2025 Energy and Sustainability Awards Celebrate Excellence Across the California Community Colleges System

The Foundation for California Community Colleges (FoundationCCC) is proud to support the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (Chancellor’s Office) and the Board of Governors in their efforts to promote and support clean energy and sustainability at community colleges across the state.

The California Community Colleges Board of Governors celebrated a new group of sustainability leaders this year, presenting the 2025 Energy and Sustainability Awards to colleges and districts that are pushing environmental progress while supporting the priorities outlined in Vision 2030.

During the Board of Governors’ March 24 meeting in Sacramento, six awards were presented to institutions and individuals whose work has significantly advanced energy efficiency, climate action, and sustainable campus operations. This year’s honorees include Riverside Community, Sonoma County Junior, and Kern Community College Districts; Shasta College; and sustainability leaders from the Contra Costa Community College District and Mt. San Antonio College.

Created in 2012, the Energy and Sustainability Awards have taken on heightened importance as climate goals are now fully integrated into Vision 2030. The strategic plan calls on community colleges to lead statewide climate efforts, both through workforce training and through sustainable practices embedded in daily operations.

Below is an overview of the accomplishments recognized this year:

Excellence in Energy and Sustainability – Innovative Project (large district)

Riverside City College completed a major renovation that repurposed its mid‑century Physical and Life Science buildings into the new School of Business, Law, and Computer Information Systems. The project emphasized sustainability by retaining the existing building framework, minimizing demolition waste, and installing modern, high‑efficiency systems. The team also tackled complex challenges, including fitting seismic upgrades into limited structural space.

Excellence in Energy and Sustainability – Innovative Project (medium district)

The Sonoma County Junior College District’s Emeritus Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and Roof Decarbonization Project focused on improving comfort, eliminating natural‑gas use, and boosting energy performance. The project included a full roof replacement, installation of an air‑to‑water heat pump to replace a gas boiler, and a new heat‑pump water‑heating system. In its first year, the district saved $22,099 in natural‑gas costs and $3,228 in electricity.

Excellence in Energy and Sustainability – Innovative Project (small district)

Shasta College’s Food Services and Agriculture/Natural Resources programs partnered to create campus “carbon sinks” that process green waste in a carbon‑neutral way while supporting the college’s student‑run farm. Organic waste is collected, composted, and applied to fields twice a year to improve soil health. Students living in the residence halls help manage the farm and participate in the composting process as part of their coursework.

Excellence in Energy and Sustainability – Faculty/Student Initiatives

The Kern Community College District’s California Renewable Energy Laboratory (CREL) Traveling Academy brings renewable‑energy education directly to schools throughout Kern County. By integrating sustainability content into summer bridge and enrichment programs, the Academy introduces students—especially those from underrepresented backgrounds—to clean‑energy career pathways. Participation more than doubled in Summer 2025, reaching 120 students.

Excellence in Energy and Sustainability – Sustainability Champion

Tracy Marcial, Energy and Sustainability Manager for the Contra Costa Community College District, has led districtwide sustainability efforts since 2016. Her leadership shaped the district’s sustainability goals and has resulted in measurable progress toward climate‑action targets. Marcial’s work is grounded in the belief that sustainability and equity must advance together.

Excellence in Energy and Sustainability – Climate Action Leadership

Eera Babtiwale, Mt. San Antonio College’s (Mt. SAC) special projects director for sustainability, has played a central role in statewide climate‑policy implementation and in guiding Mt. SAC’s decarbonization planning, including development of the college’s second Climate Action Plan. She also contributed significantly to the FoundationCCC Solar PV, Energy Storage, and Microgrids Request For Proposal, helping craft a unified systemwide bid that expanded access to cost‑effective renewable energy and supported the Mt. SAC Solar Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Project.

FoundationCCC continues to support systemwide energy and sustainability efforts through the continued utilization of statewide institutional contracts through CollegeBuys. Many CollegeBuys contracts include preferences for environmentally sustainable products and services. CollegeBuys contracts provide pathways for districts to procure services such as renewable energy and microgrid facilities, energy-efficient lighting, HVAC projects, Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers, sustainability benchmarking services, and third-party advisory services.

Most recently, CollegeBuys facilitated statewide master agreements to support the installation of new renewable energy facilities (including solar, energy storage, and microgrids), repairs to existing renewable energy assets, and third-party operation and maintenance services for existing renewable energy assets. Mt. SAC’s project, mentioned above, was part of the solicitation process for these statewide agreements. CollegeBuys institutional contracts have also supported sustainability efforts at Shasta College and Contra Costa Community College District.

In addition, FoundationCCC supports energy and sustainability efforts across the state through education, outreach, and stakeholder participation efforts. Through regular sustainability webinars and quarterly convenings of facilities and sustainability stakeholders from across the system, FoundationCCC helps foster discussion, share best practices, and introduce new and innovative concepts and strategies.

FoundationCCC will continue to engage with districts and colleges across the state to support their existing efforts and find new opportunities to continue making progress toward systemwide sustainability and climate action goals.