Hollister City Council
December 3, 2024

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Action AC-5.2
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11.1 HOLLISTER TODAY

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11.2 ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ELEMENT GOALS,

POLICIES, AND ACTIONS

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ABBREVIATIONS

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TERMINOLOGY
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City of Hollister
Health and Safety Element Update
Vulnerability Assessment Report

January 2023

Prepared for:

Client
City of Hollister
339 Fifth Street
Hollister, California 95023
831.636.4360

Prepared by:

PlaceWorks
2040 Bancroft Way, Suite 400
Berkeley , California 94704
510.848.3815
[email protected]
www.placeworks.com

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i

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 1 Community Profile ........................................................................................................................................... 1 Regulatory Framework .................................................................................................................................... 3 Climate Change in Hollister ...................................................................................................................... 4 What is Climate Change? ................................................................................................................................ 4 Climate Change Modeling Considerations ..................................................................................................... 4 Climate Change in California ........................................................................................................................... 5 Hollister Vulnerability Assessment ........................................................................................................... 5 Vulnerability Assessment Method .................................................................................................................. 5 Climate Change Hazards and Key Vulnerabilities........................................................................................... 9 General Plan Implications ...................................................................................................................... 20 Equity and Uncertainty .................................................................................................................................. 20 Opportunities ................................................................................................................................................. 20 Resilience in Other Planning Mechanisms ................................................................................................... 23 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................. 23

APPENDICES
Appendix A – List of Populations and Assets
Appendix B – Vulnerability Assessment Results Matrix

FIGURES
Figure 1. Community Overview ...................................................................................................................... 2 Figure 2. California Adaptation Planning Guide Recommended Model ....................................................... 6 Figure 3. Example of Cascading Effects .......................................................................................................... 6 Figure 4. Projected Extreme Heat Days in Hollister ..................................................................................... 12 Figure 5. Projected Warm Nights in Hollister ............................................................................................... 13 Figure 6. Flood Hazard Zones ........................................................................................................................ 15 Figure 7. Fire Hazard Severity Zones ............................................................................................................ 18 TABLES
Table 1. List of Populations and Assets .......................................................................................................... 8 Table 2. Vulnerability Scoring Matrix .............................................................................................................. 9

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1 INTRODUCTION
The City of Hollister (City) prepared this Vulnerability Assessment Report in conformance with State of California requirements to assess climate change vulnerability and address climate change adaptation and resilience as part of the General Plan Update. The goal of this requirement is to enable the community to prepare for, respond to, withstand, and recover from disruptions created or caused by climate change.

This report discusses the regulatory framework and method for preparing a vulnerability assessment and incorporating adaptation and resilience into the General Plan, the climate change hazards affecting the resilience of Hollister, specific populations and assets included in the assessment, and a summary of the vulnerability assessment results. The vulnerability assessment acts as a foundation for integrating adaptation and resilience policies into the Health and Safety Element and other elements of the General Plan by developing a set of priority vulnerabilities in the City of Hollister. These policies and programs are discussed in the General Plan Implications section.

Community Profile
The City of Hollister is in Hollister Valley in northern San Benito County, adjacent to the Diablo Range to the east and south, Gavilan Range to the west, and Flint Hills and Santa Cruz Mountains to the northwest.

Hollister is approximately 4 miles north of the Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area, 16 miles south of Henry Coe State Park, and 26 miles north of Pinnacles National Park. Hollister has a Mediterranean climate, with rain in the winters and hot, dry summers. According to the General Plan Update’s Existing Conditions Report, Hollister is home to approximately 39,241 residents and 11,048 households.1
The City of Hollister covers approximately 8.2 square miles (see Figure 1), which was originally home to the Ohlone and Popeloutchom (Amah Mutsun) tribal nations.2 Approximately 75 percent of the city is developed, and the remaining 25 percent includes open space and agricultural lands. Land uses within the urban development of the city consist of primarily residential, with other major land uses including industrial, general commercial, and airport. Hollister is the County seat for San Benito County as well as a regional hub, offering a variety of services and job opportunities for residents in nearby communities in San Benito County.

State agencies divide California into several climate zones, and Hollister is part of Climate Zone 4. This climate zone covers the inland areas of the Central Coastal Range, which still has some ocean influence that keeps temperatures from having extreme highs and lows.3 On average, annual high temperatures in Hollister range from 60 degrees Fahrenheit (°F) in January and December to 81°F between July and September. Low temperatures range from 37°F in December to 54°F in August. The city receives an average of approximately 14 inches of precipitation annually. Most precipitation falls during the winter months with rare occurrences of summer storms. The Mediterranean climate makes Hollister a prime location for agricultural production and outdoor recreation activities.

1 BAE Urban Economics. 2020. Market Demand Analysis. https://hollister2040.org/wp- content/uploads/2020/11/Hollister-GPU-Market-Demand-Analysis-11-12-20.pdf. 2 Native Land Digital. 2021. “Native Land.” https://native-land.ca/ . 3 Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). 2006. “The Pacific Energy Center’s Guide to California Climate Zones.” https://www.pge.com/includes/docs/pdfs/about/edusafety/training/pec/toolbox/arch/climate/california_climate_z ones_01-16.pdf.

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2 Figure 1. Community Overview

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3 Hollister’s primary transportation access is from State Route (SR-) 156 and SR-25. SR-156 connects the City of Hollister to Monterey County to the west and the Central Valley to the east. SR-25 runs north to south, connecting Hollister to Gilroy in the north and Pinnacles National Park to the south. Other major roadways include Westside Boulevard, San Benito Street, Wright Road, Buena Vista Road, Santa Ana Road, Meridian Street, South Street, Nash Road, Hillcrest Road, and Sunnyslope Road. San Benito County Express provides local and regional bus transit options.

Regulatory Framework
In 2015, the State of California adopted Senate Bill (SB) 379, amending Section 65302(g) of the California Government Code to require the Safety Element of the General Plan to include more information about wildfire hazards, flooding risks, and other short-term and long-term threats posed by climate change. SB 379 requires local governments to conduct vulnerability assessments as part of their long-range public safety planning efforts and to prepare policies that will protect against harm caused by climate change.

Other important updates to Section 65302(g) of the California Government Code related to Safety Elements, climate change, and resiliency, and addressed in the City’s General Plan Update, include SB 1241, SB 1035, SB 99, Assembly Bill (AB) 2140, and AB 747/1409. • SB 1241 added Section 65302(g)(3) to the California Government Code, requiring jurisdictions in a state responsibility area or very high fire hazard severity zone to provide background, historical context, and goals, policies, and implementation measures to address wildfire risks in a community.
• SB 1035, which established Section 65302(g)(6) of the California Government Code, builds on previous legislation and requires local governments to review and update as needed their Safety Element during an update to their housing element or Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) (or no less than every eight years). Any revisions should include updated information related to flood hazards, fire hazards, and climate adaptation and resilience. • AB 2140 added Sections 8685.9 and 65302.6 of the California Government Code, enabling cities and counties to adopt an LHMP into its Safety Element.
• SB 99 established Section 65302(g)(5) of the California Government Code and requires jurisdictions to review and update the Safety Element to include information identifying residential developments in hazard areas that do not have at least two emergency evacuation routes.
• AB 747 added Section 65302.15 to the California Government Code (amended by AB 1409) and requires local governments to identify the capacity, safety, and viability of evacuation routes and shelters in the Safety Element or LHMP.

This Vulnerability Assessment, along with the update to the Health and Safety Element, will help the City meet the state’s requirements, in addition to increasing consistency with and integration of the General Plan and LHMP. The State prepared a guidance document, the California Adaptation Planning Guide (APG), to assist communities in addressing climate adaptation and resilience, and complying with Section 65302(g) of the California Government Code, along with guidance in the Office of Planning and Research’s General Plan Guidelines. The APG presents a step-by-step process for gathering the best-available climate change science, completing a climate change vulnerability assessment, creating adaptation strategies, and integrating those strategies into general plans and other policy documents. This Vulnerability Assessment is consistent with the guidance and recommended methods provided in the APG.

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4 CLIMATE CHANGE IN HOLLISTER
What is Climate Change?
Climate change is a long-term change in the average meteorological conditions in an area. Currently, the global climate is changing due to an increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that trap heat near the Earth’s surface. While some levels of these gases are necessary to maintain a comfortable temperature on Earth, an increased concentration of these gases due to human activity traps additional heat, changing Earth’s climate system in several ways. This can create intensified or new hazardous conditions that can increase the risk of damage to critical infrastructure, injury to sensitive populations, and disruption of essential services. To have a better understanding of how a changing climate may harm Hollister, and which aspects of the community – including people, buildings and infrastructure, services, and economic drivers – are most vulnerable to its effects, City staff prepared a Vulnerability Assessment as part of preparation of the Health and Safety Element. This report presents a summary of the Vulnerability Assessment methods and results.

Climate Change Modeling Considerations
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an organization that represents the global scientific consensus about climate change, identified four climate scenarios in the Fifth Assessment Report, also called Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs), that can be used to project future conditions.4 RCPs are labeled with different numbers (e.g., RCP 2.6, RCP 6) that refer to the increase in the amount of energy that reaches each square meter of Earth’s surface under that scenario. The four RCPs are:
• RCP 2.6: Global GHG emissions peak around 2020 and then decline quickly. • RCP 4.5: Global GHG emissions peak around 2040 and then decline. • RCP 6: Global emissions continue to rise until the middle of the century. • RCP 8.5: Global emissions continue to increase at least until the end of the century.

Projections of climate hazards from Cal-Adapt and other sources rely on climate models, which are computer simulations that forecast future climate conditions under these different RCP scenarios. It is critical for the City to account for all reasonably plausible future conditions, including the most severe of plausible conditions, which will help ensure greater resiliency from climate change. Therefore, the projections in the Vulnerability Assessment use the RCP 8.5 scenario, following State of California guidance and to be consistent with the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report. No model can project future conditions perfectly, but current models are heavily reviewed by climate scientists and can accurately reproduce observed climate conditions.

The Vulnerability Assessment also relies on the understanding that “weather” and “climate” are two different things. “Weather” describes the conditions at a particular time and place, and “climate” describes the long-term average of conditions. Because there are large variations in the weather, it is

4 The IPCC recently released “The Physical Science Basis” of the Sixth Assessment Report that updates global climate change projections for the near-term, mid-term, and long-term based on GHG emission trends from the past decade. It moves away from using RCPs, instead using five different scenarios called “shared socioeconomic pathways”, which consider socioeconomic trends underlying each scenario. This Vulnerability Assessment does not use these updated projections because at time of writing they are not available at a local scale. However, the IPCC report does reaffirm the use of projections comparable to RCP 8.5 as the suggested emission scenario to use for Cal- Adapt data.

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5 difficult to accurately project weather conditions more than a few days in advance. However, because climate is a long-term average, it can be projected out for years or decades with a high degree of accuracy. It is important to remember that, because climate is an average, it does not say whether an event will or will not occur, only how likely it is. For example, extreme heat is likely to become more frequent in Hollister, but a year with few heat waves does not mean that this projection is wrong, because the projection only says that extreme heat days are expected to occur, on average, more often than in the past.

Climate Change in California
The most accurate data for California-specific projections is available for the RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios. These scenarios help generate climate models, which are meant to simulate conditions across the globe. The model divides Earth’s surface into cells using a grid, and then forecasts the conditions in each square of the grid. The size of these squares makes them suitable for projecting global conditions, but they are too big to accurately model the difference in climate across smaller areas.5 Per state guidance, these models have been “downscaled” to much finer grids, which means that they have grids that are less than four miles on each side to show projections on a county or city level. The California Fourth Climate Change Assessment and Cal-Adapt provide a foundation of climate change science and downscaling for the state. The State of California has also developed a comprehensive set of reports and tools that local jurisdictions can use to assess climate change hazards and how to prepare for these hazards. The State-provided reports and tools that were used in the Vulnerability Assessment include:
• Cal-Adapt.org
• California Fourth Climate Change Assessment (statewide and regional reports) (2018) • California Adaptation Clearinghouse
• California Adaptation Planning Guide (2020)
• California Climate Adaptation Strategy (2021)
• California Building Resilience Against Climate Effects (2018) • Defining Vulnerable Community in the Context of Climate Adaptation (2018) • Department of Transportation Climate Change Vulnerability Assessments, District 12 (2019) • Planning and Investing for a Resilient California (2018)

HOLLISTER VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT
In Hollister, climate change is expected to intensify many existing hazards, such as extreme heat and drought, or create new hazards, such as agriculture and ecosystems pests and diseases, which are listed below. The Vulnerability Assessment evaluates how hazards are expected to occur, including frequency and severity, and how this will affect community populations and assets.

Vulnerability Assessment Method
The Vulnerability Assessment primarily follows the recommended process in the California Adaptation Planning Guide, published in 2020 by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. This includes a four-step process: (1) characterizing the community’s exposure to current and projected

5 Ackerly, David, Andrew Jones, Mark Stacey, and Bruce Riordan. 2018. “San Francisco Bay Area Summary Report.” California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment. Berkeley, California: University of California, Berkeley. Publication number: CCCA4-SUM -2018-005.

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6 climate hazards; (2) identifying potential sensitivities and potential impacts to community populations and assets; (3) evaluating the current ability of the populations and assets to cope with climate impacts, also referred to as its adaptive capacity; and (4) identifying priority vulnerabilities based on systematic scoring. Figure 2 presents these steps.

Figure 2. California Adaptation Planning Guide Recommended Model

Step 1. Identify Exposure. The goal of this step is to characterize the community’s exposure to current and projected climate change hazards. The climate change hazards included in the Vulnerability Assessment are agriculture and ecosystem pests and diseases, drought, extreme heat and warm nights, flooding, human health hazards, severe storms, and wildfire and smoke. These hazards are discussed in more detail later in this report. Some of the hazards are compounding climate change effects where one climate change hazard leads to another more severe disaster, also known as “cascading effects”. Figure 3 provides an example of these cascading effects.

Figure 3. Example of Cascading Effects

The climate change hazard data was derived from up-to-date information, including the state Cal-Adapt database, the California Adaptation Planning Guide, the California Fourth Climate Change Assessment, the Existing Conditions Report for the General Plan Update, and the County of San Benito Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan.6
As discussed previously, projections of climate change hazards rely on multiple scenarios that reflect different levels of GHG emissions and concentrations over time. The Cal-Adapt database, which provides California-specific climate change hazard projections, uses RCP 4.5 for a low emissions scenario and RCP

8.5 for a high emissions scenario. The Governor’s Office of Planning and Research Planning and Investing

6 The County of San Benito Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan is currently being updated and is likely to be adopted in Fall 2022.

Step 1. Identify Exposure
Step 2. Identify Sensitivities & Potential Impacts
Step 3. Assess Adaptive Capacity
Step 4. Prioritize Vulnerability Scoring
Increase in
drought
frequency and
average
temperatures
Vegetation
changes occur
Wildfires spread
faster with
drier/more
drought-
tolerant fuels
Wildfires
modify
supportive
vegetation on
hillsides
Increase
susceptibility to
landslides due
to vegetation
changes that
destabilize
slope

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7 for a Resilient California document and the California Adaptation Planning Guide recommend using RCP

8.5 for analyses considering impacts through 2050 and 2100, as there are minimal differences between emission scenarios for the first half of the century and for late-century projections this is a more conservative and risk-adverse approach. City staff used the RCP 8.5 scenario as input for global climate models on the Cal-Adapt database and other resources.

Step 2. Identify Sensitivities and Potential Impacts. This step involved evaluating potential future climate change impacts to community populations and assets. City staff first identified a comprehensive list of populations and assets to understand how susceptible different people, places, ecosystem services, and services within the community are affected by climate change hazards. This list includes 20 populations, 22 infrastructure and building types, 5 economic drivers, 6 ecosystems and natural resources, and 8 key services, as shown in Table 1 and described in more detail in Appendix A. These populations and assets allowed City staff to build resiliency for the most susceptible people and assets in the city. Some assets, such as state and regional parks, are in neighboring areas but serve residents and visitors of Hollister, and therefore were included in the assessment. Following confirmation of this list, City staff developed an applicability matrix, which looked at which hazards are likely to affect which populations and assets. For example, human health hazards are likely to impact most populations, but it would not physically affect buildings.

After the applicability review, City staff evaluated potential impacts to the applicable populations and community
assets. To identify how severe the impacts of each relevant hazard are on the populations and community assets, City staff considered several different questions that helped ensure the assessment broadly covered a range of potential harm. Based on the results of the impact assessment, the City ranked each population and asset as experiencing low, medium, or high impacts for each relevant hazard. Impact is considered a negative quality, and therefore, a higher impact score means that there is a higher potential for harm to a population or asset. A lower impact score means that there is a lower potential for harm to a population or asset.

Direct Impacts vs. Indirect Impacts
Direct impacts are those that
immediately affect buildings and
infrastructure, health or populations,
or immediate operations of economic
drivers or community services, and
they can lead to secondary indirect
impacts on the broader system or
community, including populations or
asset types in a different category. For
example, severe storms can directly
damage electrical transmission lines
causing power outages, which can
indirectly impact persons with chronic
illnesses and/or disabilities who
depend on the electricity for life-
support systems.

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8 Table 1. List of Populations and Assets
Category Populations or Assets
Populations
Children Low-resourced people of
color
Persons without access to
lifelines
Cost-burdened
households Outdoor workers Pregnant and nursing
women
Households in poverty Overcrowded households Renters
Immigrant communities Persons experiencing
homelessness Seniors (65+)
LGBTQIA+7 Persons living in mobile
homes Seniors living alone
Linguistically isolated
persons
Persons with chronic
illnesses and/or
disabilities
Unemployed persons
Low-income households Persons without a high
school degree
Infrastructure
Airport Flood control
infrastructure Public safety buildings
Bicycling and pedestrian
trails
Government
administration facilities Railway
Bridges Hazardous materials sites Schools
Communication facilities Homes and residential
structures Solid waste facilities
Community centers Libraries Transit facilities
Electrical transmission
infrastructure Major roads and highways Water and wastewater infrastructure
Emergency operation
buildings Natural gas pipelines
Cooling centers Parks and open space
Economic
Drivers
Agriculture Major employers State and regional parks
Education Outdoor recreation and
tourism
Ecosystems and
Natural
Resources
Forests Open water Scrub
Grassland Riparian woodlands Wetlands
Key Services
Communication services
Government
administration and
community services
Solid waste removal
Emergency medical
response Public safety response Water and wastewater
Energy delivery Public transit access

7 LGBTQIA+ includes persons identifying gender or sexual orientation as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, or other gender and sexual identities that words cannot yet fully describe.

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9 Step 3. Assess Adaptive Capacity. Adaptive capacity is the ability of populations and community assets to prepare for, respond to, and recover from the impacts of climate change. City staff evaluated each population and asset for adaptive capacity by considering a series of questions. Based on the results of the adaptive capacity assessment, the City ranked the adaptive capacity of each population or asset as low, medium, or high for each relevant hazard. Adaptive capacity is considered a positive attribute, so a higher adaptive capacity score will mean that a population or asset may be more adaptable to the hazard.

A lower adaptive capacity score means that a population or asset may have a harder time adjusting to the changing conditions.

Step 4. Prioritize Vulnerability Scoring. The City used the impact and adaptive capacity scores for each population and asset for each relevant hazard to determine the vulnerability score. The vulnerability score reflects how susceptible a population or asset is to harm from a particular hazard. Vulnerability is assessed on a scale of low, medium, and high. Low vulnerability does not mean that the population or asset will be unaffected by climate change, but that the effects are likely to be less substantial. The matrix in Table 2 shows how impact and adaptive capacity scores combine and translate into a vulnerability score. For example, extreme heat would create a high impact on energy delivery services as mechanical failures, heat damage, and high demand for electricity from cooling equipment can disrupt this service.

Adaptive capacity is low because many community members need to use more electricity on extreme heat days to keep cool and retrofitting electrical equipment can be expensive. Therefore, energy delivery services have a high vulnerability to extreme heat.

Table 2. Vulnerability Scoring Matrix
Low Impact Medium Impact High Impact
Low Adaptive Capacity Medium High High
Medium Adaptive Capacity Low Medium High
High Adaptive Capacity Low Low Medium
Climate Change Hazards and Key Vulnerabilities
The Vulnerability Assessment assigns vulnerability scores to 309 different pairing of 61 populations and assets for each of the relevant 7 hazards. This section summarizes the climate change hazards at the local level and discusses the significant vulnerabilities created by those hazards. • Outdoor workers, immigrant communities, low-resourced people of color, and households in poverty are the most vulnerable to climate change hazards. • Bridges, electrical transmission infrastructure, homes, and major roads and highways are the most vulnerable buildings and infrastructure, especially to flooding and severe weather. • Agriculture as an economic driver is highly vulnerable to all hazards. • Open water is the most vulnerable ecosystem and natural resource. • Public transit access, energy delivery, and water and wastewater are the most vulnerable key services.

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10 For a complete list of vulnerability scores, see Appendix B .

Agricultural and Ecosystem Pests and Diseases
According to the 2020 County of San Benito Crop Report, agriculture and livestock had total gross production of nearly $340 million in 2020, with vegetables and row crops being the largest-grossing crop.8 Agricultural pests and diseases can affect crop plants, vineyards, and livestock in and surrounding the City of Hollister. This hazard is measured by the number of pests and disease incidents, which are likely to increase as higher temperatures allow insects to reproduce more rapidly.

These pests and diseases, such as the Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri), European pine shoot moth (Rhyacionia buoliana), Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica), melon fruit fly (Bactrocera cucurbitae), Mexican fruit fly (Anastrepha ludens), European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis), and glassy-winged sharpshooter (Homalodisca vitripennis), can slow the growth of plants and animals, damage them so that their products are less appealing and harder to sell, or even kill them.9 Though there are treatment options for many agricultural pests and diseases, some have no cure. Many pests and organisms that carry diseases are most active during warmer months, so the threat of infection or infestation is higher during that time of year. Projection trends show temperatures getting warmer earlier in the year and remaining warmer until later in the year due to increases in air temperature, which creates a wider activity window for pests and diseases.

Agriculture and ecosystem pests and diseases can severely harm the agriculture and outdoor recreation industries in and surrounding the City of Hollister. Row crops and vineyards can be affected by fungal pathogens and invasive disease vectors as temperatures continue to rise, affecting the quality and viability of crops.10 Pesticides and herbicides can help crops resist these pests and diseases and new crop varietals may be pest-resistant; however, quickly evolving pests may make it difficult for some plant species to survive and changing crop varietals can be expensive for farm owners. State and regional parks are highly dependent on the natural infrastructure (e.g., forests, oak woodlands, and chapparal), which can be harmed by sudden oak death and other diseases. Due to the large extent of these areas, management of pests and diseases may be difficult and expensive. There also may be little that can be done to prevent the spread of sudden oak death in oak woodlands.

Due to the severe vulnerability of the agriculture economic driver to agriculture pests and diseases, outdoor workers, and immigrant communities are also highly vulnerable, as many people from these populations work in agriculture or outdoor recreation industries. Persons working in these industries may be indirectly affected by agriculture and ecosystem pests and diseases that damage crops, vineyards, and trees. Damage to agriculture can reduce work opportunities, create economic hardships for some workers, and cause employees to be let go from their jobs when farms experience economic hardships.11

8 San Benito County. 2019. San Benito County 2019 Crop & Livestock Report. https://www.cosb.us/home/showpublisheddocument/6203/637413906956070000 . 9 California Climate and Agricultural Network. 2019. Cultivating Climate Resilience in Farming: Ensuring California Farms and Ranches Thrive in the Face of Climate Change. https://calclimateag.org/wp- content/uploads/2019/07/Cultivating-Resilience-August-2019.pdf. 10 California Climate and Agricultural Network. 2019. Cultivating Climate Resilience in Farming: Ensuring California Farms and Ranches Thrive in the Face of Climate Change. https://calclimateag.org/wp- content/uploads/2019/07/Cultivating-Resilience-August-2019.pdf. 11 Roos, Michelle. 2018. “Climate Justice Summary Report.” California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment. E4 Strategic Solutions. Publication number: SUM-CCCA4-2018-012.

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11 Almost 14 percent of those with employment in Hollister work outdoors, and individuals working in these industries may have few options if the industry suffers damage.12 Drought
A drought occurs when conditions are drier than normal for an extended period, making less water available for people and ecosystems. Droughts are a regular occurrence in California; however, scientists expect that climate change will lead to more frequent and intense droughts statewide. Overall, precipitation levels are expected to increase slightly, with more years of extreme precipitation events and droughts that last longer and are more intense. As of March 2022, Hollister and the greater San Benito County are in severe to extreme drought conditions.13 In an early-century drought (2023 to 2042), the city could experience a drop in average precipitation from an average of 16 inches per year to an average of 12.7 inches per year, which would subsequently lower baseflows in streams from an average of 1.5 inches per day to 1.0 inch per day.14 In a late-century drought (2051 to 2070), precipitation could also drop to an average of 12.7 inches per year and cause baseflows in streams to drop to 1.0 inch per day.15 Hollister residents and businesses receive water from two suppliers, the City of Hollister, and the Sunnyslope County Water District. Both purveyors source groundwater from local wells in the City and surrounding North San Benito Groundwater Basin, and the City also sources imported surface water from the Central Valley Water Project through the San Benito County Water District (SBCWD) The Central Valley Water Project is a complex water supply and distribution network made up of 20 dams and reservoirs along the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains that provides water to urban areas in the greater Sacramento and San Francisco Bay area regions.16 Snowpack levels in the Sierra Nevada dropped by 25 percent during the 2011 to 2016 drought, and average springtime snowpack is expected to drop 64 percent by 2100.17 In the 2021 water-year (October 1, 2020, to September 30, 2021), the snowpack in the Northern Sierra was 70 percent of the average, and the precipitation was less than 50 percent of the annual average, making it the third-driest water year on record.18 During drought conditions, water stored in the Central Valley Project’s primary reservoirs could decrease due to lack of rainfall and reduction in snowpack due to higher temperatures. This loss of snowpack could cause water shortages during extended drought conditions, potentially affecting businesses or activities that depend on reliable water supplies. A reduction in water supplies could cause water shortages and mandatory water restrictions, including price hikes, during extended drought conditions, increasing economic instability of low-income and low-resourced residents. A reduction in Central Valley Project water supplies would cause a heavier reliance on the North San Benito Groundwater Basin, which may cause overdraft conditions to occur. Overdraft in the groundwater basin

12 Public Health Alliance of Southern California (PHASC). 2022. "Healthy Places Index." https://map.healthyplacesindex.org/?redirect=false .
13 National Drought Mitigation Center. University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 2022. “U.S. Drought Monitor, California.” https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?CA . 14 Cal-Adapt. 2018. “Extended Drought Scenarios.” https://cal-adapt.org/tools/extended-drought/ . 15 Cal-Adapt. 2018. “Extended Drought Scenarios.” https://cal-adapt.org/tools/extended-drought/ . 16 Bureau of Reclamation. 2023. “Central Valley Project”. https://www.usbr.gov/mp/cvp/ . 17 ARCCA. 2018. From Mountain to Cities: Exploring California’s Urban Connections to Sierra Nevada Ecosystems. https://arccacalifornia.org/wpcontent/uploads/2018/08/ARCCA-UrbanRural-Whitepaper.pdf . 18 California Department of Water Resources. 2021. “Statewide Snowpack Well Below Normal as Wet Season Winds Down.” https://water.ca.gov/News/News-Releases/2021/April-21/Statewide-Snowpack -Well-Below-Normal-as-Wet- Season-Winds-Down.

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12 could lower both the quantity and quality of water available to the city. Agricultural operations may see lower crop yields if they rely on surface water supplies, harming the local agriculture economy and the outdoor workers that rely on this industry.

At the local level, the open water habitat and wetlands that depend on water are most vulnerable.

Drought conditions could lower water quality and raise water temperatures, causing lower dissolved oxygen levels and algae growth that can harm a variety of fish species.19 Wetlands and riparian habitats can experience increased soil erosion, degradation of landscape quality, and loss of biological productivity.20 Degradation of wetlands could decrease the amount of water that the ecosystem can absorb during flooding events and reduce the protection that the wetlands provide. Drought conditions can also dry out vegetation and increase wildfire conditions, which could put a strain on firefighting equipment and personnel.

Extreme Heat and Warm Nights
Extreme heat occurs when temperatures rise significantly above normal levels. In Hollister, an extreme heat day occurs when temperatures reach above 96.6°F. As shown in Figure 4, the number of extreme heat days in Hollister is projected to increase from 4 days historically, to an average of 14 extreme heat days per year by mid-century and an average of 24 extreme heat days per year by the end of the century.21
Figure 4. Projected Extreme Heat Days in Hollister

19 Hilberg, L. E., W. A. Reynier, and J. M. Kershner. 2017. Southern California Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment: Conifer Habitats. Version 1.0. EcoAdapt, Bainbridge Island, WA. http://ecoadapt.org/programs/adaptation-consultations/socal . 20 Hilberg, L. E., W. A. Reynier, and J. M. Kershner. 2017. Southern California Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment: Conifer Habitats. Version 1.0. EcoAdapt, Bainbridge Island, WA. http://ecoadapt.org/programs/adaptation-consultations/socal . 21 Cal-Adapt. 2018. “Extreme Heat Days & Warm Nights.” https://cal-adapt.org/tools/extreme-heat/ . 0 5
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13 Extreme heat can also occur in the form of warmer nights, as temperatures do not cool down overnight and provide relief from the heat. In Hollister, a warm night occurs when the temperature stays above 58°F. As shown in Figure 5, the number of warm nights in Hollister is projected to increase from an average of 4 historically, to an average of 53 warm nights per year by mid-century, and an average of 108 warm nights per year by the end of the century.

Figure 5. Projected Warm Nights in Hollister

Extreme heat can cause heat-related illnesses, such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke, in addition to worsening respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. The most vulnerable populations are those that spend a disproportionately high amount of time outside, such as children, outdoor workers, immigrant communities, and persons experiencing homelessness. Additionally, people with sensitive or compromised immune systems, persons with chronic illnesses, and senior citizens are highly vulnerable to extreme heat.

Persons with financial instability, low-resourced, or living in mobile homes are also highly vulnerable due to a lack of financial resources to prepare for or respond to extreme heat conditions. Some homes in Hollister may lack air conditioning, and as a result, people living in these homes may be more susceptible to harm from extreme heat events. There is also only one cooling center in the region, the Hollister Veterans Memorial Buildings, and residents may not be able to cool homes or keep medications cooled if extreme heat events cause public safety power shutoff (PSPS) events. During wildfire smoke conditions, residents may have to choose between opening windows to cool their homes and keeping windows closed, causing indoor air temperatures to rise to unhealthy levels.

Energy delivery services, and associated infrastructure, are highly vulnerable to extreme heat, as high temperatures can stress and overload the grid, causing power outages and damage to the transmission lines. The agriculture economy is also highly vulnerable to extreme heat, as higher temperatures may alter the variety of crops that can be grown in the Hollister Valley. Yields of vegetable and row crops are 0 20
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14 expected to decrease and water demand is expected to rise due to extreme heat conditions.22 Additional vulnerabilities include outdoor recreation, as people may be deterred from recreating outdoors in high temperatures; open water and wetland habitats, which can experience decreases in water quality as temperatures increase; and public transit access, as extreme heat reduces ridership of the County Express system since it may be more difficult to wait outside for the bus.

Flooding
Inland flooding can cause significant harm to buildings, people, and infrastructure. Floodwater can be deep enough to drown people and may move fast enough to carry people or heavy objects (such as cars) away. Flooding can be caused by heavy rainfall, long periods of moderate rainfall, or clogged drains during periods of rainfall. In rare instances, a break in a water pipe or water tank can also cause flooding.

Storm drainage systems throughout the city collect stormwater runoff and convey water to prevent flooding, although these systems are typically designed based on winter storms recorded in the past and may not be designed to accommodate more intense storms.

Floods are expected to occur more frequently because of climate change, affecting what the community understands as a “normal” flood. For example, what is currently considered a 100-year flood, or a flood that has a 1-percent chance of occurring annually, may occur with greater frequency (such as a 2- or 5- percent chance each year). Figure 6 shows that the flood hazard areas are primarily along the San Benito River and Santa Ana Creeks, as well as low-lying areas scattered throughout the city.

Several populations and assets face particularly high risks from flooding events. • Persons experiencing homelessness, persons living in mobile homes, households in poverty, immigrant communities, and low-resourced people of color are severely vulnerable to flooding, as they may live in or near flood hazard areas, lack financial resources to protect their homes, or be ineligible for grant funding to recover from flood damage to their homes. • Persons with limited mobility and those without access to lifelines (persons without access to a car, transit, or communication systems) may have difficulty evacuating prior to a flooding event, and therefore are also highly vulnerable.
• Outdoor workers may be unable to travel to work during flooding events or farms may be inundated by floodwaters, reducing agriculture employment opportunities.

Transportation infrastructure, major roads, highways, and bridges, which are essential for public transit access, major employers, public safety response, and other services, can be inundated, blocked, and damaged by floodwaters along the San Benito River or Santa Ana Creek. Heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding can disrupt water and wastewater services, causing the treatment plants to not function properly. This can cause effluent to flow into the surrounding water and soil, as well as reduce recycled water supplies for irrigation. Flooding can also carry large volumes of sediment into open water ecosystems that may contain mercury, nutrients, and pesticides from upstream areas, disrupting the water chemistry and harming plants and wildlife.

22 Langridge, Ruth. 2018. “Central Coast Summary Report.” California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment.

University of California, Santa Cruz. Publication number: SUM-CCCA4-2018-006.

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15 Figure 6. Flood Hazard Zones

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16 Human Health Hazards
Human health hazards are bacteria, viruses, parasites, and other organisms that can cause diseases and illness in people. Some of these diseases may only cause mild inconvenience, but others are potentially life threatening. These diseases can be and often are carried by animals such as mice and rats, ticks, and mosquitos. Warmer temperatures and high levels of precipitation can lead to increased populations of disease-carrying animals, creating a greater risk of disease and increased rates of infection. Other human health hazards can include poor air quality, which can affect respiratory systems of those exposed for prolonged periods.

Populations most vulnerable to human health hazards are those who spend a disproportionate amount of time outdoors (such as outdoor workers or persons experiencing homelessness), those with fragile immune systems or existing illnesses (which may include persons with chronic illnesses and seniors), and those who may live in sub-standard housing or not have access to health insurance and medical care (households in poverty, low-income households, low-resourced people of color, immigrant communities).

These persons may be living in conditions that increase their chances of catching vector-borne illnesses or lack the ability to fight off infections that may occur. Many populations may also not have access to air purification systems that can filter out harmful pathogens.23 The agricultural industry relies heavily on outdoor workers, who could be exposed to vector-borne illnesses due to the amount of time spent outside. A reduction in workers could harm the agriculture economic driver in the Hollister Valley. Emergency medical response services are also highly vulnerable to human health hazards, as they may not be able to provide adequate services if there is an influx of health-related emergencies.

Severe Storms
Severe storms include windstorms, hail, lightning, thunderstorms, and heavy rainfall. Severe weather is usually caused by intense storm systems, although types of strong winds can occur without a storm. The connection between climate change and severe storms is not as well established as other hazards, but new evidence suggests that severe storms may occur more often and become more intense than in the past.24 Severe winds can damage or destroy buildings and infrastructure. Hail can damage buildings and plants (and in extreme cases injure people), and lightning can spark fires, injure people, or cause fatalities.

Heavy rainfall, which is characterized by rainfall amounts that exceed normal levels, can lead to flooding in both the eastern and western portions of the city. Strong winds and heavy rainfall are the most common types of severe weather in the city.

The most vulnerable to severe weather are those who may be directly exposed to the hazard, such as outdoor workers and persons experiencing homelessness; those who may live in less structurally resilient buildings, such as households in poverty, immigrant communities, persons living in mobile homes, and low-resourced people of color; and those who may have difficulty preparing or responding to severe

23 Roos, Michelle. 2018. “Climate Justice Summary Report.” California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment. E4 Strategic Solutions. Publication number: SUM-CCCA4-2018-012. 24 Bedsworth, Louise, Dan Cayan, Guido Franco, Leah Fisher, Sonya Ziaja. 2018. “Statewide Summary Report.” California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment. California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, California Energy Commission, California Public Utilities Commission. Publication number: SUM-CCCA4-2018-013.

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17 weather due to mobility or language barriers. These populations include persons with chronic illnesses and/or disabilities, and seniors living alone.

Buildings and infrastructure, such as bridges, communication facilities, flood-control structures, and residential structures are highly vulnerable to severe storms, and they can be damaged by high winds, heavy rainfall, and debris carried by severe storms. The energy delivery system and communication system are especially vulnerable to windstorms, which can damage transmission lines or cause Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events, affecting the services this infrastructure provides the city. PSPS events occur when high winds events increase the likelihood of electrical transmission line failure or sparking, causing PG&E to de-energize the transmission lines until winds speeds decline. Agricultural lands can be decimated by high winds that flatten crops or heavy rainfall that damage crops and inundates the land in the Hollister Valley. Extreme winds and heavy rainfall can also harm ecosystems by causing large volumes of sediment to flow into open water ecosystems, trees to fall in riparian woodlands, and sudden oak death to spread more quickly through oak woodland forests. Extreme heat and drought conditions may weaken agricultural crops and natural ecosystems and prevent them from recovering from severe storm events.

Wildfire and Smoke
Wildfires are a regular feature of the landscape in much of California. They can be sparked by lightning, malfunctioning equipment, vehicle crashes, or many other causes. Warmer temperatures, an increase in drought conditions, and extreme wind events, are likely to create more fuel for fires in natural and rural areas, leading to a greater chance that a spark will grow into a potentially dangerous blaze. Climate change is also expected to extend the fire season throughout much (or even all) of the year. Figure 7 shows the fire hazard severity zones surrounding the City of Hollister, which include moderate and high fire hazard severity zones in the state responsibility area to the east, south, and west.

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18 Figure 7. Fire Hazard Severity Zones

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19 While there are no fire hazard severity zones within the city limits, the city is within the wildland-urban interface, which increases the risk of wildfires spreading into the community. The proximity to fire-prone areas also increases the potential for smoke from wildfires to increase air pollution levels, creating a significant health risk in the region. Most of the populations within Hollister have a high or medium vulnerability to wildfire and smoke conditions. Planned PSPS events to prevent wildfires have already impacted persons who depend on electricity for air conditioning or their medically necessary equipment.

Major roads and highways, including those that serve as evacuation routes, can be blocked by wildfire flames or debris, making it difficult for residents to evacuate and emergency personnel to reach certain areas of the city. The entire energy delivery system, including electric transmission lines, can be damaged by wildfires. Homes can be burned and damaged by wildfires and indoor air quality can lower if smoke flows into homes and residential structures. Smoke conditions can also prevent residents from accessing public transit and ash from wildfires can degrade water supplies.

Several agricultural areas surrounding the city are within fire-prone areas. Smoke and ash from nearby wildfires can damage crops, farms, and agricultural fields, as well as the nutrients in the soil.25 Smoke can also prevent visitors from traveling to the city to participate in outdoor recreation and tourism, including recreation at nearby state and regional parks. Although the economy can likely recover from these events, repetitive wildfire and smoke events may make recovery difficult in both the agriculture and recreation sectors.

Scrub habitat, although somewhat adapted to wildfires, can be substantially harmed by more frequent and severe fires that do not let the ecosystems recover. Open water can be degraded by fire retardants and sediment that may be difficult for the ecosystem to filter out.

25 Kohls, Jessica. 2015. “How Does Wildfire Ash And Smoke Impact Crops?” https://dutchopeners.com/how-does- wildfire-ash-and-smoke -impact-crops/.

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20 GENERAL PLAN IMPLICATIONS
Equity and Uncertainty
When addressing vulnerability and adaptation through General Plan policies and the associated implementation plan, the Adaptation Planning Guide and General Plan Guidelines recommend consideration of equity and uncertainty.

Equity means that all people are justly and fairly included in society, and that everyone is able to participate, prosper, and achieve their full potential. Equitable climate adaptation planning involves identifying persons who are most vulnerable to climate change hazards, and ensuring that the planning process, distribution of resources, and efforts to address systematic wrongs are all conducted in an equitable manner. This Vulnerability Assessment identifies 18 vulnerable populations and assesses climate change impacts and the ability of these populations to prepare for, respond to, and recover from climate change hazards (see list in the Vulnerability Assessment Method section).

Uncertainty is the second component to consider when determining how hazardous conditions may affect Hollister. Climate change is driven by the concentration of GHGs in the atmosphere, which is affected by how our communities use resources and how we regulate those uses through local, state, federal, and international GHG-reduction goals, regulations, plans, and programs. As more action is taken to reduce GHG emissions, the less severe the effects of climate change are expected to be. Climate change models consider the concentrations of atmospheric GHG emissions and the changes in these levels over time to project future extent or intensity of hazardous events.

Even with the extensive modeling, potential impacts are projections of more likely future conditions and are not certain. Similarly, there is also substantial uncertainty about the future state of technology, socioeconomic conditions, and other factors. According to recent studies, the best approach to uncertainty is to minimize inaction by developing “no regrets” strategies that are beneficial without the presence of climate change and where the costs are low compared to the benefits. The State and the City have ample evidence to support science-based policy and decision-making.

Opportunities
Hollister currently experiences a wide range of climate change hazards that are projected to increase in frequency and intensity in the future. While GHG-reduction measures in the forthcoming 2022 City of Hollister Climate Action Plan will help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, adaptation strategies will be needed to increase the resilience of residents and businesses in Hollister.

The General Plan should integrate adaptation measures into the update process that will help the community prepare for, respond to, and recover from climate change hazards. • Health and Safety. Due to the recent update of the California Government Code Section 653029(g), with the approval of SB 379, Safety Elements are required to address climate adaptation and resilience strategies. The Health and Safety Element’s goals, policies, and implementation actions can provide resilience strategies that support both reduced impacts and improved adaptive capacity of the community to climate change-related hazards, along with policies on required hazards, such as flooding, fire, and geologic hazards. Policies within this element can ensure that health and safety concerns of the community are met, even with an increase in frequency and intensity of climate change hazards. Examples of specific policies or implementation actions could include:

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21 o Create an extreme heat response plan that includes establishment of community cooling centers and temperature triggers for when they will open, weatherization of City buildings, and cooling strategies for persons engaged in outdoor work and persons experiencing homelessness.
o Expand participation of programs and services that provide funding resources for economically disadvantaged households and businesses to conduct retrofits. • Circulation. The Circulation Element already includes policies for the existing roadway, public transit, bicycle, and pedestrian networks in the city. These facilities are assessed in the Vulnerability Assessment; therefore, resilience strategies for these transportation systems would be appropriate to add to the Circulation Element. Policies and implementation measures may include the following:
o Coordinate with City and regional transit providers to identify alternative routes and stops if normal infrastructure is damaged or closed because of extreme events. o Harden or raise roadways to ensure evacuation access during hazardous events. o Use heat-resistant materials on roadways, bicycle, and pedestrian infrastructure. • Community Services and Facilities. The Community Services and Facilities Element provides background and policies for utilities, parks and recreation, emergency preparedness, and public facilities. These facilities and services are essential for community members’ quality of life, as well as City operations, and are included in the Vulnerability Assessment. Resilience strategies in the Community Services and Facilities Element could include efforts to underground electricity lines citywide, create redundances in the communication infrastructure, and provide sustainable back- up power supplies. Policies and implementation measures can also look at the promotion of water conservation measures, low-impact development, and green infrastructure that can help convey stormwater and reduce impacts from drought and flooding.

The Parks and Recreation section can promote public health and safety through ensuring recreation opportunities and a variety of parks and open space are available to residents and visitors. Park and open space areas can help reduce air pollution, decrease ambient air temperatures, provide shade during hot days, and function as buffers to slow down and absorb stormwater, among other benefits. Indoor recreation facilities can provide opportunities for recreation when outdoor air quality or temperatures are unhealthy. This section can include policies and actions that increase the urban tree canopy to reduce the heat island effect and clean the air, as well as protect residents and visitors from hazardous conditions. This element can also address ecosystem vulnerabilities by providing implementation actions to preserve and restore forest and riparian woodland habitats to ensure these ecosystems maintain their ecosystem services.

The public safety and emergency preparedness section of the Community Services and Facilities Element includes policies for fire, police, and rescue services in Hollister. Resilience strategies would ensure that these services continue to serve all populations adequately and effectively in the city. These strategies include developing an evacuation assistance program, requiring fire or flood safety plans as part of new development, and ensuring evacuation routes remain open and functional during emergencies.

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22 The Community Services and Facilities Element also contains policies for public facilities throughout the city, which can serve as refuge spaces during emergencies. The Urban Sustainability Network’s Resilience Hub White Paper and Resilience Hubs website ( http://resilience-hub.org/) provides a key resilience strategy for public facilities: the integration of physical and virtual resilience hubs. These can serve as centralized locations for resources about climate change, opportunities to reduce emissions, and techniques to increase resilience, showcases for sustainability, energy efficiency, and low carbon building, and to help residents obtain essential resources and information during and after a disaster. Examples of specific implementation actions could include:
o Identify existing facilities to serve as resilience hubs and cooling centers that open during emergencies or specific temperature triggers for residents to go to seek refuge from extreme heat days or emergency shelter.
o Coordinate with emergency management services to establish backup power, preferably from renewable energy sources, and water resources at emergency shelters, resilience hubs, and cooling centers in case of power outages.
• Open Space and Agriculture. The Open Space and Agriculture Element provides background and policies for two primary economic sectors in Hollister that were included in the Vulnerability Assessment: (1) agriculture and (2) recreation and tourism. Resilience strategies for these economic sectors can include coordinating with the County Agriculture Commissioner’s Office to increase pest detection and noxious weed abatement, as well as work with farming groups and University of California (UC) Cooperative Extension to identify alternative crop types that are suitable to changing conditions.
• Natural Resources and Conservation. The Natural Resources and Conservation Element includes information on the ecosystems and natural resources within the city and included in the Vulnerability Assessment. California Government Code Section 65302(g)(4) requires natural infrastructure to be used in adaptation projects where feasible, which can be integrated into this element. Policies and implementation measures can include conducting wetland and riparian restoration projects to protect against flooding and managing oak woodland habitats to protect against damaging wildfires.
• Environmental Justice. The Environmental Justice Element being developed as part of the General Plan update will focus on reducing unique or compounded health risks in disadvantaged communities identified within Hollister. Policies can include reducing groundwater pollution, increasing public facilities and food access, and promoting safe homes and physical activity to directly address the needs of disadvantaged communities. Environmental justice policies and implementation actions can increase resiliency of vulnerable populations and ensure that these populations have opportunities to participate in the public decision-making process. Specific adaptation measures can include providing affordable healthy foods in schools and other public spaces; assisting in the repair, rehabilitation, and improvement of residential structures; and demolishing and replacing structures that are dilapidated and beyond repair.

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23 Resilience in Other Planning Mechanisms
Resilience should not be limited to the General Plan. Adaptation and resilience rely on a cross- department, multi-disciplinary approach to successful implementation. The City should consider how adaptation and resilience can also be incorporated into other City plans, codes, projects, and implementation programs. Addressing climate change hazard events in the General Plan can support other essential safety documents, such as the City of Hollister Local Hazard Mitigation Plan. Development standards, such as residential building codes for buildings in flood zones and development of adequate evacuation routes, can be integrated into the Hollister Municipal Code. Policies that focus on emergency response to hazards can be included in an evacuation plan or an emergency operations plan. Adaptation measures that also reduce GHG emissions can be integrated into the Hollister Climate Action Plan and may support implementation of the San Benito County Bikeway and Pedestrian Plan and development of the City’s Complete Streets Plan. Policies related to drought and flooding may be integrated into the Hollister Urban Area Water and Wastewater Master Plan and the City of Hollister Storm Drain Master Plan. Furthermore, programs such as the Hollister Municipal Code and Capital Improvement Projects Program can help implement the resilience policies developed in the General Plan through specific projects, development codes, and budgeting.

CONCLUSION
The Vulnerability Assessment identifies which hazards are expected to harm sensitive populations and assets, and which assets are most vulnerable to various hazards that are projected to intensify with climate change. A comprehensive set of results is in Appendix B. Understanding how climate change will affect the community and identifying the vulnerable populations and assets will enable Hollister to implement effective GHG-reduction measures and climate adaptation strategies to create a safer, sustainable, and healthier community.

As the climate continues to change and GHG emissions rise, climate change hazards will continue to harm populations, infrastructure and buildings, economic drivers, and key community services in Hollister. The Health and Safety Element update will integrate adaptation strategies into goals, policies, and implementation measures that will help increase resiliency and reduce vulnerability throughout the city.

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VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT REPORT – APPENDIX A
24 APPENDIX A: LIST OF POPULATIONS AND ASSETS
Items Included in the Hollister Vulnerability Assessment PlaceWorks proposed the following populations and other assets for inclusion in the Vulnerability Assessment. Each list includes a description and source of data needed to support the Vulnerability Assessment.

Populations
PlaceWorks collected population data from the U.S. Census (American Community Survey and Decennial Census), the California Healthy Places Index, CalEnviroScreen 4.0, and the San Benito Homeless Point in Time Count, consistent with the General Plan Update. Some of the data for populations listed here is not available spatially or the population type is spread throughout the city. In those cases, the scoring for the population is averaged over the entire city and the project team used literature or local knowledge to convey how those populations are affected by a particular hazard. The 20 populations identified as vulnerable by City staff are:
• Children (under 18).
• Cost-burdened households: Households paying 30 percent or more of their income towards housing expenses.
• Households in poverty: Households with an income below the poverty line, which is $26,500 for a household of four.
• Immigrant communities.
• LGBTQIA+: Persons identifying gender or sexual orientation as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, or other gender and sexual identities that words cannot yet fully describe.
• Linguistically isolated persons: Spanish, Tagalog, and others. • Low-income households: The State identifies $81,600 as the low-income threshold for a household of four people in San Benito County in 2021.26 • Low-resourced people of color: Persons identifying as a member of a racial and/or ethnic group and facing limited access to resources, such as financial, social, healthcare, or educational assistance.27,28
• Outdoor workers: Workers in agriculture, agritourism, construction, outdoor recreation, etc. • Overcrowded households: More than one person per room, severe overcrowding is more than

1.5 persons per room.
• Persons experiencing homelessness: 2020 Point In Time count reported 170 unsheltered, 112 sheltered, and 282 total persons experiencing homelessness in San Benito County.29

26 California Department of Housing and Community Development. 2021. State Income Limits for 2021. https://www.hcd.ca.gov/grants-funding/income-limits/state-and-federal-income-limits/docs/income-limits- 2021.pdf.
27 Public Health Alliance of Southern California. 2018. Healthy Places Index. https://map.healthyplacesindex.org/ 28 Roos, Michelle. (E4 Strategic Solutions). 2018. Climate Justice Summary Report. California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment. Publication number: SUM-CCCA4-2018-012. 29 Focus Strategies. 2020. Monterey And San Benito County Homelessness Response System: Initial Observations & Recommendations. https://chsp.org/wp-content/themes/chsp/img/MontereySBC-Initial-Observations-Report-Final- 072020.pdf.

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25 • Persons living in mobile homes.
• Persons with chronic illnesses and/or disabilities.
• Persons without a high school degree.
• Persons without access to lifelines: Persons without reliable access to a car, transit, or communication systems.
• Pregnant and nursing women.
• Renters.
• Seniors (65+).
• Seniors living alone.
• Unemployed persons.

Buildings and Infrastructure
PlaceWorks gathered details on infrastructure from state and local geographic information system (GIS) data, the Existing Conditions Report, and Local Hazard Mitigation Plan. These 22 asset groups are:
• Airport.
• Bicycling and pedestrian trails.30,31
• Bridges: Two state bridges.32
• Communication facilities: Cell towers, radio sites, etc. • Community centers: Hollister Recreation Center, Hollister Veterans Memorial Building, Youth Alliance, Bertha Briggs Memorial Youth Center.
• Electrical transmission infrastructure:33
• Transmission Lines: Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) • Substations: Two PG&E substations
• Emergency operation buildings: San Benito County Office of Emergency Services34. • Cooling centers: Hollister Veterans Memorial Building. • Flood Control Infrastructure.
• Government administration facilities: City Hall, Code Enforcement, Management Services Department, County of San Benito County Planning/Public Works. • Hazardous materials sites: Eight active sites within the city.35 • Homes and residential structures.

30 City of Hollister. 2018. Park Facility Master Plan. http://hollister.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Public- Review-Draft-Parks-Master-Plan-2018-04-12.pdf.
31 Council of San Benito County Governments. 2009. San Benito County Bikeway and Pedestrian Master Plan. http://www.sanbenitocog.org/pdf/San%20Benito%20County%20Bikeway%20and%20Pedestrian%20Master%20Plan .pdf.
32 Caltrans. 2022. “Caltrans GIS Data: State Highway Bridges.” https://gisdata- caltrans.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/f0f31a540f17414ba384127182f4e088_0/explore?location=37.178467%2C- 119.275800%2C7.09.
33 California Energy Commission. 2022. “California Electric Infrastructure.” https://cecgis- caenergy.opendata.arcgis.com/apps/california-electric-infrastructure-app/explore. 34 Office of Emergency Services San Benito County. 2015. San Benito County Operational Area Emergency Operations Plan. https://www.cosb.us/home/showpublisheddocument/240/637195349974030000 . 35 California Department of Toxic Substances and Control. 2021. “EnviroStor.” https://www.envirostor.dtsc.ca.gov/public/ .

CITY OF HOLLISTER | HEALTH AND SAFETY ELEMENT UPDATE
VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT REPORT – APPENDIX A
26 • Libraries: San Benito County Free Library.
• Major roads and highways
o State: State Route (SR -) 156, SR-156B, SR-25.
o Local: San Benito Street, Westside Boulevard, Memorial Driver, Valley View Road, Cerra Vista Drive, Buena Vista Road, Santa Ana Road, South Street, Hillcrest Road, Nash Road, Sunnyslope Road.
• Natural gas pipelines: PG&E.
• Parks and Open Space36
o Hollister City Parks: Allendale Park, Apricot Park, Dunne Park, Frank Klauer Memorial Park, Jerry Gabe Memorial Park, John Z. Hernandez Memorial Park, Las Brisas Park, McCarthy Park, Mirabella Park, Nora Park, River Trail, Santa Ana Park, Tony Aguirre Memorial Park, Valley View Park, Vista Park Hill, Water Reclamation Recreational Facility. o San Benito County Parks: Hollister Skate Park, Hollister Softball Fields. o School Parks: Calaveras School Park, Cerra Vista School Park, Ladd Lane Elementary School, Marguerite Maze Sports Complex, R. O. Hardin Elementary School, Rancho San Justo Sports Complex, San Benito High School Tennis Courts. • Public safety buildings:
o Police: Hollister Police Department headquarters.
o Fire: Hollister Fire Stations #1, #2, #3; Hollister Air Tanker Base, San Benito County Fire Station #4, CAL FIRE Station, Department of Forestry and Fire Protection San Benito Unit. • Railway: Union Pacific Railway.
• Schools: Hollister Dual Language Academy, Accelerated Achievement Academy, Hollister Prep, Ladd Lane Elementary, Sunnyslope Elementary, Rancho San Justo Middle, Calaveras Elementary, Cerra Vista Elementary, Maze Middle, Gabilan Hills Elementary, Spring Grove Elementary, San Benito High, Southside Elementary, R.O. Hardin Elementary, Cienega Elementary, San Benito County Regional Special Education Center, San Andreas Continuation High. • Solid waste facilities: RJR Recycling, Chapin Plant 25 – Chapin Ready Mix, John Smith Road Landfill.
• Transit facilities: San Benito County Transit.
• Water and wastewater infrastructure: Hollister Public Works Department, Sunnyslope County Water District, Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plant, Domestic Water Reclamation Facility.

Economic Drivers
PlaceWorks determined important economic assets based on Market Demand Analysis prepared for the City of Hollister by BAE in November 2020. These five economic drivers are:
• Agriculture.
• Education.
• Major employers: R&R Labor, Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital, McElectronics Inc., Corbin Sparrow, Denis & Filice Packing Co., Nob Hill Foods, San Benito Foods, Target, Trical Inc., and West Marine.

36 City of Hollister. 2018. Park Facility Master Plan. http://hollister.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Public- Review-Draft-Parks-Master-Plan-2018-04-12.pdf.

CITY OF HOLLISTER | HEALTH AND SAFETY ELEMENT UPDATE
VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT REPORT – APPENDIX A
27 • Outdoor recreation and tourism.
• State and regional parks: Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area, Fremont Peak State Park, San Benito County Historic Park, Brigantino Park.

Ecosystems and Natural Resources
PlaceWorks determined the ecosystems and natural resources based on the Existing Conditions Report for the General Plan. These six resource types are:
• Forest: Forest and woodlands occupy an estimated 93 acres of the land cover types in the Planning Area, occurring in scattered stands along the San Benito River corridor and southern slopes above the river plain.
• Grassland: Grasslands occupy most of the undeveloped hillsides to the east, south and southwest of the General Plan Planning Area outside the largely developed valley floor. The grasslands are generally composed of introduced grasses and broadleaf species. • Open Water: Open water habitats consist of creeks, waterways, and riverine habitat and consist of approximately 92 acres in the Planning Area.
• Riparian Woodlands: Riparian vegetation occurs along San Benito River, segments of Santa Ana Creek, and some reaches of tributary drainages in the General Plan Planning Area. The riparian tree and shrub cover occupies an estimated 168 acres in the Planning Area. • Scrub: A number of native and non-native vegetative cover types occur along the margins or just outside the General Plan Planning Area, such as mixed chaparral and coastal scrub cover an estimated 11 acres.
• Wetlands and freshwater marsh: Freshwater marsh habitat is also associated with the San Benito River and tributary drainage channels, ponds, and other waterbodies. Segments of the larger creeks in the General Plan Planning Area that do not support a canopy of woody riparian vegetation generally support some type of freshwater marsh cover along the margins of the active channel.

Key Services
These assets are based on typical services provided in cities throughout California, which are supported by the infrastructure and buildings listed previously. Key community services include the operation and functions needed to provide and maintain services. The Vulnerability Assessment evaluates the infrastructure and people needed to support them separately. These eight services include:
• Communication services: Radio, television, cellular and landline phone, and internet. • Emergency medical response: San Benito County Emergency Medical Services Agency and American Medical Response.
• Energy delivery: PG&E and Central Coast Community Energy. • Government administration and community services: Programs, permitting centers, and other services provided to the public by the City.
• Public safety response: Hollister Police Department, Hollister Fire Department, and CAL FIRE. • Public transit access: San Benito County Transit.
• Solid waste removal: San Benito County Integrated Waste Management Regional Agency and Recology.
• Water and wastewater: City of Hollister and San Benito County.

CITY OF HOLLISTER | HEALTH AND SAFETY ELEMENT UPDATE
CLIMATE CHANGE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT REPORT– APPENDIX B 28 APPENDIX B: VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT RESULTS MATRIX
The Vulnerability Assessment evaluates the impact and adaptive capacity of 61 populations and assets for each of the relevant 7 hazards. Vulnerability scores of high, medium, or low were assigned to reflect how susceptible the population or asset is to the harm posed by the hazard. The City assessed 309 different pairings for vulnerability, 102 of which scored as highly vulnerable. The following matrix provides the scores for each population and assets to each relevant hazard. Gray cells with a dash (-) indicate that a specific hazard is not applicable to a specific population or asset, and therefore was not scored.

POPULATIONS AND ASSETS

AGRICULTURE
& ECOSYSTEM

PESTS &

DISEASES

DROUGHT

EXTREME
HEAT &
WARM
NIGHTS

FLOODING
HUMAN
HEALTH

HAZARDS
SEVERE

STORMS WILDFIRE
Populations
Children - Low High Medium Medium Medium High
Cost-burdened households - Low Medium Medium Medium Low Medium Households in poverty - High High High High High High
Immigrant communities High Medium High High High High High LGBTQIA+ - Low Low Medium Medium Low Medium
Linguistically isolated persons - Low Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium Low-income households - Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium Low-resourced people of color Medium High High High High High High Outdoor workers High High High High High High High
Overcrowded households - Low Medium Medium High Low Medium Persons experiencing homelessness - Medium High High High High High Persons living in mobile homes - Low High High Medium High Low

CITY OF HOLLISTER | HEALTH AND SAFETY ELEMENT UPDATE
CLIMATE CHANGE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT REPORT– APPENDIX B 29 POPULATIONS AND ASSETS

AGRICULTURE
& ECOSYSTEM

PESTS &

DISEASES

DROUGHT

EXTREME
HEAT &
WARM
NIGHTS

FLOODING
HUMAN
HEALTH

HAZARDS
SEVERE

STORMS WILDFIRE
Persons with chronic illnesses and/
or disabilities - Low High Medium High High High
Persons without a high school degree - Low Low Low Low Low Low Persons without access to lifelines - Low Medium High Medium Medium Medium Pregnant and nursing women - Low High Medium High Medium High Renters - Low Low Low Low Low Low
Seniors (65+) - Low High High High Medium High
Seniors living alone - Low High High High High High
Unemployed persons - Medium Medium Low Medium Medium Medium Buildings and Infrastructure
Airport - - Low - - Medium -
Bicycling and pedestrian trails Low - - Low - Low Low
Bridges - - - High - High Medium
Communication facilities - - Low - - High Medium
Community centers - - Low - - Medium Low
Electrical transmission infrastructure - - High Low - High High Emergency operation buildings - - Low - - Low -
Cooling centers - - Medium - - Medium Medium
Flood Control Infrastructure - - - Medium - High Low

CITY OF HOLLISTER | HEALTH AND SAFETY ELEMENT UPDATE
CLIMATE CHANGE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT REPORT– APPENDIX B 30 POPULATIONS AND ASSETS

AGRICULTURE
& ECOSYSTEM

PESTS &

DISEASES

DROUGHT

EXTREME
HEAT &
WARM
NIGHTS

FLOODING
HUMAN
HEALTH

HAZARDS
SEVERE

STORMS WILDFIRE
Government administration facilities - - Low Low - Medium - Hazardous materials sites - - - Medium - Medium Medium
Homes and residential structures - - Medium Medium - High High Libraries - - Low Low - Medium -
Major roads and highways - - Medium High - Low High
Natural gas pipelines - - - Low - - Low
Parks and open space Medium Medium Low Low - Low Medium Public safety buildings - - Low Low - Low Low
Railway - - High Medium - Medium -
Schools - - Medium Low - Medium Medium
Solid waste facilities - - - Medium - Low Low
Transit facilities - - - Low - Low -
Water and wastewater infrastructure - Low - Medium - Medium Medium Economic Drivers
Agriculture High High High High High High High
Education - - Low Low Medium Low Medium
Major employers Medium Medium Medium High Medium Low Medium Outdoor recreation and tourism Medium Low High Medium Medium Medium High

CITY OF HOLLISTER | HEALTH AND SAFETY ELEMENT UPDATE
CLIMATE CHANGE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT REPORT– APPENDIX B 31 POPULATIONS AND ASSETS

AGRICULTURE
& ECOSYSTEM

PESTS &

DISEASES

DROUGHT

EXTREME
HEAT &
WARM
NIGHTS

FLOODING
HUMAN
HEALTH

HAZARDS
SEVERE

STORMS WILDFIRE
State and regional parks High Medium High Medium Medium Medium High Ecosystems and Natural Resources
Forest High Low Medium - - High Low
Grassland Low Medium Low Low - Low Medium
Open Water Low High High High - High High
Riparian Woodlands Medium Medium Medium Medium - High Medium Scrub Medium Medium Medium Low - Medium High
Wetlands and Freshwater Marsh Low High High Low - Low Medium Key Services
Communication services Low - Low Low - High Medium
Emergency medical response Low - Medium Medium High Medium Low Energy delivery Medium Low High Low - High High
Government administration &
community services - - Low Low Low Low Low
Public safety response Medium - Medium High Medium Medium Medium Public transit access Low - High High Low High High
Solid waste removal Low - Medium Medium Low Medium Medium Water and wastewater Low High Medium High - Medium High

CITY OF HOLLISTER | HEALTH AND SAFETY ELEMENT UPDATE
CLIMATE CHANGE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT REPORT– APPENDIX B 32 This page intentionally left blank.

ORANGE COUNTY • BAY AREA • SACRAMENTO • CENTRAL COAST • LOS ANGELES • INLAND EMPIRE placeworks.com

City of Hollister

CLIMATE ACTION PLAN
October 2024

Cover Photo Credits:

Barn and rows of crops image by Rene Rodriguez.

Aerial view of park image by Michael Grzan.

View of mountain image by Rene Rodriguez.

Prepared By: PlaceWorks
2040 Bancroft Way, Suite 400
Berkeley, California 94704
t 510.848.3815
City of Hollister

CLIMATE ACTION PLAN
October 2024
Prepared for:

City of Hollister
375 Fifth Street
Hollister, CA 95023

City of Hollister
Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page i

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................................................................... ES-1 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Targets ................................................................................................................................. ES-1 Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Forecast ............................................................................................................................................Es-2 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategies ................................................................................................................................................Es-4 Community-wide GHG Emissions Reduction .................................................................................................................................... ES-8

1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................................ 1 Purpose of the Climate Action Plan ........................................................................................................................................................... 1 Relationship to Hollister 2040 General Plan ............................................................................................................................................ 2 Plan Contents................................................................................................................................................................................................ 4 Sustainability in Hollister and the Region ................................................................................................................................................. 5 State of California Regulations and Guidance ......................................................................................................................................... 6

2. Climate Change in Hollister ................................................................................................................................................... 11 Climate Science and Climate Change Impacts ..................................................................................................................................... 11

3. GHG Emissions in Hollister .................................................................................................................................................... 23 Community-Wide GHG Inventory .......................................................................................................................................................... 23 CAP Study Area GHG Forecasts .............................................................................................................................................................. 29

4. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategy ................................................................................................................. 37 Background ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 37 GHG Emissions Reduction Targets ......................................................................................................................................................... 37 Achieving the Targets: Existing and New Reduction Strategies .......................................................................................................... 39 Achieving the Targets: Existing Local Actions to Reduce GHG Emissions......................................................................................... 40 Achieving the Targets: New GHG Emission Reduction Strategies ..................................................................................................... 41 Summary of Total GHG Emissions Reductions .................................................................................................................................... 89

5. CAP Implementation Strategy ................................................................................................................................................ 91 Implementing the Climate Action Plan .................................................................................................................................................. 91 Appendix A ....................................................................................................................................................................................... A-1 Appendix B ....................................................................................................................................................................................... B-1

Table of Contents
Page ii October 2024
TABLES
Table ES-1 GHG Emissions Targets in CAP Study Area (MTCO2e).......................................................................................... ES-2 Table ES-2 Hollister City Limits GHG Emissions, 2005 and 2019 ............................................................................................ ES-3 Table ES-3 GHG Emissions within CAP Study Area by Sector, 2019-2045 ............................................................................ ES-3 Table ES-4 Hollister CAP Study Area GHG Emission Reductions from State, Regional, and Local Activities, 2019 to 2045........................................................................................................... ES-4 Table ES-5 GHG Reduction Strategies ......................................................................................................................................... ES-6 Table ES-6 List of Implementation Strategies ............................................................................................................................. ES-7 Table ES-7 Progress to GHG Emissions Targets in CAP Study Area ........................................................................................ ES-8 Table 1 Annual GHG Emissions and Proportions by Sector within City Limit in 2005 and 2019 ............................................................................................................................................................... 26 Table 2 Percentage Change of GHG Emissions by Sector within City Limit in 2005 and 2019 ............................................................................................................................................................... 28 Table 3 GHG Emissions within Existing City Limit, Sphere of Influence, and Combined Total (CAP Study Area) in 2019 ............................................................................................................... 28 Table 4 Forecast GHG Emissions within CityLimit, 2019-2045 ............................................................................................. 30 Table 5 Forecasted GHG Emissions within Sphere of Influence by Sector, 2019-2045 ....................................................................................................................................................................... 32 Table 6 GHG Emissions within CAP Study Area by Sector, 2019-2045 ............................................................................... 34 Table 7 Emissions within City Limit, Sphere of Influence, and CAP Study Area ................................................................. 35 Table 8 State GHG Emission Reduction Targets ...................................................................................................................... 38 Table 9 Targets for Hollister CAP Study Area ........................................................................................................................... 38 Table 10 GHG Emission Reductions from State Actions in CAP Study Area, 2019 .............................................................. 40 Table 11 GHG Emission Reductions from Local Actions in CAP Study Area, 2019 to 2045 .................................................................................................................................................................. 41 Table 12 Progress to GHG Emissions Targets in CAP Study Area (MTCO2e) ....................................................................... 89 Table 13 CAP Implementation Table ........................................................................................................................................... 95 Table A-1 Emissions Factors, 2005 and 2019 ............................................................................................................................. A-1 Table A-2 Updates to 2005 Baseline GHG Inventory within the City Limit (MTCO2e) ......................................................... A-2 Table A-3 Updates to 2019 GHG Inventory within City Limit (MTCO2e) ............................................................................... A-3 Table A-4 Transportation Activity Data and GHG Emissions within City Limit, 2005 and 2019 .............................................................................................................................................................. A-4 Table A-5 Residential Electricity Activity GHG Emissions by Subsector within City Limit, 2005 and 2019 ................................................................................................................................................... A-5

City of Hollister
Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page iii
Table A-6 Residential Natural Gas Activity and GHG Emissions within City Limit, 2005 and 2019 .............................................................................................................................................................. A-5 Table A-7 Nonresidential Electricity Activity and GHG Emissions by Subsector within City Limit, 2005 and 2019 ................................................................................................................................ A-6 Table A-8 Nonresidential Natural Gas Activity and GHG Emissions within City Limit, 2005 and 2019 ................................................................................................................................................... A-7 Table A-9 Solid Waste Activity and GHG Emissions within City Limit, 2005 and 2019 ........................................................ A-7 Table A-10 Off-Road Equipment GHG Emissions by Subsector within City Limit, 2005 and 2019 .............................................................................................................................................................. A-8 Table A-11 Water and Wastewater Activity and GHG Emissions by Subsector within City Limit, 2005 and 2019............................................................................................................................................ A-9 Table A-12 Fertilizer Use and GHG Emissions within City Limit, 2005 and 2019 .................................................................A-10 Table A-13 Land Use Change and Street Tree Biomass within City Limit 2005 and 2019 ..................................................A-11 Table A-14 Combined 2019 GHG Emissions – Existing City Limit, Sphere of Influence, and Combined Total (CAP Study Area) ...................................................................................................................A-11 Table A-15 City of Hollister Demographic Projection within City Limit, 2019-2045..............................................................A-12 Table A-16 Hollister Demographic Projection in Sphere of Influence, 2019-2045 ...............................................................A-13 Table A-17 GHG Emission Reductions from State Actions in City Limit, 2019-2045 ............................................................A-15 Table A-18 GHG Emission Reductions from State Actions in the Sphere of Influence, 2019 – 2045.................................................................................................................................................................A-16 Table A-19 GHG Emission Reductions from State Actions in the CAP Study Area, 2019 – 2045.................................................................................................................................................................A-17

Table of Contents
Page iv October 2024

FIGURES
Figure 1 CAP Study Area................................................................................................................................................................. 3 Figure 2 California’s GHG Reduction Targets .............................................................................................................................. 7 Figure 3 California GHG Emissions, 2000 through 2020 (MMTCO2e) .................................................................................. 13 Figure 4 Past and Projected Extreme Heat Days in Hollister ................................................................................................... 17 Figure 5 City of Hollister Flood Zones ........................................................................................................................................ 18 Figure 6 City of Hollister Wildland Urban Interface Areas ....................................................................................................... 21 Figure 7 GHG Emissions by Sector (MTCO2e) within City Limit, 2005 and 2019 ............................................................... 27 Figure 8 GHG Emissions within City Limit, 2019-2045 ............................................................................................................ 31 Figure 9 GHG Emissions within Sphere of Influence, 2019-2045 .......................................................................................... 33 Figure 10 GHG Emissions within CAP Study Area, 2019-2045 ................................................................................................. 35 Figure 11 Hollister CAP Study Area GHG Emissions with Reduction Strategies, 2005 to 2045 .................................................................................................................................................................. 90

City of Hollister
Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page v

LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
°F: degrees Fahrenheit
3CE: Central Coast Community Energy
AB: Assembly Bill
AMBAG: Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments
CAP: Climate Action Plan
CAPCOA: California Air Pollution Control Officers Association CARB: California Air Resources Board
CCA: community choice aggregation
CCES: Central Coast Energy Services
CEC: California Energy Commission
CEQA: California Environmental Quality Act
CH4: methane
CO2: carbon dioxide
CO2e: carbon dioxide equivalent
DOE: United States Department of Energy
EV: electric vehicle
GHG: greenhouse gas
IPCC: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
JPA: joint powers authority
kWh: kilowatt-hours
LCFS: Low Carbon Fuel Standard
MBARD: Monterey Bay Air Resources District
MTCO2e: metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent
N2O: nitrous oxide
OPR: California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research PG&E: Pacific Gas and Electric Company
PSPS: Public Safety Power Shutoff

Table of Contents
Page vi October 2024
PV: photovoltaic
RDWWTP: Regional Domestic Wastewater Treatment Plant
RPS: Renewables Portfolio Standard
SB: Senate Bill
SBCWD: San Benito County Water District
SOI: sphere of influence
US EPA: Unites States Environmental Protection Agency
VMT: vehicle miles traveled
WUI: wildland urban interface
ZEV: zero-emissions vehicle

City of Hollister
Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page ES-1

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Photo credit: Kent Rossi
The 2024 Climate Action Plan (CAP) is Hollister’s strategic plan to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and to adapt to changing climate conditions. The CAP allows the City of Hollister’s decision makers, staff, and community to understand the sources and magnitude of local GHG emissions and the impacts of climate change on the community, prioritize steps to achieve long-term GHG emissions reduction targets, and increase resilience.

As part of the CAP, the City assessed GHG emissions both within city limits and inside the City’s Sphere of Influence (SOI). This combined area, known as the CAP Study Area, represents the potential expanded area of the city boundary if all growth areas are annexed and incorporated into the City of Hollister as anticipated by the Hollister 2040 General Plan.

GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS REDUCTION TARGETS
The State of California has adopted two regulatory GHG reduction targets. Senate Bill (SB) 32 (2016) requires that the State reduce GHG emissions 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. Assembly Bill (AB) 1279 (2022) requires California to reduce GHG emissions 85 percent below 1990 levels and to achieve net carbon neutrality by 2045. Although the State does not have an adopted GHG reduction target for 2040, a 2040 target of 64 percent below 1990 levels is consistent with the State’s planned GHG reduction trends.

GHG emissions targets for the CAP Study Area are shown in Table ES-1.

Executive Summary
Page ES-2 October 2024
Table ES-1 GHG Emissions Targets in CAP Study Area (MTCO2e) Target 2030
MTCO2e
2040
MTCO2e
2045
MTCO2e
Reduction Targets 125,990
(40 percent below 1990 levels)
75,990
(64 percent below 1990 levels)
31,500
(85 percent below 1990 levels)

GREENHOUSE GAS INVENTORY AND FORECAST
A GHG inventory is a summary of the GHG emissions generated by activities that take place within a community, and a GHG forecast shows projected future GHG emissions without implementation of any GHG reduction measures. The GHG emissions inventories and the GHG forecast lay the groundwork for the CAP, which seeks to align the City’s GHG reduction efforts with State reduction targets. The CAP contains GHG inventories for the years 2005 and 2019. These inventories assess emissions produced by transportation, residential and nonresidential energy use, off-road equipment, solid waste, water and wastewater, agriculture, and land use, including development and sequestration.

As seen in Table ES-2, GHG emissions within Hollister city limits declined by about 4 percent between 2005 and 2019. In 2005, the City of Hollister emitted 247,030 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e). In 2005, transportation was the largest emitter (45 percent of emissions), followed by nonresidential energy (22 percent). In 2019, the City of Hollister emitted 236,760 MTCO 2e.

Transportation remained the largest emitter, accounting for 59 percent of emissions.

In 2019, GHG emissions in the Study Area were 244,750 MTCO2e, as shown in Table ES-3. A GHG emissions forecast uses estimates of future community populations and job growth to predict how emissions would grow over time if no action is taken at the federal, state, local, or regional level to reduce them. The CAP includes a GHG forecast for the calendar years 2030, 2040, and 2045 for the CAP Study Area, consistent with the Hollister 2040 General Plan Update. As shown in Table ES-3, Hollister’s CAP Study Area GHG emissions are expected to increase by 93 percent between 2019 and 2045 if no action is taken to reduce emissions.

City of Hollister
Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page ES-3
Table ES-2 Hollister City Limits GHG Emissions, 2005 and 2019 Sector 2005 Inventory
MTCO2e
2005 Proportion
of Total
2019 Inventory
MTCO2e
2019 Proportion
of Total
Transportation 110,040 45% 140,350 59%
Nonresidential energy 55,120 22% 11,150 5%
Residential energy 36,210 15% 24,240 10%
Off-road equipment 32,310 13% 43,690 18%
Solid waste 11,330 5% 17,930 8%
Water and wastewater 2,320 1% 1,040 Less than 1%
Agriculture 400 Less than 1% 320 Less than 1%
Land use and sequestration -2,300 -1% -2,460 -1%
Development activities 1,600 Less than 1% 500 Less than 1% Total Annual MTCO2e 247,030 100% 236,760 100%
Table ES-3 GHG Emissions within CAP Study Area by Sector, 2019-2045 Sector 2019*
MTCO2e
2030*
MTCO2e
2040*
MTCO2e
2045*
MTCO2e
Percentage Change,
2019 to 2045
Transportation 145,080 241,980 273,520 289,320 99%
Nonresidential energy 11,380 15,940 18,770 20,180 77%
Residential energy 25,580 36,780 44,720 48,690 90%
Off-road equipment 45,580 63,540 76,290 82,550 81%
Solid waste 18,660 25,910 30,780 33,220 78%
Water and wastewater 1,080 1,500 1,7920 1,930 78%
Agriculture 1,120 620 0 0 -100%
Land use and sequestration -2,960 -4,010 -5,930 -5,930 100% Development activities -770 270 2,090 3,010 -491%
Total 244,750 382,520 442,030 472,970 93%
* Data shown for 2019 are the inventory of community-wide GHG emissions. The data shown for 2030, 2040, and 2045 are GHG emission forecasts based on projections from the 2019 inventory.

Executive Summary
Page ES-4 October 2024

GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION STRATEGIES
This CAP accounts for GHG emissions reductions anticipated from the City’s existing climate policies and programs, as well as actions already and soon-to-be implemented at the state level. As shown in Table ES-4, with the implementation of existing State and local actions, the CAP Study Area’s GHG emissions are projected to be at 274,000 MTCO2e by 2030, 273,290 by 2040, and 282,340 by 2045.

Table ES-4 Hollister CAP Study Area GHG Emission Reductions from State, Regional, and Local Activities, 2019 to 2045
GHG EMISSIONS 2019
MTCO2e
2030
MTCO2e
2040
MTCO2e
2045
MTCO2e
Percentage
Change
2019 to 2045
Forecasted emissions without State actions 244,750 382,520 442,030 472,970 93% Reductions from Renewables Portfolio Standard 320 750 1,440 Renewable natural gas 3,200 9,700 12,300
Reductions from Clean Car standards 45,930 81,450 91,220 Reductions from Title 24 5,090 12,430 16,540
Reductions from LCFS (off -road only) 47,020 56,560 61,090 Reductions from Senate Bill 1383 6,100 7,250 7,820
Reductions from all State actions 107,660 168,130 190,410 Emissions with State actions 244,750 274,860 273,910 282,560 15% 3CE renewable energy portfolio 610 400 0
Emissions reductions from existing local actions 610 400 0 Emissions with State and local actions (excludes
CAP) 244,750 274,000 273,290 282,340 15%

City of Hollister
Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page ES-5
While implementation of existing State and local actions will bring the city closer to meeting its GHG emission targets, these actions are insufficient on their own. Thus, the CAP identifies future strategies that will help the community meet its long-term emissions reductions targets. The 33 strategies, listed in Table ES-5, are organized by eight goals, one for each key topic area:

Sustainable Energy and Resilience
Reduced energy use through use of energy-efficient appliances, lighting, and materials in our homes, businesses, and City facilities.

Carbon-Free Energy
Existing and new buildings, facilities, and operations are resilient and powered by carbon-free electricity or other low carbon, clean energy sources

Transportation
A connected and efficient transportation network that provides equitable access to low carbon motorized and GHG-free nonmotorized mobility options.

Off-road Equipment
Hollister encourages residents, businesses, and industries to electrify off-road equipment when feasible.

Solid Waste
Hollister residents, businesses, and visitors minimize waste sent to the landfill.

Water and Wastewater
The community maintains a sustainable supply of drinking water and efficient indoor and outdoor water use in homes, businesses, and operations.

Natural Resources and Agriculture
Preserve and expand natural resources and agricultural land.

Governance and Leadership
Work with regional partners to implement the CAP and take actions to increase community resilience against climate hazards.

Executive Summary
Page ES-6 October 2024
Table ES-5 GHG Reduction Strategies
Strategy by Sector
Sustainable Energy and Resilience
1 Municipal energy efficiency and conservation
2 Sustainable community-wide building standards
3 Residential energy efficiency and conservation
4 Nonresidential energy conservation and efficiency
Carbon-Free Energy
5 Onsite solar energy for new development
6 Municipal renewable and carbon-free energy
7 Community-wide renewable, carbon-free, and resilient energy systems 8 Electrification
9 Building code updates and incentives for electrification of new buildings Transportation
10 Vehicle miles traveled
11 Active transportation infrastructure
12 Safe Routes to Schools
13 Transit access
14 Electric vehicles (EVs)
15 Low carbon municipal vehicles, school buses, and transit options 16 Creation of an EV car sharing program
Off-road equipment
17 Electrification of construction and landscaping equipment Solid Waste
18 Reduce community-wide waste generation
19 Recycling and composting education
20 Methane capture at landfills
Water and Wastewater
21 Reduce community-wide water use
22 Reduce municipal water use and increase recycling efforts 23 Methane capture for wastewater treatment facilities

City of Hollister
Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page ES-7
Strategy by Sector
Natural Resources and Agriculture
24 Natural resources and open space
25 Tree planting and preservation
26 Green infrastructure
27 Local food systems
28 Sustainable agriculture and carbon sequestration
Governance and Leadership
29 Regional cooperation
30 Community resilience resources
31 Safety for outdoor workers
32 Green jobs
33 Climate change awareness and education
Implementing the CAP will require City leadership to put the strategies in the CAP into effect and report progress. To ensure that the implementation process is efficient and transparent, this CAP includes a work plan that identifies responsible departments, partners, and time frames associated with each strategy. Implementation strategies are shown in Table ES-6.

Table ES-6 List of Implementation Strategies
CAP Implementation Strategies
1 Program Development and Staffing
2 Monitor and Report Progress Toward Climate Action Plan Target Achievement on an Annual Basis. 3 Continue Collaborative Partnership with Agencies and Community Groups that Support Climate Action Plan Implementation.
4 Secure Necessary Funding to Implement the Climate Action Plan. 5 Continue to Update the Baseline Emissions Inventory and Community Climate Action Plan Every Five Years. 6 Maintain and Update the Community Climate Action Plan to Allow for Greater Resilience.

Executive Summary
Page ES-8 October 2024

COMMUNITY-WIDE GHG EMISSIONS REDUCTION
In conjunction with existing local and State programs, CAP strategies provide a path to reduce the CAP Study Area’s (city limits and SOI) GHG emissions to 202,3030 MTCO2e by 2030, 93,890 by 2040, and 31,110 MTCO2e by 2045, as shown in Table ES-7. The CAP Study Area has the potential to exceed the City’s reduction target of 85 percent below 1990 levels by 2045.

Table ES-7 Progress to GHG Emissions Targets in CAP S tudy Area GHG Emissions 2030
MTCO2e
2040
MTCO2e
2045
MTCO2e
Reduction targets
125,990
(40 percent below 1990
levels)
75,990
(64 percent below 1990
levels)
31,500
(85 percent below 1990
levels)
Forecasted emissions without actions
(business-as-usual) 382,520 442,030 472,970
Forecasted emissions with State actions and
3CE 274,000 273,290 282,340
Emissions with State Actions, 3CE, and CAP 202,030 93,890 31,100 Target achieved? No No Yes
Gap to target 76,040 17,900 -390
This CAP allows Hollister to achieve a level of GHG reduction consistent with the State’s long-term reduction targets. The performance standards associated with the strategies that achieve these reductions are in line with the modeling prepared for the State’s 2022 Climate Change Scoping Plan and provide a demonstrable path to meeting the 2045 GHG reduction target without significantly exceeding the statewide modeling assumptions.

The CAP does not quantitatively demonstrate net-carbon neutrality, as the State has not yet provided guidance for how local governments can do so. However, this CAP supports a path to net-carbon neutrality by providing strategies to increase carbon sequestration and commits to a reduction of GHG emissions to at least 85 percent below 1990 levels by 2045. This CAP does not achieve the State’s shorter-term 2030 target, as quantitatively modeling that level of reduction would require establishing and rapidly accelerating programs at a level that is not feasible. However, it does enable Hollister to make significant and meaningful reductions in community GHG emissions in the short-term and accelerate reductions in the long-term.

It is likely that in future years, new policies and regulations, new technologies, changes in personal and economic behaviors and preferences, and other factors will reduce Hollister’s GHG emissions. However, these reductions cannot be accurately forecasted at this time. Future updates to this CAP will be able to better assess emerging trends and unexpected changes and include them in the GHG reduction strategy as appropriate.

City of Hollister
Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 1

1. INTRODUCTION

Photo credit: Michael Grzan.

PURPOSE OF THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN
The Hollister Climate Action Plan (CAP) serves as the strategic plan for how the City of Hollister will reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and foster a more sustainable community through 2045 and beyond. The City prepared this CAP concurrently with the comprehensive update of the City’s General Plan, which ensured consistency between the two plans and allowed the City to conduct simultaneous community outreach and engagement for both planning efforts. The CAP is consistent with the community vision, goals, and policies presented in the General Plan. This CAP describes the causes and impacts of climate change in Hollister, assesses the community’s existing and projected future GHG emissions, and establishes GHG reduction strategies and an associated implementation plan.

Climate action planning brings together decision makers, community members, and stakeholders to better understand what climate change means to the community, identify the sources and magnitude of local GHG emissions from different sectors, establish GHG reduction goals, and develop a pathway for reducing local GHG emissions and adapting to changing climate hazards for a more sustainable future. Local climate action planning focuses on activities that cities can directly control or influence, like land use planning, transportation options, infrastructure improvements, open space management, and other activities. The primary purpose of this CAP is to reduce the amount of GHG emissions released into the atmosphere to meet regulatory emission targets and help lessen the impacts of climate change, also known as climate mitigation. In addition to reducing emissions, climate mitigation strategies often yield numerous social, economic, and ecological co-benefits that enhance quality of life. These benefits may include a healthier and more robust economy, cost savings from lower energy and resource use, improved public health, and greater community equity, among many others.

Chapter 1
Introduction

As part of the CAP, the City assessed GHG emissions both within city limits and inside the City’s Sphere of Influence (SOI).

This combined area, known as the CAP Study Area and shown in Figure 1, represents the potential expanded area of the city boundary if all growth areas are annexed and incorporated into the City of Hollister as anticipated by the Hollister 2040 General Plan.

Under the CEQA Guidelines for Plans for the Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (California Code of Regulations Section 15183.5)1 development and implementation of CAPs and other strategic plans to reduce GHG emissions can
streamline the environmental review process for new
development projects subject to CEQA. If a CAP meets the State criteria, including identification of measures and performance standards to meet GHG reduction targets, projects that are consistent with the GHG emission reduction approach in the CAP could be determined to have a less-than-significant impact on GHG emissions, reducing the need for additional analyses or mitigation measures. CAPs that may be used this way are referred to as Qualified GHG Reduction Strategies or Plans. This CAP is consistent with the State CEQA Guidelines and has been reviewed as part of the General Plan Environmental Impact Report. The details of this benefit are further described in the State of California Regulations and Guidance section.

RELATIONSHIP TO HOLLISTER 2040 GENERAL PLAN
This CAP is consistent with Hollister’s General Plan Update, which establishes the community’s vision for the future of Hollister and serves as a blueprint for decisions affecting land use, housing, transportation, operations management, and other topics regarding public services in Hollister over the next 20 years. The Hollister 2040 General Plan Update is a comprehensive long-range planning document that contains community-wide goals and policies regarding land use, housing, open space, circulation, economic development, public services, infrastructure, emergency preparedness, and community health, among other topics.

Several Hollister 2040 General Plan Update goals and policies are relevant to climate change. Environmental justice policies address inequities in the built environment in compliance with SB 1000, approved in 2016. SB 1000 requires local governments to identify disadvantaged communities and address environmental justice in the General Plan Update through policies that aim to reduce health risks in disadvantaged communities, promote inclusive civic engagement in the planning process, and prioritize improvements that address the needs of disadvantaged communities.2 The Hollister 2040 General Plan Update identifies goals, policies, and objectives that reduce health risks caused by environmental pollution and reduce disparities in access to amenities, prioritizing improvements in disadvantaged communities most affected.

1 2024 CEQA Guidelines are available online: https://www.califaep.org/statute_and_guidelines.php . 2 California State Senate. 2016, September 24. Senate Bill No. 1000. California Legislative Information. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160SB1000 .

Photo credit: Jacquelyn Scimeca

City of Hollister
Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 3
Figure 1 CAP Study Area

Chapter 1
Introduction

The General Plan Health and Safety Element addresses public safety concerns related to the natural and built environment. The Health and Safety Element provides information about risks from natural and human-made hazards and includes goals, policies, and actions designed to protect the community and its property from hazards. In accordance with SB 379 (2015), the Health and Safety Element includes a vulnerability assessment that identifies the unique risks to the community caused by climate change and informs policies to address those vulnerabilities.3
Other Hollister 2040 General Plan Update elements include policies and actions that affect GHG emission reduction and resilience:

The Land Use Element encourages infill development, mixed-use development, and development around transit to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and associated transportation emissions.

The Open Space and Agriculture Element encourages the preservation of parks, natural lands, and agricultural land, which can help to mitigate the heat-island effect, support ecosystem services, and increase local carbon sequestration.

The Natural Resources and Conservation Element encourages water and energy conservation, green infrastructure, and restoration of key wildlife habitats, which can help improve air and water quality, support biodiversity, and mitigate climate change impacts.

Nature-based solutions, such as wetland and riparian restoration projects, can protect against flooding and managing oak woodland habitats can protect against damaging wildfires.

Each of these elements plays a role in enhancing Hollister’s resilience and sustainability. The Hollister 2040 General Plan Update references this plan, recognizing the City’s climate action planning efforts must be updated on a more regular basis than the General Plan to be responsive to changing regulations, guidance, technology, best practices, and science.

PLAN CONTENTS
The following chapters summarize the community’s GHG emissions and introduce strategies to reduce emissions, adapt to changing conditions, and promote sustainability.
 This chapter, Chapter 1, introduces climate planning and context for the CAP, including an overview of the city and region’s climate change work to date, and the relationship between the CAP and State and regional planning efforts.  Chapter 2 describes climate change and primary climate change impacts and hazards in Hollister.  Chapter 3, GHG Emissions in Hollister, contains several sections:
 The Community-Wide GHG Inventory summarizes and analyzes GHG inventory results for 2005 and 2019 and shows how emissions in the city boundary, SOI, and CAP Study Area have changed over time.  The CAP Study Area GHG Forecasts section presents the results of the GHG emissions forecasts for the city boundary, SOI, and CAP Study Area for 2030, 2040, and 2045.
 Chapter 4, GHG Emission Reduction Strategy, has four sections in addition to Background and Summary sections:
 The GHG Emissions Reduction Targets section explains the GHG emission reductions needed for Hollister to meet the State’s emission reduction targets.

3 California State Senate. 2015, October 8. Senate Bill No. 379. California Legislative Information. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160SB379 .

City of Hollister
Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 5
 The Achieving the Targets: Existing and New Reduction Strategies section outlines the existing and new local and State initiatives that are expected to reduce Hollister’s future GHG emissions and move the community closer to achieving its targets.
 The Achieving the Targets: Existing Local Actions to Reduce GHG Emissions section describes various regional and local initiatives that help further reduce Hollister’s community-wide GHG emissions.  The Achieving the Targets: New GHG Emission Reduction Strategies section outlines the strategies that show a viable path for Hollister to reach its established GHG emission reduction targets. This section charts progress toward reaching State emissions reduction targets and presents goals, strategies, and actions for Hollister to achieve its local GHG emissions targets.
 Chapter 5, CAP Implementation Strategy, describes the implementation details for the strategies in the CAP and a potential approach to putting these strategies into effect.
 Appendix A provides details on the community-wide inventory sector, State GHG emission reductions, and technical data for existing and planned activities.
 Appendix B provides detailed information about climate regulations in California that guide local climate action planning and sustainability programs.

Sustainability in Hollister and the Region
This is Hollister’s first CAP. As Hollister develops its sustainability programs, the City will continue to collaborate with regional partners to improve sustainability in the region, including with neighboring jurisdictions, San Benito County, and the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG).4 As part of its Energy Watch Program, which was active between 2006 and 2020, AMBAG provided funding and technical assistance to help its 21 jurisdictions achieve sustainability goals and reduce GHG emissions in an equitable and economical manner. During the program, AMBAG conducted energy audits for 220 municipal facilities in the Monterey Bay area and helped fund renewable energy projects that generated more than 110 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, equivalent to 15 million dollars of savings in utility costs. AMBAG also worked closely with some jurisdictions to create reports and Energy Action Strategies, which provided an analysis of annual energy consumption patterns alongside conservation initiatives that are feasible and appropriate for each jurisdiction. Currently, AMBAG is focused on providing technical assistance to

4 AMBAG is the regional Joint Powers Authority (JPA) covering Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito Counties. AMBAG performs metropolitan- level transportation planning for the region, including transportation demand modeling, regional housing assessments, and population and employment forecasts. AMBAG also provided climate action planning support on a regional and local scale through its Energy Watch Program.

CENTRAL COAST COMMUNITY ENERGY
(3CE)
3CE began operation as the region’s
Community Choice Aggregation program
in 2016, serving as the default electricity
provider for all communities in San Benito
County as well as many other communities
in the Monterey Bay and Central Coast
region. 3CE provides two choices for
electricity: 3Cchoice (a mix of renewable
and non-renewable sources) and 3Cprime
(a 100%-renewable option). As a public
agency, 3CE sells power at a lower price
than PG&E, resulting in economic benefits
for Hollister residents and businesses,
supporting the local economy. 3CE also
dedicated millions of dollars to local energy
programs such as solar power for low-
income families and installation of electric
vehicle charging stations.

Chapter 1
Introduction

support climate action planning in the Monterey Bay region, including using a standardized approach to prepare community-wide GHG inventories for all member jurisdictions, including Hollister. Results of Hollister’s community-wide GHG inventory are discussed in Chapter 3. Additionally, AMBAG staff provides resources and opportunities for peer learning to member jurisdictions who are working to develop, adopt, and implement CAPs.

Hollister is already taking action to increase local clean energy supply options for residents, businesses, and City operations by participating in the Central Coast Community Energy (3CE) program. Residents and businesses in 3CE’s service area, including Hollister, are automatically enrolled in 3CE’s 3Cchoice program, which is distributed to customers through Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E’s) existing grid infrastructure. 3CE has committed to accelerating the deployment of renewable energy to their power mix to supply 60 percent of electricity from eligible renewable sources by the end of 2025 and 100 percent of electricity from eligible renewable sources by the end of 2030. In 2022, there were 3,470 locations that have installed solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in Hollister, mostly on residential buildings. These facilities generate an estimated 44.5 million kWh annually.

Hollister has a year-round downtown farmer’s market (managed by the Hollister Downtown Association), supports technical assistance to promote green business practices (through the San Benito County Green Business Program) and has 31 publicly accessible electric vehicle (EV) charging stations.

STATE OF CALIFORNIA REGULATIONS AND GUIDANCE
California law first directly addressed climate change in 1988, when Assembly Bill (AB) 4420 directed State agencies to prepare a GHG inventory and study the impacts of climate change. Since then, California has adopted several laws to assess climate change, analyze GHG emissions and their effects, reduce emissions, identify climate change impacts, and prepare for the impacts of climate change.

Figure 2 shows the State’s major GHG reduction targets. This section briefly summarizes the key State and regional climate change legislation, guidance, and actions that set specific GHG emissions reductions targets, with which this plan is required to comply.

Appendix B provides more details of applicable State climate change legislation and guidance.

City of Hollister
Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 7
Figure 2 California’s GHG Reduction Targets

 Executive Order S-03-05 and Assembly Bill 32 (California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006). In 2005, former Governor Schwarzenegger issued Executive Order S-03-05, which established the first statewide GHG reduction goals for California and directed the State to: reduce emissions to 2000 levels by 2010, reduce emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, and reduce emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2045. In 2006, Governor Schwarzenegger signed AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. AB 32 codified the 2020 reduction goal, requiring California to reduce statewide GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020.
 Executive Order B-30-15 and Senate Bill 32. In 2015, former Governor Jerry Brown signed Executive Order B-30-15, which directed State agencies to take several steps to reduce statewide GHG emissions and adapt to changing climate conditions.

One section of this executive order set a GHG reduction goal for the State of 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. In 2016, the Legislature passed, and the governor signed SB 32, which codified the 2030 GHG reduction goal into law.  Executive Order B-55-18 and Assembly Bill 1279. In 2018, Governor Brown issued Executive Order B-55-18, which established an additional statewide goal of achieving carbon neutrality (no net GHG emissions) by 2045. Under this goal, any GHGs that are emitted by California must be fully offset by other activities by 2045. In September 2022, Governor Newsom signed AB 1279, the California Climate Crisis Act, which requires the State to achieve net-zero GHG emissions as soon as possible, but no later than 2045, and achieve and maintain net negative GHG emissions thereafter. The bill also requires California to reduce statewide GHG emissions by at least 85 percent compared to 1990 levels and directs the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to work with relevant State agencies to achieve these goals. 1990 emission levels
2030: Reduce 40% below 1990 levels
(SB 32)
2020: Reduce to 1990 levels
(AB 32)
2045: Reduce to at least 85% below 1990
(AB 1279)
2045 and beyond:

Acheive and maintain net negative
GHGs (AB 1279)

Chapter 1
Introduction

Climate Change Scoping Plan
The Climate Change Scoping Plan (Scoping Plan) was first adopted by CARB in 2008. It lays out the State’s plan to reduce GHG emissions in accordance with adopted targets, including direct regulations, alternate compliance mechanisms, incentives, voluntary actions, and market-based approaches like a cap-and-trade program. CARB updated the Scoping Plan in 2014 and 2017 to reflect new State targets and additional opportunities for GHG emission reduction.

In December 2022, CARB adopted a third update to the Scoping Plan. Core strategies outlined in the 2022 Scoping Plan include:
 Transitioning to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) and near-ZEV technologies.  Continued investment in renewables, such as solar, wind, and other types of renewable energy.  Greater use of low carbon fuels.
 Integrated land conservation and development strategies.  Coordinated efforts to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants (methane, black carbon, and fluorinated gases).  Integrated land use planning to support livable, transit-connected communities and conserve agricultural and other lands.  Requirements for GHG reductions at stationary sources complement local air pollution control efforts by the local air districts to tighten criteria air pollutant and toxic air contaminant emissions limits on a broad spectrum of industrial sources.

California Environmental Quality Act
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires many proposed development projects to conduct an environmental review that identifies how the project may impact the environment, including changes to GHG emissions. CEQA Guidelines require local governments to use adopted plans for reducing GHG emissions to address the cumulative impacts of individual future projects on GHG emissions (see CEQA Guidelines Section 15183.5(b)(1)).

Consistent with CEQA Guidelines, lead agencies may use adopted GHG reduction plans, such as a CAP, to assess the cumulative impacts of projects on climate change at a programmatic level. If the adopted plan is consistent with CEQA Guidelines Section 15183.5, the analysis and GHG reduction efforts in the plan may be applied to individual projects, meaning that the projects would not have to conduct separate GHG analyses and project-specific environmental documents may tier from and/or incorporate by reference the existing programmatic review. Projects that have cumulative impacts on GHG emissions may still need to prepare a separate GHG analysis and environmental review.

After adoption, the City may use the CAP to assess the cumulative impacts of projects on climate change at a programmatic level. The GHG reduction efforts in the CAP may be applied to the individual projects, meaning that the projects would not have to conduct a separate GHG analysis, and project-specific environmental documents may tier from and/or incorporate by reference the existing programmatic review. A project-specific environmental document that relies on the Hollister CAP for its GHG impacts analysis must show consistency with the CAP, identify specific GHG reduction strategies from the Hollister CAP that are applicable to the project, and demonstrate how the project will implement these strategies. Project applicants and City staff will identify specific strategies applicable to each project during project review. If applicable strategies are not otherwise binding and enforceable, they must be incorporated as mitigation strategies for the project.

City of Hollister
Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 9
This CAP meets the requirements in the CEQA Guidelines that allow it to be applied to individual projects by:
 Quantifying emissions, both existing and projected over a specified period, resulting from activities within a defined geographic area, as discussed in Chapter 3.
 Establishing a level, based on substantial evidence, below which the contribution of emissions from activities covered by the plan would not be cumulatively considerable. A CAP seeking to be a Qualified GHG Reduction Strategy must have a GHG emission reduction target or targets that substantially reduce GHG emissions, can be feasibly achieved, and can be reasonably tracked and reported over time. Chapter 3 of this CAP identifies the State’s GHG reduction targets, which are:
 Reduce emissions to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030.  Reduce emissions to 85 percent below 1990 levels by 2045.  Supporting net carbon neutrality by 2045.
 Identifying and analyzing the emissions resulting from specific actions or categories of actions anticipated within the geographic area.
 Specifying GHG reduction strategies or a group of strategies, including performance standards that, if implemented on a project-by-project basis, substantial evidence demonstrates they would collectively achieve the specified emissions level.  Establishing a mechanism to monitor the plan’s progress toward achieving specific levels and to require amendment if the plan is not achieving those levels.
 Including an environmental review of the Hollister CAP. The Hollister CAP is evaluated by the Hollister 2040 General Plan Environmental Impact Report.

Chapter 1
Introduction

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City of Hollister
Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 11

2. CLIMATE CHANGE IN HOLLISTER

Photo credit: Valera Key

CLIMATE SCIENCE AND CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
What is Climate Change?
Climate refers to the long-term average of weather conditions, such as temperature and precipitation. While it is normal for Earth’s climate system to experience gradual shifts in these average conditions, human activity is causing global climate change at a much faster pace than in the past. These activities, predominantly the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, petroleum, and natural gas, emit heat-trapping gases called greenhouse gases (GHGs) that build up in the atmosphere. As GHG levels increase, Earth’s atmosphere traps more heat, triggering changes in the global climate system that may have serious and potentially catastrophic impacts on people, community assets, and natural systems.

GHGs are naturally occurring
gases, such as water vapor,
carbon dioxide (CO2),
methane (CH4), and nitrous
oxide (N2O), that absorb heat
radiated from the Earth’s
surface.

Chapter 2
Climate Change in Hollister

The heat-trapping effect of GHGs is known as the “greenhouse effect” because the Earth’s atmosphere acts like a greenhouse, warming the planet in much the same way that an ordinary greenhouse warms the air inside its glass walls. However, human activities are exerting a major and growing influence on the climate by increasing concentrations of GHGs in the atmosphere, especially by the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, petroleum, and natural gas. As GHG concentrations increase, more heat is trapped in the atmosphere, increasing global temperatures, and causing changes to Earth’s climate system.

The largest contributing sectors of human-created GHG emissions in the United States are from energy production and transportation, due to reliance on fossil fuel-burning power plants and vehicles. Emissions are also generated by waste decomposition; by industrial, commercial, and residential land uses; and from agriculture, among other activities.

According to the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projections, average 2021–2040 temperatures are likely to be 2.16 degrees Fahrenheit (°F) to 3.2°F warmer than 1986–2005 average temperatures, and potentially over 10.26°F warmer by 2100 under the highest emissions scenario. If this increase in concentration of GHG emissions continues, this is expected to lead to further changes in the global climate system and pose even greater risks than those currently seen.

The State of California began implementing measures to reduce GHGs in 1988. As shown in Figure 3, statewide emissions have generally gradually declined since 2000, from a high of 486 MMTCO2e of GHG emissions in 2004 to a low of 369 MMTCO2e in 2020.

Notably, the State reached its 2020 emissions reduction goal of 1990 levels in 2016, four years ahead of schedule. However, significant progress is still needed to achieve the State’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2045.

Local and State reductions in emissions will not be immediately reflected as corresponding declines in atmospheric concentrations of GHGs. Global carbon dioxide concentrations have increased by about 30 percent over the past six decades. Similarly, atmospheric levels of other greenhouse gases (methane, nitrous oxide, and certain fluorinated gases) continue to increase.

City of Hollister
Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 13
Figure 3 California GHG Emissions, 2000 through 2020 (MMTCO2e)

Source: California Air Resources Board (CARB), 2024. “2000-2021 GHG Inventory .” Current California GHG Emission Inventory Data. Accessed April 2024. https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/ghg-inventory-data . 0 100
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600
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GH
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E
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i
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o
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(
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2e)
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Transportation Electric Power Industrial
Commercial & Residential Agriculture High GWP
Recycling & Waste

Chapter 2
Climate Change in Hollister

Climate Change Impacts in Hollister
Climate change is already having dire impacts on communities around the world. Past years have broken records for extreme heat globally, communities have experienced devastating floods, wildfires, drought, and storms with significant consequences for public health, safety, and economic well-being. Increasingly, communities are experiencing unprecedented and often unpredictable extreme events that are connected to or caused by climate change. Scientists expect climate change to increase the frequency and severity of several climate hazards that can affect Hollister, which include flooding, extreme heat, drought, and wildfire. Without aggressive action to reduce emissions to mitigate the worst effects, and immediate measures to adapt to a changing climate, these hazards will become more deadly and destructive. This section describes how climate change could affect Hollister in the short- and long-term future.

This CAP is one of several City plans and initiatives to reduce community-wide risks from natural hazards and increase resilience. It integrates and is consistent with several planning and emergency preparedness documents, recognizing that natural hazards will continue to occur and likely worsen due to climate change.  The General Plan provides a long-term vision for development and operations in the city. The Health and Safety Element focuses on natural and human-caused hazards and provides a range of policies and programs to address risks associated with those hazards.
 The Vulnerability Assessment Report, prepared for the Health and Safety Element update, evaluates how people and key community assets (such as buildings, infrastructure, and economic systems) may be affected by climate change hazards and the degree to which they are vulnerable.
 The Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) is a short-term planning document that provides a detailed overview of hazards in the city and a set of specific hazard mitigation strategies with an implementation timeline of five years.  The Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) is the City and County’s internal plan for emergency response and recovery, which goes into effect during an emergency or disaster. This plan describes specific roles for City and County departments, along with regional or State agencies, in responding to a disaster.

This section includes brief summaries of the background information on hazards provided in the LHMP and Health and Safety Element; Chapter 4 provides strategies to address vulnerabilities identified in the Vulnerability Assessment, focusing on strategies that help Hollister both adapt to climate change hazards and reduce GHG emissions. For more detailed information and maps related to hazards and vulnerabilities described in this section, we recommend review of the City’s General Plan, Vulnerability Assessment, LHMP, and EOP.

City of Hollister
Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 15
Agricultural and Ecosystem Pests and Diseases
Projections show temperatures getting warmer earlier in the year and remaining warmer until later in the year, which creates a wider activity window for pests and diseases. Agriculture and ecosystem pests and diseases can severely harm the agriculture and outdoor recreation industries in and surrounding Hollister. Row crops and vineyards can be affected by fungal pathogens and invasive disease vectors as temperatures continue to rise, affecting the quality and viability of crops.5 Farmworkers are also highly vulnerable to reduced work opportunities and economic hardships resulting from crop losses.6
Drought
A drought is defined as a period in which precipitation, including rainfall and snow, decreases. The Monterey Bay region is particularly susceptible to severe drought because the area relies heavily on annual precipitation to restore water aquifers and sustain agricultural operations. When the City prepared its Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment in March 2022, Hollister and San Benito County were experiencing severe to extreme drought conditions.7 In future drought conditions, the city could experience a drop in annual precipitation from an average of 16 inches per year to an average of

12.7 inches per year.8
Hollister residents receive water from two suppliers, the City of Hollister and the Sunnyslope County Water District. Both purveyors source groundwater from local wells in the city and surrounding North San Benito Groundwater Basin, and the City also sources imported surface water from the Central Valley Water Project through the San Benito County Water District (SBCWD). The Central Valley Water Project is a complex water supply and distribution network made up of a series of 20 dams and reservoirs along the foothills of the Sierra Nevada that provides water to urban areas in the greater Sacramento and San Francisco Bay Area regions.9 Snowpack levels in the Sierra Nevada dropped by 25 percent during the 2011 to 2016 drought, and the average springtime snowpack is expected to drop 64 percent by 2100.10 In 2022, the statewide snowpack was 68 percent of the average for March 1, making it the driest documented year in state history.11

5 California Climate and Agricultural Network. 2019. Cultivating Climate Resilience in Farming: Ensuring California Farms and Ranches Thrive in the Face of Climate Change. https://calclimateag.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Cultivating-Resilience-August-2019.pdf . 6 Roos, Michelle. 2018. “Climate Justice Summary Report.” California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment. E4 Strategic Solutions. Publication number: SUM-CCCA4-2018-012.
7 National Drought Mitigation Center. University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 2022. “U.S. Drought Monitor, California.” https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?CA . 8 Cal-Adapt. 2018. “Extended Drought Scenarios.” https://cal-adapt.org/tools/extended-drought/ . 9 Bureau of Reclamation. 2020. “California-Great Basin: Central Valley Project.” https://www.usbr.gov/mp/cvp/ . 10 ARCCA. 2018. From Mountain to Cities: Exploring California’s Urban Connections to Sierra Nevada Ecosystems. https://arccacalifornia.org/wpcontent/uploads/2018/08/ARCCA-UrbanRural-Whitepaper.pdf . 11 California Department of Water Resources. 2022. “Statewide Snowpack Falls Well Below Average Following Consecutive Dry Months.” https://water.ca.gov/News/News-Releases/2022/March-22/March-2022-Snow-Survey .

Photo credit: Jenny Knerr

Chapter 2
Climate Change in Hollister

Current modeling and analysis indicate that extended drought conditions will become more frequent and more severe because of climate change. Warmer temperatures and greater swings in precipitation levels are likely to lead to increased frequency and intensity of drought events, including an increase in severe, long-lasting “mega-drought” events.12 Warmer temperatures, decreased levels of snowfall in the Sierra Nevada, and faster melting of snow are likely to contribute to the increased frequency of droughts.

A reduction in water supplies could cause water shortages, mandatory water restrictions, and increased costs for water and goods, increasing economic instability of low-income and low-resourced residents. A reduction in Central Valley Project water supplies may cause the city to use more water from the North San Benito Groundwater Basin, which may cause groundwater overdraft. In addition, an increase in the number and intensity of drought years, along with an increase in extreme heat events, may increase the frequency and severity of wildfire events.

Extreme Heat
Extreme heat events are days when high temperatures significantly exceed normal levels, which for Hollister are temperatures above 97°F. The annual number of extreme heat days in Hollister is projected to increase from a historical average of four days to an average of 14 days by mid-century and an average of 24 by the end of the century.13 Figure 4 shows the past and projected extreme heat days in Hollister.

Extreme heat can cause heat-related illnesses, such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke, in addition to worsening respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. Populations especially vulnerable to extreme heat include outdoor workers, low-income communities of color, renters, seniors, and persons experiencing homelessness. Some homes in Hollister lack air conditioning; people living in these homes may be more susceptible to harm from extreme heat events. Residents may not be able to cool homes or keep medications cooled if extreme heat events cause public safety power shutoff (PSPS) events. If extreme heat coincides with wildfire or other poor air quality conditions, residents may have to choose between opening windows to cool their homes and keeping windows closed, causing indoor air temperatures to rise to unhealthy levels. There is only one cooling center in the region, the Hollister Veterans Memorial Building.

Energy delivery services and associated infrastructure are highly vulnerable to extreme heat, as high temperatures can stress and overload the grid, causing power outages and damage to transmission lines. The agricultural economy is also highly vulnerable to extreme heat, as higher temperatures may alter the variety of crops that can be grown in Hollister Valley. Yields of vegetable and row crops are expected to decrease and water demand is expected to rise due to extreme heat conditions.14 A future increase in temperatures is expected to contribute to longer and more severe droughts, which could create significant challenges for water supplies, natural ecosystems, and agricultural operations.

12 Langridge, Ruth. 2018. “Central Coast Summary Report.” California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment. University of California, Santa Cruz.

Publication number: SUM-CCCA4-2018-006.
13 Cal-Adapt. 2018. “Extreme Heat Days & Warm Nights.” https://cal-adapt.org/tools/extreme-heat/ . 14 Langridge, Ruth. 2018. “Central Coast Summary Report.” California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment. University of California, Santa Cruz.

Publication number: SUM-CCCA4-2018-006.

City of Hollister
Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 17
Figure 4 Past and Projected Extreme Heat Days in Hollister

Flooding
Potential flooding in Hollister would likely occur in low-lying areas adjacent to waterways, largely around the San Benito River to the southwest and Santa Ana Creek to the northeast of Hollister. As shown in Figure 5, several areas in and surrounding Hollister are in the 100-year and 500-year floodplain, which have an elevated risk of flooding. Few areas within the city limits are in a flood zone; however, areas adjacent to the San Benito River, Pacheco Creek, and Santa Ana Creek are in the 100-year flood zone. During heavy rainfall events, flooding occurs at the airport, and in commercial, residential, and agricultural areas.

Regional flooding typically occurs every four to five years. As the climate changes, floods are expected to occur more frequently, affecting how the community defines and experiences a “normal” flood. For example, what is currently considered a 100-year flood, or a flood that has a 1 percent chance of occurring in any given year, may occur with greater frequency (such as a 2 or 5 percent chance in any given year). More intense and frequent flooding could exceed the capacity of the San Benito River and Santa Ana Creek basins, which are principal drainage basins for the region. Damage from flooding in and around Hollister would largely occur on agricultural lands resulting in crop losses, field work delays, and crop damage or loss. Flooding in urban areas can damage buildings, homes, streets, bridges, and utility infrastructure.

Chapter 2
Climate Change in Hollister

Figure 5 City of Hollister Flood Zones

City of Hollister
Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 19

Wildfire
Wildfires are a regular feature of the landscape in much of California; however, nearly 85 percent of wildfires are caused by humans.15 Wildfires can be sparked by lightning, malfunctioning equipment, vehicle crashes, or other causes.16 Warmer temperatures, an increase in drought conditions, and extreme wind events are likely to create more fuel for fires in natural and rural areas, leading to a greater chance that a spark will grow into a potentially dangerous blaze. Climate change is also expected to extend the fire season.

Areas that are especially vulnerable to wildfire are identified according to fire hazard severity zones and their location relative to the wildland urban interface (WUI). Fire hazard severity zones are areas of significant fire hazard based on fuels, terrain, weather, and other relevant hazards.17 The California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) defines the WUI as any developed area where a combination of combustible natural vegetation and structures allow for the ignition and spread of fire through these combined fuels. There are no mapped fire hazard severity zones within Hollister city limits. However, the city is within the WUI, as shown in Figure 6, which increases the risk of wildfires spreading into the community.

Major roads and highways, including those that serve as evacuation routes, such as Highway 25 and 4th Street, can be blocked by wildfire flames or debris, making it difficult for residents to evacuate and emergency personnel to reach certain areas of the city. The entire energy delivery system, including electric transmission lines, can be damaged by wildfires. Homes can be burned and damaged by wildfires.

15 Balch, J. K., Bradley, B. A., Abatzoglou, J. T., Nagy, R. C., Fusco, E. J., & Mahood, A. L. 2017. “Human-started wildfires expand the fire niche across the United States.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114(11), 2946-2951. https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1617394114 16 National Park Service. 2022. Wildfire Causes and Evaluations. https://www.nps.gov/articles/wildfire-causes-and-evaluation.htm 17 California Office of the State Fire Marshal. 2021. Fire Hazard Severity Zones. https://osfm.fire.ca.gov/divisions/community-wildfire-preparedness- and-mitigation/wildfire-preparedness/fire-hazard-severity-zones/.

NOTABLE FLOOD EVENTS IN HOLLISTER AND THE REGION
2004: A storm event brought 4 inches of rain to San Benito County and winds up to 10 miles per hour, causing flooding along East and Second Streets.
2010: A storm overwhelmed the storm drain system, flooding San Benito Street near Nash Road. 2014: A large storm brought 3.8 inches of rain to San Benito County, causing flooding, mudslides, and knocking over trees.

Landslides and flooding caused Southside School to close along Southside Road. 2017: A storm brought 2.37 inches of rain over a week period, causing flooding along Pacheco Creek. Approximately 59 people evacuated from their homes and a state of emergency was declared in San Benito County.

Chapter 2
Climate Change in Hollister

Several agricultural areas surrounding the city are within fire-prone areas and are therefore vulnerable to crop loss and damage from wildfire.

Recurring wildfires may make recovery difficult, especially if adaptation measures are not implemented to boost economic resilience.

The city’s proximity to fire-prone areas also increases the potential for smoke from wildfires to increase air pollution levels, creating a significant health risk in the region. Smoke and ash can damage crops, farms, and agricultural fields, as well as altering the nutrients in the soil and polluting water supplies. Smoke can prevent visitors from traveling to the city to participate in outdoor recreation and tourism, including recreation at nearby state and regional parks, and ash from wildfires can pollute water supplies.

The populations in Hollister face frequent, and potentially severe, disruptions, hardships, and health impacts due to wildfire.

WHAT ARE PUBLIC SAFETY POWER
SHUTOFFS?
Electricity utility companies throughout
California, including Pacific Gas and Electric
Company (PG&E), initiate PSPS events that “de-
energize”, or turn off the electricity for power
lines that run through areas when there is an
elevated fire risk. This is intended to reduce the
risk of power lines sparking or being damaged
and starting a wildfire. PSPS events result in a loss
of power for customers served by the affected
power lines. A PSPS event may occur at any time
of the year, though they are most common
during high wind events and dry conditions.

PSPS events may be limited to specific
communities, or they may affect broad swaths of
the state. Planned PSPS events to prevent
wildfires have already impacted persons who
depend on electricity for air conditioning or their
medically necessary equipment.

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Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 21
Figure 6 City of Hollister Wildland Urban Interface Areas

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Climate Change in Hollister

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Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 23

3. GHG EMISSIONS IN HOLLISTER

Photo credit: Sabrina Stark
GHG emissions are generated by various activities that are commonplace in daily life. Some daily activities release GHG emissions in the location of the activity, such as gases released anytime a car is driven. On the other hand, some activities cause GHG emissions to be released elsewhere, such as someone using electricity to power their home, which generates GHG emissions in the location of the power plant that supplies the power and not in the home itself.

The CAP considers GHG emissions caused by activities in the CAP Study Area, which is made up of the territory within the City’s jurisdictional boundary and the land that falls within the City’s SOI (see Figure 1). Hollister’s General Plan Update identifies the SOI as areas that are currently outside of the City’s official boundary but that the City may annex in the future.

This chapter presents the methods used to prepare the GHG emissions inventories, the results of the GHG inventories and forecasts, an overview of emissions reduction targets, and recommended GHG reduction strategies to achieve the targets.

COMMUNITY-WIDE GHG INVENTORY
A community-wide GHG inventory identifies GHG emissions resulting from the activities of residents, employees, and other community members occurring within the city boundary. Examples include residents driving cars, homes using water, and

WHAT IS A CITY LIMIT, SOI, AND CAP
STUDY AREA?
The City boundary is the existing urban
area that comprises the city limits in
Hollister. By contrast, the Sphere of
Influence (SOI) is the area that has the
potential for annexation in the future.

The CAP Study Area is the existing urban
area plus the SOI.

Chapter 3
GHG Emissions in Hollister

businesses using electricity. Conducting a GHG inventory helps the City identify the most significant contributors to community GHG emissions and establish a baseline that the City can use to track emissions reductions over time. Knowing which activities release these GHG emissions allows the City to develop policies and programs that facilitate a decrease in emissions for each activity.

Inventory Method
A series of guidance documents, called protocols, provide recommendations on how to assess GHG emissions. These protocols provide guidance on what activities to evaluate in GHG inventories and how emissions from those activities should be measured. GHG inventories are estimates of GHG emissions based on these standard methods and verified datasets. While they are not direct measurements of GHG emissions, the use of the standard methods identified in the protocol, in combination with accurate data from appropriate sources, allows GHG inventories to provide reliable estimates of local emission levels. Using standard methods allows for an easy comparison of GHG emission levels across multiple years and communities. The City updated GHG inventories consistent with the guidance in widely adopted, standard protocol documents:
 The CAP Study Area GHG inventory uses the United States Community Protocol for Accounting and Reporting of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (U.S.

Community Protocol), which was first developed in 2012 and updated most recently in 2019. The OPR encourages cities and counties in California to follow the U.S. Community Protocol for community-wide GHG emissions.
 The Global Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Inventories (Global Protocol) was first developed in 2014 and is intended for use in preparing international community-scale GHG inventories. It is largely consistent with the U.S. Community Protocol, although it contains additional guidance and resources to support a wider range of activities that may be found in other countries. The project team has used the Global Protocol to assess GHG emissions from sources that are not covered in the U.S. Community Protocol.

Prior to preparation of this CAP, AMBAG prepared community-wide GHG inventories for Hollister for the baseline year of 2005 and 2019. The 2005 inventory provides a baseline for establishing targets, while the 2019 inventory is the most recent available indication of how emissions have changed since the baseline and is the year from which future emissions are forecasted. The City revised the existing AMBAG GHG inventories for 2005 and 2019 to use consistent and current methods and data sources that are in line with recommended guidance and best practices. These revisions included the addition of new sectors and sources, revised emission factors, updated global warming potentials for certain GHGs, different data sources for certain sectors for consistency with the General Plan Update, and adjustments to methods for certain sectors. The new sectors added to the updated inventories are agriculture and land use and sequestration. Updates in methods most noticeably affect the results of the transportation sector; all other changes are minor.

Details about the inventory update process are in Appendix A.

UNITS OF MEASUREMENT
GHG inventories assess emissions in a
unit called carbon dioxide equivalent
(CO2e), which is a combined unit of all
GHGs analyzed in the inventory. As
different GHGs have different effects on
the processes that drive climate change,
CO2e is a weighted unit that reflects the
relative potency of the different GHGs.

These inventories report amounts of
GHGs in metric tons of CO2e (MTCO2e),
equal to 1,000 kilograms or
approximately 2,205 pounds.

City of Hollister
Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 25
Emission Factors
The City calculated most of its GHG emissions using data on GHG-generating activities in combination with emission factors. An emissions factor describes how many MTCO2e are released per unit of an activity. For instance, an emissions factor for electricity describes the MTCO2e produced per kWh of electricity used, and an emission factor for on-road transportation describes the MTCO2e produced per mile of driving. Appendix A provides more detail about the GHG emissions inventory process, including a table of emissions factors for all sectors (refer to Table A-1).

GHG Inventory Results
The City conducted GHG inventories for the area within the city boundary and the entire CAP Study Area. Both inventories assessed GHG emissions from the following eight categories of activities, known as sectors:

Transportation includes GHG emissions created by driving on-road vehicles, including passenger and freight vehicles.

Nonresidential energy includes GHG emissions attributed to the use of electricity and natural gas in nonresidential buildings.

Residential energy includes GHG emissions attributed to the use of electricity and natural gas in residential buildings.

Solid waste includes the GHG emissions released from trash collected in Hollister. Estimates of emissions released by the solid waste sector are derived from figures for the tonnage of solid waste collected within Hollister. Decomposition emission rates vary by waste material type and are estimated according to statewide waste composition statistics. Primary generators of decomposition emissions include paper and cardboard materials, food, leaves and branches, lumber, textiles, and medical and construction waste.

Off-road equipment includes GHG emissions from equipment that does not provide on-road transportation, such as tractors for construction or equipment used for landscape maintenance.

Agriculture includes GHG emissions from fertilizer use for crop cultivation.

Water and wastewater accounts for the electricity used to transport every gallon of water or wastewater to residents and businesses, as well as direct emissions resulting from the processing of wastewater material.

Chapter 3
GHG Emissions in Hollister

Land use and sequestration includes GHG emissions released into the atmosphere from the development of previously undeveloped land and GHG emissions saved from carbon absorption and storage in trees.

The amount and proportion of each sector’s contribution to the community’s annual GHG emissions in 2005 and 2019 is shown in Table 1 and Figure 7. Table 1 shows how GHG emissions changed across sectors between 2005 and 2019.

Table 1 Annual GHG Emissions and Proportions by Sector within City Limit in 2005 and 2019 Sector 2005 Inventory
MTCO2e
2005 Proportion of
Total
2019 Inventory
MTCO2e
2019 Proportion of
Total
Transportation 110,040 45% 140,350 59%
Nonresidential energy 55,120 22% 11,150 5%
Residential energy 36,210 15% 24,240 10%
Off-road equipment 32,310 13% 43,690 18%
Solid waste 11,330 5% 17,930 8%
Water and wastewater 2,320 1% 1,040 Less than 1%
Agriculture 400 Less than 1% 320 Less than 1%
Land use and sequestration -2,300 -1% -2,460 -1%
Development activities 1,600 Less than 1% 500 Less than 1% Total Annual MTCO2e 247,030 100% 236,760 100%
As shown in Table 1, the transportation sector was the largest source of GHG emissions in Hollister for both inventory years, increasing from 45 percent in 2005 to 59 percent of community-wide emissions in 2019. The transportation sector was followed by the nonresidential energy sector and residential energy sectors as the second- and third-largest sources of GHG emissions in 2005.

However, in 2019, when emissions from electricity use dropped dramatically due to the availability of cleaner sources of electricity, the off-road equipment sector rose to the second-highest emitting sector, followed by the residential energy sector.

City of Hollister
Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 27
Figure 7 GHG Emissions by Sector (MTCO2e) within City Limit, 2005 and 2019

As shown in Table 2, emissions in Hollister decreased from 247,030 MTCO2e in 2005 to 236,760 MTCO2e in 2019, a decrease of 4 percent. In 2005, the sectors with the highest emissions were transportation and nonresidential energy. In 2019, the sectors with the highest emissions were transportation and off-road equipment.

The three sectors that experienced the greatest decrease in emissions between 2005 and 2019 were nonresidential energy, water and wastewater, and residential energy sectors, which decreased by 80, 55, and 33 percent, respectively. While nonresidential energy was the second-highest emitting sector in 2005, it fell below solid waste as the fifth-highest emitter in 2019. Hollister’s electricity providers, 3CE and PG&E, both supplied most of their electricity in 2019 from renewable and carbon-free sources, leading to a large reduction in GHG emissions from the residential energy, nonresidential energy, and water and wastewater sectors. 110,040 140,350
55,120 11,150
36,210
24,240
32,310
43,690
11,330 17,930
-50,000
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100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
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Transportation Nonresidential energy Residential energy Off-road equipment Solid waste Water and wastewater
Agriculture Land use and sequestration Development activities

Chapter 3
GHG Emissions in Hollister

Table 2 Percentage Change of GHG Emissions by Sector within City Limit in 2005 and 2019 Sector 2005
MTCO2e
2019
MTCO2e
Percentage Change
2005 to 2019
MTCO2e
Transportation 110,040 140,350 28%
Nonresidential energy 55,120 11,150 -80%
Residential energy 36,210 24,240 -33%
Off-road equipment 32,310 43,690 35%
Solid waste 11,330 17,930 58%
Water and wastewater 2,320 1,040 -55%
Agriculture 400 320 -20%
Land use and sequestration -2,300 -2,460 7%
Development activities 1,600 500 -69%
Total Annual MTCO2e 247,030 236,760 -4%
Three sectors experienced an increase in GHG emissions: solid waste, off-road equipment, and transportation. GHG emissions from the solid waste sector, which are estimated based on waste produced by Hollister residents only, increased by 58 percent due to population growth within the city. Off-road equipment GHG emissions increased by 35 percent, due at least in part to an increase in construction activity and population growth. Despite an increase in fuel efficiency and adoption of EVs, GHG emissions from the transportation sector increased by 28 percent, driven by a substantial increase in VMT. 2019 Inventory for CAP Study Area
As noted in the introduction to this document, the General Plan anticipates that Hollister will grow within its existing boundary and through the annexation of land outside of the current city boundary but within the General Plan’s CAP Study Area. This land consists primarily of agricultural or low-density residential land west, south, and east of the city boundary, as shown in Figure 1. GHG emissions in 2019 for the CAP Study Area are shown in Table 3. The SOI is responsible for approximately 7,900 MTCO2e emissions.

Table 3 GHG Emissions within Existing City Limit, Sphere of Influence, and Combined Total (CAP Study Area) in 2019
Area 2019 Emissions (MTCO2e)
City Limit 236,760
Sphere of Influence Only 7,990
CAP Study Area (Total) 244,750

City of Hollister
Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 29

CAP STUDY AREA GHG FORECASTS
The CAP Study Area forecast is a projection of future GHG emissions from the sources included in Hollister’s GHG inventory. For consistency with the General Plan Update, the CAP assesses emissions through the General Plan’s horizon year of 2040 and beyond.

The forecast projects emissions in the years 2030, 2040, and 2045 to function as a foundation for exploring strategies to decrease emissions consistent with State reduction targets and goals for these years (as further explained in Chapter 4). This section presents future GHG emissions for the existing city boundary, the SOI, and the combined CAP Study Area. These forecasts assume that each person in Hollister will continue to produce the same amount of GHG emissions as they did in 2019, so that the amount of GHG emissions changes proportionally to the projected change in community demographics.

GHG Emissions Forecast within City Limit
Emissions forecasts are based on the 2019 GHG emissions inventory for the city boundary, taking into account Hollister’s 2019 demographics and predicted demographic trends used in the Hollister 2040 General Plan Update. Table 4 and Figure 8 show these projected emissions. Appendix A provides projected changes in population, households, jobs, service population, and VMT between 2019 and 2045.

The forecast is a worst-case projection that assumes that no action is taken at any level, including by State, regional, and local agencies.

As shown in Table 4 and Figure 8, GHG emissions are expected to increase by 93 percent between 2019 and 2045 within the existing city boundary. This projection accounts for GHG emission changes from land use and carbon sequestration from urban trees.

The four sectors projected to have the largest increase in GHG emissions between 2019 and 2045 are as follows:

Transportation emissions are projected to increase by 99 percent.

Residential energy emissions are projected to increase by 90 percent.

Off-road emissions are projected to increase by 81 percent.

Solid waste emissions are projected to increase by 78 percent.

Increases in emissions are due to large projected increases in the city’s population and number of jobs over the next three decades.

Agriculture is the only sector whose emissions are projected to decline. Agricultural emissions are projected to reach 0 by 2040 due to the projected loss of agricultural land in the city.

Chapter 3
GHG Emissions in Hollister

Table 4 Forecast GHG Emissions within City Limit, 2019-2045 Sector 20191 20301 20401 20451
Percentage
Change,
2019 to 2045
Transportation 140,350 235,140 264,770 279,600 99%
Nonresidential energy 11,150 15,690 18,510 19,910 79%
Residential energy 24,240 34,900 42,340 46,060 90%
Off-road equipment 43,690 61,030 73,230 79,200 81%
Solid waste 17,930 24,910 29,550 31,870 78%
Water and wastewater 1,040 1,440 1,720 1,850 78%
Agriculture2 320 240 0 0 -100%
Land use and sequestration -2,460 -2,720 -3,270 -3,270 33% Development activities 500 550 1,230 830 66%
Total 236,760 371,180 428,080 456,050 93%

1. Data shown for 2019 are inventoried GHG emissions. The data shown for 2030, 2040, and 2045 are GHG emission forecasts based on projections from the 2019 inventory.

2. GHG emission projections for agriculture assume that by 2040, all agricultural land will be developed and converted to other land uses.

City of Hollister
Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 31
Figure 8 GHG Emissions within City Limit, 2019-2045

Emissions Forecast of Hollister’s Sphere of Influence
Hollister’s projected future SOI emissions result from activities occurring within the SOI, excluding the area within the existing city boundary. As with the forecast for the city boundary, the forecast of GHG emissions in the SOI is based on the results of the 2019 community-wide GHG emissions inventory for the SOI, the SOI’s 2019 demographics, and future demographic projections. These population, housing, and employment projections are based on the estimates of future buildout under the Hollister 2040 General Plan Update in the SOI. Appendix A shows the demographic projections used to prepare the GHG emissions forecast of the SOI.

Table 5 and Figure 9 show the SOI’s forecasted GHG emissions through 2045. This forecast shows that GHG emissions are expected to increase by 112 percent by 2045 relative to 2019 levels. This increase in GHG emissions is attributed to the dramatic increase in the population of this area between 2019 and 2045.

The four sectors in the SOI projected to experience the largest increase in GHG emissions between 2019 and 2045 are transportation (105 percent increase in emissions), residential energy (97 percent increase in emissions), solid waste (84 percent increase in emissions), water and wastewater (84 percent increase in emissions), and off-road equipment (78 percent increase in emissions).

Increases in emissions associated with off-road equipment, transportation, residential energy, and solid waste sectors between 2019 and 2045 are attributed to a large increase in the service population of the SOI during this period.

Like the GHG emission forecast for the city boundary, GHG emissions from the agriculture sector in the SOI gradually decline through 2045 due to conversion of agricultural land to urban uses. Similar to the land use and sequestration sector in the city -100,000
0 100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
2019 2030 2040 2045
GH
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Year
Transportation Nonresidential energy Residential energy Off-road equipment Solid waste Water and wastewater
Agriculture Land use and sequestration Development activities

Chapter 3
GHG Emissions in Hollister

boundary GHG inventory, the SOI land use and sequestration sector experiences a net decrease in GHG emissions since urban street trees sequester carbon and offset the release of emissions from new urban development.

Table 5 Forecasted GHG Emissions within Sphere of Influence by Sector, 2019-2045 Sector 20191 2030 2040 2045
Percentage
Change,
2019 to 2045
Transportation 4,730 6,840 8,750 9,720 105%
Nonresidential energy 231 246 260 270 15%
Residential energy 1,336 1,880 2,380 2,631 97%
Off-road equipment 1,885 2,500 3,060 3,350 78%
Solid waste 730 995 1,230 1,350 84%
Water and wastewater 40 60 70 80 84%
Agriculture2 800 380 0 0 -100%
Land use and sequestration -500 -1,290 -2,660 -2,660 432% Development activities -1,270 -280 860 2,180 -272%
Total 7,990 11,340 13,950 16,920 112%

1. Data shown for 2019 are inventoried GHG emissions. The data shown for 2030, 2040, and 2045 are GHG emission forecasts based on projections from the 2019 inventory.

2. GHG emission projections for agriculture assume that by 2040, all agricultural land will be developed and converted to other land uses.

City of Hollister
Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 33
Figure 9 Forecasted GHG Emissions within Sphere of Influence, 2019-2045

GHG Emissions Forecast of Hollister’s CAP Study Area
For the purposes of the GHG inventory and forecast in the CAP, in addition to analyzing the GHG emissions in the city limits and growth areas, it is important to analyze the combined area of the city boundary and SOI. This combined area, known as the CAP Study Area, represents the potential expanded area of the city boundary if all growth areas are annexed and incorporated into the City of Hollister as planned. Urban expansion in Hollister has the potential to significantly increase community-wide GHG emissions in the future.

Appendix A shows the demographic projections used to prepare the GHG emissions forecast for the comprehensive CAP Study Area.

In the CAP Study Area, GHG emissions are expected to increase by 93 percent in 2045 relative to 2019 levels. Table 6 and Figure 10 show Hollister’s forecasted GHG emissions in the CAP Study Area through 2045. -5,000
0 5,000
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20,000
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Transportation Nonresidential energy Residential energy Off-road equipment Solid waste Water and wastewater
Agriculture Land use and sequestration Development activities

Chapter 3
GHG Emissions in Hollister

Table 6 Forecasted GHG Emissions within CAP Study Area by Sector, 2019-2045 Sector 2019* 2030* 2040* 2045* Percentage Change,
2019 to 2045
Transportation 145,080 241,980 273,520 289,320 99%
Nonresidential energy 11,380 15,940 18,770 20,180 77%
Residential energy 25,580 36,790 44,720 48,690 90%
Off-road equipment 45,580 63,540 76,290 82,550 81%
Solid waste 18,660 25,910 30,780 33,220 78%
Water and wastewater 1,080 1,500 1,790 1,930 78%
Agriculture 1,120 620 0 0 -100%
Land use and sequestration -2,960 -4,010 -5,930 -5,930 100% Development activities -770 270 2,090 3,010 -491%
Total 244,750 382,520 442,030 472,970 93%
* Data shown for 2019 are the inventory of GHG emissions. The data shown for 2030, 2040, and 2045 are GHG emission forecasts based on projections from the 2019 inventory.

The three sectors in the CAP Study Area that are projected to experience the largest increase in GHG emissions between 2019 and 2045 are the transportation (99 percent increase in emissions), residential energy (90 percent increase in emissions), and off-road equipment sectors (81 percent increase in emissions). The increase in emissions in these sectors is the result of a substantial increase in the CAP Study Area’s projected population and number of jobs over the next three decades. As shown in Table 7, emissions in the CAP Study Area are projected to increase by 82 percent between 2019 and 2045.

Land use GHG emissions are expected to decrease in the CAP Study Area because, while a portion of the annexed land that is currently used primarily for agricultural and open space uses, will be converted to urban land uses, the GHG emissions associated with this land conversion are more than offset by the absorption of carbon by urban street trees. In Hollister’s CAP Study Area, similar to the GHG emission forecast for the city boundary (not including the growth areas), the agriculture sector is projected to experience a gradual decrease in GHG emissions in the future.

City of Hollister
Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 35
Figure 10 Forecasted GHG Emissions within CAP Study Area, 2019-2045

Table 7 Forecasted Emissions within City Limit, Sphere of Influence, and CAP Study Area Geographic Boundary 2019 2030 2040 2045
Percentage
Change
2019 to 2045
City Limit 236,760 371,180 428,080 456,050 93%
Sphere of Influence 7,990 11,340 13,950 16,920 112%
CAP Study Area (Total) 244,750 382,520 442,030 472,970 93% -100,000
0 100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
600,000
2019 2030 2040 2045
GH
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Transportation Nonresidential energy Residential energy Off-road equipment Solid waste Water and wastewater
Agriculture Land use and sequestration Development activities

Chapter 3
GHG Emissions in Hollister

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City of Hollister
Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 37

4. GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS REDUCTION STRATEGY

Photo credit: Rene Rodriguez

BACKGROUND
This chapter describes Hollister’s GHG reduction targets and the community’s path to reducing GHG emissions to meet or exceed its targets, including existing/planned efforts led by state, regional, and local agencies, and new strategies in this CAP.

GHG EMISSIONS REDUCTION TARGETS
Hollister’s GHG emissions reduction target is the quantity of GHG emissions that the City commits to reduce by a certain year. GHG reduction targets apply to all GHGs attributed to the community and all sectors as identified in the City’s GHG inventories.

State GHG Reduction Targets
California has committed to achieving GHG emission reductions through legislative actions and executive orders. Legislative actions are binding targets that are codified in State law. Executive orders do not have the force of law but provide an indication of the State’s goals and intentions. Table 8 shows the State’s GHG emission reduction targets.

Chapter 4
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategy

Table 8 State GHG Emission Reduction Targets
Target Year Target Establishing Act
2020 Reduce GHG emissions to 1990 levels. Assembly Bill 32 (2006) 2030 Reduce GHG emissions by 40 percent below
1990 levels. Senate Bill 32 (2016)
2045
Carbon neutrality.

Reduce GHG emissions 85 percent below 1990
levels, at a minimum.

Executive Order B-55-18 (2018) Assembly Bill 1279
(2022)
AB 1279 establishes the statewide goal of achieving carbon neutrality no later than 2045 and reducing GHG emissions by 85 percent below 1990 levels by 2045.

Targets for Hollister
For the CAP, the City has selected local GHG emissions reduction targets that are consistent with the State’s recommendations in the 2022 Climate Change Scoping Plan of 40 percent and 85 percent below 1990 levels in 2030 and 2045, respectively. In addition, Hollister has selected an interim target of 64 percent below 1990 levels by 2040. These emissions targets are fully consistent with State guidance while reflecting the particular sources of GHG emissions in Hollister. Table 9 shows these targets.

Table 9 Targets for Hollister CAP Study Area
Target Year Target GHG Emissions Description
2030 125,990 MTCO2e 40 percent below 1990 levels
2040 75,988 MTCO2e 64 percent below 1990 levels
2045 31,500 MTCO2e 85 percent below 1990 levels
Carbon Neutral Target
California has set a State goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045. The State encourages local jurisdictions to take ambitious, coordinated climate action at the community scale that is consistent with and supportive of the State’s climate goals while also reflective of a community’s characteristics, goals, and resources. Under a carbon neutral target, the community pledges to aggressively reduce GHG emissions to a certain level or as close to zero as possible and offset the remaining GHG emissions. The community will still produce some GHG emissions, but these will be balanced out by removing GHGs from the atmosphere through carbon sequestration, carbon offsets, or similar carbon removal practices. The CAP will substantially reduce GHG emissions, meeting the targets shown above while also supporting the achievement of carbon neutrality statewide. Additionally, the CAP includes strategies and actions to help implement local and regional sequestration activities that can support the State’s goal of carbon neutrality.

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Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 39
ACHIEVING THE TARGETS: EXISTING AND NEW REDUCTION STRATEGIES Progress Toward GHG Reduction Targets
To understand the level of action necessary to achieve the City’s reduction targets, the CAP analyzes GHG emissions reductions from existing, planned, and new actions.

By first assessing GHG emissions reductions from existing State and local actions, the City can measure progress achieved and identify opportunities to further reduce emissions. These new strategies can further close the gap between projected GHG emission levels and the reduction targets and guide development and implementation of future programs. Each of the GHG reduction strategies assessed includes performance metrics and GHG emissions reductions associated with implementation of the measures in the Technical Data for Existing and Planned Activities section of Appendix A. The implementation matrix in Chapter 5 also provides actions for monitoring and evaluation of GHG reduction strategies.

State Initiatives to Reduce GHG Emissions
Since passing AB 32, the State has enacted regulations and programs to reduce GHG emissions. Although statewide in scope, these actions affect several sources of Hollister’s emissions, so the local benefits of these State efforts can be “credited” to Hollister, even in cases where the community did not need to take any action. This CAP includes the local benefits from five State policies:
 Renewable Portfolio Standard: The Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) was first established in 2002 and has been amended multiple times, most recently in 2018 by SB 100. It requires all electricity providers in the State to obtain at least 33 percent of their electricity from eligible renewable resources by the end of 2030, and all their electricity from carbon-free (although not necessarily eligible renewable) resources by the end of 2045.  Clean Car Standards: In 2002, California adopted AB 1493, the New Passenger Motor Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emission Standards, or Pavley standard. It required a reduction in tailpipe GHG emissions from new vehicles produced from 2009 to 2015. In 2012, CARB adopted an extension of this policy, the Advanced Clean Car Standards, which requires more stringent reductions in tailpipe GHG emissions from vehicles produced from 2016 to 2025. In 2022, the State adopted the Advanced Clean Cars II standards, which applies to vehicles produced from 2026 to 2035, and requires that all new light-duty vehicles sold in California be zero emission by 2035. Similar standards, known as the Advanced Clean Trucks, Advanced Clean Fleets, and Innovative Clean Transit regulations, require GHG reductions for larger vehicles and organizations that operate vehicle fleets.
 Title 24 Energy-Efficiency Standards: California Code of Regulations, Title 24, Part 6, is California’s energy-efficiency standards for new and renovated buildings, applied at the local level through the project review/building permit process.

The standards are strengthened every three years. The most recent set of Title 24 standards went into effect on January 1, 2023, although the reductions shown from this policy include past, current, and anticipated future Title 24 standards.  Low Carbon Fuel Standard: The Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) was adopted in 2009 and required a 10 percent reduction in the carbon intensity of all transportation and off-road equipment fuels by 2020.  The short-lived climate pollutants law (SB 1383): SB 1383, approved in 2016, proposes a comprehensive strategy to reduce methane and other emissions of short-lived GHGs through regulations on dairy operations and urban landfills, including higher diversion rates of food waste from landfills.

Chapter 4
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategy

Renewable Energy Emissions Reductions in 2045
As required by the State’s RPS, all electricity sold in California must be carbon free by 2045. Consequently, future GHG reduction strategies that only reduce electricity use or increase renewable electricity supplies will show zero GHG reductions in 2045.

According to the forecast in Table 10, GHG emissions in the CAP Study Area are projected to increase by 93 percent between 2019 and 2045. However, when State actions are accounted for, GHG emissions increase by 15 percent between 2019 and 2045. Table 10 shows the GHG emissions reductions resulting from State actions.

Table 10 GHG Emission Reductions from State Actions in CAP Study Area, 2019 GHG Emissions 2019
MTCO2e
2030
MTCO2e
2040
MTCO2e
2045
MTCO2e
Percentage
Change
2019- 2045
Emissions without State actions 244,750 382,520 442,030 472,970 93% Reductions from RPS 0 321 746 1,439
Renewable natural gas 0 3,200 9,700 12,300
Reductions from Clean Car standards 0 45,930 81,450 91,220 Reductions from Title 24 0 5,090 12,430 16,540
Reductions from LCFS (off-road only) 0 47,023 56,557 61,094 Reductions from SB 1383 0 6,100 7,250 7,820
Reductions from all State actions 0 107,663 168,133 190,413 Emissions with State actions 244,750 274,860 273,910 282,560 15% ACHIEVING THE TARGETS: EXISTING LOCAL ACTIONS TO REDUCE GHG EMISSIONS Regional and local initiatives help to further reduce Hollister’s community-wide GHG emissions (see Table 11). The actions the City has already taken to reduce GHG emissions include:
 Partnership with 3CE, the default electricity provider in Hollister, to provide affordable renewable energy to community members.
 Water recycling program at the Hollister Water Reclamation Facility.  Installation of residential and commercial solar energy systems in the community.  Installation of EV charging stations.

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Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 41
Table 11 GHG Emission Reductions from Local Actions in CAP Study Area, 2019 to 2045 Number Existing Action 2030 MTCO2e 2040 MTCO2e 2045 MTCO2e 1 Solar installations throughout the city. Less than 10 Less than 10 Less than 10 2 3CE renewable energy portfolio 610 400 Less than 10
3 EV charger installations throughout the city. Less than 10 Less than 10 Less than 10 Total 610 400 Less than 10
ACHIEVING THE TARGETS: NEW GHG EMISSION REDUCTION STRATEGIES While GHG savings from existing State and local actions are significant, they are not sufficient to meet the City’s GHG reduction targets.

The CAP introduces new strategies to help Hollister meet these targets and achieve carbon neutrality by 2045. To identify strategies for achieving these goals, the project team began with the conservation, natural resources, and transportation policies in the City’s General Plan. There were also opportunities to develop strategies to address new and emerging issues not covered in the General Plan. The project team developed the CAP strategies based on several sources, including:
 Past and recent GHG inventories and forecast.
 The existing and planned State, regional, and local accomplishments.  Existing and revised policies in the General Plan.

The CAP introduces 33 strategies and recommended implementation actions to reduce emissions that are consistent with Hollister 2040 goals and policies relating to climate, energy, and natural resource conservation. These strategies align with the existing emergency response and recover framework provided in the EOP, the short-term hazard mitigation actions in the LHMP, and the long-term policies and programs in the Health and Safety Element.

Chapter 4
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategy

These 33 strategies are organized by eight goals, listed here with their corresponding sectors:

Sustainable Energy and Resilience: Reduced energy use through use of energy-efficient appliances, lighting, and materials in our homes, businesses, and City facilities.

Carbon-Free Energy: Existing and new buildings, facilities, and operations are resilient and powered by carbon-free electricity or other low carbon, clean energy sources

Transportation: A connected and efficient transportation network that provides equitable access to low carbon motorized and GHG free non-motorized mobility options.

Off-road Equipment: Hollister encourages residents, businesses, and industries to electrify off-road equipment when feasible.

Solid Waste: Hollister residents, businesses, and visitors minimize waste sent to the landfill.

Water and Wastewater: The community maintains a sustainable supply of drinking water and efficient indoor and outdoor water use in homes, businesses, and operations.

Natural Resources and Agriculture: Preserve and expand natural resources and agricultural land.

Governance and Leadership: Work with regional partners to implement the CAP and take actions to increase community resilience against climate hazards.

Each strategy includes a description; the anticipated 2030, 2040, and 2045 GHG reductions achieved by the strategy at the projected performance level; and the recommended actions necessary for successful implementation.

Recommended actions represent the City’s current understanding of best practices in achieving GHG emissions reductions and community equity, availability of technology, and local regulations, as well as the current State and federal regulatory environment.

The implementation strategies presented in Chapter 5 provide guidelines for City staff to follow when implementing GHG reduction strategies to track annual progress, while allowing flexibility to integrate new opportunities or expand programs when feasible.

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Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 43
Calculating Credit
This CAP uses a process called quantification to estimate the absolute number of GHG emissions savings associated with each existing and new GHG reduction strategy. Quantification uses activity data for each sector in the GHG inventory, such as VMT or kWh, and projected participation rates and the change in activity resulting from each strategy to calculate the net GHG emissions savings for each strategy. This approach ensures that the GHG reductions from the CAP strategies are tied to current and future activities that are occurring in the community.

Calculations for reduction in activity data come from tools and reports provided by State and federal agencies such as the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the California Energy Commission, CARB, the California Air Pollution Control Officers Association (CAPCOA), the US Department of Energy (DOE), and the Monterey Bay Air Resources District (MBARD). If accurate data is not available from these sources, the quantification uses case studies from comparable communities and applicable scholarly research. Detailed information about how GHG emissions savings from each strategy are calculated appears in Appendix A.

The City was able to quantify GHG reductions for most of the strategies in the CAP. However, the savings from some strategies are not quantified due to lack of data and/or the lack of a reliable quantification method. These strategies are still expected to reduce GHG emissions, but exact emissions reductions cannot be accurately determined. These strategies are labeled “supportive”.

This plan identifies GHG reductions for most strategies. However, there are a few that do not have a specific reduction level due to missing data or the lack of a reliable assessment method.

As stated previously, the State’s RPS requirements mean that strategies that only reduce electricity use or increase renewable electricity supplies will show zero GHG reductions in 2045. However, local renewable energy systems and energy-efficiency strategies will continue to provide several benefits to the community, including lower electricity bills and increased resiliency against power disruptions, even if there are no measurable additional GHG reductions (see co-benefits section that follows).

The results of quantifying GHG reduction potential of the strategies in this CAP show that, with successful implementation of the strategies, Hollister can meet its 2045 emissions reduction targets. It is likely that new technologies, policies and regulations, personal and economic behaviors and preferences, and other factors t will emerge in future years that may contribute to additional GHG emission reductions in a way that cannot be accurately forecasted in the CAP at this time. Future updates to Hollister’s CAP will be able to assess emerging trends more accurately, along with any unexpected changes in GHG emissions, and will revise Hollister’s GHG emission reduction strategy as appropriate.

Chapter 4
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategy

Co-benefits of GHG Reduction Strategies
In addition to reducing GHG emissions, these strategies provide co-benefits that improve mobility, equity, and the quality of the natural environment. Some co-benefits resulting from the GHG reduction strategies include energy bill savings for households and businesses, improved air quality, increased water and energy conservation, and increased demand for green jobs. This plan highlights 12 co-benefits that a GHG reduction strategy can provide, although strategies may provide additional benefits beyond those identified here. The 12 co-benefits are listed below. The description of each strategy also identifies the co-benefits of the strategy.

Co-benefits assessed for each climate action strategy

Conserves Natural
Resources
Promotes Technological
Innovation
Promotes Community
Resilience
Improves Air Quality

Improves Habitability Promotes Economic Savings Encourages Active Mobility Supports Workforce Development

Promotes Social Equity Supports Local Agriculture Supports the Local Economy Promotes Local Governance and
Leadership

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Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 45
Sustainable Energy
Goal: Reduced energy use through use of energy-efficient appliances, lighting, and materials in our homes, businesses, and City facilities.

The Sustainable Energy category includes energy-efficiency measures for residential, nonresidential, and government buildings. Most buildings use electricity and natural gas to operate appliances and equipment. While sources of electricity have become much cleaner over time and will continue to become cleaner due to State law and utility policies, the GHG emissions associated with fossil fuels, such as natural gas, have remained constant. Hollister strives to increase community-wide participation rates in efficient appliance rebate programs, energy-efficiency retrofits, and weatherization programs. Households, businesses, and government operations can benefit from retrofits that improve energy efficiency of the building envelope, especially in older buildings, through improved comfort and energy cost savings. For more details about implementation, refer to Chapter 5, CAP Implementation Strategy.

Hollister contains 550 businesses within the city
limits and 4 within the SOI. The average
business uses 171,750 kWh of electricity and
3,600 therms of natural gas per year.

Hollister contains 10,660 residential units in the
city limits and 1,860 units in the SOI. The
average Hollister home uses about 4,000 kWh
of electricity and 420 therms of natural gas per
year.

Chapter 4
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategy

Strategy 1 MUNICIPAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND CONSERVATION Existing and new City-owned and operated facilities achieve optimal energy conservation and efficiency in their performance.

Strategy 1 GHG Reduction (MTCO2e)
Geography 2030 2040 2045
City Limit 10 20 20
SOI Less than 10 Less than 10 Less than 10
STRATEGY 1 CO-BENEFITS:

Conserves Natural Resources

Promotes Cost Savings

Improves Air Quality

Promotes Technological Innovation
STRATEGY 1 ACTIONS
1-1: Require Cal Green Tier 1 compliance for all new City buildings. 1-2: Retrofit City-owned streetlights and traffic lights with LED fixtures by 2030. 1-3: Conduct benchmarking of energy use at all City-owned and operated facilities. 1-4: Audit existing City buildings and facilities to identify opportunities for energy conservation and efficiency upgrades or retrofits that optimize energy performance of buildings and operations and save the City energy and operating costs over time.
1-5: Conduct a municipal operations inventory to identify opportunities for energy and resource conservation within the City’s vehicle usage, employee commuting, water and wastewater use and generation, and solid waste disposal. 1-6: Add energy-efficiency improvement projects to the City’s Capital Improvement Program annually and complete energy-efficiency capital projects on the list with support from San Benito County, Central Coast Community Energy (3CE), Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), and other partners, as appropriate.

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Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 47
Strategy 2 SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY-WIDE BUILDING STANDARDS Expand and promote residential energy-efficiency of existing and new market rate homes in Hollister.

Strategy 2 GHG Reduction (MTCO2e)
Geography 2030 2040 2045
City Limit 1,210 3,170 4,900
SOI 70 110 160
CAP Study Area 1,280 3,280 5,060

Strategy 2 Key Metrics
Metric 2030 2040 2045
Number of residential
units retrofit 2,290 4,570 6,860
STRATEGY 2 CO-BENEFITS:

Conserves Natural Resources

Improves Habitability

Promotes Workforce
Development

Supports the Local Economy
STRATEGY 2 ACTIONS
2-1: Ensure the City’s existing design review guidelines, as applicable, account for energy-efficient design consistent with the California Building and Energy Codes and requirements. 2-2: Evaluate the effectiveness of the City’s current land use, energy, water use, stormwater management, and design codes and permitting processes in to achieve energy-efficient, carbon free, and sustainable design and operations and update applicable codes, programs, and processes as needed to improve building performance as part of the City’s building and development review processes.
2-3: Support AMBAG Energy Watch and San Benito County efforts to conduct outreach and education with local contractors to ensure they are kept up to date on local code requirements and energy-efficient appliances and devices.
2-4: Continue to require residential projects, including renovations, to meet Title 24 energy-efficiency requirements, and, where possible, require structural design to make use of natural heating and cooling, as well as landscaping design to reduce the heat island effect.

Chapter 4
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategy

Strategy 3 RESIDENTIAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND CONSERVATION Expand and promote residential energy-efficiency of existing and new below market-rate homes in Hollister.

Strategy 3 GHG Reduction (MTCO2e)
Geography 2030 2040 2045
City Limit 510 1,330 2,500
SOI 30 70 140
CAP Study Area 540 1,400 2,640

Strategy 3 Key Metrics
Metric 2030 2040 2045
Number of low-income
residential units retrofit 1,110 3,320 6,640
STRATEGY 3 CO-BENEFITS:

Conserves Natural Resources

Improves Habitability

Promotes cost savings

Promotes technological
innovation
STRATEGY 3 ACTIONS
3-1: Promote and support efforts of Central Coast Energy Services (CCES) and other similar community-based organizations and local contractors to provide affordable energy-efficiency retrofits and low- to no-cost weatherization services to low-income homeowners and renters. 3-2: Seek grant funding for weatherization programs that support low-income households. 3-3: Develop an inventory of residential buildings in the city that were constructed prior to 1980 to identify the greatest opportunities for energy efficiency and conservation improvements and targeted outreach and education campaigns. Prepare information materials targeted to these buildings and engage with the owners of the buildings to promote energy-efficiency upgrades.
3-4: Support and promote programs and incentives for installation of all-electric appliances in new residential construction and remodels by partnering with 3CE AMBAG Energy Watch.

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Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 49
3-5: Partner with San Benito County Water District and San Benito County to establish or expand existing recycling and appliance rebate programs for energy- and water-efficient washing machines and electric, including heat pumps and dryers.
3-6: Support AMBAG Energy Watch, San Benito County, 3CE, and other partners with their outreach and education campaigns, including, but not limited to, promoting programs through City communication and promotion tools, engaging in person or online with homeowners and contractors, maintaining a City webpage of resources, and sharing permitting data to inform targeted outreach.

Strategy 4 NONRESIDENTIAL ENERGY CONSERVATION AND EFFICIENCY Support energy conservation and efficiency improvements in nonresidential uses, including businesses, office complexes, commercial and retail buildings, shopping centers, medical facilities and hospitals, warehouses, and industrial facilities.

Strategy 4 GHG Reduction (MTCO2e)
Geography 2030 2040 2045
City Limit 980 2,210 3,320
SOI 20 40 50
CAP Study Area 1,000 2,250 3,370

Strategy 4 Key Metrics
Metric 2030 2040 2045
Number of
nonresidential units
retrofit
230 450 670

Chapter 4
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategy

STRATEGY 4 CO-BENEFITS:

Conserves Natural Resources

Improves Habitability

Promotes economic savings

Promotes technological
innovation
STRATEGY 4 ACTIONS
4-1: Support existing 3CE and AMBAG Energy Watch programs by publicizing energy-efficiency programs, technical assistance, and financing opportunities for businesses and nonprofit organizations. 4-2: Encourage businesses to conduct energy audits. Use the business license process (new and renewals) as an opportunity to share information about incentives for energy efficiency improvements. 4-3: Support outreach to small business owners by partnering with the Cal Coastal Small Business Development Center. 4-4: Expand energy-saving opportunities and assistance for large and small commercial and industrial businesses by working with AMBAG Energy Watch, 3CE, and nonprofit organizations. 4-5: Expand the distribution of free or subsidized energy and water efficiency and conservation toolkits, devices, and services to residents and businesses citywide through partnerships with public libraries, AMBAG Energy Watch, and local nonprofit organizations.

Photo credit: PlaceWorks.

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Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 51
Carbon-Free Energy
Goal: Existing and new buildings, facilities, and operations are resilient and powered by carbon-free electricity or other low carbon, clean energy sources.

Electricity is fundamental to life and well-being in Hollister because it powers homes, businesses, and essential facilities, such as hospitals, schools, water treatment plants, police stations, and fire stations. Hollister aims to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels by increasing municipal and community-wide participation in 3CE’s low carbon electricity services, promoting the phase-out of natural- gas appliances, and encouraging distributed generation of renewable energy. Buildings can be retrofitted or newly constructed to be mostly- or all-electric to reduce GHG emissions, improve energy resilience, and improve indoor air quality. In accordance with this plan, Hollister plans to modernize existing public facilities, build new facilities equipped with electricity-generating solar panels, and encourage community residents and businesses to invest in solar energy systems to promote energy resilience in the face of power shortages, PSPS events, and natural disasters. Larger properties or more energy-intensive uses can use ground-mounted solar energy systems or a combination of renewable energy technologies to meet all or part of their energy demand. The strategies in the Carbon- Free Energy category support Hollister 2040 General Plan Update’s Carbon-Free Energy policy.

Strategy 5 ON-SITE SOLAR ENERGY FOR NEW DEVELOPMENT
Ensure new large nonresidential development includes on-site renewable energy to support the site's energy needs by promoting solar photovoltaic panels or other appropriate on-site renewable energy generation systems for the following types of projects:
 New commercial and office buildings, or existing commercial and office building expansions greater or equal to 45,000 square feet in size.
 New industrial or existing industrial buildings expansions greater than or equal to 99,000 square feet in size.

Strategy 5 GHG Reduction (MTCO2e)
Geography 2030 2040 2045
City Limit Less than 10 Less than 10 Less than 10
SOI Less than 10 Less than 10 Less than 10
CAP Study Area Less than 10 Less than 10 Less than 10

Chapter 4
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategy

Strategy 5 Key Metrics
Metric 2030 2040 2045
Solar installations on new
nonresidential buildings 150 290 390
STRATEGY 5 CO-BENEFITS:

Conserves Natural Resources

Promotes technological innovation

Supports the Local Economy
STRATEGY 5 ACTIONS
5-1: Prepare, adopt, and implement a reach code that requires certain large non-residential development to install and use renewable and carbon free energy generated and stored, as appropriate, on-site. At a minimum, this code will apply to new commercial and office buildings, or existing commercial and office building expansions greater or equal to 45,000 square feet in size and new industrial or existing industrial buildings expansions greater than or equal to 99,000 square feet in size.
5-2: Support outreach and education activities by community and regional partners and supplement with City-specific outreach as needed to raise awareness about the benefits of solar energy for businesses, promote incentives, and increase installations of nonresidential solar PV systems in Hollister. 5-3: Establish a solar permitting webpage on the City's website that summarizes requirements for installing solar PV systems to ensure the information is easily accessible to the public. Provide handouts at City Hall to promote the website.
5-4: Update City permit tracking as appropriate to track size and number of renewable energy installations. 5-5: Provide incentives and rebates for solar PV systems to encourage increased local use of renewable energy. 5-6: Work with San Benito County, 3CE, and regional partners to explore opportunities to provide financial incentives to residents and businesses purchasing small-scale on-site battery energy storage systems for new development.

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Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 53
Strategy 6 MUNICIPAL RENEWABLE AND CARBON-FREE ENERGY
Transition municipal operations and buildings to local, renewable, and resilient energy sources.

Strategy 6 GHG Reduction (MTCO2e)
Geography 2030 2040 2045
City Limit Less than 10 Less than 10 Less than 10
SOI Less than 10 Less than 10 Less than 10
CAP Study Area Less than 10 Less than 10 Less than 10

Strategy 6 Key Metrics
Metric 2030 2040 2045
Number of new solar
installations on municipal
property
5 10 15
STRATEGY 6 CO-BENEFITS:

Conserves Natural Resources

Promotes technological innovation

Supports the Local Economy
STRATEGY 6 ACTIONS
6-1: Conduct a feasibility study to identify opportunities and benefits of constructing and operating solar or other renewable, clean energy generation technology on or at existing City-owned properties. The study should consider optimized conservation and technology as well as new uses, including generating power for vehicle charging stations, supporting energy storage, and new City uses. 6-2: Install back-up power sources at City-owned community facilities, prioritizing solar energy battery storage and microgrid systems where feasible.
6-3: Partner with regional agencies and jurisdictions to establish a regional microgrid agency to support 3CE in developing local microgrids for energy resilience.
6-4: Seek grant funding to conduct a feasibility study for a microgrid to serve public facilities in Hollister.

Chapter 4
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategy

Strategy 7 COMMUNITY-WIDE RENEWABLE, CARBON-FREE, AND RESILIENT ENERGY SYSTEMS Promote on-site renewable energy production and storage, and community-wide use of 3CE’s renewable energy service in existing Hollister homes and businesses.

Strategy 7 GHG Reduction (MTCO2e)
Geography 2030 2040 2045
City Limit Less than 10 Less than 10 Less than 10
SOI Less than 10 Less than 10 Less than 10
CAP Study Area Less than 10 Less than 10 Less than 10

Strategy 7 Key Metrics
Metric 2030 2040 2045
New solar installations 1,180 2,950 3,540
STRATEGY 7 CO-BENEFITS:

Conserves Natural Resources

Promotes Community
Resilience

Supports the Local Economy

Promotes Technological
Innovation
STRATEGY 7 ACTIONS
7-1: Develop and implement a community outreach and education program that promotes the benefits and incentives for renewable energy and energy resilience and increase awareness of the benefits and incentive programs for rooftop solar energy and on-site energy storage systems. This includes developing a City webpage to inform residents and business owners about the permitting process for residential and commercial solar energy systems and links to partner pages for more details about incentive programs. 7-2: Work with PG&E on its efforts to prepare the community for power outages through battery storage programs and incentives, including the Self-Generation Incentive Program and related energy resilience efforts. 7-3: Work with San Benito County, 3CE, and regional partners to explore opportunities to provide financial incentives to residents and businesses purchasing small-scale on-site battery energy storage systems for existing development.

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Strategy 8 ELECTRIFICATION
Promote and incentivize the phase-out of gas appliances in existing homes and businesses throughout the community to advance GHG reductions, increase energy efficiency, and protect public safety and environmental health.

Strategy 8 GHG Reduction (MTCO2e)
Geography 2030 2040 2045
City Limit 8,820 15,570 16,480
SOI 400 760 830
CAP Study Area 9,220 16,330 17,310

Strategy 8 Key Metrics
Metric 2030 2040 2045
Number of residential units
undergoing electrification 3,220 7,500 9,110
Number of nonresidential
units undergoing electrification 140 280 370
STRATEGY 8 CO-BENEFITS:

Conserves Natural Resources

Promotes Technological
Innovation

Improves Habitability

Supports the Local Economy

Improves Air Quality

Chapter 4
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategy

STRATEGY 8 ACTIONS
8-1: Support education and outreach to increase participation in electric appliance rebate programs offered by 3CE, AMBAG Energy Watch, and other providers with a focus on contractors and residents of older properties (constructed in or before 1980).
8-2: Identify and remove any existing code, permitting, or other City requirements that serve as barriers to all-electric conversions of existing homes and businesses and assess opportunities to provide incentives and streamline the permitting process through bundled projects and one-stop permits. 8-3: Update the City’s permit tracking system as appropriate to track electrification improvements. 8-4: Review City-supported weatherization and energy-efficiency programs and requirements, if applicable, to ensure they support all-electric, high-efficiency appliances.
8-5: Work with local contractors to increase public awareness about and participation in existing incentive programs that promote replacement of natural gas appliances with electric space and water heating systems. 8-6: Explore and adopt, as feasible, local building code amendments requiring replacement of natural gas-powered space and water heaters with electric models at end of life during the 2022 and successive Buildings Standards Code updates.
8-7: Work with local and regional partners to identify ways to decrease the financial burden of electrification of low- income households and rental units, including paying up-front costs or identification of financial incentives.

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Strategy 9 BUILDING CODE UPDATES AND INCENTIVES FOR ELECTRIFICATION OF NEW BUILDINGS By 2026, all new development to be “all electric," with minor exceptions for appropriate facilities, which may include restaurants, manufacturing, and industrial uses.

Strategy 9 GHG Reduction (MTCO2e)
Geography 2030 2040 2045
City Limit 2,010 7,020 8,050
SOI 80 270 320
CAP Study Area 2,090 7,290 8,370

Strategy 9 Key Metrics
Metric 2030 2040 2045
Number of new residential
units built to be all-electric 990 5,890 8,130
Number of new
nonresidential units built to
be all-electric
60 240 330
STRATEGY 9 CO-BENEFITS:

Conserves Natural
Resources

Improves Habitability

Supports Workforce
Development

Promotes Economic
Savings

Supports the Local
Economy

Chapter 4
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategy

STRATEGY 9 ACTIONS
9-1: Identify and partner with local industry organizations, community-based organizations, and regional partners to inform the preparation of an All-Electric Reach Code for new development, which would leverage the use of the 3CE's Reach Code Incentive Program to offset some costs associated with adopting a Reach Code. 9-2: Seek grant funding for electrification of affordable housing, such as the California Energy Commission’s (CEC's) Building Initiative for Low Emissions Development (BUILD) program (SB 1477). 9-3: Promote public awareness about and participation in existing incentive programs that promote electric space and water heating systems to upgrade and replace natural gas appliances.

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October 2024 Page 59
Transportation
Goal: A connected, and efficient transportation network that provides equitable access to low carbon motorized and GHG free non-motorized mobility options.

The personal automobile has long dominated Hollister’s transportation landscape. While convenient, private vehicle travel releases significant volumes of GHGs, emits air pollutants, degrades roads, and poses safety concerns for the community. Promoting the expansion of pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, especially near schools, business districts, and employment centers, makes it easier for all residents to participate in public life. Moreover, greater choice in transportation modes can promote public health and reduce fuel costs and time lost in traffic. This CAP aims to reduce transportation emissions by promoting EV adoption through municipal fleet electrification, community-wide EV charging stations, and rebates for EV purchases, as well as promoting public transit, carpooling, and active transportation. The strategies in the Transportation category support the Hollister 2040 General Plan Update’s Infill and Mixed-Use Development policy, Low-Emission/No Carbon Transportation policy, and Municipal Fleet Alternative Fuel Vehicles policy.

 As of 2021, t here were about 50,340 registered light-duty vehicles within Hollister, approximately 420 of which were all-electric.
 330 EV sales occurred within Hollister in 2022.
 As of 2022, San Benito County contained approximately 40 publicly accessible EV chargers.  The average Hollister resident drove 6,500 miles in 2019 .

Chapter 4
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategy

Strategy 10 VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED
Reduce community-wide VMT and associated transportation-related emissions per resident and employee.

Strategy 10 GHG Reduction (MTCO2e)
Geography 2030 2040 2045
City Limit 5,170 8,380 12,120
SOI 140 280 420
CAP Study Area 5,310 8,660 12,540

Strategy 10 Key Metrics
Metric 2030 2040 2045
Employees participating in
commute trip reduction
programs
1,010 2,380 3,840
Residents in transit-oriented
developments 770 3,930 7,890
Jobs in transit-oriented
developments 580 1,880 3,350
STRATEGY 10 CO-BENEFITS:

Improves Air Quality

Supports the Local Economy

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October 2024 Page 61
STRATEGY 10 ACTIONS
10-1: Promote transit as a viable option for local and regional trips. o Collaborate with the San Benito Council of Governments, Caltrans, and San Benito County to ensure efficient and accessible public transit services are available to all residents, workers, and visitors. o Support further integration and overall expansion of public transit service within the city, region, and to and from Salinas, Central Coast communities, and Silicon Valley communities. o Promote transit-friendly street design by encouraging features such as bus stop shelters, street lighting, bus- only signal phases, curb extensions, and wayfinding.
10-2: Collaborate with the San Benito Council of Governments, Caltrans, and San Benito County to develop, implement, and maintain park-and-ride facilities.
10-3: Assess the feasibility of incorporating infrastructure to support micro-mobility devices in the downtown or in other locations where such a program could have success.
10-4: Aid new and existing multifamily and commercial developments in implementing and expanding opportunities for transit-oriented development and affordable housing.
10-5: Encourage employers to provide ridership programs, public transit passes, and offer telecommuting to employees.

Regularly assess and update incentives to respond to employee needs. 10-6: Provide transportation-demand incentives to City employees, including telecommuting as a viable option to reduce VMT and GHGs, without compromising the ability to provide public services. 10-7: Collaborate with regional partners to explore the feasibility of a shuttle between Hollister and Pinnacles National Park during high-traffic season.

Chapter 4
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategy

Strategy 11 ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE
Ensure the community has safe and connected opportunities for bicycling and walking, especially between and within residential areas and commercial areas, parks, schools, job centers, and transit centers.

Strategy 11 GHG Reduction (MTCO2e)
Geography 2030 2040 2045
City Limit 980 1,030 1,090
SOI Less than 10 Less than 10 Less than 10
CAP Study Area 980 1,030 1,090

Strategy 11 Key Metrics
Metric 2030 2040 2045
Miles of new bike lanes 10.6 21.2 26.5
Total milage of pedestrian
facility improvements 1.4 2.8 3.5
STRATEGY 11 CO-BENEFITS:

Encourages Active Mobility

Promotes Social Equity
STRATEGY 11 ACTIONS
11-1: Develop and adopt a Complete Streets Plan to support safety, accessibility, and equity in multi-mobility. 11-2: Conduct an assessment of the City’s existing sidewalk and prepare a list of sidewalk improvement projects, with priorities to complete gaps and connectivity in existing sidewalks, provide safe connections between residential areas and key destinations like parks, schools, places of employment, and shopping centers. 11-3: Improve street design to include safe, accessible, and interconnected pedestrian routes and bicycle paths in the downtown area and near existing and planned commercial centers and job centers. Develop street design guidelines to ensure consistency and safety of pedestrian and bicycle facilities. 11-4: Improve bike and pedestrian connections as identified in the 2019 Hollister Parks Facilities Master Plan. 11-5: Require bicycle parking at new commercial centers, job centers, and large-scale mixed-use developments, and ensure all City facilities provide safe and secure bicycle parking.

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October 2024 Page 63
11-6: Promote incentive programs to fund the purchase of bicycles or electric-assist bicycles for low-income community members.
11-7: Support community-led bicycle safety training and materials for drivers, bikers, and pedestrians. 11-8: Coordinate with Caltrans and other agencies to ensure future Caltrans-funded projects in Hollister consider pedestrian and bicycle circulation improvements to incentivize active transportation trips. 11-9: Facilitate and support the development of shared micromobility programs in Hollister, including:
o Amending the City’s municipal code to regulate parking for scooter and bike-share programs. o Developing and implementing regulations specifying right-of-way rules for e-bikes and e-scooters. o Identifying accessible and equitable locations for micromobility hubs. o Marketing micromobility programs across the community. o Working with service providers to keep micromobility safe and affordable.

Strategy 12 SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOLS
Support regional agencies in ensuring that K-12 students in Hollister have pollution-free, safe, and accessible modes to get to and from school.

STRATEGY 12 CO-BENEFITS:

Encourages Active Mobility

Promotes Social Equity
STRATEGY 12 ACTIONS
12-1: Partner with school districts to promote "walk pools" or "walking buses" to increase the number of students who walk to school.
12-2: Work with regional partners to promote incentives to provide bicycles to low-income youth in the community. 12-3: Establish a committee in the city focused on implementing Safe Routes to Schools projects and programs. 12-4: Work with regional partners to offer bicycle safety and pedestrian education classes at schools. 12-5: Conduct walkability scores of residential neighborhoods, starting with neighborhoods within a 1-mile radius of a public or private school. Use the results to inform identification of City projects that would improve or provide new safe, comfortable, and connected pedestrian networks between residential areas and schools.

Strategy 12 is not quantifiable; however, it supports community-wide GHG emissions reductions.

Chapter 4
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategy

Strategy 13 TRANSIT ACCESS
Increase overall transit ridership and improve access to light-rail transit for commuting to Silicon Valley and Bay Area job centers.

Strategy 13 GHG Reduction (MTCO2e)
Geography 2030 2040 2045
City Limit 12,780 23,950 30,530
SOI 280 530 750
CAP Study Area 13,060 24,480 31,280

Strategy 13 Key Metrics
Metric 2030 2040 2045
Number of new transit
trips per year
79,150 215,680 250,290
STRATEGY 13 CO-BENEFITS:

Encourages Active Mobility

Promotes social equity

Supports the Local Economy
STRATEGY 13 ACTIONS
13-1: Work with Caltrain or San Benito County Express to offer express bus service from Hollister to Gilroy to provide a public transit link to Caltrain service and Bay Area employment centers. 13-2: Develop marketing materials to promote San Benito County Express regional transit services, to be distributed at public facilities, workshops, and electronically on the City’s website and social media channels. 13-3: Cooperatively work with Councils of Government (COG), Caltrans, and San Benito County to develop, implement, and maintain public transit services.
13-4: Support development of a centrally located multi-modal transit hub to encourage transit ridership, improve connectivity, and build on existing services while reducing demand for parking and vehicle trips.

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October 2024 Page 65
Strategy 14 ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Promote adoption of electric and clean-fuel vehicles and expansion of public and private EV charging infrastructure.

Strategy 14 GHG Reduction (MTCO2e)
Geography 2030 2040 2045
City Limit 23,670 84,820 125,150
SOI 700 2,820 4,360
CAP Study Area 24,370 87,640 129,510

Strategy 14 Key Metrics
Metric 2030 2040 2045
New light-duty EVs 12,400 38,200 52,380
STRATEGY 14 CO-BENEFITS:

Improves Air Quality

Promotes Technological Innovation
STRATEGY 14 ACTIONS
14-1: Install EV charging stations equitably throughout the community at City facilities, parks, and parking lots. 14-2: Review the City’s municipal code to identify barriers and opportunities to accelerate the use of EVs by Hollister’s residents and employees, and update the code as needed. This review should ensure parking areas, gas stations, and fossil-fuel dependent transportation-related uses provide low and no carbon fuel options. 14-3: Adopt an EV reach code with minimum requirements for parking spaces with EV charging capacity for multifamily residential buildings and nonresidential buildings.
14-4: Provide dedicated parking spaces for electric or low carbon car-share vehicles at park-and-ride lots, public transit centers, and core commercial and business areas.
14-5: Participate in 3CE's Central Coast Incentive Project and other existing or future programs. 14-6: Work with San Benito County Express to ensure equitable access to electric or low carbon carshare vehicles.

Chapter 4
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategy

14-7: Collaborate with regional partners, such as 3CE and the Monterey Bay Air Resources District, among others, to support accelerated adoption of EVs through the provision of incentives and public outreach campaigns.

Strategy 15 LOW CARBON MUNICIPAL VEHICLES, SCHOOL BUSES, AND TRANSIT OPTIONS Expand the municipal EV fleet and promote low carbon transportation options.

STRATEGY 15 CO-BENEFITS:

Improves Air Quality

Promotes Social Equity

Supports Technological Innovation
STRATEGY 15 ACTIONS
15-1: Work with regional public transit partners to increase the adoption of electric buses and alternative fueled buses. 15-2: Support the 3CE’s Zero-Emission School Bus Program, the Monterey Bay Air Resources District, and other regional partners, to electrify school buses used for Hollister-area schools. 15-3: As part of preparation of a GHG emissions inventory of City Operations, identify present and future GHGs released by the City fleet and by contractor vehicles used to provide municipal services, including collection of trash, recycling, and compostable materials.
15-4: Transition the municipal vehicle fleet to hybrid, electric, or clean fuel vehicles to the greatest extent possible.

Incorporate an "electric vehicles first" policy into the City’s vehicle replacement program to support this transition. 15-5: Install EV chargers at all City facilities as needed to provide sufficient chargers to City electric fleet vehicles.

Instead of being quantified as a stand-alone strategy, GHG emissions reductions for this strategy were quantified at the community-wide scale. As a result, there are no GHG reductions, assumptions, or performance targets specific to municipal operations. For the corresponding community-wide strategy, which includes municipal operations, refer to Strategy 14.

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October 2024 Page 67
Strategy 16 CAR SHARE PROGRAM
Consider developing an EV Car-Share Program to provide an alternative for car ownership.

Strategy 16 GHG Reduction (MTCO2e)
Geography 2030 2040 2045
City Limit 650 820 900
SOI Less than 10 Less than 10 Less than 10
CAP Study Area 650 820 900

Strategy 16 Key Metrics
Metric 2030 2040 2045
Number of EVs in Car
Share Program 20 30 35
STRATEGY 16 CO-BENEFITS:

Improves Air Quality

Promotes Social Equity

Supports Technological Innovation
STRATEGY 16 ACTIONS
16-1: Conduct a feasibility study of different car-share programs, such as a car-share program with dedicated parking spaces and “free-floating” car share, to be followed by a citywide pilot program. 16-2: Partner with San Benito County and neighboring jurisdictions and discuss opportunities for car-share programs with regional car-share operators.
16-3: Incentivize car-share program use by providing special parking privileges for car share vehicles and providing EV charging stations at dedicated parking spaces.
16-4: Consider strategies to overcome barriers to participating in and accessing car-share priority locations, including providing information in multiple languages and prioritizing locations near environmental justice communities and in easily accessible locations.

Chapter 4
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategy

Off-Road Equipment
Goal: Hollister encourages residents, businesses, and industries to electrify off-road equipment when feasible.

Off-road equipment is used in many important sectors of the Hollister economy, such as construction and landscaping. The use of off-road equipment contributes to GHG emissions, air pollution, and noise levels in Hollister. By encouraging the transition to electric off-road equipment, Hollister can improve quality of life and reduce air pollution while reducing GHG emissions.

Strategy 17 ELECTRIFICATION OF CONSTRUCTION AND LANDSCAPING EQUIPMENT Promote and incentivize the transition to electric construction and landscaping equipment.

Strategy 17 GHG Reduction (MTCO2e)
Geography 2030 2040 2045
City Limit 4,830 11,460 16,560
SOI 160 100 130
CAP Study Area 4,990 11,560 16,690

Strategy 17 Key Metrics
Metric 2030 2040 2045
Percentage of construction
equipment converted to electric 30% 60% 80%
Percentage of landscaping
equipment converted to electric 40% 65% 80%
STRATEGY 17 CO-BENEFITS:

Improves Air Quality

Promotes Technological Innovation

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Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 69
STRATEGY 17 ACTIONS
17-1: Promote the health and safety benefits of battery-operated or electric-powered landscaping equipment and collaborate with regional partners such as the Monterey Bay Air Resources District and 3CE to identify and provide incentives to support replacement of gas-powered landscaping equipment. 17-2: Develop and implement a ban on gas-powered leaf blowers. 17-3: Support State and regional efforts to replace diesel-powered construction and landscaping equipment with electric equipment.
17-4: Conduct targeted outreach to local construction and landscaping companies to raise awareness about and increase participation in available electric equipment rebate programs. 17-5: Require hybrid or clean-fuel construction and landscaping equipment in City contracts.

Chapter 4
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategy

Solid Waste
Goal: Hollister residents, businesses, and visitors minimize waste sent to the landfill.

Many materials, including food, paper products, and wood, release GHGs as they decompose. By reducing the volume of waste that community members send to landfills, Hollister can significantly reduce waste-based GHG emissions. Waste reduction can take a variety of forms, from reducing the amount of packing used in food service and retail products, as envisioned in Hollister 2040 General Plan Update’s Zero-Waste Community policy, to reimagining alternative uses for items that might otherwise be considered garbage.

For materials that do end up in landfills, emissions from decomposing waste can be captured and used for electricity, offsetting emissions from electricity use for facility operations.

Strategy 18 REDUCE COMMUNITY-WIDE WASTE GENERATION
Promote programs and behavioral shifts to reduce community-wide consumption and generation of trash sent to landfills.

Strategy 18 GHG Reduction (MTCO2e)
Geography 2030 2040 2045
City Limit 2,860 5,650 9,750
SOI 110 240 410
CAP Study Area 2,970 5,890 10,160

Strategy 18 Key Metrics
Metric 2030 2040 2045
Reduction in solid waste
generation 15% 25% 40%

City of Hollister
Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 71
STRATEGY 18 CO-BENEFITS:

Conserves Natural Resources
STRATEGY 18 ACTIONS
18-1: Work with Recology, San Benito County Waste Management Regional Agency, and community partners to establish a source-reduction program and associated outreach and education campaign that promotes options to rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse, regenerate, recycle, and recover materials and work toward a zero-waste community goal. 18-2: Work with waste haulers and regional agencies to encourage efforts to promote recycling and composting of organic materials.
18-3: Establish sharing, exchange, and reuse program(s), including fix-it clinics, swap events, second-hand markets, and shop local campaigns by collaborating with community and regional partners. 18-4: Work with San Benito County to require the recycling of demolition materials or the use of recycled materials in new construction, as feasible.
18-5: Continue to implement the City’s purchasing preference for products containing recycled materials, as described in Section 3.06.280 of the Hollister Municipal Code.
18-6: Develop and adopt an ordinance to prohibit specific types of single-use or disposable plastics, particularly for use by restaurants, caterers, and other commercial kitchens. 18-7: Engage with businesses and industry to encourage the purchase and use of recycled materials where possible. 18-8: Encourage the community to participate in waste exchanges and used goods resale programs.

Chapter 4
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategy

Strategy 19 RECYCLING AND COMPOSTING EDUCATION
Publicize Recology’s composting services and educational resources to homes and businesses in Hollister.

Strategy 19 GHG Reduction (MTCO2e)
Geography 2030 2040 2045
City Limit 780 930 1,500
SOI 30 40 60
CAP Study Area 810 970 1,560

Strategy 19 Key Metrics
Metric 2030 2040 2045
Tons of solid waste
reduced 1,820 2,160 3,500
STRATEGY 19 CO-BENEFITS:

Conserves Natural Resources
STRATEGY 19 ACTIONS
19-1: Support San Benito County and Recology’s existing programs by publicizing information about composting services for homes and businesses through the city’s website, mailers, social media, and other communication channels. 19-2: Work with Recology to ensure residents and businesses have access to compost bins. 19-3: Work with local and regional partners to ensure each residence in the city is provided with curbside composting pursuant to SB 1383.
19-4: Require composting and other food waste diversion techniques at restaurants citywide. 19-5: Require composting at City facilities and at public events requiring City approval.

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October 2024 Page 73
Strategy 20 METHANE CAPTURE AT LANDFILLS
Support efforts to reduce methane emissions from regional landfills.

Strategy 20 GHG Reduction (MTCO2e)
Geography 2030 2040 2045
City Limit 3,080 6,400 8,920
SOI 120 270 380
CAP Study Area 3,200 6,670 9,300
STRATEGY 20 CO-BENEFITS:

Conserves Natural Resources
STRATEGY 20 ACTIONS
20-1: Encourage efforts of the John Smith Road Landfill to install or enhance existing methane capture technology and associated monitoring systems with a goal of increasing the methane capture rate to the greatest extent feasible. 20-2: Encourage the use of captured methane for flaring or generation of electricity to offset fossil fuel energy use and reduce GHG emissions.

Chapter 4
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategy

Water and Wastewater
Goal: The community maintains a sustainable supply of drinking water and efficient indoor and outdoor water use in homes, businesses, and operations.

Water conservation reduces emissions by reducing the amount of energy needed to process, heat, and deliver water. In addition to saving energy, water conservation and efficiency helps protect one of California’s most precious resources and helps Hollister be more resilient to drought and water shortages. Meanwhile, individual homes and businesses benefit from reduced utility costs. The CAP also includes strategies to increase efficiency of water and wastewater treatment processes, which can reduce the amount of electricity required to operate water treatment facilities, further reducing GHG emissions in the water and wastewater sector.

The average Hollister resident
uses 16,760 gallons of water per
year.

HOLLISTER WATER RECLAMATION FACILITY
The Hollister Water Reclamation Facility, owned by the City and operated by Veolia North America, is responsible for treating domestic, commercial, and industrial wastewater. It generates recycled water used for agricultural production (including horticultural crops such as lettuce and tomatoes), park irrigation, airport landscaping, and groundwater recharge. Water recycling conserves water by reducing community demand on limited surface water and saves energy used in the sourcing and distribution of freshwater.

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Strategy 21 REDUCE COMMUNITY-WIDE WATER USE
Reduce water use in the community through water conservation, water-efficient retrofits, water-wise landscaping, graywater, and recycled water programs.

Strategy 21 GHG Reduction (MTCO2e)
Geography 2030 2040 2045
City Limit 280 410 530
SOI 10 20 20
CAP Study Area 290 430 550

Strategy 21 Key Metrics
Metric 2030 2040 2045
Reduction in water use
(million gallons) 310 360 430
STRATEGY 21 CO-BENEFITS:

Conserves Natural Resources
STRATEGY 21 ACTIONS
21-1: Work with Sunnyslope and San Benito County Water District to develop and implement a water conservation and storage plan to ensure sustainable water supply as droughts become more frequent. 21-2: Require a Plumbing Retrofit Water Conservation Certification in accordance with SB 407 upon sale of residential properties.
21-3: Provide educational resources and incentives to increase the planting of residential and commercial drought- tolerant landscaping.
21-4: Distribute resources from San Benito County Water District to educate homeowners and business owners about water-efficiency and water reuse appliances and devices and existing incentive programs.

Chapter 4
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategy

21-5: Collaborate with regional partners to provide incentives for graywater, rainwater storage systems, and other on-site water reuse systems.

Strategy 22 REDUCE MUNICIPAL WATER USE
Reduce municipal water use.

Strategy 22 GHG Reduction (MTCO2e)
Geography 2030 2040 2045
City Limit Less than 10 Less than 10 Less than 10
SOI Less than 10 Less than 10 Less than 10
CAP Study Area Less than 10 Less than 10 Less than 10
STRATEGY 22 CO-BENEFITS:

Conserves Natural Resources
STRATEGY 22 ACTIONS
22-1: Require water-efficient retrofits in municipal buildings and facilities through implementation of requirements for water-conserving plumbing fixtures and other techniques. 22-2: Implement drought-tolerant landscaping and/or water-efficient irrigation systems for public parks and facilities. 22-3: Work with the Regional Domestic Wastewater Treatment Plant (RDWWTP), the local wastewater treatment provider, to upgrade and replace wastewater treatment and pumping equipment with more energy-efficient equipment as feasible.
22-4: Assess and upgrade City-owned water pumping and treatment equipment, as needed, to increase energy efficiency and save energy costs.

Instead of being quantified as a stand-alone strategy, GHG emissions reductions for this strategy were quantified at the community-wide scale. As a result, there are no GHG reductions, assumptions, or performance targets specific to municipal operations. For the corresponding community-wide strategy, which includes municipal operations, refer to Strategy 20.

Strategy 23 METHANE CAPTURE FOR WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITIES Work with the Regional Domestic Wastewater Treatment Plant (RDWWTP), the City’s wastewater treatment plant, to increase methane capture rate in the indirect wastewater treatment process.

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October 2024 Page 77
Strategy 23 GHG Reduction (MTCO2e)
Geography 2030 2040 2045
City Limit 100 210 510
SOI Less than 10 10 20
CAP Study Area 100 220 530
STRATEGY 23 CO-BENEFITS:

Conserves Natural Resources
STRATEGY 23 ACTIONS
23-1: Work with RDWWTP to explore the possibility of generating electricity from captured methane to power various facilities and reduce operating costs.

Chapter 4
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategy

Natural Resources and Agriculture
Goal: Preserve and expand natural resources and agricultural land.

Historically, Hollister was an agricultural community with abundant orchards, farms, and ranches. The remaining agricultural lands, including those classified as prime farmland, have the potential to sequester carbon through conversion of topsoil, minimization of tillage and erosion, and maximization of soil organic matter content. This CAP includes strategies that support the goals in the Hollister 2040 General Plan Update Open Space and Agriculture Element to promote conservation of existing natural and working lands. These strategies involve collaboration with regional partners, agencies, and members of the agricultural community to reduce GHG emissions from the agriculture sector in Hollister.

Strategy 24 NATURAL RESOURCES AND OPEN SPACE
Ensure the preservation and expansion of park land and open space land to provide space for natural habitat, carbon sequestration, and recreation opportunities.

STRATEGY 24 CO-BENEFITS:

Conserves Natural Resources

Supports Local Agriculture
STRATEGY 24 ACTIONS
24-1: Explore opportunities to increase park space at locations identified in the Hollister Parks Master Plan. 24-2: Explore opportunities to increase tree plantings and vegetation in existing urban areas, such as requiring landscaping on public and private sites, such as entry areas, street medians, parks, , parking lots, plazas, courtyards, and recreational areas.
24-3: Become a Tree City USA city, which requires designation of a staff person, board, or department to be responsible for the care of trees in the city and administering the program; adopting a tree care ordinance; ensuring the expenditure of $2 per capita per year on tree planting and maintenance; and adopting an annual Arbor Day proclamation.
24-4: Develop a Trail Master Plan with a gap-analysis study of existing parks, trails, and open spaces in Hollister to ensure equal access to natural resources and open space.
24-5: Collaborate with San Benito County on implementation of their Parks and Recreation Facilities Master Plan and implementation of the Hollister Parks Master Plan to ensure regional connectivity to trails and open space, along

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Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 79
with County and City collaborated efforts to enhance the San Benito River frontage through the San Benito River Parkway Master Plan and other studies.
24-6: Create open space preservation opportunities. Through the development review process, preserve open space areas. Encourage the dedication of open space areas that are adjacent to public open space.

Strategy 24 is not quantifiable; however, it supports community-wide GHG emissions reductions.

Photo credit: Janet Chang.

Chapter 4
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategy

Strategy 25 TREE PLANTING AND PRESERVATION
Maintain and expand the City’s existing tree canopy to improve urban environmental quality and mitigate the urban heat island effect.

Strategy 25 GHG Reduction (MTCO2e)
Geography 2030 2040 2045
City Limit 250 310 150
SOI 50 60 30
CAP Study Area 300 370 180

Strategy 25 Key M etrics
Metric 2030 2040 2045
New trees planted 100 300 500
STRATEGY 25 CO-BENEFITS:

Improves Air Quality

Promotes Community Resilience

Improves Habitability
STRATEGY 25 ACTIONS
25-1: Implement an urban forestry program to manage citywide tree planting and maintenance, conduct a citywide tree inventory and canopy cover, and monitor tree health to maintain and expand the city's existing tree canopy. 25-2: As part of preparation of an Urban Forest Master Plan, identify priority areas for tree planting, focusing on environmental justice communities, to mitigate the heat island effect in underserved neighborhoods. 25-3: Ensure that new and retrofitted large hardscaped areas, such as parking lots, incorporate trees and other green infrastructure appropriate for current and future climate conditions. 25-4: Explore grant funding opportunities for urban forestry, pervious concrete, and cool pavement. 25-5: Encourage property owners to plant and maintain trees in existing urban areas through a citywide “Adopt a Tree” program to reduce the urban heat island effect, while ensuring compliance with fire-safe planting protocols and maintaining defensible space, as applicable.

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Strategy 26 GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
Incorporate drought-tolerant landscapes, bioswales, green roofs, and permeable pavements in new development to increase absorption of precipitation during heavy rain events and reduce surface water runoff.

STRATEGY 26 CO-BENEFITS:

Supports the Local Economy

Supports Local Agriculture
STRATEGY 26 ACTIONS
26-1: Develop sustainable building design standards that include requirements for green infrastructure and landscaping for outdoor areas.
26-2: Adopt green infrastructure design standards to improve stormwater management at public facilities, streets, and parking lots based on recognized green. infrastructure design guidelines, such as the one developed by Flows to the Bay.
26-3: Incorporate green infrastructure standards into design review. 26-4: Strategy 26 is not quantifiable; however, it supports community-wide GHG emissions reductions.

Chapter 4
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategy

Strategy 27 LOCAL FOOD SYSTEMS
Promote local and sustainable food sources, including community gardens, home vegetable and fruit gardening, farmers markets, food cooperatives, and community-based efforts to grow and share locally grown food.

STRATEGY 27 CO-BENEFITS:

Supports the Local Economy

Supports Local Agriculture
STRATEGY 27 ACTIONS
27-1: Identify locations for community gardens and work with community groups to establish gardens on appropriate sites.
27-2: Collaborate with community partners to share information and resources on the benefits of eating seasonally, locally grown food, which include reducing individual GHG emissions and support the local economy. 27-3: Work with community partners to increase reliable and affordable access to fresh and healthy food. 27-4: Support efforts of community partners to promote local and regional farms, viticulture, food processors, home gardeners, and other agriculture uses, including through educational farm tours, tasting events, farm-to-table community meals, gardening workshops, and more.

Strategy 27 is not quantifiable; however, it supports community-wide GHG emissions reductions.

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Strategy 28 SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND CARBON SEQUESTRATION Work with regional partners and farmers to increase sustainable agricultural practices and carbon sequestration on agricultural lands.

Strategy 28 GHG Reduction (MTCO2e)
Geography 2030 2040 2045
City Limit 180 0 0
SOI 660 0 0
CAP Study Area 840 0 0

Strategy 28 Key Metrics
Metric 2030 2040 2045
Acres of farmland in
the Healthy Soils
Program
230 0 0
STRATEGY 28 CO-BENEFITS:

Supports Local Agriculture
STRATEGY 28 ACTIONS
28-1: Implement Hollister 2040 goals and policies aimed at preserving agricultural lands in the City's SOI and mitigating the loss of such lands. Work with local and regional partners to track development at the State level pertaining to sequestration of natural and working lands, including through CARB's Natural and Working Lands GHG inventory and the California 2030 Natural and Working Lands Climate Change Implementation Plan. 28-2: Work with local and regional partners to explore innovative techniques to increase carbon sequestration on agricultural land, including through compost application, agroforestry, grazing land, grassland and cropland management, crop covering, mulching, reduced or no-till practices, and planting of windbreaks, among others. 28-3: Partner with farming groups, academic institutions, and other partners to review and implement suggestions in the State's Healthy Soils Initiative, which facilitates the management of farms and ranches specifically for carbon sequestration and other benefits, such as increased water-holding capacity and soil fertility.

Chapter 4
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategy

28-4: Work with CARB and other local and regional partners and participating agencies to identify and implement actions to maximize the use of the city's natural and working lands, including exploration of funding opportunities such as green loans, mitigation and carbon banking, or pursuit of grant funding. 28-5: Work with local farmers and community organizations involved with local farms to highlight agricultural properties and operating farms in the city's SOI, and to encourage their operation. 28-6: Work with Resource Conservation Districts and nonprofit organizations to pursue funding for sustainable agriculture grants that can help incentivize farmers and ranchers to minimize synthetic pesticide and fertilizer use. 28-7: Develop and implement an ordinance that prohibits the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers on City-owned property.

WHAT IS CARBON SEQUESTRATION?
Carbon sequestration is absorption of CO2 into living biomass of trees, plants, and soils, which is accounted for in the Land Use and Sequestration sector. This GHG inventory estimates the amount of carbon sequestered by urban street trees (not including trees in open spaces and agricultural lands) over a period of 20 years in the total urban area based on average sequestration rates for urban trees in Hollister’s climate zone.

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Governance and Leadership
Goal: Work with regional partners to implement the CAP and take actions to increase community resilience against climate hazards.

The City of Hollister strives to serve as a regional leader of sustainability. The City recognizes that successful implementation of this CAP will require integration of sustainability practices and commitment across all City departments, throughout City operations, and at most City facilities to the greatest extent feasible. The City will rely on existing regional partnerships to support many initiatives in this plan, including those with 3CE, AMBAG, and San Benito County. By incorporating CAP strategies into city-wide municipal operations, the City will be well positioned to save money over time and increase community resilience, including continuity of services in the event of natural and climate-related hazards, power outages, and PSPS events. In addition, the City and community can benefit from enhanced community resilience through implementation of CAP sustainability measures that advance racial equity and environmental justice, including community resilience resources, green jobs, safety for outdoor workers, and climate change education.

The City is committed to support the State’s goal of carbon neutrality statewide by 2045 and a minimum reduction of GHGs 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2045. This commitment will require dedicated staff and a budget for the implementation of this CAP, which is a change from the City’s current day-to-day operations. Preparation of this CAP revealed data limitations and challenges, which should be addressed as part of implementation, including preparation of a City Operations GHG Inventory in the near term to support benchmarking and establishment of processes for tracking key metrics that support monitoring and reporting. The City’s commitment to implementation is demonstrated through the strategies and actions under the Governance and Leadership goal and the implementation strategies presented in Chapter 5.

Chapter 4
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategy

Strategy 29 REGIONAL COOPERATION
Collaborate with neighboring jurisdictions, landfills, county agencies, the Central Coast Climate Collaborative, and community organizations to implement the Climate Action Plan.

STRATEGY 29 CO-BENEFITS:

Promotes Local Governance and Leadership
STRATEGY 29 ACTIONS
29-1: Coordinate with regional partners to seek funding for regional climate projects, such as a weatherization program or energy-efficiency rebates.
29-2: Collaborate with regional partners to share updates, case studies, and lessons learned from implementation of climate actions.

Strategy 29 is not quantifiable; however, it supports community-wide GHG emissions reductions.

Strategy 30 COMMUNITY RESILIENCE RESOURCES
Provide emergency information, essential services, and financial assistance to the community to enhance resilience during climate hazard events.

STRATEGY 30 CO-BENEFITS:

Promotes Community Resilience

Promotes Social Equity
STRATEGY 30 ACTIONS
30-1: Partner with county agencies, local weather stations, and air quality districts to provide public health advisories regarding extreme heat and poor air quality.
30-2: Fund the creation and operation of centrally located accessible resilience hubs that can serve as shelters and resource centers during climate hazard events and natural disasters. 30-3: Work with community and regional partners to identify funding options and opportunities to provide temporary or permanent free air conditioning units and/or fans for highly vulnerable residents, including low-income households

City of Hollister
Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 87
especially low-income households representing multiple characteristics of vulnerability to the effects of climate change.
30-4: Provide information on how to prepare for emergencies in the event of a wildfire, flood, or other natural disaster. 30-5: Partner with community organizations and faith-based groups to raise awareness about resilience resources and financial assistance programs, such as energy bill assistance and free air conditioning units.

Strategy 30 is not quantifiable; however, it supports community-wide GHG emissions reductions.

Strategy 31 SAFETY FOR OUTDOOR WORKERS
Ensure that workers in outdoor industries have adequate protection from environmental hazards.

STRATEGY 31 CO-BENEFITS:

Promotes Social Equity
STRATEGY 31 ACTIONS
31-1: Identify and support community organizations and regional partners that provide resources and training on workplace environmental hazards, including extreme heat, poor air quality, and diseases to all employers of outdoor workers (e.g., landscaping, construction, mining, farming) in Hollister.

Strategy 31 is not quantifiable; however, it supports community-wide GHG emissions reductions.

Strategy 32 GREEN JOBS
Provide green job training to create living wages and quality employment opportunities while reducing health and environmental impacts of local industries.

STRATEGY 32 CO-BENEFITS:

Supports the Local Economy
STRATEGY 32 ACTIONS
32-1: Partner with community colleges, local non-profits, and community groups to provide green jobs training for residents.

Chapter 4
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategy

32-2: Provide information about green jobs, especially to people currently or recently working in polluting or extractive industries.
32-3: Collaborate with community-based organizations and regional partners to amend the City’s economic development strategy and attract businesses to Hollister that contribute to a sustainable economy.

Strategy 32 is not quantifiable; however, it supports community-wide GHG emissions reductions.

Strategy 33 CLIMATE CHANGE AWARENESS AND EDUCATION
Promote climate change awareness and GHG reduction community-wide, through a variety of mechanisms, including through support of climate change education in schools or community colleges.

STRATEGY 33 CO-BENEFITS:

Conserves Natural Resources
STRATEGY 33 ACTIONS
33-1: Promote educational resources to students and parents each year and encourage community educators to incorporate clean energy and climate change discussions into their curriculum by partnering with Gavilan College and school districts.
33-2: Use City newsletters to spotlight community members, including K-12 teachers and students, who are working on climate change or sustainability and who are making a difference in our community. 33-3: Increase energy and water educational resources in the Hollister School District by working with the San Benito County Office of Education.
33-4: Work with nonprofits and community-based organizations to develop a list of green volunteer opportunities and skills training for high school students, such as community gardening, tree planting, bicycle advocacy, food recovery, and composting.

Strategy 33 is not quantifiable; however, it supports community-wide GHG emissions reductions.

City of Hollister
Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 89

SUMMARY OF TOTAL GHG EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS
The climate action strategies detailed in this chapter, in conjunction with existing and planned local and State programs, provide a flexible path to reduce the community’s GHG emissions to support the State’s adopted targets for 2030 and 2045. Table 12 shows projected emissions in 2030, 2040, and 2045 without any actions compared to emissions expected after implementation of existing and planned local and State actions and implementation of the City’s new climate action strategies. Figure 11 illustrates the City’s GHG emissions from 2005 through 2045.

Table 12 Progress to GHG Emissions Targets in CAP S tudy Area (MTCO2e) Target 2030
MTCO2e
2040
MTCO2e
2045
MTCO2e
Forecasted Emissions without Actions 382,520 442,030 472,970 Forecasted Emissions with State and 3CE Actions 274,250 273,510 282,560 Emissions with State Actions, 3CE, and CAP 202,040 94,200 31,500 Reduction Targets 125,990 75,990 31,500
California has two regulatory GHG reduction targets, as discussed in Chapter 1. SB 32 (2015) requires that the State reduce GHG emissions 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. AB 1279 (2022) requires California to reduce GHG emissions 85 percent below 1990 levels and to achieve net carbon neutrality by 2045. Although the State does not have an adopted GHG reduction target for 2040, a 2040 target of 64 percent below 1990 levels is consistent with the State’s planned GHG reduction trends.

Implementation of this CAP is projected to reduce the CAP Study Area’s future GHG emissions to 202,040 MTCO2e (3.68 percent below 1990 levels) by 2030, 94,200 MTCO2e (55.14 percent below 1990 levels) by 2040, and 31,500 MTCO2e (85 percent below 1990 levels) by 2045. The CAP thus allows Hollister to achieve a level of GHG reduction consistent with the State’s long-term reduction targets. The performance standards associated with the strategies that achieve these reductions are in line with the modeling prepared for the State’s Climate Change Scoping Plan. There is a demonstrable path to meeting the 2045 GHG reduction target without significantly exceeding the statewide modeling assumptions.

The CAP does not quantitatively demonstrate net-carbon neutrality, as the State has not yet provided guidance for how local governments can achieve this. However, this CAP supports a path to net-carbon neutrality by providing strategies to increase carbon sequestration. This CAP also does not achieve the shorter-term 2030 target, as quantitatively modeling that level of reduction would require establishing and rapidly accelerating programs at a level that is not feasible. However, it does put Hollister on a path toward these reductions.

It is likely that in future years, new policies and regulations, new technologies, changes in personal and economic behaviors and preferences, and other factors will reduce Hollister’s GHG emissions. These reductions cannot be accurately forecasted at this time, but they may enable future GHG emissions reductions. Future updates to this CAP will be able to better assess emerging trends and unexpected changes and include them in the GHG reduction strategy as appropriate.

Chapter 4
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategy

Figure 11 Hollister CAP Study Area GHG Emissions with Reduction Strategies, 2005 to 2045

0 50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,000
400,000
450,000
500,000
2005 2019 2030 2040 2045
GH
G

E
m
i
s
s
i
o
n
s

(
M
T
C
O
2 e
)
Year
Plan reductions State reductions Baseline
Forecast Target Emission with CAP
Emissions with state efforts
Reductions from State
efforts
Reductions from CAP

City of Hollister
Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 91

5. CAP IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY

Photo credit: Jenny Knerr

IMPLEMENTING THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN
Implementation Measures
To ensure the success of the CAP, the City of Hollister will prioritize and implement the strategies and actions detailed in Chapter 4.

Implementing this plan will require City leadership to execute these strategies and report progress. Staff will monitor progress on an annual basis and will provide an annual update to City decision makers.

As the City updates other planning documents, such as the municipal and zoning codes or specific plans, staff will ensure that these documents support and are consistent with the CAP. As part of CAP implementation, staff will apply some strategies and actions to existing or new development projects through the City’s permit application and review process. A separate and forthcoming supplement to the Implementation Strategy will be screening tables for use by project applicants as part of applicable permit application processes.

The strategies in this CAP are accompanied by a list of recommended implementation actions selected by City staff and stakeholders.

The list represents suggested means of achieving the measure but are not a prescriptive path to implementation. Furthermore, not all the listed actions may be necessary for the City to achieve its GHG reduction target or support Hollister’s GHG reduction goals.

The following strategies and associated actions are designed to guide Hollister in successfully implementing the CAP.

Chapter 5
CAP Implementation Strategy

Implementation Strategies
IS 1: DEVELOP AND STAFF A NEW CLIMATE ACTION PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND STAFFING 1-1: Create a Climate Action Team that includes staff assignments from all City departments. The Team should meet regularly and directly support implementation of this CAP. 1-2: Designate a staff person responsible for implementation of the CAP and to coordinate the City Climate Action Team. Responsibilities include CAP implementation, climate action and sustainability communications, grant writing, GHG inventory data collection, and tracking progress. 1-3: Identify a Climate Action Lead in each department, and division as appropriate, to support new and existing sustainability efforts that support CAP implementation. Identify their roles in providing information and updates for annual reporting and monitoring.

IS 2: MONITOR AND REPORT PROGRESS TOWARD CLIMATE ACTION PLAN TARGET ACHIEVEMENT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. 2-1: Assign responsibility for facilitating and supporting CAP implementation to the City’s Development Services Department.
2-2: Continue to involve community partners and other key stakeholders in reviewing and recommending CAP action items.
2-3: Prepare an annual progress report on implementation of the recommended GHG reduction strategies for review and consideration by the City Council. When information is available, provide updates on estimated GHG emissions reductions and current GHG emissions levels.

IS 3: CONTINUE COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH AGENCIES AND COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT SUPPORT CLIMATE ACTION PLAN IMPLEMENTATION.
3-1: Continue formal membership and participation in local and regional organizations that provide tools and support for energy efficiency, energy conservation, GHG emissions reductions, adaptation, public information, and implementation of this CAP.
3-2: As appropriate and at the direction of the City Council, commit to formal membership through joint powers authorities or other partnerships to implement high-priority strategies from the CAP. 3-3: Provide policy input to partner agencies (e.g., League of Cities) on policy barriers that need to be addressed at the State level.

IS 4: SECURE NECESSARY FUNDING TO IMPLEMENT THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN. 4-1: Identify and apply for grants to fund citywide programs and activities that implement the CAP. 4-2: Include grant funding and levels for reduction strategies as part of annual reporting. 4-3: Include emissions reduction strategies in department work plans, the capital improvement program, and other plans as appropriate.
4-4: Pursue local, regional, State, and federal grants to support implementation.

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Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 93
4-5: Explore dedicated funding sources for CAP implementation. 4-6: Explore opportunities to allocate a portion of revenues from revenue-generating strategies to CAP implementation.

IS 5: INVENTORY COMMUNITY-WIDE AND CITY OPERATIONS GHG EMISSIONS INVENTORY REGULARLY. 5-1: Support AMBAG’s work to prepare annual community-wide GHG emissions inventories. 5-2: Prepare comprehensive community-wide GHG inventories, with modeled VMT and all sectors as required by the U.S. Community Protocol, every three to five years.
5-3: Prepare a City Operations GHG Emissions Inventory within two years of adoption of this CAP and conduct subsequent inventories every three to five years.
5-4: Review and update the CAP within five years of adoption to incorporate new technology, practices, and other options to further reduce emissions, adapt to changing climate conditions, and increase community resilience.

IS 6: MAINTAIN AND UPDATE THE COMMUNITY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN TO ALLOW FOR GREATER RESILIENCE. 6-1: Coordinate updates of the CAP, General Plan Safety Element (Hollister 2040), and Local Hazard Mitigation Plan cycle to ensure plan alignment and coordination of climate mitigation and adaptation efforts. 6-2: Assess the implementation status and effectiveness of CAP strategies annually.

Work Plan
The Work Plan shown in Table 13 contains information to support City staff in integrating CAP strategies into budgets, the Capital Improvement Program, and other programs and projects. Table 13 includes implementation details for the CAP, including the party responsible for implementing the strategy, the estimated time frame until completion, and potential community partners and sources of funding. The City can use this information to identify and prioritize strategies.

The strategies of success in Table 13 are defined as follows:
 Strategy number: The number used to refer to each
strategy in the CAP and all corresponding workbooks.
 Strategy: The language used to guide actions needed for reductions.
 Action(s): The action(s) that support each strategy.
 GHG Emission Reductions: The amount of GHG emissions that would be reached by 2030, 2040, and 2045 through full implementation of each strategy and its associated actions.  Responsible Departments: The lead City department tasked with implementing the strategy and the City department that will support the lead department in implementing the strategy.

Photo credit: City of Hollister Parks and Recreation Staff

Chapter 5
CAP Implementation Strategy

 Metrics: Indicators of implementation progress.
 Partner Agencies/Organizations: Example local organizations that the City will partner with in implementing each strategy.

Additional community partners will be welcome.
 Time Frame: The year by which a strategy should be effective by fiscal year’s end. The exact status of a strategy will vary based on its actions, and many strategies will be ongoing through and beyond 2030. An effective strategy is one that will be actively on track to achieve its targeted GHG emission reductions, support adaptation to climate change effects, or achieve long-term resilience. For a strategy to be effective, the necessary programs and efforts should be active, and any infrastructure or other capital improvements should be in place. The effective year is not the end year, as many strategies and programs are intended to remain in effect for the foreseeable future.  Funding Options: General options for funding sources to complete the implementation of each strategy.

Although significant GHG reduction and adaptation policies and initiatives are already in place, the actions proposed in this CAP, by necessity, far surpass the scale of existing efforts.

Implementing the CAP and ensuring that it results in real, deep GHG emissions reductions and improved resilience will require increased and deliberate coordination across sectors and institutionalizing climate protection efforts across the community.

This chapter outlines the process for turning the CAP into action. The CAP outlines reduction strategies and recommendations for implementation, including strategies and actions whose implementation can begin immediately. However, the CAP is not a technical implementation plan for Hollister programs and community actions. City staff will lead CAP implementation and will collaborate with and support community organizations, residents, businesses, and stakeholders as appropriate to create individual programs based on the goals, strategies, and actions outlined in this report.

While short-term priorities are illustrated, please note that priorities can and do shift based on funding availability, advances in technology, new and better ideas, and other reasons. The CAP, and this implementation section, should be considered a living document.

City of Hollister
Climate Action Plan
October 2024 Page 95
Table 13 CAP Implementation Table
Strategy
Actions
GHG Emission Reductions
Metrics Responsible
Departments Partner Agencies Timeframe Funding options 2030 MTCO2e
2040
MTCO2e
2045
MTCO2e

1. Existing and new City-owned and operated facilities achieve optimal energy conservation and efficiency in their performance.
1-1. Require Cal Green Tier 1 compliance for all new City buildings. 1-2. Retrofit City-owned streetlights and traffic lights with LED fixtures by 2030. 1-3. Conduct benchmarking of energy use at all City-owned and operated facilities. 1-4. Audit existing City buildings and facilities to identify opportunities for energy conservation and efficiency upgrades or retrofits that optimize energy performance of buildings and operations and save the City energy and operating costs over time.
1-5. Conduct a municipal operations inventory to identify opportunities for energy and resource conservation within the City’s vehicle usage, employee commuting, water and wastewater use and generation, and solid waste disposal.
1-6. Add energy efficiency improvement projects to the City’s Capital Improvement Program annually and complete energy efficiency capital projects on the list with support from San Benito County, Central Coast Community Energy (3CE), Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), and other partners as appropriate. 10 20 20
Municipal buildings
receiving energy
efficiency retrofits
(number of buildings)

LED streetlights
installed (number of
lights)
City Manager

Community Services
Department
Central Coast
Community Energy
(3CE)
Pacific Gas and Electric
Company (PG&E)
San Benito County
Other partners
Midterm
(2024–26) General Fund

2. Expand and promote residential energy-efficiency of existing and new market rate homes in Hollister. 2-1. Ensure the City’s design review guidelines, as applicable, account for energy efficient design consistent with the California Building and Energy Codes and requirements.
2-2. Evaluate the effectiveness of the City’s current land use, energy, water use, stormwater management, and design codes and permitting processes in to achieve energy-efficient, carbon free, and sustainable design and operations and update applicable codes, programs, and processes as needed to improve building performance as part of the City’s building and development review processes. 2-3. Support AMBAG Energy Watch and San Benito County efforts to conduct outreach and education with local contractors to ensure they are kept up to date on local code requirements and energy-efficient appliances and devices.
2-4. Continue to require residential projects, including renovations, meet Title 24 energy efficiency requirements, and, where possible, require structural design to make use of natural heating and cooling, as well as landscaping design to reduce the heat island effect.
1,280 3,280 5,060
Existing residential
units receiving energy
efficiency retrofits
(number of units)
Development
Services
Department
AMBAG Energy Watch
San Benito County
Local builders and
suppliers
Midterm
(2024–26) General Fund