The Regional Energy Strategy (RES) serves as the energy policy blueprint for our region through 2050. It established long-term goals in eleven topic areas: energy efficiency, renewable energy, distributed generation, transportation fuels, land use and transportation planning, border energy issues, and the green economy. With support from the RES guiding principles and the myriad of policy measures recommended across the energy topics, SANDAG and local governments identified six early actions to focus on in the near term.
In 2014, a technical update of the RES was completed in order to inform the development of the 2021 Regional Plan. This technical update demonstrates progress toward attaining the RES goals, updates existing conditions and future projections data, and recommends priorities for moving forward. The updated RES is available below. Concurrent with the update, summary reports were prepared for each of the RES goals.
Priority Early Actions of the Regional Energy Strategy
- Pursue a comprehensive building retrofit program to improve efficiency and install renewable energy systems
- Create financing programs to pay for projects and improvements that save energy
- Utilize the SANDAG-SDG&E Local Government Partnership to help local governments identify opportunities and implement energy savings at government facilities and throughout their communities
- Support land use and transportation planning strategies that reduce energy use and GHG emissions
- Support planning of electric charging and alternative fueling infrastructure
- Support the use of existing unused reclaimed water to decrease the amount of energy needed to meet the water needs of the San Diego region