Implementation Plan
Richmond Green-Blue New Deal
June 2024
Prepared by:
Table of Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1 RGNBD Methodology ................................................................................................. 1 Champion or Project Manager’s Role ...................................................................... 1 Capacity Building ......................................................................................................... 2 Funding Options .......................................................................................................... 4 24 Project Profiles: First Few Steps and Case Studies ........................................... 5
1. Solar emergency microgrids at critical community facilities .......................... 6
2. Battery manufacturing .......................................................................................... 9
3. Offshore wind turbine part manufacturing ..................................................... 11
4. Building electrification and energy efficiency ................................................. 14
5. Green accessory dwelling units and tiny homes ............................................ 17
6. Community land trust ......................................................................................... 21
7. Destination downtown........................................................................................ 22
8. Transportation management association ....................................................... 24
9. Transition to zero-emission vehicles ................................................................ 26
10. Building deconstruction firms .......................................................................... 29
11. Building salvage warehouse ............................................................................. 30
12. Remakery and fixery .......................................................................................... 32
13. Re-entry entrepreneurs ..................................................................................... 33
14. Surplus food rescue ........................................................................................... 36
15. Expanding the tree canopy ............................................................................... 39
16. Living levee .......................................................................................................... 40
17. Brownfields research & innovation hub ......................................................... 43
18. Blue tech incubator and accelerator ............................................................... 45
19. Port upgrades, including electrification .......................................................... 47
20. Berthing vessels at the port .............................................................................. 49
21. Boat building ....................................................................................................... 50
22. Boat maintenance and repair ........................................................................... 52
23. Shoreline ecotourism ......................................................................................... 54
24. Green hydrogen .................................................................................................. 56
1 Implementation Plan
Introduction
How do we implement projects outlined in the Richmond Green-Blue New Deal (RGBND) Opportunities Report? Where do we start? This depends on how large or small the project is, and how far along implementation already is. Some projects are up and running. Additional funding would enable them to hire more workers.
Other projects are at the conceptual stage and need help moving to the starting line.
Based on which projects the Richmond community is interested in pursuing, this implementation plan provides details about the first few steps that will accelerate each project. This plan includes one or two case studies for each project that offers inspiration and insights. Richmond can then tailor the project based on the community’s needs, skills, and assets.
RGNBD Methodology
For green-blue projects that are at the concept stage, having a champion to define all six elements in the RGBND methodology will be helpful.
1. What is the scope of the project?
2. Does true demand for the green good or service exist?
3. Where will funding come from?
4. Who will the project manager be?
5. Who are the workers?
6. What training do they need to upskill?
Champion or Project Manager’s Role
A champion is involved in a project’s early stages. They have limited involvement but express support early on and advocate for the project. By contrast, a project manager has deeper involvement, digging in and starting to gather the pieces needed to move the project forward. Defining the scope, checking to see that real 2 demand exists, and identifying funding sources are key elements early on in project development.
Capacity Building
Current City of Richmond staff do not need to do all the preparation work to move green-blue jobs projects to the starting line. Hiring additional staff or contractors to complement the City’s existing economic development capacity would enable more job creation. Funding for capacity building could come from foundations and government agencies.
Figure 1 organizes the 24 RGBND projects by size and identifies the number of capacity building staff (fte’s or full-time equivalents) needed to move each project to the starting line. Four fte’s for two years would be able to accomplish a large amount of preparatory work.
Figure 1: 24 RGBND projects – organized by size
Project Description
Project
Size
Number
of Jobs
Capacity
building
(fte’s)
Port upgrades
including
electrification
Clean up pollution, rebuild wharfs to handle
heavier loads, electrify Large
100–
1,000
0.5 Offshore wind
turbine
manufacturing
Build parts for offshore wind development
projects in California and elsewhere Large
100–
1,000
0.5 Boat building
Manufacture boats which could range from
smaller electric tugboats to larger 500' offshore
wind turbine installation vessels Large
100–
1,000
0.2 Battery
manufacturing
Attract more battery manufacturers to
Richmond Large
100–
1,000
0.2 Green hydrogen
Manufacture hydrogen for difficult to
decarbonize industries; if safety concerns and
renewable energy sources addressed and if the
community approves Large
100–
1,000
0 Solar emergency
microgrids
Develop requests for proposals; design, permit,
and install microgrids Medium 10–100
0.2 Building
electrification
retrofits
Retrofit older homes (pre-1940 then pre-1978)
for insulation, electric water heating and electric
HVAC (heat pumps) Medium 10–100
0.5 3
Project Description
Project
Size
Number
of Jobs
Capacity
building
(fte’s)
Green accessory
dwelling units and
tiny homes
Build factory to host workforce development
training and build housing units in Richmond Medium 10–100
0.1 Destination
downtown
Invest in streetscape of a commercial area,
support cohort of entrepreneurs for new
restaurants, cafes, shared micro-manufacturing
and micro-retail Medium 10–100
0.1 Transition to zero-
emission vehicles
Install and maintain electric vehicle charging
infrastructure; maintain electric vans, fleet
vehicles, buses, commercial trucks, and big rigs Medium 10-100
0.2 Building
deconstruction
firms
Dismantle old buildings and sort salvaged
materials by type for donation or sale Medium 10–100
0.1 Building salvage
warehouse
Accept donated materials such as wooden
doors, windows, furniture, kitchen cabinets, art
and hardware then sells them to keep valuable
materials out of the landfill Medium 10–100
0.1 Expanding the
tree canopy Grow seedlings into trees; urban planting Medium 10-100
0 Living levee
Construct levee and plant native plants to
manage storm surge waters Medium 10–100
0.1 Brownfields
research &
innovation hub
Conduct research on soil cleanup technologies
and showcase relative effectiveness of each Medium 10–100
0.2 Community land
trust
Develop contracts for shared ownership to build
wealth in the community Small 1-10
0 Transportation
management
association
Provide information and incentives to encourage
residents and workers to commute by mass
transit and active mobility modes Small 1-10
0.1 Richmond
remakery and
fixery
Combine tool lending library, maker space,
workshop, fixit clinic, after school enrichment
classes, and summer camps Small 1-10
0.25 Re-entry
entrepreneurs
Offer members of the re-entry population
business plan and woodworking classes to
encourage starting businesses such as building
furniture from salvaged materials Small 1-10
0.25 Surplus food
rescue
Pick up surplus food from events, caterers,
grocery stores, and other large generators then
deliver to non-profits serving people
experiencing food insecurity Small 1-10
0.1 4
Project Description
Project
Size
Number
of Jobs
Capacity
building
(fte’s)
Blue tech
incubator and
accelerator
Help aspiring entrepreneurs incubate and
accelerate their blue tech ideas Small 1-10
0.2 Berthing vessels at
the port Host large vessels at the port for a fee Small 1-10
0 Training center for
boat maintenance
and repair Train the next generation of boat mechanics Small 1-10
0 Shoreline
ecotourism
Offer the public opportunities for recreation,
education, and tours of local plants and animals Small 1-10
0.1 Funding Options
Funding is key to unlocking jobs. Where to look for funding will depend on whether a project offers a return on investment, needs to be fully subsidized, or a combination. For projects with a proven business model, the private financial sector can help scale with investment funding, whereas projects that provide social and environmental benefits may need to be partially or fully subsidized. Figure 2 identifies what type of funding is the best match for each project.
Figure 2: Public or private funding source
Public funding -
Needs to be fully
subsidized
Combination Private funding - Offers
return on investment
Public funding or grants Grants then private
funding to scale up
Private sector investment
Building electrification
and energy efficiency
Accessory dwelling units
and tiny homes
Solar emergency microgrids
for critical community facilities
Transition to zero-
emission vehicles
Community land trust Battery manufacturing
Remakery and fixery Destination downtown Offshore wind manufacturing Re-entry entrepreneurs Transportation
management association
Building deconstruction firms
Surplus food rescue Blue tech incubator and
accelerator
Building salvage warehouse
Expanding the tree
canopy
Port upgrade Boat building
5 Public funding -
Needs to be fully
subsidized
Combination Private funding - Offers
return on investment
Living levee Training center for boat
maintenance and repair
Green hydrogen
Brownfields research &
innovation hub
Berthing vessels
Shoreline ecotourism
At a high level, for projects providing social and/or environmental benefits, public agency grants are a good place to start. Grants.gov and grants.ca.gov allow grant seekers to search their databases by topic and agency. The non-profit Center for Public Enterprise works with local governments to identify and apply for Inflation Reduction Act and other public funding.
For private sector projects with a financial return on investment, the State of California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (Go-Biz) works at a high level to put together a package of incentives, grants and financing to attract businesses to a city. In addition, generous rebates are in place for renewable energy projects and building electrification/energy efficiency retrofits for low- income households. There are programs such as fidelity bonding for hard-to-place candidates (provides up to $5,000 of protection against losses for the first six months of employment), and opportunity tax credits for businesses that hire previously incarcerated individuals no later than one year after conviction or release from prison, which is designed to help boost hiring. Details about relevant financial tools are provided in each of the following “how to” project profiles. 24 Project Profiles: First Few Steps and Case Studies
For each of the 24 recommended projects, the following provides a short description of the project, the champion or project manager, funding, first steps, and a case study or two where this type of project has already been implemented.
Note that early stage projects list a champion (or organization) whereas more established projects with funding list a project manager.
6 Figure 3: Recommended projects for green-blue job creation in Richmond Sector Recommended Projects
Renewable Energy Solar emergency microgrids (SEMs) at critical community facilities
Battery manufacturing
Offshore wind turbine manufacturing
Building
Electrification and
Energy Efficiency
Building electrification retrofits
Green accessory dwelling units and tiny homes
Community land trust
Sustainable
Transportation
Destination downtown
Transportation management association
Transition to zero-emission vehicles
Zero Waste Building deconstruction firms
Building salvage warehouse
Richmond remakery and fixery
Re-entry entrepreneurs
Surplus food rescue
Green Infrastructure
and Urban Forestry
Expanding the tree canopy
Living levee
Land Use Brownfields research & innovation hub
Water Blue tech incubator and accelerator
Port upgrades including electrification
Berthing vessels at the port
Boat building
Training center for boat maintenance and repair
Shoreline ecotourism
Other Green hydrogen
The following projects have been chosen to be a strong match for the Richmond community’s interests, skills, talents, and assets.
1. Solar emergency microgrids at critical community facilities Having clean local backup power at critical community facilities (police stations, fire stations, wastewater treatment plants, K-12 schools, and healthcare facilities) in the event of a natural disaster or public safety power shutoff (PSPS) would allow these facilities to be able to continue to serve the community. As demand for microgrids grow, Richmond electrical contracting firms could develop an expertise in this area. 7 Scope: Develop expertise in Requests for Proposal (RFPs), design, permitting and installation of solar emergency microgrids with solar photovoltaics, batteries for energy storage, and monitoring, communications and controls.
Champion: to be decided
Funding:
• California Energy Commission
o GFO-23-317 - Energy Storage Innovations to Support Grid Reliability (proposal due Aug 9, 2024)
o GFO-23-315 - Clean, Dispatchable Generation – part of the Energy Program Investment Charge (EPIC) program (proposal due Sept 13, 2024)
• California Public Utilities Commission – Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP)
• California State Treasurer’s Office
o Clean Energy Bond Financing
o Property Assessed Clean Energy Loss Reserve Program
• Utility - Marin Clean Energy
• Private investment – project finance, commercial bank loans First steps:
1. Read articles about microgrids online at microgridknowledge.com, utilitydive.com, and cleancoalition.org to learn terms, trends, challenges, and players.
2. Take a six-week class on solar microgrid methodology to understand fundamental principles, strategies, and tools to develop a Solar Microgrid Feasibility Study, analyze electricity data, model solar systems, size Battery Energy Storage Systems, and conduct economic analyses.
3. Attend microgrid conferences and/or attend webinars about microgrids to meet people who have expertise writing RFPs, designing, permitting, or installing systems.
4. Develop Request for Proposals (RFPs) for fire and police station microgrids – modeled on City of Fremont’s fire station microgrids and Santa Barbara Unified School District’s microgrids RFPs
8 5. Identify funding - Talk to project finance businesses and explore California Energy Commission EPIC funding sources
Case Study - Solar emergency microgrids – Fremont, CA
Three fire stations (#6, #7, and #11) in Fremont have been equipped with solar photovoltaic (PV) carports and large battery systems to increase their energy resiliency and bolster their capacity to operate during power outages. This combination of solar panels and batteries allows each station to generate and store its own energy with the ability to separate or “island” from the grid in case of an emergency. City staff are able to monitor generation and usage via cloud-based energy management software.
Figure 4: Fremont Fire Station #6 microgrid
Source: City of Fremont
The project is a public-private partnership between the City of Fremont, the Fremont-based clean technology firm Gridscape Solutions (Gridscape), and the California Energy Commission (CEC). Each station is equipped with 95 kWh of energy storage and a 40 kW solar canopy. The project is expected to save the City a
9 combined quarter million dollars in energy costs over the next decade while decreasing the municipal greenhouse gas footprint by 80,000 pounds of CO2 per year, which is equivalent to 36 MTCO2e.
Fire station microgrids provide multiple benefits to the City and community:
reducing energy demand on the grid through the use of storage technology, protecting critical facilities against power outages, supporting local innovation and entrepreneurship, increasing community resilience, saving money, and reducing carbon emissions.
Figure 5: Fremont Fire Station #6 microgrid system
Source: City of Fremont
2. Battery manufacturing
State environmental policies have set goals to reach 100% renewable energy on the electricity grid by 2045 as well as the electrification of the transportation system.
Stationary batteries are key to be able to add increasing amounts of wind and solar electricity, and mobile batteries will be needed as we electrify cars, light trucks, medium- and heavy-duty trucks, fleet vehicles, locomotives, and boats. Richmond has valuable assets that will be attractive to battery manufacturers such as
10 industrially-zoned land, freight lines, highways, and a port to move materials and products in and out.
Scope: Building on existing battery manufacturing operations in Richmond, attract stationary and mobile battery manufacturing operations to Richmond Champion: Economic Development Department, City of Richmond Funding:
• Federal government – U.S. Department of Energy
• State government – California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GoBiz) can help bundle offers of incentives, grants, and financing; the California Industrial Development Financing Advisory Commission approves the issuance of industrial development bonds • California State Treasurer’s Office – Sales Tax Exclusion for Manufacturers • Private investment – Battery manufacturing companies will raise capital from private funding sources
First steps:
1. Read articles online about energy storage and batteries at energy- storage.news, utilitydive.com, cleantechnica.com, insideclimatenews.org, electrek.co, and the U.S. Department of Energy to learn terms, trends, challenges, and players.
2. Attend energy storage conferences and webinars to meet companies.
3. Invite battery manufacturers to tour Richmond.
Case study: Battery manufacturing, Tucson, AZ
In 2023, American Battery Factory broke ground south of Tucson, Arizona, on the first phase of a 2 million square-foot “gigafactory” to produce lithium iron- phosphate battery cells. The project will attract $1.2 billion in capital investment and create jobs for 300 workers initially and then a total of 1,000 new jobs at full buildout. Construction is expected to be completed in 2025.
Utah-based battery pack maker Lion Energy is the parent company of American Battery Factory which will feature a battery research center as well as advanced manufacturing technology that leverages machine learning and artificial- 11 intelligence technology. The gigafactory is expected to generate $3.1 billion in economic impact to the state over 10 years.
3. Offshore wind turbine part manufacturing
The State of California is actively planning for 5 gigawatts of offshore wind development by 2030 and 25 gigawatts by 2045 off the coasts of Humboldt and Morro Bay. The California Energy Commission is looking to spread economic development opportunities for offshore wind development to port cities throughout the state. Richmond has assets that make a strong case for manufacturing of wind turbine parts. Which parts those should be will be determined after giving tours to the five offshore wind developers and Tier 1 supplier Crowley.
Figure 6: Turbine blade manufacturing in France
Photo credit: Baptiste Almodovar
Scope: For offshore wind development off the coast of Humboldt and Morro Bay, many different wind turbine parts will be needed: blades, towers, nacelles, floating
12 platforms, floating platform assemblies, substations, mooring rope, mooring chain, anchors, array cables, export cables, and others. Manufacturing and storage of parts could happen at the Port of Richmond or nearby. But first, the Port’s wharfs would need to be updated and reinforced to be able to handle heavier loads.
Champions: Economic Development Department and Port of Richmond, City of Richmond
Funding:
• Federal government – U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration - Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) grants, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
• State government – California Energy Commission, California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GoBiz) can help bundle offers of incentives, grants, and financing
• Private investment – Tier 2 supply chain manufacturers will secure private funding for capital expenses and operating expenses for offshore wind turbine manufacturing
First steps:
1. Read about offshore wind power at nawindpower.com (North American Wind Power), windpowermonthly.com, windmillstech.com, offshorewind.biz, and electrek.co to learn terms, trends, challenges, and players.
2. Attend a few offshore wind conferences to meet wind developers, Tier 1 supplier Crowley, and other businesses. Offer tours of Richmond.
3. Identify state and federal funding sources then create RFPs to find consultants for three studies: strategic plan for offshore wind turbine manufacturing in Richmond, a port assessment, and a port plan. a. Strategic Plan ($50,000) - to determine the best match between Richmond’s assets and strengths, and the offshore wind developers’ and Tier 1 supplier’s needs.
b. Port Assessment ($100,000) – this would include two parts: a summary of port facilities to identify the sites within the Port, their use, tenant agreements, existing infrastructure, etc.; and an Engineering 13 Inspection and Assessment to determine the condition of Port facilities and costs to repair, retrofit, and upgrade.
c. Port Plan ($350,000) – this would include two parts as well: a Port Master Plan identifies land use planning including long-range goals and policies for land use and development (ex., Port of Long Beach Master Plan); and a Redevelopment Plan specific to a terminal or site and details about improvements required to position the site for the type of use.
d. Project management for/at City ($80,000)
Case Study – Offshore wind development near Martha’s Vineyard, MA Vineyard Wind 1 is an offshore wind turbine farm under construction 15 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. In October 2023, the first of 62 massive 13 megawatt wind turbines that are 700’ tall and have 321’ long turbine blades, headed out to sea for installation.
Figure 7: New Bedford ship carrying offshore wind parts
Source: Peter Pereira
14 The New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal along the southern coast of Massachusetts provides staging areas for wind turbine parts. While the US is developing manufacturing capacity for OSW turbine components, many parts need to be imported from established manufacturers in Europe that have decades of experience.
The types of jobs created initially were development and design jobs, followed by construction jobs. Construction of the wind farm is expected to take 2-3 years at which point there will be operations and maintenance jobs for decades. Foss Martime, which also has operations at the Port of Richmond, CA, designed and built specialized U.S. flagged barges to transport components out to the Vinyard Wind 1 offshore construction area: two 400’ barges that can handle 1,700 ton loads including upright wind turbine components.
To date, 400 union members have worked on the project – on shore and on vessels.
The first arrival of wind turbine parts brought temporary work for 300 laborers to unload plus 12 longshoremen jobs. Project Labor Agreements were signed with local unions.
Electricity from the first turbines started feeding into the grid in January 2024. When completed, the offshore wind farm will generate 800 megawatts, enough electricity for 400,000 homes and businesses.
4. Building electrification and energy efficiency
In Richmond, 11% of homes were built in 1939 or earlier. Seventy percent of homes were built in 1979 or earlier, before California’s energy efficiency standards were authored. Opportunities abound to help low income households upgrade their interior heating and water heating systems, which are dominated by natural gas use and which consume more than half of a home’s energy. Upgrades for electrification and energy efficiency would improve indoor air quality, increase the value of the homes, and prepare homes to be able to plug in an electric vehicle at some point.
Scope: Scoping a building electrification pilot program will involve deciding on the number of households to be served, where to set the household income threshold (for example, 80% or 120% of the area median income) for pilot participation, what 15 equipment will be installed or systems upgraded (heat pumps for space heating, cooling, and ventilation; heat pumps for water heating; insulation; electrical panel replacement; and/or add electric vehicle charging ability); and if the project will be zero upfront cost to the homeowner and not result in a higher monthly utility bill.
Project manager: local community-based organization or consultant with expertise in building electrification
Funding:
• Federal grants
o U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Green and Resilient Retrofit Program
• State grants
o California Department of Community Services & Development Programs –Low-Income Weatherization Program, Community Services Block Grants
o California Economic Development Department – California Jobs First funds the Bay Area Jobs First program (Asian Pacific Environmental Network is administering)
o California Public Utilities Commission – Energy Savings Assistance Program (no cost weatherization for low income households), Self- Generation Incentive Program (SGIP), and TECH Clean California o California State Treasurer’s Office – California Hub for Energy Efficiency Financing (CHEEF) Pilot Programs, Property Assessed Clean Energy Loss Reserve Program, Working Group on Energy Efficiency Financing Programs
• Regional assistance
o BayREN Home+ and Bay Area Multifamily Building Enhancement rebates
o Contra Costa Employment & Human Services Department/Community Services Bureau - Energy bill assistance and weatherization services to low-income residents of Contra Costa County
o Marin Clean Energy (MCE) received $158 million from the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) to help fund low- and no-cost electric upgrades for low- and middle-income households.
16 First steps:
1. Read studies on the California Energy Commission and California Public Utilities Commission websites about building electrification and energy efficiency
2. Check with City of Berkeley to learn the latest about how their residential building electrification pilot is coming along
3. Establish a working group with MCE, local CBOs, unions, and local electricians to scope the pilot project
4. Confirm funding is available from MCE, TECH Clean California, the Energy Savings Assistance Program, and other possible sources
5. Work with a local community-based organization (Roots of Success, Groundwork Richmond, and Urban Tilth) to survey homeowners and ask questions to determine level of interest in the pilot program if there is no cost up front and the utility bill stays at the same level Case study - Pilot program for residential building electrification retrofits, Berkeley, CA In 2022, the Berkeley City Council directed the Office of Energy and Sustainable Development (OESD) to establish a two-year $1.5-million pilot program to retrofit existing low-income residences with all-electric equipment.
Berkeley’s program of direct-install and incentives is intended to help households making less than 120% of the area median income. Direct-install programs eliminate the need for households to find and manage their own contractors. The programs also equitably eliminate or reduce the amount of upfront money needed by property owners to conduct retrofits, and the programs eliminate the need to wait for rebates or retroactively apply for them. Direct-install programs streamline the permitting process and lower barriers for residents.
To assist new property owners, renters, and existing contractors in the transition to zero-carbon buildings, minimum labor standards are being applied to this program.
In addition, Berkeley has set aside $600,000 for the Climate Equity Action Fund.
Together, the Residential Building Electrification Pilot and Climate Equity Action Fund would facilitate 400–500 retrofits per year.
17 Local partners include East Bay Community Energy, BayREN, Rising Sun Center for Opportunity, CTWI-BTCA, and BlocPower. The State of California provided $1.5 million for the City of Berkeley’s pilot, and the City pitched in $600,000 for the Climate Equity Action Fund from the City’s transfer tax.
The cost to electrify the City’s entire low-rise building stock (36,000 units) would be $700–880 million, with an additional $120 million needed for efficiency improvements and solar. Success with the Berkeley Residential Electrification Pilot could spur the City Council and residents to seed additional federal, state, and local funds to expand the program in subsequent years.
5. Green accessory dwelling units and tiny homes
Rebuilding Together East Bay Network is raising $900,000 to build a factory to train and employ workers to construct accessory dwelling units and tiny homes.
Currently they are building beneath a highway overpass. Having a factory would speed up the manufacturing process.
Twenty local churches
have expressed
interest in hosting
ADUs or tiny homes on
their property to help
serve the unhoused
population.
Richmond’s 2023 Point
in Time Count found
632 unhoused
individuals, up from
280 individuals
counted in 2020.
Scope: Build a factory in Richmond to construct ADUs and tiny homes Project Manager: JW Frye, Rebuilding Together East Bay Network
Figure 8: Constructing tiny homes
Source: bigskillstinyhomes.org
18 Funding:
• State government – California Department of Housing and Community Development - Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program, California Housing Finance Agency, California State Treasurer’s Office –green bonds and sustainability bonds
• Private funding – commercial bank loans
• Philanthropy
• Crowdfunding
Next steps:
1. Create business plan for a warehouse space for an ADU/tiny homes factory with 1-year and 3-year financial projections. JW Frye at RTEBN estimates a $20,000 cost to put together a business plan.
2. Expand fundraising efforts
a. Create crowdfunding campaign video
b. Create crowdfunding strategy with milestones to seed, grow and reach fundraising goal: friends, family and allies give initial funding; make a push about tax-deductible contributions at the end of the calendar year; secure regional media coverage with a good news story; tie outreach blasts to relevant news items; and then make a final push when close to the fundraising goal.
c. Simultaneously, reach out to philanthropies interested in funding issues involving the unhoused population, housing, and transition- aged youth to discuss a low-interest loan using endowment funds that will be repaid with income from selling or renting out the housing units (Section 8 vouchers will cover rental income for some residents) d. Secure a California Workforce Development Board’s High Road Training Partnership grant for training
19 Case Study - Community First! Village, Austin, TX
Community First! Village is a community of about 400 residents outside of Austin, Texas, that provides permanent affordable housing for people who are chronically homeless. The organization plans to grow to 2,000 homes across three locations which could permanently house about half of Austin’s chronically homeless population.
Community First offers
200 square foot, one-
room tiny houses
furnished with a
kitchenette, bed, and a
recliner. The homes are
clustered around shared
outdoor kitchens, and
neat rows of recreational
vehicles and
manufactured homes in
cul-de-sacs. Communal
meals and movie
screenings bring
residents together.
The village also has
chicken coops, two
vegetable gardens, a convenience store, art and jewelry studios, a medical clinic, and a chapel. Many residents have jobs here as gardeners, landscapers, custodians, artists, jewelry makers and more.
Funding for the project has come from government and private sources. Travis County allocated $35 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds to build 640 units as part of its expansion. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development approved the use of federal housing vouchers to subsidize part or all of low-income resident’s rent which averages about $385/month.
Figure 9: Tiny home community in Austin, Texas
Photo credit: Eli Durst, New York Times
20 Case Study - Tiny Homes, San Jose, CA
As a city of nearly one million residents, San Jose has an unhoused population of 6,340 people. In 2023, Mayor Matt Mahan declared a shelter crisis and homelessness emergency. The Mayor and San Jose City Council set a goal to create 1,000 new shelters for people who are unhoused. One solution that is helping stabilize people involves communities of tiny homes.
Since 2020, San Jose has built tiny home communities in six of the ten City Council districts with two more communities coming online soon. Tiny homes are residential structures smaller than 400 square feet of floor space. They can be built from scratch or prefabricated in a factory and delivered to the site. Often they are constructed on trailers that allow them to be moved and are arranged around shared kitchens and bathrooms.
People can stay for several months, a length of time that provides valuable stabilization. Occupants don’t have to worry about their safety or where they will sleep at night which makes them more likely to succeed in substance use treatment, obtain medical care or complete job training programs. San Jose has a wait-list of hundreds of unsheltered people willing to move in.
The City worked diligently to overcome obstacles such as finding locations, funding, bypassing red tape to build them quickly, building public trust and obtaining neighborhood buy-in. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan declared a shelter crisis which allowed the city to bypass local codes that would otherwise hamper the speed of construction of interim housing. While neighboring residents often resist tiny home communities, one wealthy district in San Jose recently agreed to a tiny home community in exchange for the city’s promise to clear up a nearby tent-lined creek.
The least expensive “quick build” tiny home units are $65,000 each. Funding came from a mix of state Homekey funding, money from a local ballot measure, and philanthropic donations to quickly open new sites.
Data from the mayor’s office shows that 911 calls for police dropped 15% in areas where tiny homes opened and calls about graffiti and illegal dumping dropped around 40%.
21 6. Community land trust
A community land trust is a non-profit corporation that holds land on behalf of a place-based community while serving as the long-term steward for the building or community asset. With these shared equity programs, individuals or families purchase a share of the collectively-owned property at a level that makes sense for them. Doing so helps eliminate racial wealth gaps by assisting traditionally underserved minority communities to build a level of home equity. This legal structure can be applied to affordable housing, community gardens, civic buildings, commercial spaces, and other community assets.
Scope: A non-profit would purchase the property on behalf of the community and individuals would purchase a share. For example: picture a 16-bedroom, four- bathroom home in Richmond collectively owned by 16 people in their twenties or thirties who work at local non-profit organizations. Before moving in, the home is upgraded to energy-efficient electrical appliances and water-conserving fixtures, and insulation is installed in the walls, ceiling, floors, and around air ducts. These retrofits add value to the house by lowering utility costs and increasing comfort.
Figure 10: Potential property for limited-equity cooperative housing
Source: 16 bedroom 4 bath house on Zillow.com
22 Champion: Kyndelle Johnson
Funding: a combination of crowdfunding, philanthropy, and financing along with residents’ equity contributions (buy-in)
First steps:
1. Create a working group of interested community members and community- based organizations (RichmondLAND, Cooperation Richmond) to define the pilot project
2. Engage Sustainable Economies Law Center or Project Equity to develop a shared-equity contract for potential residents
3. Fundraise for the downpayment
Case study: Limited-equity cooperative housing, San Francisco, CA One example of limited-equity cooperative housing involved the conversion of a residential building at 53 Columbus Ave in San Francisco. A local nonprofit saved the building from demolition and then worked with the City of San Francisco to convert it into a limited-equity cooperative.
Units at 53 Columbus Ave sold for $10,000 each, with a $703 monthly charge, for a one-bedroom unit. To qualify for a single-person unit, applicants couldn’t earn more than $26,400 annually. One resident, who earned $18,500 a year as an on-call desk clerk, spent years saving up for the $10,000 purchase price, time the non- profit and City needed to complete paperwork for the building to officially become a co-op. The EARN Starter Savings Program helped him save for the downpayment by providing $2 for every $1 saved. He was able to purchase a unit in the co-op in 2011.
The resident explained “When you have a stable home, you’re able to then focus on other things in your life . . . your job, your career development, your education, saving for retirement, donate to non-profits. You’re able to blossom in other ways.”
7. Destination downtown
Vibrant communities have abundant third spaces, informal public places besides home (first space) and work (second space), where people can socialize, connect, 23 and engage with their communities. Catalyzing a cluster of businesses in one of the Downtown commercial areas of Richmond would provide an appealing destination for residents and visitors, as well as generate income and additional tax revenues.
Scope: Determine a mix of businesses that could be co-located such as restaurants, retail establishments, cultural activities, a worker-owned cooperative grocery store (Cooperation Richmond already has a business plan for one in North Richmond), a micro-manufacturing and micro-retail space for local artisans of jewelry, clothing, housewares, soaps, cosmetics and art are several options to consider.
Champion: Andrea Portillo-Knowles, Richmond Main Street Initiative Funding:
• State government – Caltrans may have future grant programs similar to the Clean California Local Grant Program in the future to beautify streets, roads, pathways, and public spaces.
• Private investment – Renaissance Center can help entrepreneurs find funding such as commercial bank loans and other sources • Crowdfunding
First steps:
1. Conduct a survey to find out what types of restaurants are most in demand among residents.
2. Reach out to local community-based organizations about the project and ask their help to find local artisans, aspiring entrepreneurs, and businesses in other cities that would like to site a new operation in Richmond.
3. Recruit and assemble a cohort to take business classes together at the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center.
Case study: Downtown transformation, Lancaster, CA
In 2010, an eight-month $11.5-million renovation transformed nine blocks of a five- lane street in Lancaster into a tree-lined pedestrian boulevard inspired by Barcelona’s “Las Ramblas” esplanade. The renovation attracted 40 new businesses, such as an underground bowling lounge, a tattoo parlor, and a Mediterranean café, and it boosted the local economy by $280 million, according to the California 24 Redevelopment Association. The “BLVD” increased city tax revenue and property values within two years of completion.
Previously, the area had a five-lane road bordered by concrete buildings. Traffic passed through at 60 mph. In the transformation of the BLVD streetscape, traffic was forced to slow down, as the road now diverges into two lanes under palm trees. Pedestrian-friendly sidewalks attract families and foot traffic for new businesses.
The City commissioned a street team to keep the area trash-free. The team begin cleaning 9 a.m. every weekday and continue until 2:30 p.m.
On one end of the main street, an F-4 Phantom supersonic jet perches on a cement plinth, honoring the Mojave Desert’s aerospace legacy. The area enjoys the new American Heroes Park, built as part of the renovation, as well as the Museum of Art and History, which has blossomed into a cultural hub for the area.
8. Transportation management association
A transportation management association (TMA) is a membership organization formed to provide a forum for employers, developers, building owners, local government representatives, and others. Its constituents collectively establish policies, programs, and services to address local transportation needs and air- quality issues. The funding mechanism, geographic area, membership, mission, and services are tailored to meet the specific needs of the geographic area.
Scope: Many TMAs are non-profits that work to encourage drivers of single- occupancy vehicles to switch to trains (BART and Amtrak), buses (AC Transit), carpooling, shared electric shuttles (RichmondMoves), and active mobility options (bicycling, scootering, walking). A TMA in Richmond would work to inform and incentivize the public to find the mix of public transit and first/last mile active mobility options that work for them.
Champion: at a local non-profit that encourages sustainable transportation in the community
Funding:
• State government
25 o California Department of Housing and Community Development may offer grant programs similar to the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program
o Caltrans – Active Transportation Program
• Regional government – Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), BART, AC Transit • Private investment – commercial and residential developers to meet TDM plan requirements (if City requires transportation demand management [TDM] plans of developers)
First steps:
1. Study other TMAs in the Bay Area to define how to structure Richmond’s TMA a. Is the target audience homeowners in new housing developments, existing residents, and/or workers in certain industry sectors? b. What mix of sustainable transportation options are they promoting? c. How are they funded?
2. Explore a pilot grant from a foundation and on-going grant funding from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and/or BART.
3. Currently the transportation consulting firm Fehr & Peers is studying the formation of a TMA for Richmond. Once the scope of a local TMA is determined and funding identified, the City could contract with an existing local non-profit to run the TMA.
4. Survey residents and workers about interest in free or reduced rate transit passes and bicycling/e-scooter incentives. Many residents and workers interested in lowering their transportation costs may be interested.
5. Attend annual conferences of the national and NorCal regional chapter of the Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT).
26 Figure 11: Commute survey work for a TMA
Source: Palo Alto TMA
Case study: Palo Alto Transportation Management Association, Palo Alto, CA With information and incentives, the non-profit Palo Alto Transportation Management Association encourages workers to leave their car at home and commute by train, bus, carpool, bicycle, electric scooter, or on foot. PATMA provides free train and bus passes to workers making less than $70,000 per year and places $5 a day on a virtual debit card when a worker bicycles to work.
The non-profit supports the City of Palo Alto to realize goals of reducing traffic congestion, demand for parking, and greenhouse gas emissions while supporting local businesses and addressing social equity issues. Funding for PATMA’s mode shift work comes from City of Palo Alto parking permit revenues, business membership fees, and foundation grants.
9. Transition to zero-emission vehicles
While gas- and diesel-powered cars and trucks dominate our transportation system, an increasing variety of zero-emission vehicles such as battery electric vehicles, plug-in electric hybrids, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are becoming
27 available. To meet the state’s goal that by 2035 all new vehicles sold will be plug-in electric or fully electric, now is the time to ramp up installation and maintenance of a network of electric vehicle charging stations as well as train vehicle mechanics to maintain zero-emission vehicles.
Scope: Expand Richmond’s network of electric vehicle charging stations to serve electric cars, light trucks, medium and heavy-duty trucks, fleet vehicles, and buses.
Make sure the charging network is maintained in working order. Train mechanics to fix electric, plug-in electric hybrids, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
Champion: Denee Evans, Transportation Services Project Manager, City of Richmond
Funding:
• Federal government
o U.S. Department of Transportation – Federal Highway Administration – ▪ Promoting Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost- Saving Transportation Program (upcoming)
▪ Federal Transportation Administration 5310 Grant Program (formula funding to support transportation for seniors and people with disabilities)
▪ Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program (closes Aug 28, 2024)
o U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
▪ Clean Heavy Duty Vehicles program (closes July 25)
▪ Clean School Bus program
▪ Environmental and Climate Justice Program grants (closes Nov 1, 2024)
• State government
o California Air Resources Board
▪ Carl Moyer Memorial Air Quality Standards Attainment Program ▪ Low Carbon Transportation Investments and Air Quality Improvement Program
o California Department of Housing and Community Development ▪ Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program 28 o California Energy Commission
▪ Clean Transportation Program
▪ Contra Costa Electric Vehicle Readiness Blueprint – work with them to access CEC funding
o California Public Utilities Commission - authorized up to $1 billion in ratepayer funding between 2025-2030 for rebates for behind-the- meter (BTM) electric vehicle charging infrastructure
o California Workforce Development Board - High Road Training Partnership
o Caltrans
▪ Sustainable Transportation Planning Grants
o Strategic Growth Council
• Regional grants
o Bay Area Air Quality Management District
o Contra Costa Transportation Authority - Measure J Sales Tax revenue o Metropolitan Transportation Commission
▪ Regional Active Transportation Program
▪ Innovative Deployments to Enhance Arterials, (Applications due Sept 12, 2024)
▪ Innovative Deployments to Enhance Arterials Shared Automated Vehicles
▪ Lifeline Transportation Program
▪ Local Parking Management Grant Program
▪ Transit Core Capacity Challenge Grants
Next steps:
1. Identify government funding for electric vehicle charging infrastructure
2. Work with IBEW, CWDB High Road Training Partnership, AC Transit, BART, and community colleges on training classes to expand availability
3. Expand charging network on government property, at the BART parking garage, at shopping centers, and at multi-family apartment complexes. 29 Case study: Electric vehicle charging network, Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles ranks number three in the United States for electric vehicle (EV) charging availability with an average of one EV charger for every 724 people. To make charging easier for EV drivers, the city of Los Angeles is planning a new approach: installing EV chargers on light poles on city streets, because the electric infrastructure is already there. Los Angeles has installed 725 light-pole chargers so far and the street light system can support 3,000 or 4,000 more.
When installing chargers to light poles, workers for the Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting change fuses or perform structural retrofits. This approach avoids having to change out the entire line or improving the electrical system.
10. Building deconstruction firms
Richmond contains 250 blighted homes that could be renovated and could contain valuable solid-wood materials made from old-growth timber, such as wood framing, flooring, doors, and cabinets. Other items that can be salvaged include hardware, sinks, and bathtubs. Salvaging materials so they can be sold or donated to a non-profit for a tax write-off will prevent them from ending up in a landfill.
Scope: Encourage a few local aspiring entrepreneurs to form a new building deconstruction firm to salvage valuable materials from blighted homes that are torn down or renovated.
Champion: to be decided
Funding: The founders of building deconstruction firms have used personal savings for start-up costs (bootstrapping) or secured a commercial bank loan First steps:
1. City of Richmond could create a building deconstruction ordinance (Portland, OR) and/or salvage ordinance (Berkeley).
2. Learn about three building deconstruction training programs to decide which is the best match for Richmond: Build Reuse, County of San Mateo Deconstruction Training and The Reuse People.
30 3. Tour Green Lynx in Santa Rosa to learn about their building salvage operations.
4. Visit Urban Ore in Berkeley to learn about the most valuable materials salvaged.
5. Tour This ‘N That in San Pablo to coordinate with the manager about how to support each other
6. Find and support aspiring entrepreneurs to create a business plan with one and three-year financial projections; support entrepreneurs to secure funding for workers compensation insurance, tools, a vehicle, and warehouse space to store salvaged materials.
Case study: Building deconstruction – Portland, OR
In 2015, the City of Portland created a voluntary incentive program for demolition projects to encourage deconstruction instead of demolition. Grants from $2,500 to $3,000 were awarded to 25 projects to promote and demonstrate the benefits of deconstruction.
Portland passed its deconstruction ordinance in 2016 and updated it in 2019. The ordinance requires single-family homes built before 1940 to be deconstructed instead of demolished and specifies that the work must be undertaken by a certified deconstruction company.
Since the passage of the ordinance, 17 deconstruction contractors have been certified, with 30 workers going through the Build Reuse training program. These contractors created the equivalent of 20 new jobs directly related to deconstruction with an average wage of $15 to $17 (in 2017 dollars).
11. Building salvage warehouse
Older buildings contain valuable materials that could be salvaged for a new use: old growth wood framing, solid wood doors, cabinets, windows and hardware. After buildings are deconstructed and organized by materials, the salvaged materials need a place to be stored where potential buyers can see and purchase them.
Scope: Having a warehouse in Richmond that accepts salvaged building materials could help jumpstart building renovations in Richmond.
31 Champion: Workers at Urban Ore who live in Richmond have expressed interest.
Funding:
• State government – CalRecycle - Greenhouse Gas Reduction Loan Program • Contra Costa County Solid Waste & Recycling - Recycling Market Development Zone low-interest loan
• Private investment – Commercial bank loan
First steps:
1. Tour Urban Ore in Berkeley and make connections
2. Take Renaissance Entrepreneur Center classes in business plans and funding
3. Create a business plan with one and three-year financial projections Case study: Building salvage warehouse – Urban Ore, Berkeley, CA Residents, contractors, and businesses drop off salvaged building materials and household items for resale at Urban Ore’s 3.5-acre site in Berkeley. Co-founder Dan Knapp describes Urban Ore’s business this way: “We are in the space business and let [an item] sit here until the right person comes along and buys it.” This for-profit business has 42 employees and realizes $3.5 million sales per year while diverting 800 tons of doors, windows, lumber, cabinets, furniture, hardware, lighting, art, and other materials from landfills each year. They pay $120,000 per year in property taxes and $30,000 in sales tax each month while providing profit sharing to their employees.
The highest-value items they receive and sell are doors, furniture, hardware (door hardware, tools), and artwork. While many people who drop off items donate them, Urban Ore also offers trade credit. If someone drops off two solid wood doors, they receive credit at a certain value, which they can redeem later.
In support of waste diversion, the City of Berkeley authored a contract for salvage operations at the City’s Transfer Station, allowing Urban Ore to station a staff member at the transfer station and divert loads that could be salvaged and sold.
The $114,576 contract ran from 2020 to 2023.
32 On their home page, Urban Ore challenges consumers with the inquiry: “If you are not for Zero Waste, how much waste are you for?”
12. Remakery and fixery
Richmond Main Street Initiative reports that community members have expressed interest in having more coffee shops and restaurants in Richmond. A Remakery and Fixery provides an inviting space centered around a café in which children and adults can learn to use tools, develop skills, be creative, and borrow tools in support of a zero waste future.
Scope: Decide which activities will be included in the project: café serving food and drinks, Maker space for afterschool enrichment and summer camps, tool lending library, Fixit Clinic, a workspace, classes to learn skills such as woodworking, pottery, sewing, welding, and power tool safety. Is there a local organization with space to host or would rent need to be paid each month? Champion: Catalin Kaser
Funding:
• Federal government – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency • State government - CalRecycle
• Local government
o RecycleMore (interested in funding a Fixit Clinic)
o Contra Costa Recycling Market Development Zone – low-interest loans o City donation of space
o West Contra Costa Unified School District – for afterschool enrichment and summer camps
• Corporate and private foundations
• Republic Services grants
• St Vincent de Paul or Goodwill
• Crowdfunding
First steps:
1. Business plan with one and three-year financial projections 33 2. Reach out through community-based organizations to find other people interested in being involved
3. Find a space
4. Secure funding
Case Study: Le REcyclerie – Paris, France
Located in a former train station situated over abandoned train tracks, this renovated space filled with artistically arranged salvaged materials encourages visitors to live more sustainably. With a repair and recycling mindset, the REcyclerie offers:
• a café that serves food and drinks
• a tool lending library
• classes in the workshop
• a free Fixit-style clinic for repairing small appliances and learning repair skills • community activities in the organic garden
Figure 12: Interior photos of Le REcyclerie
A major funder of the organization is water, energy, and waste utility Veolia Environment S.A.
13. Re-entry entrepreneurs
Participants in the RGBND Safe Return Project workshop expressed interest in green jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities. Formerly incarcerated people need stable jobs to support themselves and their families, but many have difficulty
34 finding work. A program to encourage entrepreneur-minded members of the justice-involved community to develop skills and opportunities could help some to become leaders and job creators in their community and achieve financial independence.
In combination with projects to deconstruct and salvage building materials, justice- involved entrepreneurs could develop complementary businesses. For example, older buildings contain valuable old-growth timber. Entrepreneurs could remove nails and staples from valuable salvaged lumber and sell it for new structural uses, or use it to build furniture.
Scope: Borrowing inspiration from the Refoundry project in Los Angeles and Brooklyn, aspiring entrepreneurs who have taken business plan and woodworking classes could start businesses using salvaged lumber to build new furniture. Or re- entry entrepreneurs could work with regional startup Urban Machine to remove nails from salvaged lumber and sell it.
Champion: ask staff at RichmondBUILD, Safe Return Project, Re-entry Success, and Rubicon for recommendations
Funding:
• State government
o California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation o California Workforce Development Board’s High Road Training Partnership
• Philanthropy – corporate and family foundations
First steps:
1. Reach out to local non-profits that work with members of the re-entry population to find a champion
2. Interview staff at Refoundry in Los Angeles and Brooklyn to hear lessons learned and for advice about replicating their work in Richmond
3. Scope the project with RichmondBUILD and Renaissance Center
4. Clarify funding opportunities for the project
35 Case study: Refoundry – South Los Angeles, CA, and Brooklyn, NY Refoundry trains formerly incarcerated people to build furniture with recycled materials and mentors them on their business and career paths. The curriculum includes skill development in the areas of high-level crafts, the internet, finance and business, resume-building, and interviews. Refoundry also offers apprenticeships, business coaching, and mental health and addiction treatment referrals as needed.
Figure 13: Example of furniture made by Refoundry entrepreneur
Source: Refoundry
Refoundry’s mission is to provide justice-involved people with the skills and opportunity to achieve financial independence and become leaders and job creators in their communities. To date, Refoundry entrepreneurs have started 10 businesses in craft industries using wood, metal, and upholstery, and employ over 125 people from their home communities.
The Brooklyn Refoundry location offers a free 20-week woodworking and entrepreneurship program. Participants are taught the foundations of woodworking, financial literacy, and business planning while earning a weekly $400
36 stipend. The Maker Training Program is selective and includes a rigorous application process with a preliminary math assessment. Requirements include:
• Must be over 25 years of age
• Minimum of six months of sobriety prior to first interview • Reliable housing with family, homeless shelter, transitional residence, or own apartment/home
• Fundamental knowledge of eighth-grade level math
• Demonstrated interest in woodworking
Program funders include Brooklyn Community Foundation, JPMorgan Chase & Co., REDF, Robin Hood, Starbucks Foundation, First Republic Bank, Wells Fargo, Yerba Buena Fund, Awesome Without Borders, Porticus, Archelis and Bodman Foundation, Janey Fund Charitable Trust, Dorsey & Whitney LLP, the Boston Foundation, PGS Millwork Inc., Simon’s Foundation, and L4 Foundation.
14. Surplus food rescue
With SB 1383, CalRecycle set a goal to have 20% of edible food diverted to feed people in California starting in 2025. At the same time, businesses in Contra Costa County throw away over 80,000 tons of food per year while one in five Californians do not have a reliable source of healthy, nutritious food. Large generators such as supermarkets, grocery stores, food service providers (institutional, governmental, commercial, or industrial), food distributors, and wholesale food vendors; as well as hotels, large venues, event caterers (events >800 people), and schools may have surplus food that they would prefer to donate instead of throw away.
Scope: Define the types of large food generators that surplus food rescue operations would like to focus on initially as well as project equipment needs such as a refrigerated truck, and a local non-profit in a position to take the lead. The meaningful work of picking up surplus food and delivering it to feed people could be done by transition-aged youth and members of the re-entry community that have a driver’s license.
Champion: ask RecycleMore, White Pony Express, Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, and/or local churches
37 Funding:
• State government
o Legislative appropriations
o CalRecycle
• Local government
o RecycleMore
o Government contracts
• Other grants – ReFed Catalytic Grant Fund
• Philanthropy
• Large food generators – fee-for-service work
Next steps:
1. Survey large food generators to determine how much surplus food they have to donate (set pick-up minimums), what types of food items, if they already have a contract for surplus food donation, and, if not, how often they would like pickups.
2. Create business plan and financial projections
3. Secure funding for refrigerated truck and labor
Case study: Rescuing surplus prepared food – RePlate, San Francisco, CA When Salesforce, Dropbox, and AirBNB are left with at least ten trays of surplus catered food from events or employee lunches, they log onto RePlate’s app and order a pick-up. They know that RePlate, a non-profit, will quickly dispatch a driver to collect the surplus prepared food and deliver it to an organization in the area that serves people who are homeless or food insecure.
RePlate helps companies track the impact of their food donations, and this data is used by clients for Corporate Social Responsibility reports. Through RePlate’s app, they can learn about the number of meals they donated, pounds of food redirected, gallons of water saved, and amount of greenhouse gases prevented from entering the atmosphere, all based on data reported by pick-up drivers.
For this reverse-catering service, RePlate charges a fee per pick-up. Companies that pay for this service feel the fee is a small price for the benefits they receive: prompt pick-ups and enhanced employee engagement, an issue with which many 38 companies struggle. It turns out that donating excess food to people who need it is a good way to boost employee pride in their organization.
When RePlate started out, they thought companies would value the financial benefits, such as a tax credit, from donating food to a non-profit or the avoided cost of disposal from not throwing away food. The factor that actually motivated people most to pay for pick-ups, though, was that it was the right thing to do.
Case study: Job training in food recovery – Food Shift Kitchen, Alameda, CA “We need to shift the perspective of food recovery from charity to it being viewed as a valuable service,” said Dana Frasz, former Executive Director of the Food Shift Kitchen in Oakland, California. One service Food Shift provides to businesses with a large throughput of food is finding ways to divert edible food from landfill to non- profits or compost streams.
The savings can be sizeable. After working with Food Shift, grocery store Andronico’s saved $27,000 per year by avoiding garbage disposal and compost pick-up costs, as well as earned tax deductions for donations and saved on regulatory compliance costs. A further benefit at Andronico’s was that 87% of their employees reported that the food-donation program increased their sense of pride and joy in their workplace.
Frasz is pushing for companies with excess food to pay for the service. She explained that for every few thousand dollars Food Shift collects for food recovery efforts each month, they can create one full-time job at the Food Shift Kitchen for someone trying to become self-sufficient. “Why not chip in to make that possible?” asks Frasz.
The Food Shift Kitchen at the Alameda Point Collective is doing more than just picking up surplus food: they are also training people for culinary careers. Alameda Point Collective helps people who are homeless and struggling to get back on their feet with job training. The majority of people at Alameda Point Collective either have a disability, are survivors of domestic violence, or are veterans. Only 10%–15% are employed.
In service of helping this population of enthusiastic potential workers who want to pull themselves up economically, the Food Shift Kitchen offers six-month 39 apprenticeships, during which apprentices receive on-the-job training for culinary employment while earning minimum wage. Such food preparation and catering work at the Food Shift Kitchen provides a bridge to the workforce. After the apprenticeship, people graduate to kitchen assistant or driver, which pays close to $20 per hour. This kind of work allows people to develop skills that will help them lift themselves out of poverty.
15. Expanding the tree canopy
During the RGBND community survey, respondents requested more trees throughout the city and small businesses along the 23rd Street commercial district requested more shade trees for their streetscape. While Richmond already has a vast canopy of 22,000 trees, there is room for more. A field survey for Richmond’s Urban Greening Master Plan determined space is available for an additional 13,000 trees within the public right of way. Additional native trees species could be grown to 5 gallon and 15 gallon sizes using locally-sourced seeds.
Scope: Tree planting activities that Groundwork Richmond leads provide meaningful work and job experience for transition-aged youth. Groundwork Richmond has expressed interest in finding space in Richmond for a tree nursery that would grow tree seedlings into larger street trees, which they and other non- profits would plant throughout the city.
Project Manager: Lorena Castillo, Groundwork Richmond
Funding:
• State government – CalFire grants
• Regional government – East Bay Regional Park District, government contracts • Philanthropic grants
• Commercial bank loan for tree nursery
Next steps:
1. Hold a coordination and planning meeting with Groundwork Richmond, Pogo Park, Richmond Trees, Trust for Public Land, Yes Nature to Neighborhoods, and the Watershed Project to decide which organization would like to take the lead
40 2. Create a business plan for a tree nursery
3. Determine government and philanthropic grants to apply for Case study: Commonwealth Nursery – LA Conservation Corps, Los Angeles, CA Located on an 11-acre historic site in iconic Griffith Park, the Commonwealth Nursery is an urban ecological laboratory for growing trees from locally sourced seeds and a training ground to nurture the next generation of urban forest stewards. Together the partners are building a multi-disciplinary program with the goals of strengthening climate resilience, meeting the City’s tree canopy equity goals, creating a more livable city for all Angelenos, and building pathways to the green jobs of the future.
LA Conservation Corps staff and Corpsmembers manage the nursery and the plant propagation efforts as well as tree distribution to urban greening projects all around Los Angeles. Funding for LA Conservation Corps comes from government contracts (federal, state, regional and local), foundation grants, corporate donations, individual donations, program fees, and special events.
The Commonwealth Nursery in Griffith Park is a public-private partnership between City Plants, LA City Parks, and the LA Conservation Corps with support from the LA Parks Foundation.
16. Living levee
To protect residential communities as well as the West County Wastewater District wastewater treatment plant, Republic Service’s solid waste transfer station and sanitary landfill, Chevron’s oil refinery, the Richmond Parkway, and the railroad from storm surges and rising sea levels, a living levee is being planned and designed. The Watershed Project is working with West County Wastewater and others to secure grants, conduct extensive community engagement, design, permit and construct the first section of the North Richmond Shore Living Levee.
Scope: Building on the Phase 1 work that has already been done (30% design with community engagement and input), secure grant funding for Phase 2 (75% design including more community input), Phase 3 (construction and implementation), and Phase 4 (post-construction monitoring and activation).
Project Manager: Juliana Gonzalez, The Watershed Project 41 Potential funding:
• Federal government – Inflation Reduction Act, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers direct appropriations, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund (congressional appropriation), • State government – California Coastal Conservancy grant (through Association of Bay Area Governments), California Department of Water Resources (Proposition 84 funding), CalOES/FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) grant
• Regional government – Measure AA funding from San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority
• Philanthropy
Next steps:
1. Phase 2 – 75% design including more community engagement
2. Phase 3 – construction and implementation including planting and restoration
3. Phase 4 – Post-construction monitoring and activation Case study: Palo Alto Horizontal Levee Pilot Project, Palo Alto, CA Current levees surrounding Palo Alto are not Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) certified and routinely experience overtopping that threatens City infrastructure, private buildings, and other development east of Highway 101 with flooding.
The City of Palo Alto is collaborating with the San Francisco Estuary Partnership and ESA to design and construct a horizontal levee pilot in the Palo Alto Baylands. The project would utilize highly treated wastewater from the Regional Water Quality Control Plant to irrigate a vegetated ecotone prior to discharge into the San Francisco Bay.
A horizontal levee utilizes a gently sloping, vegetated area that serves as a transition between two different biological communities: tidal wetlands and terrestrial uplands. The slope offers multiple benefits such as absorbing wave energy from storms, adapting to sea level rise, providing habitat, and polishing treated wastewater.
42 Program objectives of the Living Levee include:
• improve and restore habitat along the Harbor Marsh perimeter for native species,
• adapt to sea level rise by providing a transitional slope that will support sediment accretion and accumulation,
• integrate a horizontal levee on the Bayfront of a traditional flood control levee to provide wave attenuation and vegetative protection for the flood control levee core,
• provide polishing treatment to treated wastewater,
• maintain and provide opportunities for compatible low-impact recreation and public engagement with nature, and
• be on the leading edge of integrating habitat enhancement with sea level rise adaptation and novel wastewater treatment approaches around the San Francisco Bay.
Funding for this project is coming from various sources. The California Department of Water Resources has provided a grant through Proposition 84 funding for $1.04M dollars, with East Palo Alto providing over $400,000 in local match. This funding has been instrumental in implementing early studies and work needed for the California Environmental Quality Act process.
The California Coastal Conservancy awarded $500,000 to the Association of Bay Area Governments to prepare 60% designs and permit applications for the Palo Alto Horizontal Levee Pilot Project adjacent to the Palo Alto Regional Water Quality Control Plant, City of Palo Alto, Santa Clara County.
The City of East Palo Alto has been awarded a $17.5M dollar CalOES/FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) grant. The City of East Palo Alto provided local match required for this grant. The HMGP program provides funding to state, local, tribal and territorial governments so they can build or rebuild in a way that reduces future disaster losses in their communities.
43 17. Brownfields research & innovation hub
Gaining clarity about the most effective clean up technologies to apply to soil contaminants and the likely end use (industrial, commercial, green space, or residential) for each of Richmond’s 442 brownfield sites would help accelerate clean up. In addition, identifying a project manager to do grant writing and progress report writing that would allow Richmond to access financial and technical resources for clean up would be helpful.
Scope: Plan for and develop a Brownfields Innovation & Research Hub to study which on-site soil remediation clean up technologies are most effective against the soil contaminants commonly present in Richmond.
Champion: to be determined
Funding:
• Federal government
o U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - Brownfields Economic Development Initiative (BEDI)
o U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Targeted Brownfields Assessment grant, other brownfield program grants, and
Environmental and Climate Justice Program grants
o Congressional appropriations
• State government
o Department of Toxic Substances Control - Equitable Community Revitalization Grant (ECRG)
o Center for Creative Land Use Recycling
o Ask San Diego State’s Center for Community Energy and Environmental Justice as well as the Center for Creative Land Recycling about other state grants
o State legislature appropriations
o Governor’s office appropriations (after all other options are pursued) 44 First steps:
• Meet separately with managers at UC Berkeley Field Station Environmental, the UC Berkeley Superfund Research Program, Department of Toxic Substances Control, San Diego State’s Center for Community Energy and Environmental Justice, and Center for Creative Land Recycling to discuss ways to accelerate understanding of effective soil contamination remediation technologies and speed clean up of Richmond’s many brownfield sites. • Create a working group for a research & development hub to study and show effectiveness of different technologies.
• Develop a business plan and financial projections.
• Explore funding sources listed above.
Case study: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Hazardous Waste Research Center, Vicksburg, MS
The Hazardous Waste Research Center (HWRC) is part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) Environmental Laboratory, founded in 1978 with the purpose of ensuring the Army Corps of Engineers was in compliance with environmental protection laws. Today, the HWRC is a full-service research and development laboratory that provides innovative technology demonstration support and expertise to USACE, all ten U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency regions, Department of Defense installations, and the private sector.
The Hazardous Waste Research Center plays a major role in developing clean technologies for toxic and hazardous waste in military and civilian sites including:
1. Biotechnology treatment for liquids, soils, sludges, and sediments
2. Solvent extraction/flushing
3. On site (in situ) solidification/stabilization
4. Electrokinetics treatment for contaminants in water, soils, and sediments
5. Physical separation/volume reduction
45 6. Advanced chemical oxidation and reduction using UV light, ozone, hydrogen peroxide, peroxene, ultrasonics, and special catalysts (Fenton’s reagent)
7. Synthetic resin ion exchange
8. Sorption studies (activated carbon/activated alumina, specialty resins)
9. Volatile organic thermal treatment
10. Phase transfer technologies
11. Phytoremediation/phytostabilization
12. Contaminant flux modeling
13. Field pilot assessment (industrial base process water, surface water, groundwater treatment systems)
ERDC researchers have been evaluating hazardous and toxic waste for more than 25 years, with more than 500 successfully completed projects. Site selection for a project is highly selective as most technologies developed by the HRWC have been transferred to all military services for the groundwater and oils cleanup at many military sites. HWRC technologies have also been transferred to the EPA and states for Superfund site remediation.
Between FY2008 and FY2022, USACE discretionary appropriations funded through Title I of annual Energy and Water Development appropriations acts have ranged from $4.72 billion in FY2013 to $8.34 billion in FY2022. Congress has also provided USACE with emergency supplemental appropriations.
18. Blue tech incubator and accelerator
Technology incubators and accelerators nurture ambitious entrepreneurs and launch exciting new startups. Tailoring Richmond’s tech accelerator to focus on water-based startup ideas in aquatic agriculture, robotics, environmental restoration, and marine electric-power systems, makes sense in a city with 32 miles of shoreline. The fact that Richmond sits at the crossroads of environmental justice, Just Transition and climate resilience issues could make it an attractive to venture capitalists and angel investors who want to show they are helping address social and environmental issues as well as looking for a favorable return on investment. 46 Scope: Develop and launch a tech incubator and accelerator tailored for Richmond.
Determine which established tech accelerator would be the best fit to mentor Richmond’s blue tech incubator and accelerator.
Champion: ask CoBiz Richmond and Blue Frontier
Funding: foundation funding to develop and launch the incubator and accelerator, then venture capital to invest in selected startups
First steps:
• Read websites of other clean tech and green tech accelerators including UC Berkeley SkyDeck Accelerator, Rainmakers, and Clean Tech Open. • Find others in Richmond interested in this project.
• Write a business plan for a blue tech incubator and accelerator in Richmond. • Reach out to a few tech accelerators to explain what Richmond is planning and ask questions.
• Interview venture capitalists, angel investors, and project finance experts who may be interested in being involved. Share business plan.
Case study: startBlue Accelerator, San Diego, CA
For aspiring entrepreneurs looking to develop new businesses, the ocean provides a new perspective on problems facing society and the space to develop innovative new solutions using technology.
Can we use bio-based, ocean-derived materials to create alternatives to plastic? Can we improve on 2,000 year old anchor technology to be more intelligent and less destructive? How do we harness wave power for carbon-free electricity? How can we monitor fish population growth and health? Are there nutrient-dense foods that can be grown in and harvested from the ocean? How can we apply the Internet of Things (IOT) to stormwater filtration? Can we use 3D printing to restore coral reefs? How do we integrate next-generation robotics, artificial intelligence and computer vision to solve ocean data challenges?
These were all questions the first startBlue group of aspiring entrepreneurs sought to answer in 2021. StartBlue is part of UC San Diego’s StartR accelerator program 47 offered by a partnership between the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Rady School of Management. By combining science and business, startBlue is supporting entrepreneurs to develop new blue-tech solutions that can be integrated into science, industry, investment, and government networks.
The accelerator provides eight training classes in value proposition, customer discovery, product market fit, market sizing, and competitive analysis.
Entrepreneurs develop and hone their pitches and learn about grant writing, as they develop strategies for fundraising for their startup. Each team is matched with a dedicated, experienced mentor to facilitate introductions and provide guidance unique to the team’s goals as they seek to grow relationships with potential customers, investors, and strategic partners.
StartBlue is funded by U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration, contributions from California Sea Grant, San Diego Gas & Electric, the Beyster Foundation for Enterprise Development, Ocean Visions, and the Builders Initiative, as well as philanthropic donor matches from the Scripps Director’s Council.
To date, StartBlue has supported 14 ocean-focused startups, 43% female founded, that have raised a collective $8.3 million.
19. Port upgrades, including electrification
Upgrading the Port of Richmond for the 21st century will involve projects such as cleaning up hazardous materials, replacing wharfs to handle heavier loads, and electrifying the port (providing shore power) to enable visiting ships to plug in to the electric grid instead of burning fossil fuels while at port. Having shore power will improve air quality for nearby residents.
Scope: Continue efforts to electrify the Port while starting to assess the condition of the port and estimating the cost to upgrade, as well as developing a port improvement plan.
Project manager: Port of Richmond
Funding:
• Federal government
48 o U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) grants (through 2026) o U.S. Department of Transportation - Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity, or RAISE Discretionary Grant program
o U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Clean Ports Program • State government
o State of California Port Infrastructure Upgrade funding (in part from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding)
o California Pollution Control Financing Authority’s Tax-Exempt Bond Financing Program - green bonds
First steps:
Funding would need to be identified for a port assessment, a port plan, and project management.
• Port Assessment ($100,000) – this would include two parts: a Summary of Port Facilities to identify the sites within the Port, their use, tenant agreements, existing infrastructure, etc.; and an Engineering Inspection and Assessment to determine the condition of Port facilities and costs to repair, retrofit, and upgrade.
• Port Plan ($350,000) – this would include two parts as well: a Port Master Plan identifies land use planning including long-range goals and policies for land use and development (ex., Port of Long Beach Master Plan); and a Redevelopment Plan specific to a terminal or site and details about improvements required to position the site for the type of use. • Project management for/at City ($80,000)
Case study: Port upgrade at Brayton Point in Somerset, MA For 50 years, Brayton Point in Somerset, MA, was home to the largest coal-fired power plant in New England, burning 40,000 tons of coal every three days to generate 1,600 MW of electricity for local homes and businesses. In 2019, the coal- fired power plant was torn down and Anbaric Development Partners announced a $650 million investment to create a Renewable Energy Center at Brayton Point. 49 The 306 acre property is being redeveloped to handle bulk cargo, heavy lift cargoes, and building materials for multiple sectors, including offshore wind. The industrial waterfront property contains a 34-ft deep water port capable of berthing large domestic and international merchant vessels up to 64,000 deadweight tonnage (DWT), the measure of how much weight a ship can carry including cargo, fuel, fresh water, ballast water, provisions, passengers, and crew.
In December 2021, Mayflower, which renamed itself SouthCoast Wind Energy, was awarded a 400-megawatt power purchase agreement to develop an offshore wind farm 20 miles south of Nantucket, a tiny island off Cape Cod, Massachusetts. When offshore wind turbines are installed off the coast, the generated electricity will travel via underground cables and connect to the preexisting grid at Brayton Point.
The cables will transfer renewable energy to a converter station and link to a National Grid substation to be delivered to local residents and businesses.
Mayflower anticipates construction costs for the offshore wind connection facility will be $275 million.
In February 2022, Italian manufacturing company Prysmian agreed to buy 47 acres at Brayton Point to build a $250 million subsea cable manufacturing plant and estimates the project will create 300 jobs. The new plant will be dedicated to the production of high-tech submarine interarray and export cables up to 275 kV AC and 525 kV DC to connect offshore wind farms to mainland power grids. The factory is designed to start delivering 270 Km AC 275 kV of finished 3-cores cables per year.
20. Berthing vessels at the port
Scope: According to Richmond’s Working Waterfront, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) is looking for a $3 million per year lay berth arrangement to park ships. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is also searching for berthing space. Richmond could participate in a regional plan the Marine Exchange will set up to market lay berth space.
Champion: Port of Richmond
Funding:
50 • Federal government – Fee-for-service funding from Maritime Administration (MARAD) or NOAA
First steps:
• Contact Working Waterfront to find out who to contact at NOAA and MARAD • Reach out to NOAA and MARAD to learn about their berthing needs • Offer tours of the Port of Richmond
Case study: Port of Portland, OR
This deep water port contains four marine terminals with six deep-draft ports that host 1,600 ships per year. The four terminals which take up 53 acres, 262 acres, 159 acres, and 419 acres, store and move a variety of products through: grains, forest products, steel, liquid bulks, mineral bulks, autos, steel slab and coil, and other containerized cargo.
Located 100 miles up the Columbia River from the Pacific Ocean, the Port is the third largest auto import gateway in the country and the fifth largest port on the West Coast for export tonnage. Currently the Port of Portland berths NOAA and MARAD ships.
21. Boat building
Globally, demand for boats for offshore wind development (OSW) planned for the next 30 years currently outstrips supply. Existing vessels available, from 60’ crew transfer vessels to 500’ OSW construction vessels, are already booked for the next decade. The mismatch between the specialized Service Operations Vessels (SOVs) needed and offshore wind farm construction schedules, means there is demand for SOV vessel manufacturing sites.
Scope: Boat building is specialized work. The scope of this project involves identifying companies with expertise in this area that are interested in expanding operations.
Champion: Economic Development Department and Port of Richmond, City of Richmond
51 Funding:
• State government – California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GoBiz) can help bundle offers of incentives, grants, and financing
• Private investment – large boat building manufacturers would secure loans from private financial organizations
First steps:
• Read trade journals to learn about trends and challenges in the industry as well as the names and specialties of U.S., European, and Chinese boat building companies.
• Attend a few conferences and trade shows to meet industry stakeholders and let them know Richmond is interested in economic development. The International WorkBoat Show Nov 12-14, 2024 in New Orleans is one example.
• Invite boat building company representatives to tour the Port of Richmond Case study: Boat building for offshore wind turbine construction, Brownsville, TX In 2020, global marine shipbuilding firm Keppel AmFELS began construction of a vessel called the Charybdis in the Gulf of Mexico that will be used to install offshore wind turbines. This vessel which measures 472’ long, 184’ wide, and 38’ deep, will contain 14,000 tons of steel, 10,000 tons of which will come from Alabama and West Virginia steel suppliers. Domestic construction of the Charybdis helps make the vessel Jones Act compliant, a federal requirement dating back to 1920 that requires goods shipped between U.S. ports to be transported on ships built, owned, and operated by United States citizens or permanent residents.
This Gulf of Mexico shipyard contains a sheltered waterfront area, a modern steel processing plant, and a massive drydock area with three docks that measure 1,247’, 502’ and 974’ in length.
As part of the Just Transition from fossil fuels to a clean energy future, the boat design adapted two oil-rig technologies for wind-turbine installation. One is the jack-up system, whose legs dig into the seafloor and raise the vessel as much as 52 150 feet above the water’s surface; a wind-turbine vessel needs four jack-up legs to handle the stresses of moving heavy equipment around. The ship has also adapted a telescoping crane that is 500’ long, designed to be able to push wind-turbine parts to greater heights.
The overall project cost, inclusive of construction and commissioning and excluding financing costs, is estimated to be around $500 million. Financing for the vessel has been arranged through a lease financing agreement with leading global banks. Dominion Energy Virginia has folded the cost of leasing – not building – Charybdis into its request before state utility regulators seeking the go-ahead for the entire $9.8 billion wind farm project.
The vessel is expected to create nearly 700 direct construction jobs. The Charybdis is on track to be completed late 2024 or early 2025 and has already been booked by joint partners Orsted and Eversource for the Revolution and Sunrise wind projects.
22. Boat maintenance and repair
Marine mechanics for commercial vessels and ferry boats are in high demand.
Onboard a ship, marine mechanics are responsible for maintaining and repairing electrical and mechanical equipment.
Classroom and on-the-job training prepare students to work on different types of boats. Organizers are currently looking for locations for a network of training facilities.
Scope: Set up a training center
Project Managers: Bobby Winston and Sal Vaca, Working Waterfront Funding: $5 million has already been raised
Next step: Decide on a location for the training center Case study: Training and maintenance for offshore wind vessels, Virginia A growing need within the burgeoning offshore wind industry is for trained boat maintenance and repair workers. High winds, rough seas, and corrosive salt water are tough on ocean-going vessels. As offshore wind development ramps up in the 53 U.S., the industry will need more skilled and trained workers to perform mechanical, electrical, and structural repair and maintenance.
The Virginia Ship Repair Association’s Marine Trade Training (MTT) program offers training in association with the Community College Workforce Cooperative and Tidewater Community College. Skills of the MTT program are in high demand – welding, coatings, sheet metal, pipe fitting, structural fitting, marine electrical, and machining – yielding a 90% placement rate for students after graduation.
These skills will be even more in demand as Virginia’s largest utility, Dominion Energy, builds out more of its offshore wind project 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach. Expected to be completed in 2026, this project will contain 176 Siemens Gamesa 14.7 MW wind turbines that provide enough clean electricity to power 660,000 homes.
The types of offshore wind vessels that will require repair and maintenance include:
• Crew Service Vessel
• Service Operation Vessel
• Survey Vessels - Environmental, Geotechnical, Geophysical • Cable Laying Vessels - Export Cable Vessel, Shallow Water Export Cable Vessel, Nearshore Export Cable Landing Support Barge, Export and Array Cable Support Vessel, Cable Crossing Construction Vessel, Array Cable Laying Vessel, Anchor Handling Vessel, Cable Trenching Vessel
• Development, Construction, and Decommissioning - Floating Heavy Lift Foundation Vessels, Wind Turbine Installation Vessels, Feedering Spread:
Barges and Ocean Going Tugs, Supply Chain Transportation, Rock Dumping/Scour Protection Vessel, Dredging Vessels, Safety/Scout Vessel, Noise Mitigation Vessel, Accommodation Vessel, Construction Support Vessel Routine inspections of these vessels are conducted during dry dock periods and while the ship is in operation whereupon work needing to be done by skilled workers on the ship’s mechanical, electrical, and structural components is discovered.
54 23. Shoreline ecotourism
Along Richmond’s coast, Point Pinole Regional Shoreline park provides a home to more than 100 animal species, including deer, monarch butterflies, hawks, and owls. Salt marshes along the shoreline bluffs host a variety of shorebirds and crabs.
The park has rich birdlife, including many ducks and shorebirds and the endangered black rail. Many migratory bird species are also seen, as the park is located on the Pacific Flyway.
Scope: Point Pinole Regional Shoreline (2,315 acres) and Point Molate (276 acres) are both parks that are pleasant spots for hiking, picnicking, kayaking, horseback riding, bicycling, fishing, and crabbing, while taking in the beautiful views of the San Pablo Bay. Ecotourism opportunities include recreation rentals of kayaks, bicycles, and horses, as well as naturalist-led and downloadable guided tours about wildlife, natural features, historical places, and sacred sites of the Ohlone people.
Champion: to be decided
Funding:
• Measure WW funding from the East Bay Regional Park District • Philanthropy
First step: Reach out to leaders of local and regional environmental non-profits, parks, and wildlife management organizations: Point Pinole Regional Shoreline, East Bay Regional Parks District, The Watershed Project, Groundwork Richmond, Lindsay Wildlife Experience and others to define scope of the project.
Case study: Virginia Bird and Wildlife Trail education and outreach program The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) wants to make it easier for visitors to see birds and other wildlife at 65 natural spots throughout the state.
People planning a trip to walk a nature trail, paddle a river, or enjoy a scenic overlook can visit the DWR’s Virginia Bird and Wildlife Trail (VBWT) website to learn about natural features and wildlife spotted at each location. Once at their destination, visitors will find signage and printed guides.
The VBWT system connects with eBird and iNaturalist websites, where visitors to each trail can see which birds or other wildlife have been spotted in the area. 55 Visitors can also report their own sitings of wildlife to eBird and iNaturalist websites to add to collective knowledge about the area. VBWT also works with Birdability, an education, outreach and advocacy organization working to ensure the birding community and the outdoors are welcoming, inclusive, safe and accessible to everybody. They focus on people with mobility challenges, blindness, or low vision, chronic illness, intellectual or developmental disabilities, mental illness, and those who are neurodivergent, deaf or hard of hearing or who have other health concerns. Developing the skill of identifying wild birds in their natural habitat based on their physical features, their songs, and where they live can be joyful and should be accessible to all.
Figure 14: Environmental education at a national park
Source: National Park Service
For wildlife enthusiasts, the state hosts 400 species of birds, 150 species of mammals, 150 amphibians, 250 fish, and hundreds of reptiles such as butterflies, dragonflies, and other invertebrates. Along the Atlantic Coast, Virginia has brown pelicans and bottlenose dolphins while the Appalachian Mountains contain bald eagles and black bear.
A network of staff and volunteers bolster a high quality, reliable, relevant and highly visible trail program. DWR employs Watchable Wildlife Biologists, has a Virginia
56 Master Naturalist Program and Adopt a Trail program, and supports volunteers.
The state is divided into chapters with chapter members, site managers, and site visit liaisons.
Visitors and volunteers have the opportunity to hone their wildlife and plant identification skills. Birders, wildlife viewers, hikers, and nature enthusiasts benefit from a valuable statewide ecotourism resource.
24. Green hydrogen
In the future, green hydrogen could store energy to use for energy-intensive activities that are difficult to decarbonize such as long-haul aviation, long-haul trucking, steel manufacturing, and ammonia manufacturing for fertilizer. Hydrogen could be a match for these activities due to the advantages it offers: a more compact propulsion system with rapid refueling times and a long travel range.
Green hydrogen in Richmond would need to pass three important hurdles, though:
health and safety concerns, community approval, and demonstration that additional renewable energy will be sourced to provide the electricity needed for green hydrogen production. More than 96% of hydrogen production is currently derived from non-renewable sources, and an approach of initially using natural gas to manufacture brown hydrogen until more renewable energy is available may not be acceptable to well-connected and concerned community-based organizations. In addition, community disapproval about hydrogen’s explosivity and flammability is anticipated and must be addressed, perhaps by co-locating green hydrogen production offshore at future wind turbines platforms that will be built 20 miles off the coasts of Humboldt and Morro Bay.
Scope: to be determined
Champion: to be determined
Funding:
• Federal government
o U.S. Department of Energy
• State government
o California Air Resources Board
57 ▪ H2ONSITE, Distributed Clean Hydrogen Production with Onsite End Use (solicitation will be released Sept 30, 2024)
▪ Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund grants
• Private investment - Chevron
Next steps:
• Read Rocky Mountain Institute’s Clean Energy 101: the Colors of Hydrogen, Stanford University Civil and Environmental Engineering professor Mark Jacobson’s papers on green hydrogen, MIT Climate’s Climate Portal (How Green is Hydrogen?), and the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy (sciencedirect.com) to learn terms, trends, and challenges. • Attend green hydrogen conferences such as World Hydrogen Week in Copenhagen Sept 30 – Oct 4, 2024, Industrial Decarbonization in Pittsburg Oct 1-2, 2024, Green Hydrogen Summit West in Seattle Feb 26-27, 2025, and Hydrogen Technology Expo in Houston June 25-26, 2025 to learn and network.
• Meet with Raven SR and then Chevron to learn the latest developments in green hydrogen.
• Conduct workshops and a survey to find out if the community feels the benefits outweigh the health/safety hazards.
58 Figure 15: Hydrogen-powered aircraft
Source: EVIA AERO
Case study: Research and development for green hydrogen, Bremerhaven, Germany Bremerhaven is a coastal city of 110,000 residents situated in Northern Germany with a deep-water river and harbor along the North Sea between the Netherlands and Denmark. During World War II, companies at the port built boats and submarines for the war effort. In the economic downturn of the 1990s and early 2000s, job losses resulted in a drop in the local population from 150,000 to 115,000.
Looking forward, City leadership conducted a strength-weakness assessment and determined their future economic growth could build on the city’s comprehensive maritime technology knowledge and a skilled workforce specializing in shipbuilding, heavy machinery design and manufacturing.
For a few decades Bremerhaven has been planning for and working toward becoming a Climate City (KlimateStadt), positioning itself as a hub of research and development for offshore wind and green hydrogen with public and private funding supporting the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Some of the
59 innovative clean energy research projects happening in Bremerhaven involve offshore wind and green hydrogen for a variety of transportation applications.
Germany has already planned at least 23 major wind farms in the North Sea and another nine projects in the Baltic Sea, with the final goal of 25-30 GW, operational by 2030. In support of these projects, Fraunhofer Hydrogen Labs is studying the interaction of wind turbines with hydrolytic hydrogen production. The State of Bremen and the European Union are funding their analysis of direct onshore and offshore production of green hydrogen which has a high potential to increase the security of supply in decentralized power grids by smoothing out supply and demand peaks by means of the generation and reconversion of hydrogen.
H2OCEAN - Germany joins researchers in Spain, Denmark, Italy and the United Kingdom to develop new concepts for offshore energy: harvesting renewable wind and tidal energy plus hydrogen generation, aquaculture and environmental monitoring. Regarding the connection between renewable energy and green hydrogen, researchers are studying the conversion of renewable electrical energy generated from wind and waves into hydrogen, which is stored and transported to the mainland as a green energy carrier. This concept circumvents the need for cable transmission, which can save high investment costs and keep energy prices stable. A multi-component and fully-integrated platform to tap offshore ocean resources in a sustainable way that yields environmental and economic benefits is the goal of the project.
Flexi-Green Fuels – Bremerhaven is also a flagship test area for hydrogen technologies in the maritime transport sector. Hydrogen offers the advantages of a more compact propulsion system, with rapid refueling times and a long travel range. The Flexi-Green Fuels project studies integrated biofuel processes for competitive production of shipping fuels and green renewable jet fuel.