Clinton Park Recreation Center, Oakland.
BayREN is proud to announce the launch of the second cohort of the Decarbonization Showcase, expanding the program’s impact across the Bay Area. The Decarbonization Showcase welcomes five new municipal projects that demonstrate how public buildings can transition away from fossil fuels while advancing health and resilience.
Building on the success of its inaugural cohort, BayREN provides participating jurisdictions with technical and financial support to electrify existing buildings, improve energy efficiency, and pilot innovative clean energy solutions. “These projects move beyond planning to real-world implementation,” said Program Manager Alyssa Dykman as she reflected on the progression of Cohort One projects. Many are in the advanced stages of construction. For example, the Town of San Anselmo has completed electrification upgrades at its public library. These projects demonstrate that the targeted support from BayREN has made real-world emissions reductions impacts and provided community benefits.
Cohort Two projects represent a diverse mix of community centers, public safety facilities, and recreation centers across Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, and San Mateo counties. “Cohort Two continues our focus on supporting jurisdictions as they tackle the technical, financial, and operational challenges of building decarbonization,” shared Dykman.
For both cohorts, BayREN is documenting lessons learned across planning, design, construction, and operations. Findings will be shared regionally through case studies, peer network calls, and webinars. As participating local governments lead the way to zero carbon emissions from their buildings, the shared information will allow others to learn from these projects and accelerate their own decarbonization efforts.
The participating Cohort Two sites include:
Clinton Park Recreation Center, Oakland
Located in Oakland’s Little Saigon neighborhood, the facility serves as a vital hub for youth and family programming operated by local nonprofit Trybe. The project will electrify space heating, laundry, and kitchen equipment, including a new commercial kitchen that aims to serve as a food recovery and distribution center for the community.
"The Clinton Park Recreation Center project represents the kind of integrated investment the City of Oakland aims to make in our public facilities," said Sofia Navarro, Deputy City Administrator. "It modernizes critical community infrastructure while advancing our climate and equity goals." This project demonstrates the value of public-nonprofit collaboration and will improve energy efficiency and eliminate carbon emissions while ensuring the facility continues to serve the Little Saigon neighborhood for decades to come.
According to Chien Nguyen, Clinton Park Site Director at Trybe, the project will support their community’s “most urgent needs like providing critical electrical infrastructure and power upgrades that allow us to operate our kitchen at full capacity…[and provide] weekly food distributions for socially vulnerable residents.”
Willow Pass Community Center, Concord
This centrally located facility hosts recreational programming and is undergoing coordinated modernization efforts. In addition to exterior and interior upgrades, the project will electrify HVAC and kitchen systems while adding efficiency upgrades to modernize aging infrastructure and support the City’s climate action goals.
“This project represents a significant step in Concord's progress towards mitigating the City's fossil fuel use and saving costs along the way,” said Louisa Stevens, Climate and Affordable Housing Fellow. Upgrading the community center will allow the Recreation Services Department to continue “providing high-quality programs and maintain the Center as a beloved event space for generations to come.”
Public Safety Building, Pinole
Home to the City’s Police and Fire Departments, the facility provides essential emergency services to the community. As part of broader capital improvements, the project will electrify aging HVAC and water heating systems, kitchen and laundry equipment, and upgrade building controls to improve comfort, safety, and operational efficiency.
“The City of Pinole is excited for its Public Safety Building to be selected for the BayREN Decarbonization Showcase,” said Kapil Amin, Sustainability Project Manager. “As a staunch supporter of clean energy alternatives and their benefits, the City will lead by example with this showcase as it encourages the community to do the same.”
Town Hall and Police Department, Fairfax
Fairfax Town Hall serves as the center of local government, housing staff offices and the Police Department. Having previously participated in BayREN’s Energy Roadmapping service, the project is now moving from planning to implementation. Through the Decarbonization Showcase, the project will prioritize the electrification of space heating as a high-impact emissions reduction opportunity.
Shoreview Recreation Center, San Mateo
The Shoreview Recreation Center provides essential recreational opportunities, childcare services, and community engagement activities. The project will electrify the center’s rooftop HVAC units and domestic water heating systems, improving indoor air quality, comfort, and system reliability.