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Power

⚡🏠Hetch Hetchy Power Energizes Sunnydale HOPE SF

The lobby of Sunnydale HOPE SF's The Hub. Photo via LMS Architecture
  • Elizabeth Grubb

In a huge win for San Francisco's housing and sustainability goals, Hetch Hetchy Power is now supplying clean energy to Sunnydale HOPE SF, a redevelopment project in the Sunnydale and Visitacion Valley neighborhoods of San Francisco. Sunnydale, the City's largest public housing community, is undergoing a transformation into a mixed-use neighborhood of 1,700 energy-efficient homes, street and utility infrastructure, and open spaces – all of which are now powered by the clean energy of the San Francisco Public Utilites Commission (SFPUC).

A Unique Initiative  

The SFPUC collaborated with developers and City Departments for several years to plan and build out the electrical system that would serve the new community with 100% greenhouse gas-free Hetch Hetchy Power. Manuel Ramirez, Redevelopment Projects Manager, and his team of engineers were instrumental in this effort. 

Affordable housing units under construction.
Affordable housing units under construction.

Sunnydale is one of four former public housing sites that comprise San Francisco’s HOPE SF, the nation’s first large-scale community development and reparations initiative aimed at creating thriving communities without the mass displacement of existing residents. The Sunnydale HOPE SF project includes the complete revitalization of the existing 50-acre Sunnydale-Velasco Housing Authority site, replacing 775 existing apartments and adding more units. New units were built first for existing residents, ensuring that they were not displaced in the process and making way to rebuild. 

The project also includes all new streets, utilities, and infrastructure, as well as 3.5 acres of new open spaces, making the community safer and more vibrant. Central to Sunnydale HOPE SF is its dedicated community space, The Hub, to support young people and families in Sunnydale, Visitation Valley, and other nearby communities. The community hub houses childcare provider Wu Yee Children’s Services, a Boys & Girls Clubhouse, a recording studio, a community kitchen, and spaces for classes and events. As this neighborhood has one of the highest concentrations of young people in San Francisco, as well as one of the highest concentrations of poverty, the space was designed to provide vital educational, recreational, health services and more to this community.  

A Sustainable Sunnydale 

The new community is also an important improvement for sustainability. Sunnydale HOPE SF residents and businesses will be provided 100% greenhouse gas-free electricity from Hetch Hetchy Power, meaning customers will enjoy clean energy at low rates. The new buildings are more energy efficient than the previous buildings, helping customers better manage their energy use. Sunnydale HOPE SF provides a roadmap for how to achieve San Francisco’s housing and sustainability goals equitably through citywide collaboration.