Friday, October 27 

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The panel will explore how the County of San Diego is leveraging federal grant funding like the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant, how San Diego Community Power is accelerating adoption of clean energy technologies through its Community Clean Energy Innovation Grants program, and how the City of San Diego has partnered with SDG&E for a residential solar incentive program focused on lower-income neighborhoods most at risk of climate impacts. Additionally, the panelists will speak on broader climate action planning initiatives and how customer programs tie into these broader goals.

Speakers: 

Demetra Tzamaras

Senior Manager- Distributed Energy Resources at Center for Sustainable Energy 

Demetra Tzamaras, P.E. is a Senior Manager on the Distributed Energy Resources (DER) team at the Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE), a national clean energy nonprofit with one mission – Decarbonize. Demetra has prior experience working as a consultant in building enclosure design, construction and rehabilitation. At CSE, she supports a diverse and dynamic portfolio of projects including a microgrid demonstration and evaluation project, the development and implementation of a residential, equity-focused solar incentive program, and a DER implementation plan and a fleet electrification plan for a southern California municipality. Additionally, Demetra leads the government and stakeholder outreach team for the Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) statewide incentive program. She also supports the Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) in the San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) territory. In her work with SGIP, she provides technical support, subject matter expertise, and contributions to the policy and regulatory activities. Demetra holds a bachelor's degree in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Maryland – College Park and a master’s degree in civil and environmental engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.

Nelson Lomeli

Program Manager at San Diego Community Power

Nelson Lomeli is an experienced Program Manager at San Diego Community Power (SDCP) with 10 years of expertise in the community choice aggregation field. As one of the early employees at SDCP, Nelson assumed various roles, including customer service, public outreach and marketing, IT, operations, and programs. He played a key role in implementing efficient tools and processes that significantly enhanced organization-wide productivity. Nelson was instrumental in establishing SDCP's net energy metering program and Feed-in tariff program. Recently, he led the development of a comprehensive five-year strategic program plan, aligning program offerings with the community's priorities and needs. His expertise encompasses decarbonization, transportation electrification, education, and customer service.

Before joining SDCP, Nelson served as a Program Manager at Sonoma Clean Power, where he successfully managed an electric vehicle (EV) incentive program. Within just three months, over 1,000 new EVs were deployed under his leadership, and he secured over $4 million in California Energy Commission funds for electric vehicle charging equipment incentives. Nelson holds a bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies and Planning, with an emphasis in Energy Management and Design, from Sonoma State University.

Ricky Williams

Land Use and Environmental Planner at County of San Diego’s Department of Planning and Development Services, Sustainability Planning Division

Ricky Williams, AICP, is a Land Use and Environmental Planner in the County of San Diego’s Department of Planning and Development Services, Sustainability Planning Division. At the County, Ricky focuses on implementation of climate action planning efforts including zero-emissions vehicle infrastructure and deployment, community energy resiliency, building electrification, and regional climate planning collaboration. This work has included management and implementation of the County’s Electric Vehicle Roadmap, preparation of localized clean mobility studies for unincorporated communities, leading County involvement in regional planning efforts including the Accelerate to Zero Emissions Collaboration, and managing Climate Action Plan and Regional Decarbonization Framework alignment programming for zero-emissions vehicles and equitable energy resiliency. Ricky holds a B.S. in Community and Regional Planning from Iowa State University and a Master’s of City and Regional Planning and M.S. in Transportation Engineering from Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo.

Jon Klopp

Building Decarbonization Program Coordinator with City of San Diego’s Sustainability and Mobility Department

Jon is the Building Decarbonization Program Coordinator with City of San Diego’s Sustainability and Mobility Department. The Decarbonization team manages the City’s program on Building Energy Benchmarking and is working to develop a Decarbonization Roadmap to achieve San Diego’s building-related carbon emissions reduction targets. He has previously worked with the City of Miami, sustainability-focused international non-profits in Liberia and Brazil, Montgomery County, Maryland, and in multi-national logistics. His most recent roles have centered on the built environment – primarily building energy and water efficiency, resilience in multi-family affordable housing, and on-site renewable energy for municipal properties. Jon is a graduate of Florida International University and American University. He values people, nature, and relationships and is a staunch advocate for equity and sustainability.