February 27, 2024
City Council
DATE: February 27, 2024
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Council Member Gayle McLaughlin, Co-sponsors Mayor
Eduardo Martinez and Vice Mayor Claudia Jimenez
Subject:
Richmond Clean Energy and Healthy Homes Campaign
of 2024 – A Neighborhood Decarbonization Program
Presentation
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The funding for this is anticipated to come through Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) grants. The hiring of an IRA Coordinator to access and manage all relevant federal
and state funding for Richmond decarbonization projects is essential. Contract cost for such a coordinator will be determined by staff.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
On November 16, 2021, the City Council unanimously
passed Ordinance 15-21, effective 1/1/22, which prohibits natural gas infrastructure in all newly constructed
buildings. Also, aligned with this effort is Richmond’s DOE-awarded Communities Local Energy Action
Program (LEAP), the Richmond Green-Blue New Deal
Workforce Development Plan and Richmond’s Climate
Action Plan.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
We must move to make all homes in Richmond healthier
and more climate friendly. ACCE is spearheading a
campaign to make this possible and will be presenting
the details of this campaign to the City Council.
AGENDA
REPORT
February 27, 2024
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
RECEIVE a presentation from the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) on their Richmond
Clean Energy and Healthy Homes Campaign of 2024;
and DIRECT staff 1) to consult with PG&E on an
appropriate low-income neighborhood as a pilot project to transition that neighborhood off the gas system by
providing free electrical appliances and 2) to contract with an Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Coordinator to make
sure the City accesses and manages as much federal
and state funding as possible to help our community cut carbon emissions and transition to clean energy –
Councilmember McLaughlin (510-620-6636), Vice Mayor
Jimenez (510-620-6565) and Mayor Martinez (510-620-
6503)
DISCUSSION:
All members of our community have a right to live in healthy, “green,” dignified and resilient apartments and homes. ACCE (Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment) will be providing a presentation on some of the research they have done and recommendations they are making for neighborhood decarbonization.
Neighborhood decarbonization is a strategy to transition entire neighborhoods off of the gas system, prioritizing poor and working class communities, in particular Black and Brown neighborhoods, that have faced disproportionate environmental burdens. Studies show that living in a home with a gas stove resulted in a 42% higher chance of childhood asthma.
By working with PG&E and utilizing additional Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding to provide free induction stoves and replacements for emission causing appliances like gas heaters, washers and dryers to our low-income households, we can prioritize public health and advance our efforts to combat the climate crisis.
Examples of this type of effort include the City of Albany and Cal State University Monterey Bay.
The City of Albany has plans to electrify an entire city block so that it can shut down that block’s gas line — for good https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/news/albany-ca-gas-pipeline- decommissioning-building-electrification-decarbonization/700050/
Cal State University Monterey Bay is working with PG&E to retire a natural gas pipeline which now supplies about 1200 units of student, staff, and faculty and to electrify the campus. https://csumb.edu/news/news-listing/east-campus-may-become-californias-largest- electrification-project/
Richmond can and should get involved in this neighborhood scale transition as well. We can decarbonize our neighborhoods and further our environmental justice and climate
February 27, 2024
justice work by working with PG&E to transition a low-income neighborhood in Richmond (such as the Iron Triangle, Belding Woods or the Southside Neighborhoods) away from the current gas system to establish a decarbonization pilot program, providing renters and homeowners with free electric appliances. Although we need to start with one neighborhood as a pilot project, the overall effort is to expand to other neighborhoods as well.
It is essential we begin work on such an undertaking now on behalf of our low-income households. Wealthy households will electrify their homes independently, and with fewer people on the gas grid, rates will skyrocket, meaning low-income households will be left behind with higher bills.
The City can and should commit to work with the Building Trades so that these decarbonization projects are implemented with skilled, professional workers who are paid a fair wage, receive benefits, and have decent working conditions.
We should also partner with a community group to do outreach to the community to explain the decarbonation process and hear input, thus making sure this is a community-driven project.
There are various Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) grants available for such projects and we should hire an IRA Coordinator – that is, a consultant who can make sure the City is taking advantage of all state and federal grants available to help pay for the transition.
Contracting with such a Coordinator is critical for accessing and managing as much grant funding as possible for this effort.
One particular grant that would be useful is EPA’s Community Change Grant. https://www.epa.gov/inflation-reduction-act/inflation-reduction-act-community-change-grants- program See also the attached information sheet about this grant. The Community Change Grants NOFO (Notice of Funding Opportunity) is open and the deadline to apply is November 21, 2024. EPA is accepting applications on a rolling basis for $2 billion in Inflation Reduction Act funding available to support community-driven projects that build capacity for communities to tackle environmental and climate justice challenges, strengthen their climate resilience, and advance clean energy.
Richmond should not miss out on this opportunity to benefit our community and the planet. Receiving this presentation from ACCE will provide further information on how and why Richmond should embark on Neighborhood Scale Decarbonization.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Information sheet on Community Change Grants Program