Barnacle Weaponizes Positions on Local Agencies to Support Energy Incentives He is Paid to Promote Through BDC
Sonoma Clean Power expenses millions for incentives and offers to promote electrification as Petaluma Councilman Brian Barnacle refuses to recuse himself from budget approvals
Sonoma Clean Power (SCP) serves the residents and businesses in Sonoma and Mendocino counties clean energy from more renewable resources, such as geothermal, wind, and solar.
Each year, they launch new ways to make the switch to clean electricity affordable, exclusively for SCP customers. Current incentives and offers include:
Commercial Energy Assistance Program
DIY Home Toolkits
Electric Vehicles
EverGreen
GridSavvy Rewards
Induction Cooking
Multifamily Building Improvements
NetGreen+
Water Heater Electrification for Governments
Petaluma Councilman Brian Barnacle currently serves as a Board Member to Sonoma Clean Power while simultaneously serving as the Director of Strategy & Development, Building Decarbonization Coalition (BDC).
As of January 9, 2024 Sonoma Clean Power posted the following on X:
“Want to learn about induction cooking and add a new facet to your career journey as a BDC Chefluencer? Apply NOW to our January cohort at the Building Decarbonization Coalition (BDC). Spaces are filling fast—apply by TOMORROW 1/10/24.”
Per the BDC website, the organization has promoted the Chefluencer Training Program:
Learn all about induction cooking and add an energizing new facet to your career journey as a BDC Chefluencer! Apply to be a part of upcoming Chefluencer cohorts at the Building Decarbonization Coalition (BDC).
Spaces are filling fast—apply today.
You can play an inspiring role in addressing the climate crisis by doing what you do best: cooking and spreading the message with the joy of food! With chefs like you leading the way toward cleaner, safer, and healthier cooking, we will greatly impact the transition away from fossil fuels. The proof is in the cooking!
SCP is currently promoting the following incentive on their website:
Get Cooking on Induction!
At Sonoma Clean Power, we're excited to introduce you to the newest, safest, and most efficient way to cook: induction cooking!
Take an upcoming cooking class or watch existing classes on induction at our Customer Center.
Want to see the potential impact of induction cooking on your electricity bills?
Get incentives and free cookware when making the switch to induction today.
Recently, BDC appeared to post an open position soliciting a Director of Partnerships to the Climatebase Job Board:
BDC staff undertake a range of collaborations alongside coalition partners. These projects support well-designed electrification policies and regulations, promote individual electrification products as well as heat pump and induction cooking technology, and facilitate dialogue between decision makers in the public and private sectors regarding how to durably expand the electrification marketplace in a way that aligns with both state climate commitments and consumer expectations.
BDC is seeking a Director of Partnerships to oversee the organization’s relationships and collaborations with national stakeholders, including large manufacturers, midstream market actors like wholesalers and retailers, installers, real estate industry stakeholders, promoters of induction cooking, and a variety of emerging market actors. This individual will oversee a team of six highly effective and motivated staff members with diverse personal and professional backgrounds.
The transition to induction cooking appears to be an incentive itemized through the BDC’s Switch is On campaign.
The Switch is On campaign established a database to lookup local incentive providers.
Sonoma Clean Power is currently offering the following rebates and incentives:
Save $1,000 per unit - Rebate on Heat Pumps, Ducted (central air, HVAC)
Save $700 per unit - Rebate on Heat Pump Water Heater
Save $1,000 per unit - Rebate on Heat Pumps, Ductless (mini-split)
On April 10, 2024, the California Energy Commission presented the following resolution for approval:
The CEC conditionally approves agreement 500-23-003 with Cohen Ventures, Inc. DBA Energy Solutions for a $96,685,000 contract to augment the TECH Clean California program as Phase I of CEC’s application to the DOE under the Inflation Reduction Act High Efficiency Electric Home Rebate Act (HEEHRA) program. TECH Clean California is a contractor point-of-sale program through single-family and multifamily dwelling owners offering incentives, technical assistance, and installer training to address barriers associated with building decarbonization market transformation across California. This agreement will complement the TECH Clean California program to provide residential electrification equipment and appliances rebates that meet DOE requirements and are allowable under the HEEHRA grant for income-eligible single-family and multifamily dwellings. This agreement is contingent on receiving a federal award under the HEEHRA program.
The BDC was itemized as a subcontractor.
One of the proposed tasks is outlined below:
Task 4.2 Website Development Support
The goal of this task is to configure the existing Switch Is On (switchison.org) website to incorporate HEEHRA information into the website’s consumer- and installer-facing webpages, enabling participants to access relevant HEEHRA information quickly and easily.
The Contractor shall:
Configure existing Switch Is On (switchison.org) consumer-facing website, hosted and maintained by TECH subcontractor Building Decarbonization Coalition, content to fully integrate HEEHRA material with the website, including the incentive finder, income qualifying program page, and other pages, as determined by the CAM and agreed upon by the CAM and Contractor
Contractor Deliverables:
Updated Switch Is On (switchison.org) website with fully integrated HEEHRA information into the website
Task 4.3 Customer Support
The goal of this task is to provide customer support and facilitate customer satisfaction surveys that will help inform program refinements and lessons learned.
The Contractor Shall:
Support CEC’s call center in responding to customer program inquiries as needed.
Support all installer, distributor, manufacturer, or other market actor inquiries that come through CEC or other channels, including direct communication with Contractor.
Facilitate customer satisfaction surveys, conducted by a third-party evaluator, by providing all required information to the evaluator as needed.
Support dispute resolution as it arises related to program participation including incentive payment and eligibility.
As of May 4, 2023, the SCP Board was tasked with approving the proposed annual budget for fiscal year 2023-2024. Director Barnacle made the motion for approval and voted in favor of the agenda item.
The budget overview specified the following:
Continue to procure a supply portfolio of electricity generation that is lower in greenhouse gas emissions than PG&E’s hourly portfolio
Emphasize customer programs that help cut the use of gasoline, diesel, propane and natural gas, as these actions are the fastest and least expensive ways to cut greenhouse gas emissions today
Expand customer outreach through improved market research and listening to our various communities
Expand community education activities
Increase emphasis on serving historically underserved communities in SCP’s customer offers and incentives
Promote the Advanced Energy Center and further develop the Center into an even more valuable community resource
Maintain the current overall level of customer participation and expand customer participation in EverGreen
On August 3, 2023 the SCP Board received the following report from staff:
Receive Internal Operations and Monthly Financial Report and Provide Direction as Appropriate
CHANGES TO ADVANCED ENERGY CENTER TECHNOLOGY INCENTIVES
SCP launched the Advanced Energy Center and associated website and technology incentives in July 2021 as part of the California Energy Commission (CEC) Lead Locally Grant. The technology incentives offered are part of a match commitment to that grant under our agreement. There is also a portion of incentives that can be claimed as reimbursables from the CEC. The funds must be expended during the term of the grant, which has been extended to March 31, 2024.
From July 2021 through July 2022, we saw only 120 projects and just over $100,000 of incentives toward the $2.6M afforded and committed under the grant.
SCP then increased our incentives levels starting August 1, 2022, to create market movement and reach our committed amounts under the grant. The incentives were increased from $1,000 to $3,000 for heat pump heating and cooling and from $700 to $3,100 for heat pump water heaters. These were in line with statewide incentives that had expired at the time. SCP also started incentivizing induction cooking by adding a $500 incentive to the free cookware already offered. For low-income customers, the incentives were set at a much higher level at 50% of the total project cost, up to $10,000.
The increased incentives have been successful. There were 120 projects completed in the first year with lower incentives compared to 744 projects in the second year with higher incentives. In June 2023 alone, SCP incentivized 182 projects. In addition to the incentives that have been issued to date, SCP has focused on serving hard-to-reach and low-income projects and has partnered with local programs and reserved almost $400,000 for multi-family affordable housing and mobile home park retrofit projects.
Because SCP’s incentives are funded through rates, the agency uses them to spur action and create momentum, but avoids using them when they are not needed to minimize impacts on customer rates. Once markets take off, incentives are redirected to where they can be more valuable. Since market movement has definitely been created and SCP’s budget limitation would otherwise have been exceeded, staff made the following changes.
Starting August 1, 2023, SCP incentives are:
The Lead Locally grant was approved through the California Energy Commission for the time period of 5/1/2018 to 3/31/2022.
Proposed resolution approving agreement EPC-17-041 with Sonoma Clean Power Authority for a $9,814,596.00 grant to develop and implement a project that tests and evaluates energy savings, cost effectiveness, and training requirements for innovative retrofit technologies in existing residential and commercial buildings, promotes the most promising technologies through multiple channels, and provides training to building professionals, real estate professionals, and building departments. The project will include a range of innovative technologies, program features, and market strategies to accelerate adoption of energy efficiency upgrades. This existing building initiative will also serve to complement current fire recovery efforts in Sonoma and Mendocino Counties.
Subcontractors appeared as follows:
Ms. Ann Edminster, the founder of Design AVEnues LLC and co-founder of the Switch is On Campaign, served as chair of the City of Petaluma’s Climate Action Commission alongside BDC Founder Panama Bartholomy.
Mr. Bartholomy appeared not to file any statements of economic interest with the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC). I reported him to the FPPC for potential conflicts of interest in public contracts and use of governmental position to influence decisions on August 28, 2024.
He later submitted an assuming office statement to the FPPC on September 9, 2024.
On September 21, 2023, SCP’s Community Advisory Committee Meeting packet stated:
FUEL SUBSTITUTION AND ELECTRIFICATION INCENTIVES PER APPLIANCE
SCP staff monitors federal, state, and regional incentives for energy efficiency, electrification and fuel-substitution projects that are available to our residential customers. These incentives are in addition to or supplemental to SCP offerings and incentives. Each incentive has its own eligibility criteria, product specifications, and application process.
Attached to the end of this staff report is a list of active and anticipated incentives by technology/appliance. For a comprehensive list of current rebates and their associated requirements, visit The Switch Is On: https://incentives.switchison.org/. Note there are many more programs specifically targeted at multi-family, electric vehicles, distributed energy resources, and non-residential customers not included in the attached list.
Sonoma Clean Power’s Strategic Action Plan outlines customer offerings & incentives programs.
On March 2, 2023, the SCP Board was tasked with: Review Programs Strategic Action Plan and Provide Direction as Appropriate.
“Director Barnacle stated that the Plan was a great overview for new Directors and would like to see contractors used as a spotlight. He also stated he would like to see information on mobile home electrification, health and indoor air quality, and how to get induction stoves to low-income constituents.”
Regardless of the conflict, Mr. Barnacle failed to abstain from discussions.
As BDC staff receives funding to promote incentives to transition Sonoma County residents to home electrification, has a conflict been presented? Are the City’s Climate Action Commissioners and Councilmember Barnacle abusing their power of influence through local agencies to middleman deals for corporate utility giants, contractors and Governor Newsom’s Office?
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