CSE director tapped by Gov. Brown for leadership role

Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. has appointed CCSE’s Andrew McAllister to the California Energy Commission. McAllister, 46, has held several positions with CCSE since 2005, most recently as interim managing director.

Clean energy advocate and long-term CCSE executive director Irene Stillings will retire from her position and become CCSE executive director emeritus as of March 2. In her new role, Stillings will undertake special projects and activities in support of the center’s mission.

I encourage you to nominate your clients, employer, yourself or any community business or agency for our eighth annual Energy All-Star Awards. We need your help finding the best of the best. The deadline for nominations is Friday, Jan. 6.

The financial failure of the solar company Solyndra and its default on $535 million in loans guaranteed by the Energy Department has been running in the headlines for months now, leading some to predict the demise of solar in America. I’d like to paraphrase Mark Twain by saying - Reports of the death of solar are highly exaggerated. And anyone who thinks solar is dying must be living in a parallel universe.

Are you a fence-sitter when it comes to solar for your home? Have you just not wanted to think about the efficiency of your home’s energy systems? I can’t imagine a better time to address these issues. In all of my years in the energy sector, I have never seen such deep discounts and generous rebates as are available to all San Diego County residents right now.

In the August issue of Energy Connection, we’re exploring a brand new and limited-time innovative energy program - Reduce then Produce - that is unique and designed exclusively for San Diego County residents. It’s an exceptional deal for homeowners and a limited time offer, so it’s important that everyone know that this is the time to take action. You get reduced prices on energy efficiency, reduced prices on solar panels and installation, and you have access to available financing mechanisms at very reasonable interest rates - how can you pass this up?