Now, more than ever, city leaders are faced with an array of tremendous challenges and opportunities in their push to address climate change. With the president and Congress moving to steer new funding toward these efforts, local leaders need to be prepared to deliver on their climate commitments.
Join us as we reveal the city rankings for the 2021 City Clean Energy Scorecard and discuss trends across the country. Attendees will hear from officials in several leading cities about what they are already doing, and planning, to advance clean energy while simultaneously lowering utility bills, improving resilience, and reducing pollution. Speakers will also focus on the ways their programs are based on community input and designed to serve all residents.
Moderator: David Ribeiro, Director of Local Policy, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
David Ribeiro manages ACEEE's local policy program and works to scale up local-level equitable energy efficiency strategies. He oversees the program’s strategic direction, research agenda, technical assistance agenda, and work related to energy efficiency implementation in cities and communities. He oversaw the annual City Clean Energy Scorecard from 2015 to 2020. Before joining ACEEE in 2013, David was a policy advisor at the NYC Department of Environmental Protection. He holds a bachelor of arts in history from the College of the Holy Cross and a master in science in energy policy and climate from Johns Hopkins University.
Speakers:
Mayor London N. Breed, City and County of San Francisco
Mayor London N. Breed is the 45th Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco and the first African-American woman Mayor in the City’s history. She is working to create a more resilient and equitable San Francisco for all by prioritizing policies and programs to address some of the most crucial issues facing the City, including housing, homelessness, workforce development, public safety, climate change, and recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rooted in her experiences growing up in public housing and living in neighborhoods impacted by redevelopment, Mayor Breed is focused on adding more housing for residents of all income levels; helping those suffering from mental health and substance use disorder on San Francisco’s streets; ensuring that all San Franciscans have access to a thriving economy; making San Francisco a cleaner and safer city; and furthering San Francisco’s leadership in combating climate change.
Stefen Samarripas, Local Policy Manager, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
Stefen Samarripas conducts research, analysis, and outreach on policies and programs that encourage energy efficiency in local communities. His work currently focuses on supporting local-government-led clean energy initiatives and scaling up energy efficiency investments in affordable housing. Prior to joining ACEEE in 2016, Stefen worked with community development and housing organizations in the Atlanta, Georgia, metro area. Stefen worked with Cobb County’s Community Development Agency, and he worked with Georgia Advancing Communities Together, conducting research on policies affecting Georgia’s housing and community development organizations. Stefen holds a master of city and regional planning from Georgia Tech and a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Debbie Raphael, Director, San Francisco Department of the Environment
Debbie Raphael believes that cities can take bold action to address environmental harm. A scientist by training and public servant by profession, Debbie has spent most of her career working in government to ensure that everyone has an equal right to a safe and healthy environment. As Director, Debbie leads the City’s efforts to address climate change and build resilience. Under the leadership of Mayor London Breed and the Board of Supervisors, she helped pass one of the City’s most ground-breaking bans on natural gas in new construction, implemented a new, accelerated goal of carbon neutrality by 2040, and updated the City’s Climate Action Plan with collaboration from residents, CBOs, and businesses to include specific goals and strategies in critical sectors of energy, transportation, materials, and biodiversity.
Jessica Price, Sustainability and Resilience Manager, City of Madison, Wisconsin
Jessica Price is an interdisciplinary scientist, strategic thinker, and innovative leader passionate about developing equitable solutions to improve the health and wellbeing of people and ecosystems in urban landscapes. Top priorities include energy and efficiency solutions to meet Madison’s ambitious goal of 100% renewable energy and net-zero carbon emissions by 2040; investments in equitable, low-carbon transportation and city fleet vehicles; and improving the energy efficiency of affordable housing and commercial buildings through programs and policy initiatives. Previously, Jessica was the Renewable Energy Strategy Lead for the Nature Conservancy in New York, where she worked to advance climate mitigation and adaptation strategies, including leading the creation of the Long Island Solar Roadmap and the Nature Conservancy's first carbon-neutral office in the state. Jessica received her PhD in Landscape Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she was a National Science Foundation Integrative Graduate Education and Research Fellow.
Maribeth De Lorenzo, Ph.D., AICP, Sustainability Director, District of Columbia
Based in the Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE), Maribeth De Lorenzo, Ph.D., AICP is responsible for policies and programs related to sustainability, climate, green building, equity, sustainable materials management, urban agriculture, and community engagement. Prior to this position, she worked across the public and private sectors developing and financing affordable housing, particularly green and high performance buildings, and has two decades of experience in community development. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and is a LEED Accredited Professional, as well as a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). Maribeth is a long term resident of Washington, DC and loves working for a healthier, greener, more livable city for all residents.
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