In this episode, we’re exploring how Contra Costa County is driving change toward a more sustainable future. Energy Manager Brendan Havenar-Daughton joins us to talk about the County’s efforts in energy management, expanding electric vehicle infrastructure, and building a greener tomorrow.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome to government Speak.
This is where we'll cut throughthe government speak to get the
information you need aboutcounty programs, services, and
events straight from the source.
Welcome to Government Speak,
Contra Costa County'sofficial podcast.
I'm your host Christy Jordan,Contra Costa County's public
information officer, and onthis episode we have Energy
(00:20):
Manager Brandon HavennerDoughton joining us in studio
at 10 Douglas.
Brendon, welcome to the podcast.
Thanks, Christy.
So what does energy management
encompass here atContrast County?
What's your job?
Well, first of all, I just wantto thank you for having me on
the County Pod.
This is a great opportunity toshare my perspective and also
the great work of theenergy program team.
(00:43):
Um, at its core, energymanagement is about monitoring,
controlling, and conservingenergy, and that's a very basic
baseline definition.
But for the county itself,it's a lot more than that.
Um, the reason we invest inresources, uh, for our energy
management program is toproduce critical benefits for
(01:03):
our community'ssustainable development.
The mission of our strategicenergy management program is to
prioritize clean energyresources for county operations
through fiscally responsibleactions that improve quality of
life for all.
So I just want to talk about afew of the benefits that come
with the work that we do.
There's, of course, thefinancial benefits of lowering
(01:24):
the cost of our utilities to
provide servicesto our community.
Um, we leverage state, uh,funding, uh, and, um, incentive
programs to help lower thecosts of our projects and
activities and even in somecases we produce revenue for
the county.
Um, the obvious benefitsare environmental.
(01:45):
We really are driven to reducegreenhouse gas emissions, um,
that cause, uh, global warmingclimate change, um, and also
some of the, um, the localizedpollution that comes from our
vehicles and, um, emissionsactually from our, uh, county
facilities that create airpollution that that causes
respiratory illnessesin our community.
(02:07):
Um, and, and finally social
benefits from theseactivities, um.
A lot of it comes back topublic health outcomes.
Uh, if we reduce localizedpollution, it increases, uh,
public health, um, and thenthere are, uh, ancillary
benefits around job creationand workforce development, um,
and, and again all driven, uh,towards this goal of improving
(02:29):
quality of life for all.
So all of that said, kind of ata really high level, it's about
making smarter decisions abouthow we provide services and not
at the expense ofproviding that service.
So, If you're a case workerand you're driving around the
county, you might be in anelectric vehicle instead of a
gas guzzler, so to speak, andthat's just one, you know, kind
(02:51):
of high level example ofwhat that might look like.
Um, so in terms, you know, it'sbetter for the environment,
it's better for those we serve,it's um cleaner and it could be
cost savings or even add to therevenue streams for the, for
the county.
What's your background?
(03:12):
Like how do you become an
energy manager fora local government?
Yeah, that's a great question.
So, um, I actually started myum studies as an undergrad in
something totally different,sustainable agriculture, um,
uh, and, and through my workand my studies and my master's
program, um, studyinginternational affairs affairs
(03:33):
with a focus in globalenvironmental politics.
Uh, I was really attracted tothis, this, this challenge of
how do we solve climate changeat the global level with, um,
um, um, between, you know,sovereign states, which is a
tall order, as we,as we all know.
(03:53):
Uh, I, I realized quickly thatI could put my efforts into,
um, uh, at the local level and,uh, and so I started a career
focused in energy because, um,that's where that's kind of the
center of the bull's eye whenwe think about, uh, where our
uh GHG greenhouse gas emissionscome from, um, is the way and
the the the way we use energyand, and the sources of, of
(04:16):
energy we use, um, and soworking with local government.
Um, from early on in my career,um, uh, is, uh, was, was always
kind of my goal.
Um, I've worked inthe private sector.
I've worked at, uh,investor and utilities.
I've worked at public schooldistricts and now here at the
county and, and through allthat work, um, I, um, I feel,
(04:40):
um, uh, privileged andempowered to, to, to tackle
this, this great challenge.
And I mean it's a,it's a tall order.
You have 12,000 employees.
Everyone comes to, you know,they have different approaches
to their work and then tryingto find alignment on these
issues that impacteveryone, um, is really key.
You, you talked about some ofthese, but what are some of the
(05:01):
counties, um, You know, keyenergy goals and strategies
that that help supportyou in your role.
I know the board had recentlytaken some actions, but you've
also highlighted how we'redriving down um greenhouse gas
emissions in our work.
So what are some of those kindof policies and strategies that
help you in your role?
Yeah, absolutely.
(05:22):
So I'm very proud to announcethat the board of supervisors
approved our strategicmanagement plan.
Uh, this January 2025, um, and,and this plan which I have in
front of me here is, um, tiestogether all of the many other
plans that the county haspassed over the years, in the
last 2.5 decades, um, thataddress energy management in
(05:44):
the county.
It also relates to our climateadaptation, our climate action
and adaptation plan, which isintertwined with our general
plan, which was justapproved, as we all know, um.
And so, uh, to break it down,um, there are a variety of um
uh strategies we take and waysthat we organize the work.
(06:08):
Um, one term I want, I want toteach everybody is distributed
energy resources.
It's a technical term andum it it it refers to um.
Uh, the energy efficiencyprojects that we do, the, the
renewable energy projectsthat we do, the solar, um, the
battery storage projects,um, the EV charging.
(06:30):
Uh, that we put in andso through all of these
distributed energy resourceswe're able to manage uh and
reduce, uh, energy use andimprove the efficiency of our
buildings, of our vehicle
fleets, uh, and ouroperations overall.
So happy to give an example,um, you know, a simple example
of energy efficiency is, youknow, coming to an office
(06:52):
building and making sure that
the lighting is asefficient as possible.
We, we all, I think knowabout um LED lighting.
Uh, and the improved lightquality that comes with some of
those products as well as theum, the, you know, the reduced
amount of energy required to
operate those, um,that equipment.
Um, some other examples, um.
(07:15):
You know, we, we've done afair amount of solar, uh,
development across the countyfacilities, um, over our
parking lots, we have, uh,solar arrays and carports, uh,
folks like to park under themfor the shade, uh, but they're
also producing powerfor our building.
Um, and most recently I've beentasked with, uh, focusing on
(07:36):
where we can install EVcharging infrastructure to
help, um, uh, advance our goals
around adopting aclean energy fleet.
So a zero emission vehiclefleet for the county.
And what kind of goes into thatthinking, you know, you think
about all the differentservices the county provides
(07:57):
the needs of one departmentwould be, you know, would vary
from another.
So when you, when you talk
about Um, let's sayfirst responders.
So, you know, police and, andsheriffs who, sheriff deputies
who need different types ofvehicles, high-speed chases,
maybe they're going into uhrocky or mountainous terrain.
Can you talk about that andwhat that looks like for the
(08:19):
county's fleet?
Yes, I think, um, it'simportant to realize that there
is a spectrum of vehicles, uh,and some are gonna be a lot
easier to electrify than others.
The the ones that don't have uhuh a lot of mileage put on on a
weekly basis, um, or they go toand from county buildings that
are located close to eachother, um, those are gonna be
(08:41):
the great candidates and so.
Our team is in the process ofuh uh writing a drafting a zero
emission vehicle transitionplan for our fleet services
division, um, which, whichreally looks at what are the,
the, the, the, what's the lowhanging fruit, what are the
easy, easy vehicles to, youknow, quote easy vehicles to,
(09:03):
uh, electrify and how are wegoing to address some of the
challenges associated with the
the harder toelectrify vehicles?
One of the thingsthat we're doing.
Excuse me, at the county levelwith many of our, uh, city
counterparts is we're conveninguh conversations around, um,
what's going to be needed at acounty-wide level with respect
(09:25):
to EV charging infrastructureto support some of these
hardest to electrify vehicleslike the code 3 or emergency
response vehicles thatyou that you mentioned.
Um, and what our public safetyofficials are telling us is
first and foremost we needchargers in the ground.
We need infrastructure that isreliable and accessible, um,
(09:46):
uh, and then we can startto tackle some of the other
challenges that come with,um, how we may need to change
operations when when we'reusing electric vehicles, so.
Um, it's a, it's a bigconversation where we're, it's
unfolding and we're having thatover the course of this year
with many of our publicsafety professionals.
So we've talked aboutEV infrastructure.
(10:08):
We've talked about kind of thetransition in the county fleet.
It's, it's more to comeand it's just that, right?
It's, it's a transitiongetting everybody on board.
Um, but what are some of the,the challenges and, and the
opportunities that come with
that expansion ofinfrastructure?
What does that looklike for, for folks?
Yeah, um,
(10:29):
There are opportunities that wehave in our facilities to just
plug this this new load, thisthese these chargers into our
uh main electrical panel in thebuildings that we that we uh
occupy and you know, we can fita few chargers, uh, the, the,
the, the amount of electricitythat's needed to um to supply
(10:51):
electricity for uh many, manychargers which is gonna be
necessary for ourfleet electrification.
Um, uh, goals, uh, is, isgonna, is gonna be, um, is we
don't, we, you know, our, ourbuildings don't support the,
the amount, uh, that we require.
And so we're gonna need towork closely with our investor
(11:12):
utility PG&E, um, to makesure that we can bring in new
service, um, and, um,and support that demand.
Now that that leads us toanother challenge which is uh
capacity constraints on thegrid and so, um, across the
grid there are jurisdictionsand zip codes that have less
(11:32):
capacity to offer than others,um, you know, we find higher
rates of capacity available inkind of industrialized areas
and maybe more constrained.
Capacity in residential areas.
What this means is that if wewanted to put in a bunch of
chargers to support uh electricvehicle operation and charging,
(11:52):
uh, we might be restrictedbecause the grid doesn't have
enough capacity to offer andso that's 11 challenge that we
face and and in overcoming thatchallenge we partner really
closely with PGE to understandwhere those capac capacity
constraints are and um and whatwe can do to overcome them.
I will say that one.
(12:14):
Um, one challenge is whenwe find those capacity
constraints, um, the amount oftime that's required to make
those upgrades, uh,is, is, uh, is long.
So, uh, to upgrade a substationthat that brings down high
voltage power toa community level.
Uh, to a neighborhood, it maytake 8 to 10 years, uh, and so,
uh, and just to put inperspective, you know, as we,
(12:37):
as we work to electrify societyin in California, um, the
transportation sector is gonna,is gonna cause is, is gonna, is
the, the biggest kind of tip ofthe spear to really um address
this uh constrained capacityissue that the grid has, um.
Uh, as an example, one of theprojects that we just completed
(12:57):
at, uh, one of our countyoffice buildings with 26 EV
chargers, um, when every caris plugged in, it's gonna be
pulling more power thanthe building itself.
And so if we think that we'regonna start to double the
amount of uh power ourbuildings require and even
surpass that, um, we're we'rewe're gonna really have to look
(13:18):
at the grid and how we'regonna, uh, partner with PGD to
make PG need to make sure we
have the, uh,power that we need.
So, it's, it's a lot ofadvocacy and partnership and
being able to identify thoseareas in order to enable the
county to be able to todo this kind of work, um.
It it seems like a very slowprocess with a lot outside of
(13:40):
our control.
Um, why is it worth it?
Well, aside from, um, you know,the, the goals at the state
level to electrify ourtransportation system.
Um, there are county levelpolicies that require, uh,
purchasing of zero emissionvehicles, um, and, and, and
(14:02):
those policies are based onanalysis that that go back to
tie back to some of thebenefits I was mentioning
earlier on, um, whether it's,it's eventual life cycle cost
savings, life cycle carbonemission reductions, um.
You know, these are the thingsthat, um, and then of course,
health, health, public healthbenefits, these are the things
(14:24):
that are are gonna be worth theinvestment to move away from
fossil fuel polluting vehicles,uh, and to um and to invest in
in electric technology.
Beyond the environmental andthe health benefits, you've
also talked about job creation.
So how does the the specificto the um expansion of EV
infrastructure kind of feedinto economic development?
(14:45):
Yeah, that's a great question.
Um, I believe that um through
the work of transportationelectrification.
Um, the work of, uh, adoptadopting and, and, and, uh,
electric vehicles and makingelectric vehicle technology
accessible to all in ourcounty, um, will create an
incredible demandto upgrade the grid.
(15:08):
And with that comes uh anability to uh invite uh
business to uh take root in ourcounty uh because now we have
the the capacity, theelectrical capacity to offer
for uh business services.
Um, I am aware of, ofsituations where, uh, larger
businesses that that demand alot of electricity may not have
(15:31):
found what they need in ourcounty and have gone to other
counties uh to set up shop.
And so, um, the again, the, thetransportation electrification
goal is gonna be that tip ofthe spear that helps us uh uh
ask for and uh ensure thatwe get the demand that the
capacity demand that werequire from PG&E, um.
(15:55):
You know, not only fortransportation but also for
business development.
With business comes jobs, um,and, uh, you know, the state
goals are clear that, you know,we're we're moving everything
to towards uh electrification,um, and so, um, as we work
towards also lookingat opportunities to.
(16:17):
Uh, to, to get natural gasout of our buildings, uh, and
electrify our heating andair conditioning systems, um,
we're, um, we're also, youknow, that that's kind of a
drop in the bucket comparedto the amount of power that's
needed for, uh, for ourvehicles and transportation.
So if the environmentalarguments aren't compelling and
(16:38):
the health arguments aren'tcompelling, you're actually
highlighting missedopportunities to bring in new
businesses and growthe local economy.
Um, which is huge.
I mean, if it translatesinto jobs for folks, that's
definitely something,um, to consider as well.
Um, in terms of, of kind ofsome of the, the innovative
(16:58):
projects that the county islooking at, what are, what are
we pursuing, um, as a localgovernment to, to expand some
of our abilities to, toprovide services this way.
Yeah, a couples I'd liketo highlight are um.
Uh, some of the microgridprojects and, and I should
probably define micro grid.
(17:20):
It sounds intuitive, but forthose of us who who might not,
what is a microgrid?
Yeah, it's basic,
um, um, uh, being able to, um,island ourselves a building.
Let me, let me start over.
A micro grid allows us to um
operate when the grid goes down.
(17:42):
Um, it, it allows our our ourbuilding to what we call island
itself from the grid and uhand um either generate its own
electricity or or pull froma battery storage system.
That um allows it tocontinue operations.
So essentially is anindependent grid from the
(18:03):
larger electrical grid.
So you're still able to provideelectricity and services
because you've built in kind ofa backup if the grid goes down
you're still able tofunction and and operate.
That's right.
And so that definition reallyhighlights the resiliency
component, the ability tocontinue doing work when.
Um, when there's disruption tothe system, but there are other
(18:25):
benefits to micro grids, um,and kind of tying back to some
of the utility cost savings andthe revenue generation that can
come from investingin this technology.
So for example, um, theCalifornia Independent System
Operator, which is theorganization that uh controls
and balances theelectrical grid.
(18:48):
Um, uh, many of our listenersmay know, uh, or be familiar
with flex alerts.
And so when the, the, the heat,the, the, the late summer heat
gets high and everybody'sputting their AC on, um, the
grid is, is at risk ofoverloading and from that will
come rolling brownoutsor blackouts.
And so what they do is they puta flex alert out and they say,
(19:10):
everybody please reduce yourusage, so, um, so we don't have
to, to experience.
The blackouts.
Um, and so our, uh, investingin these distributed energy
resources and in in this microgrid design will allow us to
better respond to someof those flex alerts.
Um, it will also allow us toTo do what's called energy
(19:33):
arbitrage, which is essentiallycharging our batteries when
electricity costs are lowand then discharging those
batteries when electricitycosts are high.
So that is also creatingdownward pressure on our
utility costs.
So some of those flex alertsmight look like, you know,
raise the temperature of yourair conditioner so that it's
(19:54):
not constantly running or Washyour dishes in your dishwasher
at a certain time wherethe demand is lower.
That's right, OK, um.
What are, uh, what are some ofthe steps that the county is
taking, you know, we've we'vetalked about infrastructure,
we've talked about jobcreation, we've talked about
public health benefits.
(20:15):
Um, what steps is the countytaking to ensure that all
communities benefit from fromclean energy and EV programs?
It's something, it's one thingto talk about it in the context
of the the servicesprovided by the county.
Um, or what it's attemptingto create to bring in
um economic development thatcan help with job creation and
strengthen the local economy,but how do we make sure
(20:37):
everyone benefits from this?
Yeah, it's a great question,and I think it's important to
highlight the distinctionbetween my role as energy
manager for the county focusedon county operations and assets
and kind of inward focused.
Whereas I and I partner veryclosely with our colleagues, my
team members over at theDepartment of Conservation and
(20:58):
Development, the sustainabilityteam, uh, who are kind of
outward focused and lookingat the community, um, and, uh,
and, and doing a lot of
partnering with, um,community groups.
However, there's there'ssome overlap there.
One, really, um, um,pertinent, uh, example.
(21:19):
Uh, uh, when it comes to EVcharging infrastructure, when
you look at, um, uh, where theprivate sector is building EV
infrastructure, it's, it's
where they can makethe most revenue.
Um, it's also wherethey, uh, they.
They're, you know, some, someof that development is they're
(21:40):
afraid of vandalism.
And so, frankly, they, they'lljust, they'll just skip over
certain communities and um.
And so it, you know, it's, it'sincumbent upon the county to to
to be aware of those issues andidentify what we call charging
deserts and make sure that aswe develop our projects and and
think about where thehighest need is for charging
(22:04):
infrastructure we're also we'retaking taking that data into
account in in placing ourcharging infrastructure in the
community and I will say, youknow, a lot of our charging
infrastructure is at ourfacilities where we uh where
our vehicles sleep overnight.
Um, but we also need charginginfrastructure out in the
community for our own vehicles,um, and we're looking at
(22:24):
opportunities to open up thoseto the public and, um, and, and
make sure we can, um, uh, youknow, allow access that that
allows for, for everyone to,to use the infrastructure.
In, in thinking about kindof public access to that um
infrastructure, it also isgoing to require, and this is
(22:44):
myself included,behavior changes.
So, um, can you talk aboutkind of range anxiety, so you,
you're driving, you see agas station on every corner.
But where am I goingto charge my vehicle?
That might turn some folks offfrom actually making an EV leap
to EVs.
So how do you manage kind ofbehavior changes for drivers
(23:04):
who might feel more comfortableseeing a gas station on every
street corner?
Yes, um, it's a, it's a big,um, it's a big challenge, uh,
and I think the number onestrategy to overcome range
anxiety is to get people inthe driver's seat of an EV, um.
I remember I've been, I've been
(23:25):
driving an EV for about 5 years.
I remember 6 yearsago, not knowing
anything really about EVs andhow, how they operate and, and
kind of having that, um, theanxiety of, of, you know,
something new, um, and howreliable is it gonna be.
Once I started driving the EVum it it quickly, I quickly
(23:45):
learned, you know,what was, what was, um.
Uh, relevant and real aroundthat anxiety and, and what was,
was kind of, um, conjectureand, and so, um, again, getting
people in the driver's seat is,is, is the best way to start,
you know, overcoming that,that range anxiety, um.
When the county started investinvesting in EVs, the range of
(24:07):
a lot of those vehicleswere less than 100 miles.
Uh, now we're looking atvehicles that are 350, 400
miles, and soon, you know, uh,some of our manufacturers have
announced batteries technologythat will get us to 5000 or 600
miles, um.
But, but you're right, there's,there's with, with every
(24:28):
transition there's always gonnabe some level of, of pain and
discomfort, uh, and folks, uh,you know, that's just, that's
what comes along with changeand so we need to figure out,
you know, what what's uh mostimportant, uh, uh, issues to
address and how tosupport our employees.
How can, uh, residents getinvolved with some of these
(24:48):
efforts or where can they go,you know, maybe online, plug
your website in your social,where can they go to see, um,
and read more about thecounty's plans and efforts?
Yeah, absolutely.
So, um, at this point whereI'm pointing, uh, folks to the
Department of Conservationand Development.
Uh, their sustainability pagetalks a lot about, uh, the
(25:08):
goals and uh act um activitiesof, uh, the county around
sustainability in general andhas some resources for, um,
folks that are thinking aboutbuying an EV links to, uh, EV
calculators to, to kind of geta sense of the total cost of
ownership we call it.
(25:31):
Um, you know, how much am Igonna save not just on gas,
but, you know, on maintenancecosts over time and does this
make sense for me and how doescharging work at the home, you
know, how, how do I, how doI navigate those questions?
So there are some resources atthe Department of Conservation
and Development.
Um, and, uh, public works, we,we're also standing up our own,
um, landing page for the workthat we're doing, but again,
(25:54):
you know, our work is focusedkind of inward towards county
operations, um, you know, but,but I will say that, you know,
where, where it makes sense.
We're going to try to open upour EV charging infrastructure
for county, uh, for, for countyresidents and businesses where
it makes sense.
um, it, you know, sometimesthere's going to be tension
between making sure we havededicated charging resources
(26:15):
for our fleet and um being ableto balance that with some of
the needs in the communitybecause I know, you know, we're
still at the beginning ofthe curve here and charging
infrastructure is notubiquitous across the county
yet, so.
Uh, we're doing all that we canto, to support the adoption,
uh, countywide.
(26:36):
So, uh, it's a big discussionand more to come, but stay
tuned is what it sounds like.
Is there anything else that we
have not coveredin our discussion?
What's the biggest takeaway ifno one else was listening to
anything else wetalked about today?
What would be the one key pieceof information you'd want them
to remember?
Yeah, through energy managementand our strategic energy
(26:56):
management program with thecounty, um, there's incredible
um value in again economicbenefits, social benefits, and
environmental benefits, andthis is one of the areas uh of
work in public works thatactually reduces cost and and
can create revenue.
(27:18):
And through this work, itdoesn't just have to be uh.
Investing in things that aregreat, but investing in good
business practices, uh, thatprovide again quality of of
life for all.
So, um, you know, for me thetakeaway is is let's um let's
let's um let's invest in thisprogram and and let's see what
we can do.
(27:40):
Well, Brendan, thank youso much for coming on.
We really appreciate it andand that's today's show.
Uh, I'm your host ChristyJordan, Country Crest County's
public information officer, andthanks for joining us on the
Government Speak podcastbrought to you by the Office of
Communications and Media.
But don't just take our wordfor it, stay curious, stay
connected, and stay informed.
Until next time, keep your mindopen and your facts straight.
Welcome to government Speak.
This is where we'll cut throughthe government speak to get the
information you need aboutcounty programs, services, and
events straight from the source.
Welcome to Government Speak,
Contra Costa County'sofficial podcast.
I'm your host Christy Jordan,Contra Costa County's public
information officer, and onthis episode we have Energy
(00:20):
Manager Brandon HavennerDoughton joining us in studio
at 10 Douglas.
Brendon, welcome to the podcast.
Thanks, Christy.
So what does energy management
encompass here atContrast County?
What's your job?
Well, first of all, I just wantto thank you for having me on
the County Pod.
This is a great opportunity toshare my perspective and also
the great work of theenergy program team.
(00:43):
Um, at its core, energymanagement is about monitoring,
controlling, and conservingenergy, and that's a very basic
baseline definition.
But for the county itself,it's a lot more than that.
Um, the reason we invest inresources, uh, for our energy
management program is toproduce critical benefits for
(01:03):
our community'ssustainable development.
The mission of our strategicenergy management program is to
prioritize clean energyresources for county operations
through fiscally responsibleactions that improve quality of
life for all.
So I just want to talk about afew of the benefits that come
with the work that we do.
There's, of course, thefinancial benefits of lowering
(01:24):
the cost of our utilities to
provide servicesto our community.
Um, we leverage state, uh,funding, uh, and, um, incentive
programs to help lower thecosts of our projects and
activities and even in somecases we produce revenue for
the county.
Um, the obvious benefitsare environmental.
(01:45):
We really are driven to reducegreenhouse gas emissions, um,
that cause, uh, global warmingclimate change, um, and also
some of the, um, the localizedpollution that comes from our
vehicles and, um, emissionsactually from our, uh, county
facilities that create airpollution that that causes
respiratory illnessesin our community.
(02:07):
Um, and, and finally social
benefits from theseactivities, um.
A lot of it comes back topublic health outcomes.
Uh, if we reduce localizedpollution, it increases, uh,
public health, um, and thenthere are, uh, ancillary
benefits around job creationand workforce development, um,
and, and again all driven, uh,towards this goal of improving
(02:29):
quality of life for all.
So all of that said, kind of ata really high level, it's about
making smarter decisions abouthow we provide services and not
at the expense ofproviding that service.
So, If you're a case workerand you're driving around the
county, you might be in anelectric vehicle instead of a
gas guzzler, so to speak, andthat's just one, you know, kind
(02:51):
of high level example ofwhat that might look like.
Um, so in terms, you know, it'sbetter for the environment,
it's better for those we serve,it's um cleaner and it could be
cost savings or even add to therevenue streams for the, for
the county.
What's your background?
(03:12):
Like how do you become an
energy manager fora local government?
Yeah, that's a great question.
So, um, I actually started myum studies as an undergrad in
something totally different,sustainable agriculture, um,
uh, and, and through my workand my studies and my master's
program, um, studyinginternational affairs affairs
(03:33):
with a focus in globalenvironmental politics.
Uh, I was really attracted tothis, this, this challenge of
how do we solve climate changeat the global level with, um,
um, um, between, you know,sovereign states, which is a
tall order, as we,as we all know.
(03:53):
Uh, I, I realized quickly thatI could put my efforts into,
um, uh, at the local level and,uh, and so I started a career
focused in energy because, um,that's where that's kind of the
center of the bull's eye whenwe think about, uh, where our
uh GHG greenhouse gas emissionscome from, um, is the way and
the the the way we use energyand, and the sources of, of
(04:16):
energy we use, um, and soworking with local government.
Um, from early on in my career,um, uh, is, uh, was, was always
kind of my goal.
Um, I've worked inthe private sector.
I've worked at, uh,investor and utilities.
I've worked at public schooldistricts and now here at the
county and, and through allthat work, um, I, um, I feel,
(04:40):
um, uh, privileged andempowered to, to, to tackle
this, this great challenge.
And I mean it's a,it's a tall order.
You have 12,000 employees.
Everyone comes to, you know,they have different approaches
to their work and then tryingto find alignment on these
issues that impacteveryone, um, is really key.
You, you talked about some ofthese, but what are some of the
(05:01):
counties, um, You know, keyenergy goals and strategies
that that help supportyou in your role.
I know the board had recentlytaken some actions, but you've
also highlighted how we'redriving down um greenhouse gas
emissions in our work.
So what are some of those kindof policies and strategies that
help you in your role?
Yeah, absolutely.
(05:22):
So I'm very proud to announcethat the board of supervisors
approved our strategicmanagement plan.
Uh, this January 2025, um, and,and this plan which I have in
front of me here is, um, tiestogether all of the many other
plans that the county haspassed over the years, in the
last 2.5 decades, um, thataddress energy management in
(05:44):
the county.
It also relates to our climateadaptation, our climate action
and adaptation plan, which isintertwined with our general
plan, which was justapproved, as we all know, um.
And so, uh, to break it down,um, there are a variety of um
uh strategies we take and waysthat we organize the work.
(06:08):
Um, one term I want, I want toteach everybody is distributed
energy resources.
It's a technical term andum it it it refers to um.
Uh, the energy efficiencyprojects that we do, the, the
renewable energy projectsthat we do, the solar, um, the
battery storage projects,um, the EV charging.
(06:30):
Uh, that we put in andso through all of these
distributed energy resourceswe're able to manage uh and
reduce, uh, energy use andimprove the efficiency of our
buildings, of our vehicle
fleets, uh, and ouroperations overall.
So happy to give an example,um, you know, a simple example
of energy efficiency is, youknow, coming to an office
(06:52):
building and making sure that
the lighting is asefficient as possible.
We, we all, I think knowabout um LED lighting.
Uh, and the improved lightquality that comes with some of
those products as well as theum, the, you know, the reduced
amount of energy required to
operate those, um,that equipment.
Um, some other examples, um.
(07:15):
You know, we, we've done afair amount of solar, uh,
development across the countyfacilities, um, over our
parking lots, we have, uh,solar arrays and carports, uh,
folks like to park under themfor the shade, uh, but they're
also producing powerfor our building.
Um, and most recently I've beentasked with, uh, focusing on
(07:36):
where we can install EVcharging infrastructure to
help, um, uh, advance our goals
around adopting aclean energy fleet.
So a zero emission vehiclefleet for the county.
And what kind of goes into thatthinking, you know, you think
about all the differentservices the county provides
(07:57):
the needs of one departmentwould be, you know, would vary
from another.
So when you, when you talk
about Um, let's sayfirst responders.
So, you know, police and, andsheriffs who, sheriff deputies
who need different types ofvehicles, high-speed chases,
maybe they're going into uhrocky or mountainous terrain.
Can you talk about that andwhat that looks like for the
(08:19):
county's fleet?
Yes, I think, um, it'simportant to realize that there
is a spectrum of vehicles, uh,and some are gonna be a lot
easier to electrify than others.
The the ones that don't have uhuh a lot of mileage put on on a
weekly basis, um, or they go toand from county buildings that
are located close to eachother, um, those are gonna be
(08:41):
the great candidates and so.
Our team is in the process ofuh uh writing a drafting a zero
emission vehicle transitionplan for our fleet services
division, um, which, whichreally looks at what are the,
the, the, the, what's the lowhanging fruit, what are the
easy, easy vehicles to, youknow, quote easy vehicles to,
(09:03):
uh, electrify and how are wegoing to address some of the
challenges associated with the
the harder toelectrify vehicles?
One of the thingsthat we're doing.
Excuse me, at the county levelwith many of our, uh, city
counterparts is we're conveninguh conversations around, um,
what's going to be needed at acounty-wide level with respect
(09:25):
to EV charging infrastructureto support some of these
hardest to electrify vehicleslike the code 3 or emergency
response vehicles thatyou that you mentioned.
Um, and what our public safetyofficials are telling us is
first and foremost we needchargers in the ground.
We need infrastructure that isreliable and accessible, um,
(09:46):
uh, and then we can startto tackle some of the other
challenges that come with,um, how we may need to change
operations when when we'reusing electric vehicles, so.
Um, it's a, it's a bigconversation where we're, it's
unfolding and we're having thatover the course of this year
with many of our publicsafety professionals.
So we've talked aboutEV infrastructure.
(10:08):
We've talked about kind of thetransition in the county fleet.
It's, it's more to comeand it's just that, right?
It's, it's a transitiongetting everybody on board.
Um, but what are some of the,the challenges and, and the
opportunities that come with
that expansion ofinfrastructure?
What does that looklike for, for folks?
Yeah, um,
(10:29):
There are opportunities that wehave in our facilities to just
plug this this new load, thisthese these chargers into our
uh main electrical panel in thebuildings that we that we uh
occupy and you know, we can fita few chargers, uh, the, the,
the, the amount of electricitythat's needed to um to supply
(10:51):
electricity for uh many, manychargers which is gonna be
necessary for ourfleet electrification.
Um, uh, goals, uh, is, isgonna, is gonna be, um, is we
don't, we, you know, our, ourbuildings don't support the,
the amount, uh, that we require.
And so we're gonna need towork closely with our investor
(11:12):
utility PG&E, um, to makesure that we can bring in new
service, um, and, um,and support that demand.
Now that that leads us toanother challenge which is uh
capacity constraints on thegrid and so, um, across the
grid there are jurisdictionsand zip codes that have less
(11:32):
capacity to offer than others,um, you know, we find higher
rates of capacity available inkind of industrialized areas
and maybe more constrained.
Capacity in residential areas.
What this means is that if wewanted to put in a bunch of
chargers to support uh electricvehicle operation and charging,
(11:52):
uh, we might be restrictedbecause the grid doesn't have
enough capacity to offer andso that's 11 challenge that we
face and and in overcoming thatchallenge we partner really
closely with PGE to understandwhere those capac capacity
constraints are and um and whatwe can do to overcome them.
I will say that one.
(12:14):
Um, one challenge is whenwe find those capacity
constraints, um, the amount oftime that's required to make
those upgrades, uh,is, is, uh, is long.
So, uh, to upgrade a substationthat that brings down high
voltage power toa community level.
Uh, to a neighborhood, it maytake 8 to 10 years, uh, and so,
uh, and just to put inperspective, you know, as we,
(12:37):
as we work to electrify societyin in California, um, the
transportation sector is gonna,is gonna cause is, is gonna, is
the, the biggest kind of tip ofthe spear to really um address
this uh constrained capacityissue that the grid has, um.
Uh, as an example, one of theprojects that we just completed
(12:57):
at, uh, one of our countyoffice buildings with 26 EV
chargers, um, when every caris plugged in, it's gonna be
pulling more power thanthe building itself.
And so if we think that we'regonna start to double the
amount of uh power ourbuildings require and even
surpass that, um, we're we'rewe're gonna really have to look
(13:18):
at the grid and how we'regonna, uh, partner with PGD to
make PG need to make sure we
have the, uh,power that we need.
So, it's, it's a lot ofadvocacy and partnership and
being able to identify thoseareas in order to enable the
county to be able to todo this kind of work, um.
It it seems like a very slowprocess with a lot outside of
(13:40):
our control.
Um, why is it worth it?
Well, aside from, um, you know,the, the goals at the state
level to electrify ourtransportation system.
Um, there are county levelpolicies that require, uh,
purchasing of zero emissionvehicles, um, and, and, and
(14:02):
those policies are based onanalysis that that go back to
tie back to some of thebenefits I was mentioning
earlier on, um, whether it's,it's eventual life cycle cost
savings, life cycle carbonemission reductions, um.
You know, these are the thingsthat, um, and then of course,
health, health, public healthbenefits, these are the things
(14:24):
that are are gonna be worth theinvestment to move away from
fossil fuel polluting vehicles,uh, and to um and to invest in
in electric technology.
Beyond the environmental andthe health benefits, you've
also talked about job creation.
So how does the the specificto the um expansion of EV
infrastructure kind of feedinto economic development?
(14:45):
Yeah, that's a great question.
Um, I believe that um through
the work of transportationelectrification.
Um, the work of, uh, adoptadopting and, and, and, uh,
electric vehicles and makingelectric vehicle technology
accessible to all in ourcounty, um, will create an
incredible demandto upgrade the grid.
(15:08):
And with that comes uh anability to uh invite uh
business to uh take root in ourcounty uh because now we have
the the capacity, theelectrical capacity to offer
for uh business services.
Um, I am aware of, ofsituations where, uh, larger
businesses that that demand alot of electricity may not have
(15:31):
found what they need in ourcounty and have gone to other
counties uh to set up shop.
And so, um, the again, the, thetransportation electrification
goal is gonna be that tip ofthe spear that helps us uh uh
ask for and uh ensure thatwe get the demand that the
capacity demand that werequire from PG&E, um.
(15:55):
You know, not only fortransportation but also for
business development.
With business comes jobs, um,and, uh, you know, the state
goals are clear that, you know,we're we're moving everything
to towards uh electrification,um, and so, um, as we work
towards also lookingat opportunities to.
(16:17):
Uh, to, to get natural gasout of our buildings, uh, and
electrify our heating andair conditioning systems, um,
we're, um, we're also, youknow, that that's kind of a
drop in the bucket comparedto the amount of power that's
needed for, uh, for ourvehicles and transportation.
So if the environmentalarguments aren't compelling and
(16:38):
the health arguments aren'tcompelling, you're actually
highlighting missedopportunities to bring in new
businesses and growthe local economy.
Um, which is huge.
I mean, if it translatesinto jobs for folks, that's
definitely something,um, to consider as well.
Um, in terms of, of kind ofsome of the, the innovative
(16:58):
projects that the county islooking at, what are, what are
we pursuing, um, as a localgovernment to, to expand some
of our abilities to, toprovide services this way.
Yeah, a couples I'd liketo highlight are um.
Uh, some of the microgridprojects and, and I should
probably define micro grid.
(17:20):
It sounds intuitive, but forthose of us who who might not,
what is a microgrid?
Yeah, it's basic,
um, um, uh, being able to, um,island ourselves a building.
Let me, let me start over.
A micro grid allows us to um
operate when the grid goes down.
(17:42):
Um, it, it allows our our ourbuilding to what we call island
itself from the grid and uhand um either generate its own
electricity or or pull froma battery storage system.
That um allows it tocontinue operations.
So essentially is anindependent grid from the
(18:03):
larger electrical grid.
So you're still able to provideelectricity and services
because you've built in kind ofa backup if the grid goes down
you're still able tofunction and and operate.
That's right.
And so that definition reallyhighlights the resiliency
component, the ability tocontinue doing work when.
Um, when there's disruption tothe system, but there are other
(18:25):
benefits to micro grids, um,and kind of tying back to some
of the utility cost savings andthe revenue generation that can
come from investingin this technology.
So for example, um, theCalifornia Independent System
Operator, which is theorganization that uh controls
and balances theelectrical grid.
(18:48):
Um, uh, many of our listenersmay know, uh, or be familiar
with flex alerts.
And so when the, the, the heat,the, the, the late summer heat
gets high and everybody'sputting their AC on, um, the
grid is, is at risk ofoverloading and from that will
come rolling brownoutsor blackouts.
And so what they do is they puta flex alert out and they say,
(19:10):
everybody please reduce yourusage, so, um, so we don't have
to, to experience.
The blackouts.
Um, and so our, uh, investingin these distributed energy
resources and in in this microgrid design will allow us to
better respond to someof those flex alerts.
Um, it will also allow us toTo do what's called energy
(19:33):
arbitrage, which is essentiallycharging our batteries when
electricity costs are lowand then discharging those
batteries when electricitycosts are high.
So that is also creatingdownward pressure on our
utility costs.
So some of those flex alertsmight look like, you know,
raise the temperature of yourair conditioner so that it's
(19:54):
not constantly running or Washyour dishes in your dishwasher
at a certain time wherethe demand is lower.
That's right, OK, um.
What are, uh, what are some ofthe steps that the county is
taking, you know, we've we'vetalked about infrastructure,
we've talked about jobcreation, we've talked about
public health benefits.
(20:15):
Um, what steps is the countytaking to ensure that all
communities benefit from fromclean energy and EV programs?
It's something, it's one thingto talk about it in the context
of the the servicesprovided by the county.
Um, or what it's attemptingto create to bring in
um economic development thatcan help with job creation and
strengthen the local economy,but how do we make sure
(20:37):
everyone benefits from this?
Yeah, it's a great question,and I think it's important to
highlight the distinctionbetween my role as energy
manager for the county focusedon county operations and assets
and kind of inward focused.
Whereas I and I partner veryclosely with our colleagues, my
team members over at theDepartment of Conservation and
(20:58):
Development, the sustainabilityteam, uh, who are kind of
outward focused and lookingat the community, um, and, uh,
and, and doing a lot of
partnering with, um,community groups.
However, there's there'ssome overlap there.
One, really, um, um,pertinent, uh, example.
(21:19):
Uh, uh, when it comes to EVcharging infrastructure, when
you look at, um, uh, where theprivate sector is building EV
infrastructure, it's, it's
where they can makethe most revenue.
Um, it's also wherethey, uh, they.
They're, you know, some, someof that development is they're
(21:40):
afraid of vandalism.
And so, frankly, they, they'lljust, they'll just skip over
certain communities and um.
And so it, you know, it's, it'sincumbent upon the county to to
to be aware of those issues andidentify what we call charging
deserts and make sure that aswe develop our projects and and
think about where thehighest need is for charging
(22:04):
infrastructure we're also we'retaking taking that data into
account in in placing ourcharging infrastructure in the
community and I will say, youknow, a lot of our charging
infrastructure is at ourfacilities where we uh where
our vehicles sleep overnight.
Um, but we also need charginginfrastructure out in the
community for our own vehicles,um, and we're looking at
(22:24):
opportunities to open up thoseto the public and, um, and, and
make sure we can, um, uh, youknow, allow access that that
allows for, for everyone to,to use the infrastructure.
In, in thinking about kindof public access to that um
infrastructure, it also isgoing to require, and this is
(22:44):
myself included,behavior changes.
So, um, can you talk aboutkind of range anxiety, so you,
you're driving, you see agas station on every corner.
But where am I goingto charge my vehicle?
That might turn some folks offfrom actually making an EV leap
to EVs.
So how do you manage kind ofbehavior changes for drivers
(23:04):
who might feel more comfortableseeing a gas station on every
street corner?
Yes, um, it's a, it's a big,um, it's a big challenge, uh,
and I think the number onestrategy to overcome range
anxiety is to get people inthe driver's seat of an EV, um.
I remember I've been, I've been
(23:25):
driving an EV for about 5 years.
I remember 6 yearsago, not knowing
anything really about EVs andhow, how they operate and, and
kind of having that, um, theanxiety of, of, you know,
something new, um, and howreliable is it gonna be.
Once I started driving the EVum it it quickly, I quickly
(23:45):
learned, you know,what was, what was, um.
Uh, relevant and real aroundthat anxiety and, and what was,
was kind of, um, conjectureand, and so, um, again, getting
people in the driver's seat is,is, is the best way to start,
you know, overcoming that,that range anxiety, um.
When the county started investinvesting in EVs, the range of
(24:07):
a lot of those vehicleswere less than 100 miles.
Uh, now we're looking atvehicles that are 350, 400
miles, and soon, you know, uh,some of our manufacturers have
announced batteries technologythat will get us to 5000 or 600
miles, um.
But, but you're right, there's,there's with, with every
(24:28):
transition there's always gonnabe some level of, of pain and
discomfort, uh, and folks, uh,you know, that's just, that's
what comes along with changeand so we need to figure out,
you know, what what's uh mostimportant, uh, uh, issues to
address and how tosupport our employees.
How can, uh, residents getinvolved with some of these
(24:48):
efforts or where can they go,you know, maybe online, plug
your website in your social,where can they go to see, um,
and read more about thecounty's plans and efforts?
Yeah, absolutely.
So, um, at this point whereI'm pointing, uh, folks to the
Department of Conservationand Development.
Uh, their sustainability pagetalks a lot about, uh, the
(25:08):
goals and uh act um activitiesof, uh, the county around
sustainability in general andhas some resources for, um,
folks that are thinking aboutbuying an EV links to, uh, EV
calculators to, to kind of geta sense of the total cost of
ownership we call it.
(25:31):
Um, you know, how much am Igonna save not just on gas,
but, you know, on maintenancecosts over time and does this
make sense for me and how doescharging work at the home, you
know, how, how do I, how doI navigate those questions?
So there are some resources atthe Department of Conservation
and Development.
Um, and, uh, public works, we,we're also standing up our own,
um, landing page for the workthat we're doing, but again,
(25:54):
you know, our work is focusedkind of inward towards county
operations, um, you know, but,but I will say that, you know,
where, where it makes sense.
We're going to try to open upour EV charging infrastructure
for county, uh, for, for countyresidents and businesses where
it makes sense.
um, it, you know, sometimesthere's going to be tension
between making sure we havededicated charging resources
(26:15):
for our fleet and um being ableto balance that with some of
the needs in the communitybecause I know, you know, we're
still at the beginning ofthe curve here and charging
infrastructure is notubiquitous across the county
yet, so.
Uh, we're doing all that we canto, to support the adoption,
uh, countywide.
(26:36):
So, uh, it's a big discussionand more to come, but stay
tuned is what it sounds like.
Is there anything else that we
have not coveredin our discussion?
What's the biggest takeaway ifno one else was listening to
anything else wetalked about today?
What would be the one key pieceof information you'd want them
to remember?
Yeah, through energy managementand our strategic energy
(26:56):
management program with thecounty, um, there's incredible
um value in again economicbenefits, social benefits, and
environmental benefits, andthis is one of the areas uh of
work in public works thatactually reduces cost and and
can create revenue.
(27:18):
And through this work, itdoesn't just have to be uh.
Investing in things that aregreat, but investing in good
business practices, uh, thatprovide again quality of of
life for all.
So, um, you know, for me thetakeaway is is let's um let's
let's um let's invest in thisprogram and and let's see what
we can do.
(27:40):
Well, Brendan, thank youso much for coming on.
We really appreciate it andand that's today's show.
Uh, I'm your host ChristyJordan, Country Crest County's
public information officer, andthanks for joining us on the
Government Speak podcastbrought to you by the Office of
Communications and Media.
But don't just take our wordfor it, stay curious, stay
connected, and stay informed.
Until next time, keep your mindopen and your facts straight.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.