Sigrid Wright 10/16/24 Sigrid Wright 10/16/24

Support the Climate Resilience Bond:Vote “Yes” on Prop 4

This November, California voters have an opportunity to make a historic impact by voting for Prop 4 — the Climate Resilience Bond (SB 867). Prop 4 would provide the resources necessary to protect our communities from the escalating impacts of climate change.

CEC Staff 8/30/24 CEC Staff 8/30/24

Make Your Voice Heard: Tell Goleta to Adopt an Electric Vehicle Reach Code

On Tuesday, September 3, 2024, the City of Goleta will vote to adopt an EV reach code. EV reach codes are one of the most powerful ways to expand charging access at multifamily properties and workplaces so that renters and those without access to charging at home can more easily and affordably use electric vehicles. We ask for your help to ensure Goleta constructs EV-ready residential and commercial buildings.

CEC Staff 8/23/24 CEC Staff 8/23/24

Act Now on County of Santa Barbara's Climate Action Plan

Join us to tell the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors that this Climate Action Plan must include emissions from oil and gas facilities. Attend the Board meeting and provide public comment, Tuesday, August 27, 2024 at the Board Chambers in Santa Maria

Lisa Hill 6/28/24 Lisa Hill 6/28/24

Help ensure the City of Santa Barbara continues ambitious climate action!

On July 2, 2024, the Santa Barbara City Council will consider adopting an updated Climate Action Plan. The Community Environmental Council has been tracking this plan for many years, and we need your support to ensure Santa Barbara adopts this plan and continues implementing bold climate solutions.

Alex Hill 12/20/23 Alex Hill 12/20/23

Climate Activist Training: How to Participate in Government Meetings Resources Toolkit

Guest User 12/20/23 Guest User 12/20/23

Climate Activist Training: How to Participate in Government Meetings Resources Toolkit

CEC was thrilled to host the recent Climate Activist Training—our first-ever hybrid, bilingual event where we shared guidance on getting involved in local policy and CEC’s latest climate policy actions.

Lisa Hill 4/17/23 Lisa Hill 4/17/23

Make Your Voice Heard: Tell Goleta to Go Electric

Michael Chiacos 9/29/22 Michael Chiacos 9/29/22

Make Your Voice Heard: Tell Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties to Phase Out Natural Gas and Go Electric

Michael Chiacos 6/10/22 Michael Chiacos 6/10/22

Five Climate Actions You Can Take Now

Michael Chiacos 5/23/22 Michael Chiacos 5/23/22

Help California get to Carbon Neutrality by 2035

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) will soon decide on two major issues impacting California's ability to move quicker on combating the climate crisis. We need you to share your voice and spread the word on two key issues: Carbon Neutrality and Clean Cars. Take 5 minutes today to advance critical climate policy by 10 years.

Guest User 7/21/21 Guest User 7/21/21

WIN: All-electric new building construction is the future of Santa Barbara

On Tuesday, July 20, 2021, Santa Barbara City Council and Mayor Cathy Murillo voted unanimously to enact a new building ordinance prohibiting natural gas infrastructure in newly constructed buildings, with the exception of restaurants and applications where there isn't yet a viable electric alternative to gas. With this vote, the City takes an important step toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions and meeting our 2035 carbon neutrality goal.

Kathi King 4/14/21 Kathi King 4/14/21

WIN: AB1276 passes to help eliminate single-use plastics from take-out and delivery orders #SkipTheStuff

Thank you for helping pass AB1276! We now have a policy in place that requires that restaurants and online food delivery platforms list the accessories they provide so that customers can choose only what they need. This will help eliminate millions of tons of single-use foodware from entering the waste stream. Local jurisdictions are creating their own implementation strategies and CEC is working with the City of Goleta in the hopes that they will include an EPS (Styrofoam) ban in their plan.

Cameron Gray 3/18/21 Cameron Gray 3/18/21

WIN: Help create a safer, more equitably accessible, and uninterrupted travel corridor for bicyclists and pedestrians

Santa Barbara’s Mayor and City Council members voted unanimously to uphold the appeal and support the Westside Community Paseos project. There were some conditions to their approval, mostly to ensure that the Historic Landmarks Commission members can support landscape design for the project and to improve the way that City staff bring these projects to their design review boards (including the Historic Landmarks Commission).

Approving the Westside Community Paseos project is a critical step for climate action, safer biking and walking, and clean transportation equity in Santa Barbara.

Cameron Gray 3/18/21 Cameron Gray 3/18/21

ÉXITO: Ayúdanos a crear una ruta de recorrido más segura, equitativamente accesible, e ininterrumpida para ciclistas y peatones

El alcalde de Santa Bárbara y los miembros del Consejo Municipal votaron unánimemente para defender la petición y apoyar el Proyecto Paseos de la Comunidad del Lado Oeste. Hubo algunas condiciones para su aprobación, principalmente para garantizar que los miembros de la Comisión de Monumentos Históricos puedan apoyar el diseño del paisaje para el proyecto y para mejorar la forma en que el personal de la Ciudad lleva estos proyectos a sus reuniones de revisión de diseño (incluida la Comisión de Monumentos Históricos).

Aprobar el Proyecto Paseos de la Comunidad del Lado Oeste es un paso crítico para la acción climática, andar en bicicleta y caminar de manera más segura y equidad en el transporte limpio en Santa Bárbara.

Michael Chiacos 2/10/21 Michael Chiacos 2/10/21

WIN: City of Santa Barbara moves forward an Energy Code Amendment

The City of Santa Barbara is moving forward an Energy Code Amendment that would require new buildings to be built all-electric instead of also using natural gas. This new code does not apply to existing buildings or homes, and will have NO affect on existing buildings supplied by natural gas.

These new buildings will help make zero carbon communities possible and will get us a step closer to the City's goal of Carbon Neutrality by 2035. The next step is to consult with stakeholders and bring back a refined all-electric code for new buildings in the next couple months.

Michael Chiacos 9/24/20 Michael Chiacos 9/24/20

WIN: City of Santa Barbara sets bold goal of Carbon Neutrality by 2035

We did it! Join us in applauding the City of Santa Barbara for joining the City of San Luis Obispo in setting a goal of Carbon Neutrality by 2035. On the heels of Governor Newsom's executive order to advance key zero-emission climate goals to 2035, this decision represents a momentous step forward for our city, our region, and our state.

Kathi King 8/18/20 Kathi King 8/18/20

LOSS: SB 54 and AB 1080 fail to pass California legislature

CEC and Santa Barbara Channelkeeper are sad to share that the landmark California Circular Economy and Plastic Pollution Reduction Act (SB 54 and AB 1080) failed to pass the California legislature.

Cameron Gray 6/18/20 Cameron Gray 6/18/20

WIN: Take Action on Local Transportation Reform in your Community / Toma acción sobre la reforma del sistema de transportación en tu comunidad

A final version of Connected 2050 RTP-SCS was adopted in August 2021. Learn more.

Una versión final de Connected 2050 RTP-SCS se adoptó en agosto de 2021. Aprende más.

Michael Chiacos 5/19/20 Michael Chiacos 5/19/20

WIN: Strauss Wind Project underway! #cleanenergy

We are pleased to share that the Strauss Wind Project received its permits in early May. This means that construction can begin on Santa Barbara’s first wind farm. Renewable energy continues to be more cost-effective than oil and gas and the struggles of the fossil fuel industry during the COVID-19 pandemic are only increasing this divide.

Cameron Gray 10/30/19 Cameron Gray 10/30/19

WIN: Help speed the transition to electric vehicles #driveclean

In 2019, CEC was able to have follow-up conversations with our Electric Drive 805 partners and work with them to streamline permitting for EV charging stations. This laid the groundwork for Electric Drive 805 to launch the South Central Coast CALeVIP program in 2021, providing $12 million in new state funding to build new EV charging stations in our region.

Guest User 3/8/19 Guest User 3/8/19

Stop risky oil development in Santa Barbara County

The Santa Barbara County Planning Commission heard public comment on the controversial ERG cyclic steaming oil project on March 13, 2019. Comments took the entire day and they pushed the report to be heard on March 27. After the March 27 meeting, they determined they needed more information, continuing the item until May 29.

They directed staff to conduct research on many of the points CEC brought up, specifically around the carbon intensity of the proposed oil production and what a greenhouse gas offset plan would look like. We will keep following the issue and share updates as we receive them.

Michael Chiacos 11/20/18 Michael Chiacos 11/20/18

WIN: Go electric MTD #driveclean

Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District voted unanimously to set a goal of 100% all-electric buses by 2030, joining Los Angeles and seven other California Transit Agencies. Setting this goal will lead to cleaner air, cut climate pollution, improve the health of our region’s residents, and increase jobs.

Guest User 9/28/18 Guest User 9/28/18

WIN: Santa Barbara Unified goes solar

Thanks to advocacy efforts from CEC and others, and particularly CEC past board president and SBUSD board member Laura Capps, Santa Barbara Unified School District moved forward with a comprehensive solar and storage project. Fourteen sites will install solar and six will include battery energy storage, for a total of five megawatts of solar and five megawatt hours of energy storage. This is one of the largest solar+storage projects in Santa Barbara and a fantastic asset for our community.

Guest User 8/13/18 Guest User 8/13/18

WIN: SB 100 signed into law

Your voice helped move California one step closer to a clean energy future. The 78 calls made by CEC's followers contributed to the passage of SB 100, which requires California to move to 100% carbon-free energy by 2045. It will next need to pass the Senate, and be signed by Governor Jerry Brown.

SB 100 calls for California to move to 100% Carbon Free Electricity by 2045. Amid rising concerns about the impacts of climate change, the California Assembly voted to pass the bill in late August. Next, it moved on to the Senate before landing on the desk of Governor Jerry Brown, who added on an executive order establishing a new target to achieve carbon neutrality, also by 2045.

Guest User 7/6/18 Guest User 7/6/18

WIN: City of Santa Barbara moves to #DitchPlastic

Your support helped the City of Santa Barbara continue to ditch single-use plastic. With a hundred signatures and individuals showing up to testify at City Council, a ban on Styrofoam food service items & retail sales will go into effect January 1, 2019, as well as a ban on plastic straws with a provision that food providers must ask customers if they need plastic cutlery or stirrers before providing.

Guest User 11/30/17 Guest User 11/30/17

WIN: City of Goleta votes unanimously for 100% renewable energy by 2030

We did it! Goleta Becomes 51st city in U.S. to Set 100% Renewable Energy Goal

In an unanimous vote, City of Goleta council members committed to moving the city's municipal facilities and community-wide electricity supply to 100% renewable power by 2030. They also resolved to have at least 50 percent of electricity use by municipal facilities come from renewable sources by 2025. To support these goals, the city authorized investigating the feasibility of a city-wide Community Choice Energy program that could encourage more local renewable generation.

Guest User 6/3/16 Guest User 6/3/16

WIN: Clean energy for Santa Barbara

Great News! Your Support Helped Community Choice Energy Move Forward.

The County Board of Supervisors just voted to fund the next steps for developing a local Community Choice Energy program, bringing us one step closer to a clean energy future. Today’s vote will continue the County’s progress toward launching this powerful tool which can offer our region cleaner electricity at competitive, and possibly even less expensive, rates. With funding now budgeted, the County will be poised to move into the next phases of development without undue delay.Thanks to the hundreds of supporters who wrote letters, signed petitions or spoke at today’s hearing. Together we are helping move Santa Barbara County to a clean energy future.

Guest User 2/12/16 Guest User 2/12/16

WIN: Improve safety of Santa Barbara’s roads and bike lanes

Over 130 community members showed up to the initial hearing for the latest Bicycle Master Plan, and 300 CEC followers signed our letter of support. After months of further meetings and public input, the Master Plan was approved thanks to community support.

Guest User 11/4/15 Guest User 11/4/15

WIN: Protect rooftop solar in California

Over 130,000 people, 270+ of which were CEC followers, took action to protect rooftop solar in California. This overwhelming display of support marks the largest number of public comments ever recorded at the CPUC.