Proposition 39 California Citizens Oversight Board Publishes 3rd Annual Clean Energy Jobs Act Report to the Legislature
Cordoba Corporation’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Randall D. Martinez, who serves on the Proposition 39 (California Clean Energy Jobs Act or CCEJA) California’s Citizens Oversight Board (COB), is pleased to announce that the COB delivered its 2018 Annual Report to the Legislature on March 29, 2018.
The COB’s recommendations in its 3rd Annual Report to the Legislature include the following:
- Provide annual appropriations to the Clean Energy Jobs Fund to allow for continuing energy savings, emission reductions and jobs at California’s public schools.
- Support the Energy Conservation Act Assistance Education Subaccount (ECAA-Ed) revolving loan program, which is one of the most fiscally responsible energy programs in California, but was not identified in Senate Bill 110 (Clean Energy Job Creation Program and citizen oversight board, Chapter 55, Statutes of 2017) for long-term funding.
- Provide direct support to the Workforce Development Board’s Pre-Apprenticeship Program, which is also not included in SB 110. This program is a clear winner, working with just $3 million per year to show truly impressive job training and placement results, including for hard-to-place workers such as veterans, at-risk youth, and formerly incarcerated individuals.
- Support the development of an inventory of existing K-12 facilities by leveraging information already gathered by the California Energy Commission, California Conservation Corps, the state’s university system and public utilities, and adding such information to existing school databases at the California Department of Education. This will allow future school energy efficiency programs, and any state funding for school facility upgrades, to be better targeted toward those schools in disadvantaged communities with the greatest facility improvement needs.
- Allocate a small amount of funding to a third-party organization to review a cross-section of completed projects and provide a handbook or manual to schools across California that provides best practices and the best opportunities for energy efficiency and self-generation projects, including key issues to consider such as financing capacity, technical expertise, etc.
California voters passed the California Clean Energy Jobs Act (Proposition 39) in November 2012 to create jobs, save energy, reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions, and provide job training and workforce development in related fields. By focusing on public schools, community colleges, and other school facilities, the Act has created energy and cost savings, and has improved the classroom-learning environment for students and educators across California—all while advancing California’s broader climate and energy goals.
The California Clean Energy Jobs Act is implemented through programs at several different agencies, including the California Energy Commission, the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, the California Workforce Development Board, and the California Conservation Corps. These programs include:
- Direct grants for energy audits, retrofits, and clean energy project development for K-12 schools and community colleges;
- Loans and technical assistance to support these projects; and
- Job training and workforce development programs intended to grow and maintain the state’s pool of qualified clean energy workers.
Randall Martinez was appointed by former California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris to serve on the Proposition 39 Citizens Oversight Board in October of 2014. In her letter appointing Randall to the board, she said, “I am confident that [Randall’s] knowledge and experience will be of great value to the Board in its annual review of the Clean Energy Job Creation Fund and report to the Legislature.”
Mr. Martinez earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration/Finance from the University of Southern California and is licensed in California as a general engineering contractor. As COO of Cordoba, he is responsible for overall service delivery and resource allocation, and has company-wide responsibility to develop strategic marketing plans, maintain client relations and provide corporate communications throughout California.
“I am pleased about the recommendations we have provided to the Legislature in our 2018 Annual Report. Our recommendations are consistent with the goal of building a more sustainable California and supporting workforce development and job creation in the energy efficiency and clean energy sectors in California,” said Randall Martinez.
The 2018 Annual Report and Appendices are available at the enclosed link: Prop 39 California’s Citizen Oversight Board 3rd Annual Clean Energy Jobs Act Report to the Legislature.