ABOUT E2
E2 was founded in Northern California in 2000. Since then, the chapter has grown to nearly 2,000 members and supporters and represents the de facto headquarters of E2. E2’s California chapters played a key role in passage of many of California’s marquee climate and clean energy policies, including several firsts for the nation: fuel efficiency standards in 2002, setting the foundation for national standards adopted by the Obama Administration (AB 1493), a comprehensive program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 (AB 32 and SB 32), and support developing, implementing, and defending the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, Cap and Trade, and the Renewables Portfolio Standard. E2’s California policy program will continue work to defend, strengthen, and extend the state’s climate and clean energy program – including advancing building and transportation electrification – while looking for opportunities to establish California as a global leader in water efficiency, plastic pollution reduction, and other issues at the nexus of the environment and the economy.
Chapter Leadership
Sam Arons
X
Sam Arons
E2 Chapter Director
Sam Arons joined Lyft in 2018 as the Director of Sustainability, where he oversees Lyft’s sustainability and climate impact efforts. Lyft was one of the first companies to join former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s “We Are Still In” movement to pledge its commitment to the Paris Climate Accord. In June 2020, Lyft made a commitment to reach 100% electric vehicles on their platform by 2030.
Prior to Lyft, Sam spent 10 years at Google as Senior Lead for Energy & Infrastructure, where he co-led Google's achievement of 100% renewable energy in 2017, making Google the largest non-utility purchaser of renewable energy on the planet with over 3 GW of wind & solar energy under contract.
Before Google, Sam earned a BA in Physics from Williams College and an MS in Energy and Resources from UC Berkeley, where his research focused on wind energy and plug-in vehicles, respectively. Sam has received numerous awards in recognition of his sustainability work, among them his inclusion in the 2019 Grist 50
Jonathan Foster
X
Jonathan Foster
E2 Chapter Director
Jonathan Foster serves as CFO of Kurion, a venture-backed applied technology company and member of the 2015 Global Cleantech 100. Jon has spent the last 15 years in leadership roles in entrepreneurial technology companies in the Silicon Valley, including two other cleantech companies. He was CFO of LS9, a technology leader in the development of renewable and sustainable chemicals and fuels that was acquired by Renewable Energy Group (Nasdaq: REGI), and he also served as CFO of Nexant, a provider of energy efficiency software and services. Jon is a member of the Board of Directors of the California Clean Energy Fund (CalCEF), an innovative private non-profit spurring investment in start-up clean energy companies. He also serves as chair of the utilities advisory commission in Palo Alto, CA, a leader in the use of renewable energy. Prior to moving to the Silicon Valley, Foster served as a deputy director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Foster holds a BS in mechanical engineering from Yale University and a JD from Harvard Law School.
David Rosenheim
X
David Rosenheim
E2 Chapter Director
David Rosenheim brings a lifelong love for entrepreneurship, people and the environment to his work. David is the founder of JobsWithImpact, whose mission it is to empower passionate people with the resources they need to build successful careers working towards a sustainable future. He currently serves as co-director of the Northern California chapter of E2.
In his former role as Executive Director of The Climate Registry, David was responsible for providing the strategic direction for the organization and oversaw its programs, services and staff. He served as chief liaison with TCR’s 35 state and provincial Board members, as well as between states and provinces and their respective federal governments on climate issues. David is a proven senior executive with experience as COO, CEO and Director on various corporate and non-profit Boards.
Previously, David oversaw U.S. business development for a leading carbon management firm and was an entrepreneur in the high tech sector, founding and/or leading innovative several Internet start-ups. David has an MBA from Oxford University, and has extensive experience across the range of key business functions: strategic planning, vision setting, raising capital, business development, board relations, marketing, and digital product development. David is a poet and songwriter and is based in the SF Bay Area where he lives in a solar powered house by the sea with his wife and two boys.
Mary Solecki
X
Mary Solecki
E2 Chapter Director
Mary is a Partner at AJW, a public policy and business development firm for technology innovators. She has spent over a decade working with clean energy companies on transportation and climate issues across the Pacific Coast. She has successfully led major campaign efforts to establish carbon programs and refine regulatory measures through strategic business engagement. Her work bridges the gap between the public and private sectors, with a focus on energy, transportation, and water issues. Ms. Solecki’s work has resulted in successful legislative campaigns, business-friendly amendments to public policies, and more robust climate programs. She has served on California’s Low Carbon Advisory Panel, working closely with members of the ARB Board and staff.
Prior to joining AJW, Ms. Solecki spent eight years with Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2), a partner of Natural Resources Defense Council. There she ran E2's presence in California, Oregon and Washington. She has worked in-depth on the Low Carbon Fuel Standard and carbon programs in both California and Oregon. She has advised on regulatory implementation practices and market research in transportation and power sectors. Ms. Solecki has been consulting on energy policy since 2008, and has a background in sales and communications.
Our Issues
- Growing the clean energy economy
- Reducing economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions
- Protecting the ocean economy from offshore oil and gas development
- Decarbonizing the built environment
- Modernizing and electrifying the transportation sector
Our Work
- In December 2020, E2 was a lead business voice in the successful advocacy campaign to pass a San Jose City ordinance to require virtually all new buildings in the city to be constructed all-electric.
- In August 2020, A delegation of 20 E2 California members participated in a remote Sacramento advocacy day, virtually meeting with 27 legislative offices, as well as senior staff of the Newsom administration. The delegation advocated on multiple policy priorities, including support for companion bills (AB 1080 and SB 54) to dramatically reduce plastic pollution, broad support for clean energy stimulus investments, and an economic stimulus proposal (AB 841) to expedite the installation of California’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure and create a new program to repair and replace HVAC systems and water fixtures in California’s schools.
- In June 2020, the California Air Resources Board passed an ambitious Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) rule. This groundbreaking rule—the world’s first clean truck standard—requires truck manufacturers to sell a steadily increasing number of zero-emission vehicles in California in the coming years. In May, E2 submitted written testimony from almost 270 E2 California business voices in support of the rule and in June E2 recruited and supported business voices in the clean transportation industry to deliver verbal testimony in support of the ACT rule during the California Air Resources Board final hearing on the rule.
- In June 2020, E2 released Clean Jobs California 2020, a report that details employment in the Golden State’s clean energy economy, including energy efficiency, renewable generation, and clean fuels and vehicles. Leveraging the reports data on clean energy job losses in California as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic fallout, the report made a case for a clean energy driven recovery and provided policy recommendations to advance investments in clean energy.
- Throughout 2020, E2 played a leadership role managing and mobilizing The Business Alliance for Protecting the Pacific Coast (BAPPC). BAPPC is a membership group of coastal businesses advocating against expanded offshore oil drilling proposed by the Trump Administration.
- Following the COVID-19 induced economic downturn starting in March 2020, E2 advocated California Congressmembers and state policymakers to leverage the job creation power of the clean energy industry to drive an economic recovery in California. A primary action in our recovery advocacy was E2’s lead role organizing and mobilizing a business group coalition to advocate to members of Governor Newsom’s Economic Recovery Taskforce, including Tom Steyer and CalEPA Secretary Jared Blumenfeld.
- In August 2019, E2 released Clean Jobs California, a report that details employment in the Golden State’s clean energy economy, including energy efficiency, renewable generation, and clean fuels and vehicles. The report received strong media coverage, including from the Sacramento Bee and the Mercury News. E2 also released its district-level fact sheets, analyzing employment and investment in the state’s legislative districts driven by climate and clean energy policies and programs.
- In August 2019, over 200 E2 California members and supporters signed onto a letter in support of the California Circular Economy and Plastic Pollution Reduction Act. This bill would ensure California is on the forefront of reducing pollution from single-use packaging and products, setting a goal to reduce waste generated from single-use packaging and products by 75 percent by 2030.
- In August 2019, A delegation of 14 E2 California members and supporters traveled to Sacramento for meetings with 27 legislative offices and senior staff of the Newsom administration. The delegation advocated on multiple policy priorities, including support for the California Circular Economy and Plastic Pollution Reduction Act and opposition of a proposal (AB 1424) that would hamper open access to California’s public network of electric vehicle charging stations.
- In July 2019, E2 hosted an event entitled “The Next Wave of California’s Climate Leadership,” which featured State Senator Scott Wiener (SD 11).
Recent Successes
- In 2020, E2 California brought the business voice to bear – including critical business community mobilization – to help pass AB 841, an innovative clean energy and economic stimulus bill that will drive hundreds of millions of dollars in clean energy investment by creating a program to repair and replace HVAC systems and water fixtures in California’s schools and accelerate the state’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure build-out.
- In 2020, E2 California harnessed the business voice to help secure the adoption of the groundbreaking Advanced Clean Trucks rule by the California Air Resources Board, establishing the world’s first clean truck standard.
- In 2018, E2 California elevated the business voice to help pass SB 100, which increased California’s Renewables Portfolio Standard to 60 percent by 2030 and created a statewide planning goal of 100 percent clean energy by 2045.
- In 2018, E2 California organized business voices as part of the Business Alliance to Protect the Pacific Coast to defend California’s coastline from additional offshore oil and gas development. In response to opposition, the Trump administration indefinitely postponed its plans to expand oil and gas drilling off the nation’s coasts.
- In 2017, E2 California amplified the business voice to help pass the bill package of AB 398 and AB 617, which extended California’s Cap-and-Trade carbon pricing program through 2030 and addressed critical air quality issues throughout the state.
- In 2016, E2 California harnessed the business voice to help pass AB 32, which extended California’s statewide greenhouse gas reduction goals out to 2030.
GET INVOLVED
Interested in learning more? Want to help us advance our climate and clean energy goals in the California?
Reach out to Mountain West Advocate Susan Nedell to begin receiving updates about supporting E2’s policy efforts in your area – including attending upcoming events, participating in advocacy campaigns, receiving our email newsletters, and more!
