Key activities since the Sustainability Committee’s meeting on November 28, 2022, are listed below. This report includes work on implementing the Climate Emergency Resolution.
DCD Sustainability 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 is to be available for public review in June 2023.
- An internal working group comprised 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.
- Sustainability staff hosted an Energy Efficiency Collaborative meeting for Contra Costa County city staff on November 9, 2022. County staff provided City staff with an introduction to the Local Government Sustainable Energy Coalition and an informational session on the current and future energy efficiency and electrification incentive opportunities available to residents. Staff from 11 of the 19 cities in the County attended.
- Sustainability staff organized and hosted the Q4 2022 meeting of the Sustainability Exchange on December 15, 2022. The topic was climate action planning. Attendees participated in breakout groups themed around climate resilience, buildings, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, and electric vehicle deployment and worked to identify areas of common interest and potential collaboration.
- Sustainability staff have analyzed the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act and developed a tool that can be used by staff across departments to identify and begin preparing for grant opportunities.
- Demian Hardman-Saldana will be serving this year as Co-Chair of the Local Government Sustainable Energy Coalition, a statewide membership network representing local government interests related to clean energy and climate resilience to state regulatory agencies. Contra Costa County has been a member of the LGSEC since 2016, with approval from the Board of Supervisors.
- Climate Emergency Resolution:
- Just Transition. The County is preparing to receive a $750,000 Community Project Funding grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to support the development of a Just Transition Economic Revitalization Plan. The funds will support community engagement, economic analysis, specialized studies, and staffing as the County develops a plan to assist frontline communities and workers in the movement from a fossil fuel-based economy to a zero-emission economy. The communities closest to the refineries in Contra Costa County align with the State's impacted communities map and are the intended main beneficiaries of the community revitalization planning effort in the Economic Revitalization Plan. The Board of Supervisors approved the Project Narrative and Budget, which were submitted to HUD at the end of 2022.
- Interdepartmental Climate Action Task Force. The Task Force is meeting on Feb. 21, in preparation for a semi-annual update to the Board of Supervisors in March. The G3 Champions meeting in December 2022 focused on composting and recycling in County offices. The G3 Champions have recently posted fact sheets on composting and recycling in their departments. The February 8, 2023, G3 Champion meeting focused on how G3 Champions are amplifying their message in their departments.
- 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. The City of Martinez is the second city, along with the City of Hercules, within the County to adopt an all-electric ordinance similar to the County’s. The City of Richmond also has its own all-electric ordinance that was adopted prior to the County’s ordinance.
Health Services
The Building Healthy Communities program received $1.3M in One Bay Area Grant 3 funding (over 4 years) to expand Safe Routes to School programming, encouraging children and teens to walk and bike to school safely while reducing car trips and improving air quality.
County Library
The Library’s early literacy outreach librarian (funded by Measure X monies) has been working with Contra Costa County Public Works to identify and purchase an electric van to use as the early literacy outreach vehicle (funded by Bella Vista grant monies). The van has been selected (Ford E Transit-350 Cargo Van with liftgate) and ordered and is expected to arrive sometime in the first half of 2023. The van will be fully wrapped and have a customized interior to hold outreach materials and books.
Public Works
- Public Works is managing the County Sustainability Fund for investments in County facilities that support Climate Action Plan goals. Year 1 funding (allocated April 2022) supports the installation of electric vehicle (EV) chargers at more than 20 County department buildings to facilitate opportunities to replace internal combustion engine County fleet vehicles with EVs. The first project is underway at 30 Muir Road, and is expected to begin construction in Q2. Year 2 funding (April 2023) will support energy efficiency upgrades at several County facilities.
- 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 is participating in 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 have been analyzed and will be finalized in February. The Energy Manager expects an incentive payment on the order of $8,000 for participating in the Demand Response program and shedding critical electrical load during the hottest months of September 2022.
- On December 6, 2022, Board of Supervisors approved 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. The battery is expected to be installed in Q1 2024.
- Staff updated the countywide Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Policy and presented the new draft policy at the November Sustainability Committee meeting. Staff received comments and sent a revised version to Committee members. The policy is anticipated to be placed on a Board of Supervisors’ agenda in late March/early April.
- 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. Two active transportation grant applications were awarded to install two-way cycle tracks within Impacted Communities (physically separated cycle tracks that allow bicycle movement in both directions on one side of the road). The first project is the North Bailey Active Transportation Project that is located on Bailey Road between the SR4 westbound onramp and Willow Pass Road. This project won ATP Cycle 5 funding and is presently in Design and is expected to be constructed in 2026. The second project is the Pacifica Avenue Safe Routes to School Project, which runs from Port Chicago Highway to Driftwood Drive. This project just won Cycle 6 ATP funding and is expected to be constructed around 2027. Award of the grant applications to further the Vision Zero Action Plan are pending.
- Public Works has improved urban forestry in North Richmond by installing 37 community-selected street trees as part of the Fred Jackson Way First Mile/Last Mile Connection project. See attached web site reprint.
- Public Works has been continuing to pursue opportunities to install bikeways after surface treatment of roadways through reconfiguration of roadway striping. See attached photos of the revamped Blum Road in Martinez.
Fire
- The Fire Department has purchased two Rivian all-electric trucks, to pilot light-duty vehicles as part of regular operations, and is testing the vehicles as emergency response (Code 3) vehicles.
Ongoing
- Staff participated in professional learning opportunities regarding environmental justice, carbon sequestration, climate resilience, communication and facilitation strategies, race and equity, and related.
- Staff participated in regional activities.
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