Host: County of Santa Barbara
Openings: 1
Project Focus: Climate Mitigation, Energy Efficiency, General Sustainability
Skills Needed: Community Engagement, Project Management, Community Outreach, Stakeholder Engagement,

Remote or On-Site Placement

Hybrid – The County of Santa Barbara has remained flexible. At this time, the County Sustainability Division team is working a hybrid schedule, and dedicated work spaces in an office are provided.

Service Needs & Plans

The County of Santa Barbara is one of the three counties that make up the Tri-County Regional Energy Network (3C-REN), which was established to deliver regional energy efficiency programs that meet local needs and help reduce energy use, carbon emissions, and meet the goals of local climate action plans.

The 3C-REN now delivers seven energy efficiency programs and services that address the needs and challenges of local government agencies, building professionals, and residents in our region.

The County of Santa Barbara’s Sustainability Division, where the Fellow will be housed, also administers and oversees several other sustainability-related programs and initiatives including: the County’s Climate Action Plan, the Energy Assurance Services program, the Santa Barbara County Climate Collaborative, Climate Resilient Central Coast, and more.

The Fellow will support both 3C-REN and the Climate Resilient Central Coast initiative in an outreach, engagement, and education capacity. This project aims to implement innovative outreach and engagement strategies to deliver energy education and services to tri-county residents, especially historically underserved communities. This outreach and engagement will help build awareness of programs and services available to homeowners and residents to make their homes more energy efficient, and empower residents to take action to reduce their climate impact.

Project Description

The Fellow will serve on several capacity-building projects related to 3C-REN and Resilient Central Coast. For 3C-REN’s Home Energy Savings programs, the Fellow will expand our offerings and partnerships with libraries throughout the tri-county. We currently offer 3C-REN DIY Home Energy Toolkits and Induction Cooktops that library patrons can check out. In addition to managing Toolkit and Cooktop supplies, coordinating with libraries, and conducting educational presentations, the Fellow will work with partner libraries to explore and develop new opportunities to collaborate. This may include identifying existing educational programs to which we could add energy or sustainability content, or developing new programs.

The Fellow will also support 3C-REN’s Building Performance Training (BPT) and Energy Code Connect (ECC) trainings and workshops targeting current and prospective building professionals. The BPT and ECC programs host free events on a wide variety of topics relating to energy efficiency, high performance buildings, and electrification. The Fellow will have the opportunity to work with 3C-REN staff across the Tri-County to support event planning, execution, and follow-up.

In addition to support for 3C-REN programs, the Fellow will participate in community engagement around the Resilient Central Coast initiative, of which the County of Santa Barbara is a partner. The goal of Resilient Central Coast is to make it easy for central coast residents to learn about and track every-day solutions and climate-friendly actions to reduce their climate impact. The Fellow will lead Resilient Central Coast presentations and other activities or challenges for community groups, including the development of outreach materials and tracking reports. They will also support events that reach larger community audiences, developing tools and tactics to engage attendees and track outcomes.

Desired Skills Organization & Workplace Highlights

The Sustainability Division is part of the Community Services Department, which also includes Parks, the Office of Arts and Culture, Libraries and Housing and Community Development. The Sustainability Division is a small but extremely motivated group of six staff members. The Division operates through a shared leadership model that values open communication. The Division was created approximately eight years ago. While staff works hard, the division’s culture also believes in the value of having fun and being playful.

As a result of recent climate-related disasters, the community has seen an increased interest in elevating climate change education, reducing GHG emissions, and preparing for future effects of climate change. In contrast, there is also community support, particularly in Northern Santa Barbara County, to continue to allow oil and natural gas drilling projects that provide jobs and support local economic development. The Fellow will have the chance to navigate the complex set of issues that are at the heart of the climate change debate.

The Tri-County Regional Energy Network (3CREN) was established to deliver energy efficiency program and services, specifically targeting Hard-to-Reach customers. It is 3C-REN’s goal to reach historically underserved customers and communities. As part of recent strategic planning efforts, staff identified accessibility as a priority. As a first step, we have partnered with Promotores to improve our outreach and communication with Spanish-speaking communities. Because of 3C-REN’s collaborative nature, the Fellow will also get to work closely with staff from the Counties of San Luis Obispo and Ventura to develop and implement projects across the entire Tri-County Region. The opportunity to help deliver energy efficiency programming across a wide and diverse area will be an exciting challenge for the right candidate.

Community Highlights

The County of Santa Barbara is located in the southern region of State of California. The County is unique in that it has two main administrative locations, one in the City of Santa Barbara (South County) and the other in the City of Santa Maria (North County). The Fellow will be based in the County Administration Building, which is located in the downtown area of the City of Santa Barbara. Mainstays of the County’s economy include oil and natural gas exploration, winemaking, agriculture and education. Santa Barbara’s picturesque beaches, mountains and proximity to the Channel Islands also make it a popular tourist destination.