Category: N-News

LACI in LA Times Column: Can Los Angeles lead the world on climate? We’ll soon find out

When the eyes of the world turn to Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympic Games, will they see a smog-choked city full of traffic jams, gas furnaces and fossil-fueled power plants? Or a beacon of light in a polluted world, bursting with solar panels, electric cars and induction stoves?

The short answer: probably both.

But LACI’s ambitious Clean Energy Roadmap plan unveiled could lead to more of the good stuff and less of the bad stuff.

Read the full Sammy Roth column in the LA Times here

LACI CEO STATEMENT ON COP28 AGREEMENT

Los Angeles, December 14, 2023 – Following the unanimous approval of a declaration by COP28 diplomats that included calls for the phase out of fossil fuels and the tripling of renewable energy capacity, Matt Petersen, LACI’s President and CEO, issued the following statement:

“While not adequate in meeting the magnitude of the climate crisis, it is historic that the ‘phasing out’ of fossil fuels—along with the funding of loss and damages, albeit modest, and commitments for the tripling of renewable energy capacity—was included in the final COP28 declaration unanimously approved in Dubai yesterday. In attending COP28 to share LACI’s unique green economic development model to deploy equitable climate solutions at speed and scale, I was also pleased to be amongst hundreds of startup founders and fellow California leaders showing how the world’s 4th largest economy is helping lead the way.

“Along with 2000 others, I signed the letter challenging COP28 President Sultan Al-Jaber and all delegates to ensure the final declaration committed to ‘phasing out’ fossil fuels along with commitments for climate finance and biodiversity. The unanimous agreement codifies for the first time in the history of the world’s largest climate conference what we have known all along: that we must end our reliance on fossil fuels to ensure, as I often say, humanity doesn’t just survive but also thrives on this planet.”

LACI’S TRANSPORTATION ELECTRIFICATION PARTNERSHIP SETS NATION-LEADING SCHOOL BUS ELECTRIFICATION, INCREASED CHARGER TARGETS IN UPDATED 2028 ZERO EMISSIONS ROADMAP

Roadmap Builds on Partnership’s Work over the Past 5 Years to Identify Key Initiatives to Reduce GHG Emissions and Air Pollution by Time of 2028 Olympics

 

Los Angeles, December 11, 2023 – Today, the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator’s Transportation Electrification Partnership (Partnership) released Zero Emissions 2028 Roadmap 3.0, a detailed report that sets bold new targets to reaffirm the Partnership’s commitment to achieve an additional 25% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution by the time of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Roadmap sets a nation-leading school bus electrification target of 45% of school buses on LA County roads and 100% of all school bus sales to be electric by 2028. Given that 1 in 11 children in Los Angeles suffer from asthma, and that riding the school bus contributes 33% of a child’s daily exposure to certain air pollutants, this target aims to improve public health–particularly for those most at risk.

In addition to setting a bold new school bus electrification target, this version of the Roadmap:

  • Increases our public and workplace charging target from 84,000 to 129,000 to reflect new targets from our partner LADWP and growing demand as a result of state EV sales requirements;
  • Illustrates where the Partnership has made progress and where we need to accelerate action;
  • Highlights greater ambition and new commitments from some of our partners;
  • Identifies key strategic opportunities to enact the Roadmap’s guiding principles and achieve our bold targets; and
  • Details policy actions, convenings, research, pilots, and partnerships TEP will pursue in the next two years–which are critical years to set in motion the investments needed to bring our shared 2028 vision to reality.

The Roadmap builds on five years of collaboration by the unprecedented public-private Partnership, going further than ever before to drive progress in order to benefit the Los Angeles region by the time of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games and beyond.

“We are so proud of the momentum this Partnership has created, demonstrating political will for great ambition,” said LACI CEO Matt Petersen and Edison Energy CEO Drew Murphy, co-chairs of the Partnership. “While we celebrate the significant progress that has been made, we know we have much further to go to accelerate equitable climate action before the world arrives in the Los Angeles region for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. That is why we are going big with bold new targets to improve air quality and mobility for those most affected in our region. This Roadmap 3.0 builds on our successes and learnings to lay out a clear vision for how together we will take action through policies, pilots, and key infrastructure investments to hit these targets.”

Several prominent state and local leaders provided letters endorsing the TEP Roadmap, including the following excerpted statements:

“As Mayor of Los Angeles, I am proud of the work we are doing each and every day to ensure the equitable transformation of our city to a clean and just economy, ensuring that as we make our air healthier, we are also creating green job opportunities available to all Angelenos,” said Mayor Karen Bass. “The Transportation Electrification Partnership’s Roadmap 3.0 provides a set of goals and specific actions for the City, the Partnership, and all involved stakeholders to band together around in order to achieve our shared vision of welcoming the world in 2028 to the region.”

“At the state, local and regional level, TEP has advocated for policies that increase and accelerate the deployment of more environmentally-friendly transportation solutions,” said Liane Randolph, Chair of the California Air Resources Board. “TEP has convened a broad and diverse group in the region who have come together to offer the people power needed to push for action and to implement solutions on the ground. Thanks to their work, the Los Angeles and the greater Southern California region is implementing zero-emissions programs that put tools like electric shuttles, vehicles and bikes in low-income neighborhoods, so that no one is left behind in a clean air future.”

“We can and should move goods and people in ways that protect the health of our communities, reduce emissions, and create green jobs,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn, LA County Board of Supervisors (4th District). “The County of Los Angeles supports the work of the Transportation Electrification Partnership and the goals outlined in this Zero Emissions 2028 Roadmap. The bold targets it sets are necessary to get us to a zero emissions future here in LA County and across the country. I look forward to working with LACI and know that together we will lay the groundwork for a future that serves the health and welfare of all those in our communities.”

“As California continues to feel the acute impacts of climate change, at the California Energy Commission (CEC) we understand the urgency for immediate action and the magnitude of the task at hand to transform the transportation landscape of our state. Thanks in part to TEP’s bold goals and leadership, we are well on our way,” said Patty Monahan, California Energy Commissioner. “I am proud to serve as an advisor to a Partnership that is a model for the kind of broad-based collaboration needed to bring about a change of this magnitude, making the critical infrastructure investments now that will benefit the LA region in the long term.”

The release of Roadmap 3.0 also marks the launch of an online dashboard to track LA’s progress towards the targets the Partnership has set.

The full Roadmap, complete with the Transportation Electrification Partnership’s recommendations, targets, and commitments can be found here.

About LACI:

Established in 2011 as an economic development initiative of the City of Los Angeles and LA Department of Water and Power (LADWP), LACI is creating an inclusive green economy by unlocking innovation through startup incubation, transforming markets through catalytic partnerships, pilots and policies, and enhancing communities through green job training. Solutions are focused on zero emissions transportation, clean energy, and sustainable cities. LACI’s startup incubation programs provide curriculum, coaching, pilot funding, access to venture and debt funds, additional resources for underrepresented founders, paid interns, and other resources to scale emerging cleantech companies.

About LACI’s Transportation Electrification Partnership:

LACI’s Transportation Electrification Partnership (TEP) is an unprecedented multi-year public-private partnership of local, regional, and state stakeholders committed to accelerating transportation electrification and zero emissions goods movement throughout the Los Angeles region in advance of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. It does so by pursuing bold targets, pilots, initiatives, and policies that are equity-driven, create quality jobs, and grow the economy. Established by LACI in 2018, the Partnership released Roadmap 1.0 that same year organized around the principal goal of reducing GHGs and air pollution in Los Angeles County by an additional 25 percent beyond existing commitments set for 2028.

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Announcing a new cohort of LACI portfolio companies

The Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) recently welcomed its seventh Incubation Program cohort, and eighth cohort of its Innovators program — both full of diverse, game-changing startups that are transforming the landscape of zero emissions transportation, clean energy, and sustainable cities and circular economy.

In the face of an escalating climate crisis, the work of our startups has gained paramount importance. That’s why LACI’s mission is as critical as ever: to empower emerging entrepreneurs and alumni companies through critical early-stage business development, cultivating a new wave of leaders in the 21st-century cleantech sector. These pioneers in technology are hard at work tackling urgent environmental issues like resource depletion, pollution, climate change, and waste management. The startups in these current LACI cohorts are focused on microgrid tech, alternative sustainable materials, electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, ecologically conscious heating/cooling systems, and new EV models to help combat greenhouse gas pollution.

Cleantech startups not only play a crucial role in mitigating climate change by curbing harmful emissions into the ecosystem, but also actively contribute to the growth of the green economy by creating green jobs, fostering economic development, and nurturing a global ecosystem of sustainability.

Please join us in welcoming LACI’s newest program members!

Innovators Cohort 8

This year, the Innovators program broke a LACI record in diversity, welcoming 67% BIPOC founders and 38% women founders. The one-year Innovators Program offers a lighter-touch, high-impact concierge style ecosystem access opportunity. Innovators Cohort 8 consists of 24 founders with an even distribution of Clean Energy, Circular Economy and Transportation Electrification startups to the LACI portfolio.

  • A La Care
    • A La Care offers chic, eco-friendly foodware for LA-based food businesses, targeting owners who prioritize aesthetics and Instagram-friendly products. Their goal is to replace Styrofoam and single-use plastics at local events, food trucks, and restaurants. Traditional plastics dominate due to cost and functionality, but A La Care focuses on design innovation without tech risks. Their products, made from bamboo and sugarcane bagasse using molded fiber technology, are ready to scale rapidly, making us market-ready upon funding. Their stylish prototypes aim to overcome sustainable packaging barriers, establishing them as a market leader in a promising, untapped market.
  • BOLD Swim
    • BOLD Swim is a swimwear brand that uses technical fabrics in their collection, along with resource efficiency-minded production techniques by designing for versatile use and waste management. The signature fabric is Amni Soul Eco which is a highly durable and versatile fabric that is also biodegradable biomass (end of life) and eco-friendly.
  • CarKenny
    • CarKenny is a community-focused Mobility-as-a-Service platform that offers users a single app for planning, booking, and paying for sustainable transportation. CarKenny’s core mission revolves around reducing the number of cars on the road in favor of shared and eco-friendly transportation alternatives. They place a strong emphasis on collaborating with community-based organizations to ensure that traditionally underserved and marginalized communities gain access to clean mobility solutions, particularly in areas currently lacking adequate transit options. Furthermore, CarKenny actively partners with transportation providers to ensure that their assets are strategically positioned to meet the specific needs of these communities.
  • CHRGsystem
    • CHRGsystem simplifies Los Angeles film production decarbonization with unique hardware and software. It integrates clean energy via CHRGconnx, reducing diesel generator reliance. CHRGsystem’s software optimizes supply logistics, cuts emissions, and enhances efficiency for a greener, cost-effective industry. It also promotes EV adoption, making LA a global leader in sustainable filmmaking.
  • Harsh Electronics
    • Gas vehicles currently dominate personal transportation, but the future depends on widespread EV adoption, particularly in cities. As urban areas commit to phasing out gas vehicles, the need for EV charging infrastructure is undeniable. Outdated transformer technology hampers this growth, especially in densely populated and lower-income urban regions. Harsh Electronics addresses this challenge with TransformerX, a compact, cost-effective solid-state transformer. Harsh Electronics empowers utilities to expand EV charging networks, propelling the urban EV revolution.
  • High Note Technologies
    • High Note has introduced a mobile app that transforms the parking and EV charging experience. Users can easily locate and reserve parking slots and EV charging spots in areas lacking commercial infrastructure. High Note achieves this by providing a platform for public and private parking space owners to list their units, generating additional revenue streams.
  • LA Mushroom Lab
    • LA Mushroom Labs is introducing an innovative mushroom-based coffee cup, a sustainable alternative to traditional single-use cups. Crafted from used coffee grounds and infused with the power of mushroom mycelium, this cup offers a breakthrough solution for eco-conscious coffee lovers. Each cup is carefully grown using locally sourced coffee grounds, transforming waste into a durable and compostable material. Our mushroom-based coffee cup is not only waterproof and insulating, but it also helps reduce plastic and styrofoam waste. Embrace a greener coffee experience with a cup that’s as earth-friendly as the brew it holds.
  • Looks For Lease Inc.
    • Looks for Lease is creating an innovative ‘Circular Inventory Tracking System’ that facilitates the logistics of a dynamic environmentally conscious Wardrobe Rental experience by combining Stylish Size inclusive fashion, an extensive recycling program and perfecting fit through body measurement integration. By keeping Wardrobe within a rental infrastructure, it maximizes the use of textiles, reduces landfill waste and production of excessive goods.
  • Owlet Bikes Inc.
    • Owlet Bikes offers city commuters an immersive visual and sensory experience, enhancing their journey with convenient mobility and storage solutions. Their product is an elegantly designed, sustainable, and affordable designer e-bike. It’s compact, yet not foldable, fast, yet quiet, providing a comfortable and experiential ride.
  • Pencil
    • The Pencil software product, born after the pivot from Atop in April 2023, identifies financial incentives for the energy transition and organizes them into a structured dataset accessible via web app and API. Following extensive customer interviews, particularly with policy experts in various technology sectors, it became clear that they struggle to keep up with the evolving policy landscape and requested a solution to streamline financial incentive tracking. To address this issue, Pencil is currently focused on EVs and EV infrastructure in California, exploring the use of AI and LLMs for expansion. Incentives are substantial, potentially reducing total project costs by 10-30%, though accurate data is hard to come by.
  • Shape
    • Shape revolutionizes waste practices at fast-service restaurants like Chipotle. Our solution blends hardware and software to streamline trash disposal, monetize recycling and composting, and encourage eco-conscious choices. The hardware redesigns trash bin openings, simplifying waste sorting for recycling, composting, or landfill. Clean materials are sent to recycling and composting agencies, generating profits. The software features a mobile app serving as a digital marketplace, incentivizing waste reduction and eco-friendly shopping through reward points within the Shape network.
  • Thermal Smart Aerogel
    • Thermal Smart Aerogel provides advanced, aerogel-based thermal and fire barrier solutions, expertly designed to mitigate thermal runaway in batteries, enhancing the safety and efficiency of clean energy and logistics industries. Applications for the technology include use on refrigerator trucks and other logistics/shipping equipment.
  • Turtle
    • Turtle is a forward-thinking platform designed to enhance bicycle parking and rental services within urban environments. It is dedicated to establishing an extensive network of affordable bike infrastructure that serves as a very secure parking solution for micro-mobility enthusiasts. Turtle offers businesses and individuals a trusted marketplace for renting bikes, ensuring secure and convenient access to sustainable transportation options. This initiative fosters a greener and more accessible urban bicycle landscape.
  • Venaera
    • Venaera’s proprietary air-source heat pump is modular, allowing rapid and easy refurbishment, upgrade, up to 70% cost savings, and avoided environmental impact; smart, with external facing sensors and software to optimize operation, as well as internal sensors to predict component failure and preemptively service units to maintain reliability.
  • Werlpower
    • Werlpower, a new green energy startup, innovatively generates cost-effective carbon-free electricity. They utilize the kinetic energy in outfall from Wastewater Treatment Plants to power modified wind turbine generators. WWTPs, operating 24/7, offer a reliable source of hydropower. Werlpower focuses on treated water about to be released into rivers or oceans, containing untapped energy. Overcoming low head challenges during water release, Werlpower holds a patented process to efficiently harness this energy.

Incubation Cohort 7

LACI received 89 applications in total for Cohort 7 of LACI’s Incubation program this year – a record breaking turnout! We selected 12 startups, and welcomed 83% companies with one or more  BIPOC founder and 43% women founders. LACI’s Incubation Program helps cleantech companies to become more competitive, resilient, environmentally sustainable, and scalable!

Admission into LACI’s Incubation Program unlocks a two-year program for startups in Southern California, offering four months of acceleration through workshops and peer learning, diverse funding opportunities and access to LACI’s state of the art campus, joining a cleantech ecosystem of over 375 cleantech portfolio companies and alumni. 

As we continue to look to the future, applications for Incubation Cohort 8 are opening soon – more info can be found on the Incubation and Innovators page.

  • AirVitalize
    • Airvitalize has developed a patent-pending technology that cleans outdoor air by pulling it in, ionizing particulates, and releasing purified air. It can purify a city block daily using minimal electricity, comparable to simply the energy of charging your phone three times. The design evolved through two pivots to align with market needs. The tech has been extensively prototyped and lab-tested, proving its effectiveness. Currently emerging from RevIthaca’s Rapid Prototyping Hardware Accelerator, we anticipate a beta launch this fall.
  • Biliti Electric
    • Biliti offers a 10kWh+ modular, manually swappable battery, addressing energy access and fast charging challenges in busy urban mobility scenarios. Use cases like last-mile delivery, ride-hailing, and micro-mobility demand constant vehicle uptime, making lengthy charging breaks impractical. Traditional fast chargers are costly and often require significant infrastructure upgrades. In contrast, Biliti’s solution enables quick setup of stationary and mobile swapping stations, eliminating the need for extra real estate and costly grid enhancements. This approach is especially valuable in emerging markets. Biliti Electric manufactures highly efficient last-mile and passenger vehicles, boasting a 30% improved drivetrain efficiency and a superior payload ratio in their vehicle class.
  • Blip Energy
    • Blip introduces a cost-effective energy storage solution, seamlessly adaptable for any home. Their innovation answers the global demand for affordable, dependable energy storage while expanding smart grid accessibility. Utilizing second-life battery cells, they reduce hardware costs significantly. Prioritizing hard-to-reach households, Blip addresses backup power, promoting smart energy storage adoption. At scale, their grid services stabilize demand, prevent outages, and cut emissions.
  • Duet
    • Duet is a data-driven, fully integrated, and turnkey software platform for mobility fleet operators to optimize operation efficiency, service to emission ratio and fleet economics. The platform includes our proprietary optimization algorithms and predictive ML model for trip allocation, and a suite of web or mobile based applications for each of the main stakeholders involved in the services to manage, monitor and analyze the services.
  • it’s electric
    • Cities want EVs on the road as quickly as possible, but don’t offer a way to charge for the millions of drivers who park their cars on the street. While major EV charging companies focus on regional growth with limited interest in curbside charging, disadvantaged communities in dense urban neighborhoods are being excluded from the electric transportation revolution. It’s Electric will solve this by installing and maintaining a network of curbside charging posts across all city neighborhoods, with a focus on deployment in disadvantaged communities. It’s Electric will rapidly scale by using existing, privately-owned distribution; sharing revenue with adjacent properties to expand participation in the new EV economy. It’s Electric’s rugged charging hardware features a minimal footprint and proprietary plug-and-play interface, able to survive on the toughest city streets.
  • Mack Research
    • Our product is a clean wind energy facade system for buildings. The device produces energy that is stored in the building through oscillation of leaf-like external sails through fluid wind flow.
  • Planette
    • Planette’s SaaS platform, tailored for the Renewable Energy sector, allows for advanced site selection and location strategy optimization (over an energy facility portfolio), energy policy monitoring, and (1- to 30-year) energy production/demand/pricing forecasting. The platform allows users to optimize energy production, minimize losses due to climate hazards, and maximize profits over the lifetime of a RE project.
  • SALUBATA
    • Salubata offers a revolutionary line of modular and customizable shoes that are made from upcycled plastic bottles. Our innovative footwear combines style, comfort, and sustainability. The modular design allows customers to easily interchange components like soles, uppers, and accessories, enabling endless style possibilities and reducing waste. We are committed to creating durable, high-quality shoes that not only look good but also contribute to reducing plastic pollution. By using recycled materials and promoting circularity, our products are a step towards a more sustainable future.
  • Symmetry Wood
    • Symmetry Wood offers a sustainable alternative to precious woods called Pyrus™, crafted from food waste. Pyrus™ exhibits impressive hardness and density, rivaling hickory and African Ebony, thanks to its bacterial cellulose (BC) fiber structure. It’s also less prone to cracking in humid conditions, as it lacks tree-derived wood compounds like lignin and hemicellulose. Symmetry’s innovative process replicates wood components, avoiding common wood issues. Pyrus™ is produced additively, drastically reducing waste and eliminating the need for logging forests, enabling diverse product customization.
  • TAINR
    • TAINR is an innovative smart refill kiosk that transforms the traditional grocery store bulk aisle. It offers a hygienic, package-free shopping experience for dry goods while utilizing AI, sensors, and RFID technology for efficiency. This solution benefits both customers and retailers, providing real-time inventory data and sales insights, reducing restocking time, and curbing product losses. TAINR promotes a circular economy, addressing plastic waste concerns while improving sustainability in retail. Moreover, it addresses grocery store inefficiencies, labor shortages, and data collection issues, optimizing supply chains and promoting smart container reusability.
  • Zen Technologies Inc.
    • Zen is a mobile application rideshare platform that is redefining micro-mobility by providing short-duration rides through Low speed electric vehicles. Zen Shuttles set out on a mission to bring peace to the university communities. Zen Shuttles exist to provide students with a safe, fast and reliable way to get around campus and to provide peace of mind to parents that their students will be safe. Say goodbye to traditional forms of transportation and #JustZen!
  • Sundial Foods
    • Sundial has built a manufacturing process for using a proprietary single-step heat and pressure process to texturize delicious, complex plant-based meat alternatives. Our goal is to give people the wonderful experience of eating chicken — including “bone-in” wings, boneless wings, and chicken breast — in a nutritious and eco-friendly way. Because of the nature of the Sundial process, all of our products are totally plant-based and clean label, with no binders, additives or processing agents.

 

FBA Winter2023 Cohort

The LACI Founders Business Accelerator (FBA) boosts the growth and impact of small businesses and micro-enterprises in Los Angeles. This free six-month virtual program provides participants with a strategy for success in the evolving business landscape. Participant companies receive training and personalized support from LACI’s seasoned Executives-In-Residence and industry experts, helping them strengthen their business plan, access crucial resources, and accelerate their success.

  • Nearby Consulting
    • Collaborating with emerging social impact organizations to advance economic empowerment.
  • Prize Coffee
    • Providing contactless Nitro Cold Brew Coffee & Kombucha Kiosks for businesses and residential buildings.
  • Watt Ave.
    • Wattblok is a peer-to-peer EV charging app that connects EV drivers with nearby home-charging stations.
  • First Gen Tours
    • First Gen Tours is an Augmented Reality startup focused on equalizing the college touring for first generation students.
  • American Pet Apparel
    • American Pet Apparel creates functional and sustainable dog apparel that is thoughtfully designed to address a dog’s physiology and adaptation.
  • Uprisers
    • Streetwear brand rooted in telling stories of the underrepresented.
  • EORTE
    • We are a circular, sustainable clothing brand based in LA that generates new clothing from textile wastes, with a focus on hotel waste linens.v
  • Tunelink.me
    • We are a platform for delivering Latin music, assisting record labels in significantly reducing the distribution costs for their artists’ music.
  • Holloway R&D
    • Holloway R&D is a human-centered research and design consulting firm specializing in early-stage software development. We partner with clients – startup founders, Fortune 500 leaders, and public sector innovators.
  • Guau Guau Treats
    • Guau Guau Treats is a wife and husband owned dog treat business based in Los Angeles. Our goal is to provide pet owners with a healthy and delicious alternative to traditional dog treats.
  • Common Canvas
    • Common Canvas is a unique outdoor and indoor nail salon located in Los Angeles.
  • Hamilton Perkins Collection
    • Hamilton Perkins Collection is an independent brand that designs and produces unique and award-winning bags and accessories made from upcycled materials.
  • Mas Amor Boutique
    • Mas Amor Boutique is an online women’s boutique dedicated to spreading love and making women feel beautiful, confident, and capable of achieving anything.
  • One Mauve
    • One Mauve, is a leading software platform specializing in on-demand peer-to-peer mentorship programs. We help universities create robust pipeline systems for underrepresented students, with a specific focus on Black, Latinx, Native American, and first-generation individuals.
  • Proclaim
    • We are a socially and environmentally conscious brand, dedicated to crafting inclusive women’s wardrobe essentials that embrace diverse shapes, sizes, and skinones, while championing a positive impact on our planet.

LACI’S PUBLIC-PRIVATE CLEAN ENERGY PARTNERSHIP RELEASES CLEAN ENERGY 2028 ROADMAP TO ACCELERATE REDUCTION OF GHGs BY 15% ACROSS GREATER LOS ANGELES BY 2028 OLYMPICS

Roadmap Sets Targets for Creating a Virtual Power Plant, Installing Heat Pumps, Vehicle to Grid Charging, Green Jobs, Equitable Access to Solar, and Other Targets to Advance Building Electrification, Clean Distributed Generation, Energy-Transportation Nexus, and Grid Efficiency and Resiliency

Partnership Leadership Group Includes the California Energy Commission, Office of Mayor Karen Bass, Southern California Edison, LA Department of Water and Power, Los Angeles County, Clean Power Alliance, and California Independent System Operator (ISO)

 

Los Angeles, CA, October 25, 2023 – Today, the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator’s Clean Energy Partnership (Partnership) released the Clean Energy 2028 Roadmap (Roadmap) to accelerate the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the Greater Los Angeles region by an additional 15% across the electricity, building, and transportation sectors by the time Los Angeles welcomes the world for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

During a launch event at the La Kretz Innovation Campus, LACI CEO Matt Petersen, LA City Council President Paul Krekorian, and fellow Partnership leaders cited the importance of the Roadmap’s ambitious targets for Greater LA in further reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, achieving 100% clean energy, and ensuring equitable access to clean energy solutions across the region. The Roadmap targets include creating a Virtual Power Plant and accelerating deployment of distributed energy resources, such as heat pumps, solar and storage systems, battery integrated electric vehicle charging stations, community solar, and other solutions, all of which are eligible for Inflation Reduction Act incentives. 

To better spur innovation, advance equity, and accelerate implementation, the Roadmap lays out three solutions-oriented pathways along with recommended policies, pilots, and other initiatives to achieve the targets: 1) electrification of buildings; 2) meeting new building and transportation electric load with clean distributed generation and energy-transportation nexus technologies; and 3) bolstering grid resiliency while improving affordability, equity, jobs, and health risks. 

“LACI’s Clean Energy Partnership establishes potential pathways to reduce our carbon emissions and improve the lives of Angelenos,” said Mayor Karen Bass. “I applaud this partnership’s goals to ensure reliable, clean, and affordable energy powers our city. I encourage others in the region to engage in this vital Clean Energy Partnership to work together with government leaders, utilities, state regulators, energy solutions providers and other stakeholders to create a lasting impact.”

“As the City moves toward 100% clean energy, we need solutions to help advance the transition while boosting affordability and reliability,” said Paul Krekorian, LA City Council President (CD2). “Through this roadmap, the Clean Energy Partnership has set forth actionable targets and goals to accelerate progress toward a clean energy future for the people of Los Angeles. I am proud to support LACI and this effort.”

“To accelerate the electrification of Greater LA’s buildings and transportation while ensuring grid resilience and equity, we need unparalleled regional collaboration and innovation,” said Matt Petersen, LACI CEO and co-chair of the Clean Energy Partnership. “Thanks to the political will demonstrated by the Partnership and the bold Roadmap targets we set together, we can advance initiatives like creating a Virtual Power Plant to better improve our air quality and health while creating good paying green jobs that will uplift individuals and economy by the time the world arrives in Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

“California is a leader in climate action that inspires the rest of the nation and the world to follow suit,” said David Hochschild, chair of the California Energy Commission and co-chair of the Clean Energy Partnership. “To continue to lead on climate action and improve public health, we need to tackle the emissions from our buildings and  while continuing to decarbonize the grid. These shared commitments to action and the goals to decarbonize our buildings and grid are why I am proud to co-chair the Clean Energy Partnership.”

“As California moves at an impressive pace toward its clean energy goals, CAISO is pleased to support the Clean Energy Partnership as it will drive the innovation that is needed to build a more resilient grid,” said Mary Leslie, chair of Board of Governors, California Independent System Operator (CAISO). “For the state to continue to transform its grid to zero-carbon, a diverse set of clean energy solutions are needed, including smaller energy resources that make regions like Los Angeles more resilient in the face of escalating climate and extreme weather risks.” 

“Southern California Edison has been a longstanding partner and supporter of LACI and its mission to create an inclusive green economy. We share the vision of a clean energy future that benefits all Californians, especially those who are most impacted by climate change and pollution,” said Steven Powell, president and CEO of SCE. “We look forward to collaborating with LACI and the other members of the Clean Energy Partnership to make this vision a reality while ensuring the grid is reliable, resilient and ready to provide the energy for what’s ahead.”

The Partnership has identified three calls to action for the region for the initial implementation of the Roadmap. These include: 

  1. Accelerating the electrification of buildings by reducing an additional 29% of GHG emissions in buildings in LA County by 2028;
  2. Deploying 1298 MW of clean, responsive distributed generation to power the electrification of our homes and transportation, including developing a virtual power plant that provides needed increased, responsive distributive energy by the time of the Olympic Opening Ceremonies in 2028; and
  3. Developing a smart, modernized local distribution grid to increase community resiliency and enable innovative clean technologies.

Through these efforts, the Partnership also aims to minimize power outages—particularly for those most at risk—increase energy affordability, and increase equitable access to clean technologies and jobs.

The full Roadmap, complete with the Clean Energy Partnership’s recommended goals, targets, and key takeaways can be found here.

ABOUT LACI:
The Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) is creating an inclusive green economy by unlocking innovation through scaling cleantech startups, transforming markets through catalytic partnerships with policymakers, innovators, and market leaders in transportation, energy, and sustainable cities, like the Transportation Electrification Partnership, and enhancing communities through green jobs workforce training, pilots and other programs. Founded as an economic development initiative by the City of Los Angeles and its Department of Water & Power (LADWP) in 2011, LACI is recognized as one of the top 10 innovative business incubators in the world by UBI. LACI has helped 375 portfolio companies raise over $1 billion in funding, generated $335 million in revenue, and created 2,626 jobs throughout the Los Angeles region, with a long term economic impact of more than $587 million.

ABOUT THE LACI CLEAN ENERGY PARTNERSHIP:
LACI launched the Clean Energy Partnership to accelerate the move to 100% clean energy while meeting the needs of transportation electrification, building decarbonization, and grid resiliency in the Greater Los Angeles Region by the time of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Partnership is Co-chaired by LACI CEO Matt Petersen and California Energy Commission Chair David Hochschild. Members include Los Angeles City Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, LA Department of Water and Power (LADWP), LA County’s Sustainability Office, Southern California Edison (SCE), Clean Power Alliance, California Independent System Operator (CAISO), Sunrun, Swell Energy, and Wells Fargo.

 

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National Coalition of Clean Energy Incubators – Led by the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator – Adopt Principles to Advance & Support Biden Administration’s Commitment to Justice40

The Coalition’s Justice40 Principles Commits Incubators to Prioritizing

Opportunities for Underrepresented Cleantech Entrepreneurs, Investing in

Disadvantaged Communities & Ensuring the Clean Energy Economy

Benefits All Americans

 

Los Angeles, CA, September 20, 2023 – Leaders of the nation’s most innovative clean

technology incubators–via the National Coalition of Clean Energy Incubators (NCCEI) led by

the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI)–adopted a new joint Statement of Principles to

advance President Biden’s environmental justice goals, promising to prioritize investments

and initiatives that “increase support and enhance opportunities for diverse

underrepresented cleantech entrepreneurs, provide job training for at-risk communities and

scale deployment of clean energy solutions in disadvantaged communities that will provide

increased benefits from the clean energy economy for all Americans.”

 

“Thanks to President Biden and the U.S. Congress, federal agencies are making historic levels

of investment to advance environmental justice as we respond to the climate crisis,” said

Matt Petersen, CEO of LACI. “That is why clean technology incubators like those represented in

the NCCEI understand that we need to help advance the President’s equity priorities–as

represented by Justice40–as we play our individual and collective roles in building an

inclusive green economy, creating good-paying, green jobs while deploying equitable

climate solutions in disadvantaged communities, and supporting underrepresented founders

to scale their game changing solutions.”

 

The NCCEI promotes robust growth of regional energy innovation ecosystems across the

nation by providing support for startups and entrepreneurs whose businesses focus on clean

energy-related technologies. In addition to Petersen, those signing the Statement of

Principles include Danny Kennedy, Chief Energy Officer of New Energy Nexus, Kate Frucher of

The Clean Fight, Rick Stockburger of BRITE Energy Innovators, Nina Axelson of Grid Catalyst,

Cortney Piper of Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council (TAEBC), Isaac Vanderburg of

Launch Alaska, Dawn Lippert of Elemental Excelerator, Pamela Fann of Impact Energy, Erik

Birkerts of Evergreen Climate Innovations and Felicia Davis, HBCU Green Fund Inc, Laura

Teicher of FORGE, Aina Abiodun of VertueLab, Doug Davenport of Prospect Silicon Valley, Kevin

Knobloch of Greentown Labs, Rebecca Taylor of the Austin Technology Incubator, and

Kenneth B. Hayes of Cleantech Open.

 

“The policy vision behind Justice40 is that when all communities can access the benefits of

our new energy future, our entire economy and society will thrive,” said Cortney Piper,

Executive Director of The Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council and a member of

NCCEI. “I am proud to be part of a community of clean energy incubators around the nation

that are making the connection between innovation and inclusion in order to create a

national advanced energy economy.”

 

The NCCEI’s Statement of Principles on the Biden Administration’s Justice40 initiative were

transmitted today to President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Congressional leaders. The

Principles include commitments to support underrepresented founders, deliver innovative

cleantech solutions in disadvantaged communities–including green workforce training–and

expand access to dedicated funding resources for women, Black, Latinx and Indigenous

founders who are chronically underrepresented as recipients of traditional venture capital

funding.

 

About the National Coalition of Clean Energy Incubators (NCCEI)

The NCCEI represents some of the most innovative clean technology incubators in the U.S., promoting

robust growth of regional energy innovation ecosystems across the nation by providing support for

startups and entrepreneurs whose businesses focus on clean energy-related technologies. LACI began

convening the NCCEI early in 2020 to advocate for increased federal funding for cleantech incubators

across the country. The NCCEI also championed the Transportation Electrification Partnership’s $150

billion federal stimulus proposal. The NCCEI worked with Rep. Tim Ryan to secure funding for the U.S. DOE

Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) and also championed the creation of the National Clean Energy

Incubator Program, which was authorized in the CHIPS and Science Act which was signed into law by

President Biden in August of 2022. NCCEI has hosted nearly two dozen roundtables and two national

advocacy events with federal policymakers in Washington, D.C.

 

About The Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator

The Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) is creating an inclusive green economy for Greater Los

Angeles and beyond through: unlocking innovation by incubating cleantech startups to scale their

climate solutions, and helping support underrepresented founders in particular; transforming markets

through catalytic partnerships with policymakers, innovators, and private sector leaders in

transportation, energy, and sustainable cities; and enhancing communities through workforce

development, pilots, and other programs. Founded as an economic development initiative by the City of

Los Angeles and Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP), LACI has been recognized as one

of the most innovative business incubators in the world by UBI Global. LACI has helped 375 portfolio

companies raise over $1 billion in funding, generated $335 million in revenue, and created 2,626 jobs

throughout the Los Angeles region, with a long term economic impact of more than $587 million. Learn

more at www.laci.org.

 

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Congresswoman Nanette Barragán (CA-44) Presents Check to Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) for $1.5M in Federal Funding for First of A Kind Truck Charging Infrastructure Project

LACI Will Seed First Public Depot Charging Infrastructure on Port of Los Angeles Property, Helping Meet the 2028 Transportation Electrification Partnership’s Zero Emissions Target and State 2035 Deadline

 

Los Angeles, CA, August 23, 2023 –  Thanks to a $1.5 million Community Project Funding (CPF) grant secured by Congresswoman Nanette Barragán (CA-44), and awarded to the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD),  LACI will help install public charging infrastructure dedicated for use by electric heavy-duty trucks that transport freight between the Port of Los Angeles and nearby distribution centers, a major step towards replacing the current fleet of highly-polluting diesel drayage trucks.

During a news conference at the Wilmington site of the future charging station, Rep. Barragán presented LACI’s President and CEO Matt Petersen with a check representing the investment, and together, they shared plans and renderings for the Port’s first-ever public EV truck fast-charging station. 

“The success of our clean energy future requires investments in charging infrastructure today. LACI has the vision and capacity to accelerate the adoption of EV heavy-duty drayage trucks in support of decarbonization goals and to improve the health and welfare of our frontline communities,” said Rep. Barragán.

“The Los Angeles economy depends on trade and goods movement, but we also depend on healthy families and communities. That’s what today’s announcement is really about,” said Mayor Karen Bass. “I am proud to support the installation of electric charging at the Port of Los Angeles, and I’m grateful to Congresswoman Barragán, Port of Los Angeles staff and LACI for their leadership in making this possible.”  

“We are deeply grateful for Congresswoman Barragán, who is an incredible advocate for reducing air pollution and protecting those communities that suffer the most: Black, brown, and low income neighborhoods near ports, freeways, and warehouses,” said Matt Petersen, LACI CEO of co-chair of the Transportation Electrification Partnership (TEP). “As LACI stressed in our clean trucks for clean air campaign last year, goods movement is critical to California’s prosperity, but is also the single largest source of air pollution in Greater LA—thanks to Representative Barragán, this initiative will bring to fruition years of work to advance zero emissions solutions to replace dirty diesel drayage trucks.”

 


“Today’s announcement is further proof of our commitment to achieving zero-emissions operations,” said Los Angeles Harbor Commission President Lucille Roybal-Allard. “With strong partnerships – like those with Congressmember Barrag
án and the LA Cleantech Incubator – we will accelerate deployment of zero-emission trucks to do what’s right for the environment, right for the truckers, and right for our port communities.”

“While the Port of Los Angeles moves more containers than any other in the Western Hemisphere, our Harbor communities feel that impact daily by the emissions from the trucks going to and from,” said Councilmember Tim McOsker (CD15). “As we work towards a goal of 100% clean energy trucks by 2035, with this charging station, we are one, important step closer.”

Given that goods movement is the single largest source of air pollution in Greater Los Angeles, LACI’s Transportation Electrification Partnership (TEP) set a target for 40% of all short haul drayage trucks to be zero emissions and 60% of all medium-duty delivery trucks to be electric by the time of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Further, the Ports of LA and Long Beach’s Joint Clean Air Action Plan—as does an executive order from Governor Newsom—requires 100% of the drayage trucks registered and serving the ports be zero emissions by 2035. This award to LACI will fund the first public depot charging infrastructure on Port of Los Angeles property that lays the groundwork for achievement of those goals. 

The new chargers will be capable of providing electric drayage trucks with a full charge in half an hour. Drayage is a category of heavy-duty trucks designed to move containers and bulk freight short distances. Drayage trucks are constantly in motion at the Port and on surrounding roads and freeways. Their emissions are a major source of air pollution in the frontline communities adjacent to the Port and freeways, including along the I-710 and I-110.  

To support the electrification of drayage and delivery trucks, LACI and the Transportation Electrification Partnership (TEP) are creating a detailed regional investment plan for innovative infrastructure solutions at industrial facilities and commercial zones along critical freight arteries feeding into I-710 freeway. This  plan will leverage existing goods movement real estate assets (e.g. ports, warehouses, distribution centers, retail locations) to provide charging for different supply chain fleets.

“WIth the critical support of the DOE, LACI and TEP are adding to our blueprint for charging infrastructure along the 710 by looking at other freight corridors in the region to meet the needs of heavy-duty truck drivers and operators while meeting critical equity and environmental justice priorities,” Petersen concluded. 


About The Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator 

The Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) is creating an inclusive green economy for Greater Los Angeles and beyond through: unlocking innovation by incubating cleantech startups to scale their climate solutions, and helping support underrepresented founders in particular;  transforming markets through catalytic partnerships with policymakers, innovators, and private sector leaders in transportation, energy, and sustainable cities; and enhancing communities through workforce development, pilots, and other programs. Founded as an economic development initiative by the City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP), LACI has been recognized as one of the most innovative business incubators in the world by UBI Global. LACI has helped 375 portfolio companies raise over $1 billion in funding, generated $335 million in revenue, and created 2,626 jobs throughout the Los Angeles region, with a long term economic impact of more than $587 million. Learn more at www.laci.org.

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NOTE: The Port of Los Angeles has released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the development and operation of the charging facility. The RFP can be found at the Port of Los Angeles website. Proposals are due Tuesday, September 12, 2023 at 3pm Pacific.

LACI Launches Zero Emissions Delivery City Challenge in Partnership with C40, Climate Mayors; $1 Million Initially Made Available for Selected Cities to Pilot Innovations

Founding Cohort Members Cities of Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, and Santa Monica to Be Joined by 5 to 7 Additional Cities

LACI’s Inaugural City Climate Innovation Challenge Helps Local Municipalities Accelerate Emission & Congestion Reduction Through Policy & Innovation Sandboxes, Funding & Other Resources

Los Angeles, CA – August 1, 2023 – The Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI), in partnership with Climate Mayors and C40, has launched the Zero Emissions Delivery (ZED) City Challenge to reduce emissions and congestion from the exploding e-commerce and goods movement sectors. 

LACI’s inaugural City Climate Challenge will help the inaugural cohort of selected municipalities develop innovation sandboxes and select, deploy and scale zero emissions delivery technological, policy, and business model innovations.

Through targeted resources, collaboration and knowledge-sharing, this initiative aims to accelerate the move to zero emissions delivery to reduce emissions from the first mile (e.g., class 8 diesel drayage trucks) to last mile (e.g., medium duty delivery trucks) which predominantly impact low income, disadvantaged communities with disproportionate pollution and congestion. The rise of e-commerce has led to a significant increase in package deliveries in recent years, and is on track to increase by 36% by 2030, according to a report by the World Economic Forum. As a result, greenhouse gas emissions in urban areas are likely to increase by 32% and traffic congestion by 21%.

The ZED City Challenge invites expressions of interest from cities across the United States to join a facilitated multi-city cohort whose members will benefit from an impactful spectrum of services and support to advance zero emissions goods movement solutions within their cities, including staff and consultant guidance, crafting ‘sandboxes’ tailored to local context, selecting, deploying and scaling local ZED technology and policy priorities, participation in high level national and regional dialogue with related private and public sector leaders and partners, and eligibility for a portion of an initial $750,000 in pilot funding. This sandbox will serve as a testing ground for various methods of zero emissions delivery, including the deployment of e-cargo bikes for last-mile delivery, electric cars and vans, and medium, and heavy-duty electric drayage trucks; as well as implementation of zero emission curb management systems, and other innovative approaches. By embracing these alternatives, cities can not only mitigate the environmental impact of goods movement but also enhance public health and quality of life for their residents.

LACI has successfully launched a unique model for piloting and scaling startup solutions within cities, on multiple occasions, creating the nation’s first Zero Emissions Delivery Zone with the City of Santa Monica, and subsequently partnering with the Cities of Santa Monica, Los Angeles, and Pittsburgh to secure a $3.7 million engagement DOE VTO grant to expand curb access initiatives. LACI has also led a series of initiatives, studies, and successful budget requests to accelerate the transition to zero emissions heavy-duty drayage trucks at the Ports of LA and Long Beach, with the region’s first public depot charging stations, with federal funding secured by LACI. 

“Through the Zero Emissions Delivery City Challenge, we are taking LACI’s proven model and putting it forward to help cities innovate, deploy, and scale what works,” said Matt Petersen, CEO of LACI. “By working with cities to accelerate the move to zero emissions delivery vehicles and technologies, we can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality, reduce traffic congestion, and enhance the overall livability of urban environments.”

To kick-start the ZED City Challenge, LACI has released a Request for Information (RFI) to invite cities to express their interest in joining the pilot. Cities that are eager to become pioneers in sustainable transportation and delivery systems are strongly encouraged to apply and contribute to this groundbreaking initiative. The deadline for submissions is September 4, 2023.

Furthermore, cohort members will join a national network of city challenge participants, facilitating the sharing of insights, learnings, and innovative ideas. Regular convenings with key corporate and government stakeholders will stimulate collaborative problem-solving, leading to scalable solutions that can be implemented in various urban contexts.

The ZED City Challenge also provides participating cities with access to direct and shared resources. These resources include assistance in attracting funding, pilot grants for startup innovation, technical support, travel allowances for convenings, policy advocacy to scale solutions, scalable startup innovations, deployment support, data collection and management tools, and more. This comprehensive support system ensures that cities have the necessary tools and expertise to drive meaningful change.

For more information about the ZED City Challenge and to submit an expression of interest, please visit https://laci.smapply.org/prog/zed_citychallenge. To watch a recording of the ZED City Challenge informational webinar, please visit http://laci.la/zedrfi-webinar

About LACI

Established in 2011 as an economic development initiative of the City of Los Angeles and LA Department of Water and Power (LADWP), LACI is creating an inclusive green economy by unlocking innovation through startup incubation, transforming markets through catalytic partnerships, pilots and policies, and enhancing communities through green job training.  Solutions are focused on zero emissions transportation, clean energy, and sustainable cities. LACI’s startup incubation programs provide curriculum, coaching, pilot funding, access to venture and debt funds, additional resources for underrepresented founders, paid interns, and other resources to scale emerging cleantech companies.

About Climate Mayors

Founded in 2014, Climate Mayors is a bipartisan, peer-to-peer network that has mobilized more than 750 U.S. mayors who demonstrate climate leadership through meaningful actions in their communities. Representing 48 states and nearly 60 million Americans, the Climate Mayors coalition reflects U.S. cities’ commitment to climate progress.

About C40

C40 is a global network of nearly 100 mayors of the world’s leading cities that are united in action to confront the climate crisis. Mayors of C40 cities are committed to using an inclusive, science-based and collaborative approach to cut their fair share of emissions in half by 2030, help the world limit global heating to 1.5°C, and build healthy, equitable and resilient communities.