In any normal year, heading into the Labor Day weekend would have us thinking about barbecue, picnics, and all the delicious foods we consume in celebration of the 3-day weekend. If you are like me, you are still thinking about these things, albeit on a much smaller scale.

Amid a global pandemic, California has been ignited by countless wildfires across the state, mostly in the northern region. Even walking out the front door of my home in the Central Valley, there is a layer of smoke that has settled in the skies enhancing the poor air quality that residents of the valley often face. As of Sunday afternoon, the fires have scorched up to 1,000,000 acres as a result of the triple-digit heatwave and up to 12,000 lighting strikes in California.

Time-of-Use rate plans are based on how much energy you use and when you use it. By shifting some electricity usage to times when costs are less and demand is down, you can lower your bill and support a healthier environment.

Some of my favorite movies of all time are stories about how artificial intelligence (AI) goes wrong. Movies such as I Robot, The Matrix, Eagle Eye, and The Terminator, in no particular order, are loads of fun to watch. The central theme in all of them is that technology becomes so advanced that it insists upon thinking for us for the betterment of the world as a whole; the conflict lies in their inadequate and nonhuman moral code. Fun stuff, right?

“Summer, summer, summertime
Time to sit back and unwind”
--Will Smith

Through the last year, we have reiterated how vast the opportunity for workforce growth and development is in the energy sector. With the number of jobs at a constant rise, we will need to expand our resources and grow even more in order to support a clean energy economy for our country and the world. The increase in optimism and drive at the beginning of the year began to fade with the outbreak of COVID-19 and all the changes that accompanied it. However, as we continue to work towards a clean energy future, it is imperative that we continuously address our workforce issues and opportunities to result in an even stronger outcome in the end.

Before a few short weeks ago, I had never heard the acronyms VTB, V2B, or VTG. However, it is a wonderful, common-sense concept and I am excited to share it with you!

Taking control of your energy usage and costs is more important now more than ever! With Time of Use coming to some California communities at the end of this year, we want to make sure you are ready and prepared for the transition!

Time is an odd concept these days, seeing that I blinked and it is practically August! With the days going by alarmingly fast (for some), we are months away from one of the most pinnacle events that occurs in our country, the presidential election of 2020. A few weeks back, Democratic candidate and Former Vice President Joe Biden, released a “Clean Energy Revolution” Proposal addressing the various topics that we encounter in the energy industry daily.

Anaerobic wastewater treatment is both an energy efficient process as well as a low-odor method of treating wastewater. So, what is anaerobic wastewater treatment and why is it important?

“A powerful and indispensable book for anyone who cares about a just and healthy future for all Americans. Harriet Washington asks the critical questions that get at the heart of racism and inequality in health, income, social welfare, and power in twenty-first America.” - Gerald Markowitz

How much do you understand about Cogeneration? Well, if your answer to that question is anything other than, “I know everything there is to know about cogeneration.” Please, read on!

A few weeks ago, I dove into the differences between Equality VS Equity. In short, acknowledging the difference between these two words and grasping what it means to embody each, is imperative for the way we conduct our work in the energy industry. I initially thought it was an ongoing battle between these two. How can we enact equality that then leads to equity?

This week, we are going to discuss lighting. Now, you might be thinking that since you’ve converted all of your lighting to LEDs you can’t possibly get any more efficient, right?

Not exactly.

Lighting is important because it can represent as much as 30% of the energy usage in a building. Therefore, it is important to understand that lighting efficiency does not just come from the type of lighting product you use but also how that lighting is applied in each space.