Congratulations, San Diego and Sonoma counties! At the CSAC Annual Conference yesterday, both counties were honored for their sustainability achievements. Each received Beacon Spotlight Awards for their leadership to save energy and reduce greenhouse emissions. Their efforts demonstrate the effectiveness of voluntary action at the local level.

Sonoma County received three Beacon Spotlights Awards, including a platinum-level Beacon Spotlight Award for Greenhouse Gas Reductions, reducing agency greenhouse gas emissions in energy and transportation sectors by 29 percent. Sonoma County also received a silver-level Spotlight Award for Energy Efficiency for reducing energy use in agency facilities by 10 percent through energy efficiency retrofits. In addition, the county received a silver-level Beacon Spotlight Award for completing 10 sustainability best practices. More information and a video about Sonoma County’s accomplishments are available online.

San Diego County received two Beacon Spotlight Awards, including a Gold Beacon Spotlight Award for implementing 20 Sustainability Best Practices in 10 different areas. San Diego County also achieved a Gold Spotlight Award for energy savings, reducing electricity and natural gas use in agency buildings by 10 percent between 2006 and 2012.

Both Sonoma and San Diego counties are participating in the sustainability recognition program, the Beacon Award: Local Leadership Toward Solving Climate Change. Currently, 52 cities and counties, including Yolo and San Luis Obispo counties, are participating in the Beacon Award program. The Beacon Award program is open to any county or city. Details about how to participate are available on the Institute for Local Government website.

The Institute for Local Government is the nonprofit research affiliate of the California State Association of Counties and the League of California Cities. The Institute’s mission is to promote good government at the local level with practical, impartial and easy-to-use resources for California communities.

The Beacon Spotlight Awards are part of the Beacon Award program, sponsored by the Institute for Local Government and the Statewide Energy Efficiency Collaborative (SEEC), an alliance to help cities and counties reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save energy. SEEC is a collaboration between three statewide nonprofit organizations, including the Institute for Local Government and California’s four investor-owned utilities.

The Beacon Award program is funded by California utility customers and administered by Southern California Gas Company, San Diego Gas & Electric Company, Pacific Gas and Electric Company and Southern California Edison, under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission.