Must pass Questions 1 - 3 with a minimum cumulative score of 20 points.
4. Does the project have strong political momentum or backing from elected officials?
a. ◯ Yes (10)
b. ◯ No (0)
If yes, briefly describe ___________________
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5. Will the project be a keystone project (e.g. becomes an anchor around which other projects will develop)?
a. ◯ Yes (10)
b. ◯ No (0)
If yes, briefly describe ___________________
6. Will the project be in one of the Energy Opportunity Zone Nodes?
a. ◯ Yes (5)
i. ❐ Blackstone/Shields
ii. ❐ Blackstone/Weldon
iii. ❐ Blackstone/Olive
iv. ❐ High Speed Rail Station
v. ❐ Fulton Street Corridor
vi. ❐ South Stadium Area
b. ◯ No (0)
7. Does the project align with key public policies or initiatives? (0) (5) (10)
Local [ ◯ No | ◯ Maybe | ◯ Yes ]
State [ ◯ No | ◯ Maybe | ◯ Yes ]
If Yes or Maybe, please describe ______________________________________ 8. Are there strongly engaged/motivated community stakeholders?
(0) (5) (10) Community Groups [ ◯ No | ◯ Maybe | ◯ Yes ]
Business Groups [ ◯ No | ◯ Maybe | ◯ Yes ]
If Yes or Maybe, please describe ______________________________________
9. Are there community co-benefits? (0) (5) (10)
Local job creation potential [ ◯ No | ◯ Maybe | ◯ Yes ]
Focus on disadvantaged neighborhoods [ ◯ No | ◯ Maybe | ◯ Yes ]
Other _____________________________ [ ◯ No | ◯ Maybe | ◯ Yes ]
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APPENDIX D. LOCAL TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
AGENDA & PARTICIPANT LIST
Energize Fresno
Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Meeting
Tuesday - October 18, 2016 – 1:00 – 3:00 PM
Parc Grove Learning Center - Just South of Large Conference Center Building 2674 E. Clinton Ave., Fresno, CA 93703
Draft Agenda
1. Brief Overview of Energize Fresno & Goals of the Meeting – 5 min 2. Objectives for TAC Members - 5 min
a. Give feedback on efficacy and feasibility of project strategy b. Give feedback on project pipeline and prospective additional projects c. Give feedback on financing and funding platform d. Provide insight into initiatives, constituents, opportunities and constraints in
Fresno and CA e. Connect Energize Fresno with the relationships and knowledge needed for
success 3. TAC Member and Energize Fresno Team Members Self-Introductions - 20 min 4. Detailed Overview: What is Energize Fresno? Where is it going? - 20 min 5. Project Pipeline - 40 min 6. Project Buildout Walkthrough - 20 min 7. Moving Forward, Next Steps, Next Meeting Date - 10 min 8. Adjourn
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Local Technical Advisory Committee Participant List
Organization Local Technical Advisory
Committee Member
Private Business, Development, and Finance Sector
Fresno Chamber of Commerce Al Solis
San Joaquin Valley Manufacturing Alliance Mike Betts
BITWISE Industries Jake Soberal
Erganian Family Properties Richard Erganian
Council of Infill Builders Curt Johansen
Caglia Environmental Alan Davis
CaliforniaFIRST Tom Cotter
Manchester Shopping Center Moe Bagunu
Noyan-Frazier Properties Mehmet Noyan
Fresno First Bank Steve Miller
Lance-Kashian Isaac Gonzalez, Nathan Fries
The Penstar Group Scott Anderson
Public Agencies and Key Institutions
Fresno COG Peggy Arnest
City of Fresno Jose Gonzales
San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD)
Tom Jordan
Fresno Housing Authority Dave Brenner
Office of Community & Economic Development at Fresno State (OCED)
Ismael Herrera
Community Regional Medical Center (CRMC) Rachel Audino
Fresno Unified School District (FUSD) Frank DiLiddo
Energy Sector
PG&E Ann Kloose, Isaias Franco
Fresno EOC Vong Mouanoutoua, JD; Brian Angus
HERO (Renovate America) Robert Bendorf, Josh Brock
Solar Negotiators Chris Moran
The San Joaquin Valley Electric Vehicle Partnership (SJVEVP)
Linda Urata
Community Development
Better Blackstone CDC Keith Bergthold
Lowell CDC Esther Delahay
Chinatown Revitalization Inc. Of Fresno Kathy Omachi
GRID Alternatives Tom Esqueda
Habitat for Humanity Matthew Grundy
Source: The Local Government Commission