Creating a Strategic Plan for the Northern Rural Energy Network (NREN) NREN Governing Partners participating in the strategic planning retreat. In the northern California coastal region and the Sierras, 16.2 percent of customers use propane, wood, or both as their primary heating source. Northern California residents live in some of the most rural areas of the state, and as a result have limited energy infrastructure, with heavy reliance on propane and other nonregulated fuels, frequent power...