In October of last year, the City participated in World Wildlife Fund’s Earth Hour City Challenge, providing information about city policies, programs, and projects that are helping El Cerrito meet its greenhouse gas reduction targets. In addition, City Challenge participants became eligible to apply for an Earth Hour Climate Leader Grant from WWF to investigate Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) as an option to source a larger percentage of renewable electricity for the community. Community Development staff, in conjunction with the City of Albany, jointly applied for the grant. In early March, WWF informed staff that Albany and El Cerrito were selected as recipients of a 2014 Earth Hour Climate Leader grant for $15,000 each.

Staff will be working with WWF to negotiate the work scope for the project. The Earth Hour City Challenge is an international competition among cities to promote renewable energy and prepare for climate change. U.S. cities that participate are recognized for their efforts to create more sustainable, resilient cities and compete for the title of U.S. Earth Hour Capital. City Challenge arose out of the annual global Earth Hour event where over a billion people worldwide turn off their lights for one hour in order to show their support for protecting the planet.