Our December playlist is packed with holiday classics and festive favorites to keep your spirits bright as you reflect on the year's achievements and look ahead to all the possibilities 2026 will bring.

When public agencies embrace energy efficiency, they don’t just cut their utility bills—they spark a revolution. Every dollar saved on electricity and gas is a dollar that can flow back into community programs, better services, and economic development that transforms lives.

Money talks, and California's energy efficiency financing programs are having all the right conversations. While these programs are relatively new kids on the EE block, they're solving the age-old problem that stops most customers in their tracks: "How am I going to pay for this?"

California's workforce development programs might not deliver direct energy savings, but honey, they are absolutely serving the foundation for everything we do. From the California Conservation Corps training young adults in energy efficiency installations to community colleges developing EV infrastructure curriculum, these programs are building the skilled workforce that makes our clean energy dreams possible.

Looking ahead, DERs offer an exciting opportunity for California to expand its utilization of renewable and zero-carbon energy sources while driving the electrification of transportation and buildings. It's crucial to acknowledge that deploying DERs could lead to environmental challenges, such as heightened land use and spatial footprint concerns, and potential air pollution emissions.

When we think about it, the coordination required to deliver IDSM demands cooperation, understanding, and balance. Everyone and everything has to play their part just so. To achieve a true IDSM approach for portfolios technologies have to be in sync or, as it were, *NSYNC. 

This month, we’re focusing on capacity and demand response's role in ensuring enough capacity to meet this ever-growing demand.  We can’t be so naïve to think that we can electrify all the things without grid impacts.

We love you. For 15, 10, eight, and five years we have committed ourselves to you. And we don’t see an end in sight.  You have been not just a foundation, but deeply rooted in all we do.  So, on this Valentines Day, we felt it necessary to say it boldly, to all who will listen we love you!

How do we do a year of content around IDSM and not sound outdated?  Better yet, how do we “Courtney-proof” a year of IDSM content?  You see, it’s one of those topics that I just can’t get excited about and if I can’t get excited about it, I have a hard time imagining anyone getting excited about it.  IDSM has been rolling around for a bit now, and I think in 2019 I was way into it; we had designed an IDSM curriculum and were in the process of recruiting our first cohort in early March 2020.  But a global pandemic, a shift from in-person cohorts, and five years later…it’s just not hitting for me.  So why are we here?

“May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness.  I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you’re wonderful, and don’t forget to make some art—write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can.  And I hope somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself.