In spring 2025, the BEEP Coalition, in close collaboration with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), kicked off its second series of community listening sessions—continuing the momentum from the first round of community listening sessions in 2022 that produced the Preliminary Findings Report.
As a testament to the strength of community-driven insight, this first report has already shaped key policies and programs around decarbonization, including the California Energy Commission’s (CEC) Equitable Building Decarbonization Program and the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) Zero Emission Appliance Standard Rulemaking.
This latest round intends to provide an update on how communities are envisioning building decarbonization in their communities, gathering feedback in:
- A virtual session focused on the San Francisco Bay Area,
- A hybrid in‑person/virtual session across two locations in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV),
- An in‑person event in Los Angeles in September, and
- An upcoming statewide webinar in October.
Notably, these sessions also invite decision‑makers directly into the conversation—staff and commissioners from the CEC, CARB, and CPUC are there to provide information and listen to community voices. Ultimately, these voices will help inform statewide building decarbonization efforts such as the CPUC’s zonal decarbonization pilot in its Long-term Gas Planning Proceeding, the SJV Affordable Energy Access Proceeding, and the Building Decarbonization Proceeding.
Amidst this effort, the BEEP Coalition has also had to navigate heightened threats and attacks on its community members. In light of recent ICE-related incidents, BEEP has taken precautionary steps to ensure participants’ safety and trust in engaging with BEEP and the CPUC on this important effort.
By the end of this year, BEEP will compile an updated report that captures the latest community insights, priorities, and recommendations around building decarbonization. Similar to the 2022 Preliminary Report, this report intends to empower community voices across state, regional, and local efforts to advance equitable building decarbonization in our communities.
