Social Impact

Where: California

What agency is responsible for funding allocation? California Energy Commission

What funding has been allocated to Santa Clara and San Mateo counties?

• $21 million in incentives to Santa Clara County
• $12 million in incentives to San Mateo County

Who. Which utilities are involved?

• City of Palo Alto Utilities
• Peninsula Clean Energy
• San José Clean Energy
• Silicon Valley Clean Energy
• Silicon Valley Power

How will the partnership between the counties and utilities work?

• utilities pledge to contribute millions in matching funds
• utilities will be able to leverage local investment, CALeVIP funds will further expand EV charging accessibility 

City of Palo Alto | State Proposes $21M for EV Charging in Santa Clara County

Where: Illinois

Who: mayors of Burr Ridge, Darien, Hinsdale, and Willowbrook

How: By using eminent domain to acquire the land, they would prevent the re-opening of a medical-device sterilization facility

What is the environmental issue with the facility? A state regulatory agency shuttered the facility over the emission of harmful gases

Bloomberg Environment | Illinois Cities Consider Eminent Domain to Stop Sterigenics (2)

Where: Congress

The legislation: S. 2302, the America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act,

The climate change provisions create a grant program for:

• “to strategically deploy electric vehicle charging infrastructure, hydrogen fueling infrastructure, and natural gas fueling infrastructure along designated alternative fuel corridors that will be accessible to all drivers of electric vehicles, hydrogen vehicles, and natural gas vehicles.”
• $1 BILLION over 5 years

What partnerships open up? Grantees and Industry partnerships

Energy Manager Today | Senate Committee Green Lights Bipartisan EV Charging Funding Bill

Where: SFO

What: No single use plastic bottles. Travelers will be required to bring refillable bottles and cups

What exceptions exist?  flavored water is exempt

Is this based on a city ordinance? Yes, San Francisco’s  ordinance approved in 2014 that bans the sale of plastic water bottles on city-owned property

San Francisco Chronicle | No fly zone: SFO bans sale of plastic water bottles

Where: German transportation tech company 

What transportation market does FlixMobility serve?

• FlixMobility works with individuals and companies
• using its logistics platform
• building efficient long-distance (intercity) routes
• shortest connection is 50km
• most connections are beyond 100km
• “sweet spot” is 200km —

Is it just cars in their networks? No, it is cars, trains and buses

TechCrunch | FlixMobility extends Series F at $2B+ valuation as it gears up to add cars to its bus and train network

Where: Austin TX

What: Electronic tipping of musicians and artists via Dipjar for digital tips

How: Pilot program launches Summer 2019 with artists applying to participate

NYDaily News | Austin, Texas, takes new initiative to support city’s struggling musicians with cashless tipping pilot program

What? Opponents to eminent domain are surreptitiously planting fruit trees on land that has been taken by eminent domain

How could this be used? Imagine a group planting state trees or state flowers that could be protected from removal.

The signage:  “A gift to the people, reclaiming land stolen by corporate greed.”

Where did this happen? Property taken for the Kelo project in New London, Mass.

The Day | Group is planting fruit trees, vegetables on Fort Trumbull eminent domain land

Where: San Francisco

The ordinance: Plastic and Litter Reduction Ordinance 

What is required but he Plastic and Litter Reduction ordinance? 

• A gathering of 100 or more on city owned property requires reusable cups for at least 10% of attendees
• Single use food service items are available only by request

Where: Arizona

What sparked a safety concern about battery storage? A fire at a battery storage facility on April 19, 2019

What issue did an Arizona regulator raise? that lithium ion battery storage create a unacceptable risk

3 goals of utility scale battery storage according to this Arizona utility commissioner:

• sustainable
• less risky
• do not utilize chemistries that have a potential to release hydrogen fluoride in the event of a fire or explosion

Utility Dive | Arizona commissioner cites ‘unacceptable risks’ from lithium-ion batteries for large-scale projects

What: Professional Services Council Foundation created the  Mark L. Cohn Research Fund

Why? ” promote innovation through research primarily focused on cybersecurity and other emerging technologies.”

Corporate Partner:  Unisys

PSC Foundation | PSC FOUNDATION LAUNCHES MARK L. COHN RESEARCH FUND TO HONOR VETERAN UNISYS FEDERAL CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER

Where: Syracuse, NY

What: Smart Street lights are replacing traditional street lights

How much? $38 M bond financing with $3 Million annual savings to city when installed

Why? 

• Energy efficient LED lights
• Data collection from street lights including:
  • traffic patters
  • power outages
  • weather measurements like wind, snow, and rain

Route 50 | When Street Lights Do More Than Illuminate a City

Where: Tennessee, Texas, & Alaska

What: invest funds in Innovative Industrial Properties, that will operate in Illinois where recreational marijuana becomes legal Jan. 1

Other pension investments in cannabis?

• New York State Common Retirement Fund.
• Arizona State Retirement System.
• California State Teachers Retirement System.
• California Public Employees Retirement System.
• Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio.
• New York State Teachers Retirement System.
• Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund.
• State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System.
• Louisiana State Employees Retirement System.
• Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public Schools Employees Retirement System.
• Teachers Retirement System of the State of Kentucky.
• Municipal Employees’ Retirement System of Michigan.
• State Teacher Retirement System of Ohio.
• Public Sector Pension Investment Board — Canada.

Chicago Sun Times | 3 other states, numerous public pension funds aiming to profit off legal weed in Illinois

Where? Berkeley CA

What? City Council unanimous vote to ban natural gas infrastructure in new low-rise residential buildings starting 1.1.2020

Exceptions? Yes, 2. new industrial & commercial buildings

Supporters? 

• PG&E
• Sierra Club
• atural Resources Defense Council 

What will be required in new buildings instead? electrification of space and water heating and air conditioning

Smart Cities | Berkeley, CA sets historic law banning natural gas from new buildings

Where: Los Angeles, CA

What EV goals did LA set? Emission free by 2050

How will LA accomplish this?

• PHASE IN STANDARDS. increase % of electric and zero emission vehicles in the city to 25% by 2025, 80% by 2035, and 100% by 2050
• EV CHARGER INSTALLATION. 10,000 public EV chargers by 2022 & 28,000 chargers by 2028
• INCLUDE TAXI STANDARDS. 10% of its taxi fleet by 2022 & 100% of its fleet by 2028
• SCHOOL BUS STANDARDS. Zero emission by 2028
• PORT STANDARDS reduce GHG emissions 80% by 2050
• PUBLIC TRANSIT. Metro and LADOT buses by 2030

Electrek | LA’s own ‘Green New Deal’ sets goal of 100% zero emission vehicles by 2050, 20K+ new EV chargers

WHAT? Amazon protests

WHY? Protestors do not support the use of Amazon technology by ICE

WHERE does this business trend get interesting? In the company’s response (emphasis added):

An Amazon representative said in an emailed statement: “There is clearly a need for more clarity from governments on what is acceptable use of [artificial intelligence] and ramifications for its misuse, and we’ve provided a proposed legislative framework for this. We remain eager for the government to provide this additional clarity and legislation.”

Wall Street Journal | Protesters Disrupt Amazon Event Over Its Ties With ICE

The study: Authenticity Gap report by FleishmanHillard Fishburn

What did consumers say for this 7th annual Authenticity Gap report?

• 66% consumers want companies to show greater purpose & societal impact
•  59% expect companies to stand up on climate and environmental issues (that’s up from 39% in 2018)
• 84% of the 160 companies studied don’t meet consumer expectations concerning environmental issues and climate change

What did it say about how this message should be conveyed?

• 76% expect CEOs to first and foremost communicate issues that impact customers 
• 71% expect CEOS to first and foremost communicate issues that impact employees
• 55% believe Companies should act on issues with a large societal impact, even if there is no significant affect to the company
• 48% consumers think companies must take a stand on controversial issues that influenced government policy changes
• 43% consumers think corporations should take stands on issues concerning the CEOs own personal views and beliefs 

The Holmes Report | Study: Consumer Expect Brands To Take A Stand On Climate Change & Data Security

What’s happening? traditional mutual funds & exchange-traded funds are investing in clean water

Why? As clean water becomes scarcer, the price goes up

How are they investing?  Companies that contribute to the delivery, testing and cleaning of potable water.

NY Times | As Fresh Water Grows Scarcer, It Could Become a Good Investment

Where: Michigan

The Bills:

• SB 409 / HB 4789: Create tax incentives for small businesses and multi-unit housing to install EV charging stations. 
• SB 405 / HB 4786: Create a council within the MDOT to produce an EV infrastructure plan to expand Michigan’s charging network. 
• SB 408 / HB 4787: Allow the state to install EV charging stations at state “park and ride” lots, either directly or by lease. 
• SB 407/ HB 4788:  Allow the state to install EV charging stations at state parks, either directly or by lease. 

NRDC | EV Charging Infrastructure Package Introduced in Michigan

Where: Long Breach CA

What travel ban? Prohibiting taxpayer funded travel to Alabama and Georgia due to abortion restrictions

Is Long Beach alone? No, similar travel bans are also in the works by Los Angeles, the State of Colorado and the State of Maryland 

AL.COM | Another California city looks to ban travel to Alabama over abortion law

Where: Missouri

What:   the “Good Neighbor Bill.”

How does the Good Neighbor Bill work?  allow neighbors/neighborhood associations to clean up abandoned properties by picking up trash, mowing lawns and fixing windows without any legal ramifications

KCTV | Missouri bill would allow neighbors to clean up outside of abandoned houses

Where: Great Britain

What: 1/3 of British lawmakers are calling on the parliamentary pension fund to divest its holdings in fossil fuel companies 

Why? to address the climate change “emergency”

What’s the largest fund to divest from fossil fuels? Norway’s $1 trillion sovereign wealth fund (the world’s largest fund)

Reuters | British lawmakers demand their pension fund divests fossil fuels

• 20% of Fortune 500 CISOs will be women by 2020
• 13% were women in 2017
• Capitol Hill hearings hear testimony from women 20% of the time on information security

Tech Target | Women in cybersecurity work to grow voice in US lawmaking