Palo Alto-based electric car maker Tesla Motors was able to create a manufacturing plant at a small fraction of what it normally costs by renovating and equipping a “secondhand” Toyota Factory in Fremont. Tesla paid $42 million for the plant in 2010, and got equipment at bargain prices to help hold down costs. Read more here.

The Sonoma County Water Agency and Applied Solutions will be hosting the Growing Sustainable Communities Western Region Conference on May 2nd and 3rd.

California municipal leaders are invited to attend a half-day legislative roundtable discussion on Wednesday, May 2nd, to help shape the 2012 Federal Sustainability Agenda. A networking reception open to all conference attendees will follow that evening.

The general conference on Thursday, May 3rd, which includes a series of workshops that have been organized into four main tracks, will address sustainability priorities ranging from water use and treatment projects to preparing local municipalities for the next generation of electric vehicles.

Register and find more information here.

Pacific Gas & Electric Company customers can now share and compare their energy use with friends on Facebook with a new social energy application aimed at reducing energy usage by fostering “friendly competition.” The app, created by Opower in partnership with Facebook and the Natural Resources Defense Council, allows users to track how their home energy use compares to others with similar homes and engage in savings competitions with friends who also have the app. Read more here.

Palo Alto’s city-owned utility has doubled its percentage of electricity from renewable sources from 10 percent in 2007 to 20 percent last year. A new report, “Service Efforts and Accomplishments” delivered to the City Council said that overall carbon dioxide emissions from the city’s electric supply dropped in half in the last two years. Read more here.