Incentives for Business Owners

Business owners conducting business in the City of Rancho Palos Verdes have access to a variety of educational training programs, workshops, rebate opportunities and construction improvement incentives to name a few programs. These programs are offered to business owners from various entities who partner with the City of Rancho Palos Verdes, such as the South Bay Environmental Services Center. In an effort to inform business owners of these opportunities, the city has created a list-serve to notify subscribers via email of available incentives.

Below is more information on some of the agencies that partner with the City of Rancho Palos Verdes.

South Bay Environmental Services Center

The South Bay Environmental Services Center (SBESC) is the South Bay's clearinghouse for energy efficiency, water conservation and environmental information, workshops, materials, and outreach. As a program of the South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG), they partner with:

• City of Torrance
• County of Los Angeles
• Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro)
• Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County
• Southern California Edison
• Southern California Gas Company
• West Basin Municipal Water District

SBESC assists public agencies including cities, schools and special districts, as well as businesses and residents of the South Bay to best utilize the many resources available to them through a variety of statewide and local energy efficiency and water conservation programs.

SBESC has expanded its services to provide audits and implementation projects for their cities, school districts, businesses, and other public agencies. The City of Rancho Palos Verdes encourages residents and business owners to visit the offices of the SBESC during business hours to view their displays and informational materials or visit their website for up-to-date commercial programs available to business owners. They are open to the public and conveniently located off of the 405 Freeway on Western Avenue.

Educational Program for Contractors - Gateways to Green Building

The Gateways to Green Building Pre-Apprenticeship Program offers South Bay residents and contractors exciting skills training for green job opportunities and building employers the opportunity to tap into green building projects. The federal government has emphasized the importance of "greening" the nation's economy. Work on energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in residential construction is a large part of the intended efforts. The Gateways to Green Building is a nearly 3-month training program that offers South Bay residents skills training for green building.

The program provides beginner's in-depth training in basic construction and advanced training in home performance for experienced residential contractor's workers. Graduates will receive strong consideration for employment by home performance contractors, while other students are expected to receive consideration for entry into local building trade's apprenticeship program. The training partners include:

• Association of Energy Engineers
• Build it Green
• California Building Performance Contractors Association
• Century Center for Economic Opportunity
• El Camino College
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 11
• Richard Heath and Associates, Inc.
• U.S. Green Building Council Los Angeles Chapter

The program is managed by the South Bay (SBWIB) in cooperation with the Century Center for Economic Opportunity (CCEO). Gateways to Green Building is a part of the California Clean Energy Workforce Training Program and is funded by the California Energy Commission, the California Workforce Investment Board, and the California Employment Development Department under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. Visit the South Bay Environmental Services Center for more information.