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Key activities since the Sustainability Committee meeting on September 19, 2022, are listed below.
DCD Planning Staff
- Staff continued work on the ongoing updates to the Climate Action Plan and General Plan. Administrative drafts of both documents were recently reviewed by County staff. Due to changes in State climate goals enacted in September, as well as additional analysis needed for the General Plan related to housing goals and vehicle miles traveled, the consultants will be updating assumptions and models over the next few months. Staff expects the draft Climate Action Plan to be available for public review in June 2023.
- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has approved Contra Costa County for a technical assistance grant application for support on a roadmap to convert existing to all-electric. DCD Planning staff had their first meeting with the HUD technical assistance team on October 4.
- An internal working group of Public Works and DCD staff continues to meet regularly to study the adoption of low-carbon concrete standards. The working group anticipates reporting back to the Sustainability Committee in early 2023.
- Climate Emergency Resolution:
- Just Transition. The County is in the process of accepting a $750,000 Community Projects grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Economic Development. This grant will support development of the Just Transition Economic Revitalization Project Roadmap. Staff provided an update on Just Transition planning activities to the Sustainability Committee on September 19, and again on October 24.
- Interdepartmental Climate Action Task Force. The Task Force provided a semi-annual update to the Board of Supervisors on September 20. The Green Government Group (G3) Champions, volunteers from County departments, met on October 10, with a focus on energy efficiency in County facilities. The G3 Champions have recently posted fact sheets on how to save water in County offices, following up on their July meeting, and are now engaged in helping identify opportunities to save energy in County offices. Their December meeting will focus on solid waste.
- All-Electric Building Ordinance. The County’s ordinance for new buildings to be all-electric went into effect on June 1, 2022. The City of Martinez adopted an all-electric ordinance for new residential buildings, hotels, offices, and retail buildings, effective November 4, 2022.
Health Services
Health Services is in the process of developing a contract with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to receive approximately 150 - 200 portable air purifiers for use in the homes of Contra Costa Health Plan MediCal members with asthma and other respiratory conditions, primarily to combat the impacts of wildfire smoke. The air purifiers will be distributed to clients of the Health Plan through a Community Health Worker providing in-home asthma education and trigger assessment as part of a grant from the Air District and by home-visiting Public Health Nurses in the Public Health Department.
County Library
- The Library continues to provide workshops and resources for the community, both in person and online, on a range of sustainability topics.
Public Works
- Public Works is working to launch the Sustainability Fund for investments in County facilities that support Climate Action Plan goals. Staff is planning for the installation of electric vehicle (EV) chargers at various County department buildings to facilitate opportunities to replace internal combustion engine County fleet vehicles with EVs.
- Administrative Bulletins 507 and 508 have been updated to require purchase of Zero Emission Vehicles (battery electric, hydrogen, plug-in hybrid with battery range of at least 30 miles) unless justification based on operational need is approved by the County Administrator’s Office.
- Public Works has identified several programs that can help the County meet the goals of the Distributed Energy Resources plan and broader climate action goals: PG&E’s Demand Response Program and Marin Clean Energy’s Demand Response and Strategic Energy Management programs.
- The County successfully responded to the California Independent System Operator’s (CAISO) call for electric load reduction before, during, and after Labor Day weekend. Impacts of County actions will be analyzed and reported in the coming months and will inform a more robust Demand Response strategy for summer 2023.
- Staff is working to develop a Battery Storage resiliency project at the West County Detention Facility which involves a 448kW battery providing back-up (grid-independent) power to a bank of EV chargers.
- Staff is updating the countywide Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Policy. This item on the agenda for today’s meeting.
- Public Works continues implementation of the Vision Zero Action Plan and the Active Transportation Plan adopted by the Board of Supervisors. Public Works has submitted a number of grant applications for projects that meet goals of the County’s Active Transportation and Vision Zero policies.
Fire
- The Fire Department has purchased two Rivian all-electric trucks, to pilot light-duty vehicles as part of regular operations.
Ongoing
- Staff participated in professional learning opportunities regarding environmental justice, carbon sequestration, climate resilience, communication and facilitation strategies, race and equity, and related.
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