Advancing a Green New Deal for Los Angeles Renters
Maria Stamas, Michele Knab-Hasson, Emma Tome (NRDC); Maria Quiñones, Deborah Philbrick, Abigail Corso (Elevate Energy); Anthony Alexander (Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy); Walker Wells (Global Green, Raimi + Associates); and Blanca de la Cruz (California Housing Partnership Corporation)
Los Angeles, which has made great strides in creating a clean energy economy, could be reducing energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on a scale in line with meeting the Paris Climate Agreement targets if it more effectively made energy-efficiency programs available for low-income residents of multifamily buildings. By doing so, the city would not only further advance its efforts to stem climate-change but also make its buildings healthier and more affordable for one million of the city’s most economically vulnerable renters.
These renters are the hardest hit by California’s housing crisis, pay the highest percentage of their incomes on energy bills, and are among the most vulnerable to climate-change related disasters, including more frequent and intense heat waves and wildfires.
This report finds that expanding effective programs to better serve this population not only is possible and cost-effective, but also comes with meaningful economic and environmental benefits.
All of this could be accomplished by making an investment with a 200 percent return. That is, each dollar invested by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) in its residential customers’ efficiency programs through 2030 would result in savings worth two dollars in benefits, for example, from reduced supply-side investments and bill savings for Los Angeles residents.
In addition to determining the potential for energy savings through programs targeted at lowerincome, multifamily residences, this report assessed the barriers to reaching this full potential, and recommends strategies to fully realize it.
