Wrap Up the Year with Igor Tregub

Renewable energy policy has experienced its share of ups and downs this past year, but the support for distributed energy resources (DERs) has grown broader and stronger than ever. As Strategic Partnerships Director and Senior Policy Advisor at Reimagine Power, Igor Tregub has dedicated significant time and effort to championing forward-thinking energy legislation in California.

One point of Igor’s advocacy efforts in the California legislature this year was SB 1374, a bill introduced by Senator Josh Becker . In support of SB 1374, Igor played a role in establishing one of the biggest coalitions California has ever seen. He describes the coalition as “the product of numerous just and equitable relationships based on mutual trust that [he] cultivated over the past few years with various organizations representing frontline communities, housing organizations, and other stakeholders.” Igor knew that for a coalition of this magnitude, the key relationships in this affair must be transformational rather than transactional. With immense support from the public and the coalition, the bill passed through the Senate and Assembly floors but was unfortunately extinguished by a veto from the governor.

Igor’s legislative endeavors throughout the year did help strengthen some working relationships, specifically the vast community of housing and housing-adjacent groups. SB 1374’s presence, as well as the people’s push for the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to retain its virtual net energy metering (VNEM) tariff, bonded the dichotomies of housing communities: non-profit affordable housing groups, and for-profit developers, tenant advocates, and property-owner advocates; 'Not In My Backyard' (NIMBY) organizations as well as their opposing 'Yes In My Backyard' (YIMBY) groups.

“It made it easy and factually accurate for me to say at my meetings with legislators and other decision-makers that practically everyone under the sun—except the investor-owned utilities—supported legislation and regulation that would have retained or restored a workable local renewable energy program for multifamily and multimeter properties,” Igor remarked. Whether tenant or owner, the housing groups’ nexus lay at the point of the lack of control over their utility bills.

2024 did not come without its challenges for Igor. During his campaign for a seat on the City Council of Berkeley, California, Igor faced a buzzsaw of powerful opponents. During this trying time, when his character was under attack, he let his actions and history in the community speak for themselves, and he was subsequently elected to the position of council member.

The biggest motif Igor found this year was the tremendous amount of public support for the full suite of local, renewable energy (solar, storage, and microgrids). “The masses are getting restless, and the legislators are beginning to pay attention,” he stated. With just over 30 new legislators entering Sacramento this year, a robust opportunity exists to fully realize California’s renewable energy future.

While reflecting on this year’s track record, Igor presumes a big topic of the energy world in 2025 to be multifamily and multimeter properties. In his work, he looks forward to helping influence and shape policy through the nourishment of relationships he has built with several—new and existing—legislature members.