Real community engagement means showing up, side by side, to solve problems that matter. That's exactly what happened when SJVCEO and SoCalREN partnered with the Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority (VVWRA) to conduct an energy efficiency "treasure hunt" at their High Desert facility. Through hands-on, real-time collaboration between VVWRA staff and the SoCalREN team, 73 energy efficiency opportunities were uncovered, creating a roadmap to lower operational costs, reduce energy use, and reinvest savings back into the community's critical infrastructure.
Real community engagement means showing up, side by side, to solve problems that matter. That's exactly what happened when SJVCEO and SoCalREN partnered with the Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority (VVWRA) to conduct an energy efficiency "treasure hunt" at their High Desert facility. Through hands-on, real-time collaboration between VVWRA staff and the SoCalREN team, 73 energy efficiency opportunities were uncovered, creating a roadmap to lower operational costs, reduce energy use, and reinvest savings back into the community's critical infrastructure.
Southern California Edison's Consumer Advisory Panel (CAP) is a gold standard for meaningful utility–community engagement. Launched in 1998, the CAP brought together 14 volunteer representatives from across SCE's service area to advise directly on issues ranging from wildfire safety to clean energy policy. Though discontinued, its legacy lives on through structures like the Clean Energy Access Working Group (CEAWG), proving that authentic engagement isn't a one-time initiative — it's a long-term commitment to listening, collaboration, and shared problem-solving.
Real community engagement means showing up, side by side, to solve problems that matter. That's exactly what happened when SJVCEO and SoCalREN partnered with the Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority (VVWRA) to conduct an energy efficiency "treasure hunt" at their High Desert facility. Through hands-on, real-time collaboration between VVWRA staff and the SoCalREN team, 73 energy efficiency opportunities were uncovered, creating a roadmap to lower operational costs, reduce energy use, and reinvest savings back into the community's critical infrastructure.
Southern California Edison's Consumer Advisory Panel (CAP) is a gold standard for meaningful utility–community engagement. Launched in 1998, the CAP brought together 14 volunteer representatives from across SCE's service area to advise directly on issues ranging from wildfire safety to clean energy policy. Though discontinued, its legacy lives on through structures like the Clean Energy Access Working Group (CEAWG), proving that authentic engagement isn't a one-time initiative — it's a long-term commitment to listening, collaboration, and shared problem-solving.
You know what made a house party work? Word of mouth. Somebody told somebody who told somebody else, and by 10 pm the living room was packed with people who didn’t all know each other—but they knew someone who got them through the door. That’s how real community engagement works too. It’s not mass emails and flyers. It’s relationships. Trust networks
California has long been a laboratory for energy efficiency, testing ideas, technologies, and strategies that ripple across the state and beyond. Among its more imaginative experiments is Innovative Design for Energy Efficiency Applications—aptly dubbed IDEEA 365—a program designed not just to save kilowatts, but to rethink how efficiency can be discovered, tested, and scaled in real-world conditions. Since 2013, IDEEA 365 has offered a year-round, competitive procurement pathway that allows California’s Investor-Owned Utilities (IOUs) to source novel, market-ready solutions from third-party providers. Unlike traditional program cycles bound by rigid timelines, IDEEA 365 was structured to be nimble—responsive to emerging technologies and evolving market needs.
That’s where the Brewery Energy Efficiency and Revitalization (BEER) Program comes in. Born from California’s Innovative Design for Energy Efficiency Applications (IDEEA 365) platform, BEER makes a compelling case for applying energy efficiency strategies on a craft-specific level. It’s not a generic rebate program with a beer label slapped on—it’s a targeted, thoughtfully engineered solution for a historically underserved market. And it’s delivering real results.
