GOLD DESIGNATION: From (l-r) Pico Rivera Councilmember Dr. Monica Sanchez; Mayor Pro Tem Gustavo V. Camacho; Mayor John R. Garcia; Victor Ferrer, Pico Rivera Director of Sustainability and Energy; Stephani Campos, Pico Rivera Sustainability Intern; Paola Zaray Granados, Pico Rivera Sustainability Specialist; Leslie Graham, Vice President of Development at the Interstate Renewable Energy Council and Pico Rivera Councilmember Erik Lutz.
April 24, 2025
Pico Rivera announced this week that it has received a Gold designation from the national SolSmart program, recognizing the City’s leadership in improving access to affordable solar energy at the local level. Pico Rivera is the first City in California to receive this honor since 2023 and the first Gateway City ever to achieve the Gold level designation.
SolSmart is a national program funded by the U.S. Department of Energy that helps local governments make it faster, easier, and more affordable to adopt solar energy. Launched in 2016, SolSmart provides no-cost technical assistance and recognizes communities that implement best practices to reduce barriers to solar energy development.
“This designation truly reflects our City’s strong commitment to environmental leadership, sustainability and equity for our community,” said Pico Rivera City Manager Steve Carmona. “We’re honored to be a model for cities across California and the nation that are striving to make clean energy more accessible for everyone.”
The SolSmart program is led by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA).
“Pico Rivera serves as a shining example of a community dedicated to increasing energy options, removing unnecessary barriers, and ensuring that all residents can access the benefits of solar energy. The SolSmart program commends Pico Rivera on their well-deserved Gold designation,” said Deb Perry, Clean Energy Program Director, ICMA.
“I want to extend a heartfelt thank you and congratulations to the city staff who updated the website, attended trainings, worked to adopt automated solar permitting, and the many other things that went into this Gold designation…These changes—some small, some large, all impactful — make a real difference in lowering costs and making it easier to deploy solar in Pico Rivera,” said Leslie Graham, IREC’s Vice President of Development, at a designation ceremony on Earth Day. Graham awarded city staff their SolSmart Gold plaque in person to celebrate their achievement.
The City’s Power Choice program, offered through Pico Rivera Innovative Municipal Energy (PRIME), played a major role in achieving this Gold status. Launched in 2023, Power Choice provides Pico Rivera residents and businesses with access to solar energy and battery storage systems, offering them no upfront costs and no credit check required. Participants enjoy long-term bill savings and benefit from emergency backup power during outages via the Tesla Powerwall installed at their homes.
“Power Choice is a game-changer for our community,” continued Carmona. “It is helping residents take control of their energy use, cut costs, and gain peace of mind without the barriers that have kept so many from going solar in the past.”
By reducing financial barriers and simplifying the solar transition, the City of Pico Rivera is empowering households and businesses to adopt renewable energy and contribute to a more sustainable future.
Pico Rivera extends its thanks to the City Council for its continued leadership, to the residents and businesses who have supported these initiatives and its partners, Participate. Energy and Tesla, Inc., for their contributions to making this program a success. The future of energy innovation begins with bold local action.
To learn more about the Power Choice Program and to sign up, visit PoweredByPrime.org
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