Pico Rivera Wins Two Statewide Awards for Energy, Sustainability Programs

September 16, 2026

By Brian Hews

Pico Rivera has received two statewide awards recognizing its sustainability and energy programs, including the city’s locally operated program that purchases electricity on behalf of residents and businesses.

The city received a 2026 Platinum Beacon Spotlight Award for Sustainability Best Practices and a Leadership and Innovation Award for Innovation in Energy from the Institute for Local Government.

The Beacon Awards recognize California local governments for voluntary efforts to save energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and develop sustainability programs.

At the center of Pico Rivera’s energy award is Pico Rivera Innovative Municipal Energy, or PRIME, which the city established in 2017.

PRIME operates as the city’s Community Choice Aggregator, or CCA, allowing Pico Rivera to purchase electricity on behalf of residents and businesses. According to the city, Pico Rivera is the only one of the 27 municipalities in the Gateway Cities region with its own CCA.

The city expanded PRIME in 2023 with its Power Choice program, which is designed to make residential solar panels and battery storage systems available with no upfront cost.

Pico Rivera’s second award recognized a broader collection of environmental programs operated through its Office of Sustainability.

Among them is the city’s Tree Adoption Program, developed in partnership with the San Gabriel Valley Conservation Corps and supported by a $150,000 Bezos Earth Fund grant. More than 200 trees have been planted through the program, which also provides job training and career-development opportunities for local youth through GreenWorks.

Other efforts cited in the award include installation of six heat-pump water heaters as part of the city’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, a youth art contest promoting recycling and composting, monthly recycling events, community cleanups and an annual Earth Day fair.

“Receiving two Beacon Awards is an incredible honor for the City and a reflection of the work taking place across Pico Rivera,” Pico Rivera City Manager Steve Carmona told Los Cerritos Community News. “It is especially meaningful to be recognized through a statewide program that highlights communities taking action to address climate and sustainability challenges. As one of the few cities in Southern California with its own Community Choice Aggregator, Pico Rivera is proud to use that local role to create opportunities and incentives for residents while helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

“These awards are an important reminder that local action can make a meaningful difference,” continued Carmona. “The City will continue building on this momentum and finding new ways to bring sustainable solutions and opportunities directly to the community.”

The two Beacon Awards add to a series of environmental recognitions received by Pico Rivera in recent years.

The city has received the Platinum Energy Action Award from the Gateway Cities Council of Governments for two consecutive years and a Southern California Association of Governments Sustainability Award for Climate Leadership. Pico Rivera also received an honorable mention for Leadership and Climate Action from the U.S. Conference of Mayors and a Gold designation from the national SolSmart program, becoming the first Gateway City to receive that designation.

PRIME is a locally operated, not-for-profit public energy program run by the city. It purchases renewable electricity on behalf of Pico Rivera residents and businesses.