Laying the Foundation for Local Climate Leaders

Since 2019, BayREN has partnered with Rising Sun Center for Opportunity’s Climate Careers Program to drive climate resilience and create green employment pathways for local youth. BayREN piloted this concept within the Home+ program since the service provided by youth serve residential customers. The Climate Careers program trains participants to deliver Green House Call services to help local residents lower their household energy consumption. During a Green House Call, residents receive no-cost energy kits, which include energy and water conservation measures for their home.

In 2023, the Climate Careers program trained and hired 35 local youth to serve over 2,000 households with Green House Calls. The estimated energy and water savings from the Home Energy Kits equate to an annual reduction of 407,980 kWh of electricity, 3,808,061 gallons of water, and avoidance of 382 metric tons of CO2 e (MTCO2 e). This is equivalent to avoiding the CO2 emissions generated by the annual electricity use of 74 homes. Of the households served, 62% were low-income, and 22% were moderate income. Additionally, 69% of households served were rental units, helping to provide services for a group that often gets left out of building upgrade programs. The program continues to grow and evolve, as 2023 marked the third year of additional externship offerings for Climate Careers youth. Externships provide an additional 140 hours of paid work to prepare youth for employment in the green sector. This proven track record of success shows that the program is a pillar in the Bay Area. To ensure the continual growth and collaboration between Rising Sun and BayREN, Climate Careers has been layered into BayREN’s approved 2024 – 2031 Business Plan as a new workforce, education, and training program. This is an important addition to the BayREN portfolio to push towards the collective goal of creating a greener California!