Santa Barbara Energy & Resilience Summit

Why we convened

Santa Barbara County faces an urgent need to strengthen its energy infrastructure against wildfires and related disasters. In recent years, massive wildfires and post-fire events (such as debris flows) have caused extended power outages and even cut off transportation routes. Momentum for resilience efforts surged after these crises but stalled post-election, as attention shifted and leadership changes slowed implementation. We now have a narrow window to regain focus and act decisively. This convening at UC Santa Barbara represents a unique moment to rally key stakeholders, including investors, policymakers, utilities, developers, and community leaders, around a common goal: catalyzing a portfolio of energy resilience projects.

• Reframe the urgency: Underscore the growing wildfire threat and grid vulnerability in Santa Barbara to make clear that energy resilience efforts cannot wait.
• Reignite momentum: Re-establish commitment to previously supported projects by aligning stakeholders around a shared and urgent vision for action.
• Catalyze actionable projects: Advance a portfolio of strategic, high-impact projects by surfacing barriers and identifying practical solutions to move them forward.
• Build a coalition: Activate the expertise in the room to forge cross-sector partnerships and mobilize support for implementation.
• Define next steps: Leave the event with a preliminary view on the actions, owners, and timelines to ensure continued progress beyond May 8.

Missed the summit? Catch up here

Review our Recap & Path Ahead document, watch recordings of the presentations, and browse photos from the day.

Summit documents