City Green-Blue Project Statuses and Accomplishments
The City of Richmond and the community is continuously working to promote a competitive, sustainable, and equitable economy for all. Since the inception of this initiative, there are several green and blue initiatives and projects in Richmond.
Table 1: Status of RGBND Opportunity Report Projects
Sector # Recommended
Projects
Status Status Details
Renewable
Energy
RE1 Solar emergency
microgrids
(SEMs) at critical
community
facilities
In-progress • MCE’s Virtual Power Plant
Pilot Project
• Public Works drafted RFP
to inventory and assess
City Facilities
• City is in progress of
updating the Local Hazard
Mitigation Plan
RE2 Battery
manufacturing
Additional resources
needed
Workforce roles and
responsibilities still
need to be defined
by the industry
• City of Richmond
Employment and Training
Department is completing
exploratory steps around
workforce opportunities
RE3 Offshore wind
turbine
manufacturing
In-progress
Workforce roles and
responsibilities still
need to be defined
by the industry
• City of Richmond Port
completing exploratory
steps
Building
Electrification
& Energy
Efficiency
BE1 Building
electrification
retrofits
In-progress
Workforce
conundrum with
certifying electricians
• City application submitted
for EPA Community
Change Grant and included
workforce elements
• City’s No-Cost Solar
Program with GRID
Alternatives
• TCC Project- Resilient and
Healthy Homes
• TCC Project- Workforce
Development with
RichmondBuild
• Regional and State energy
efficiency, weatherization,
and electrification rebates
and incentives are
available
BE2 Green accessory
dwelling units
and tiny homes
In-progress • TCC Project- ADU toolkit
• 9/24/24 City Council Item-
Electrification of new
developments
BE3 Community land
trust
In-progress • TCC Project- Community
Land Trust
Sustainable
Transportation
ST1 Destination
downtown
In-progress • TCC Project- Buy Local
• TCC Project- Business
Beautification Project
ST2 Transportation
management
association
Additional resources
needed
• West Contra Costa
Transportation Advisory
Committee
ST2 Transition to
zero-emission
vehicles
In-progress • City of Richmond released
an RFP for a consultant to
support transitioning the
City’s vehicle fleet to ZEVs
• Regional, State, and
Federal EV purchasing
incentives
Zero Waste ZW1 Building
deconstruction
firms
Additional resources
needed
ZW2 Building salvage
warehouse
Additional resources
needed
ZW3 Richmond
remakery and
fixery
In-progress • RecycleMore recently
started hosting Fix-it Clinics
ZW4 Re-entry
entrepreneurs
Additional resources
needed
ZW5 Surplus food
rescue
In-progress • RecycleMore released a
grant to support
organization rescuing food
Green
Infrastructure
& Urban
Forestry
GI1 Expanding the
tree canopy
In-progress • TCC Project- Bosque del
Barrio (Tree Planting)
GI2 Living levee In-progress • Collaboration led by Contra Costa County
Land Use LU1 Brownfields
research &
innovation hub
Additional resources
needed
• Employment and Training
currently implementing
workforce training grants in
Brownfields remediation
• Aligns with Shoreline
Resiliency Plan
Water WW1 Blue tech
incubator and
accelerator
In-progress • City of Richmond Port
completing exploratory
steps
WW2 Port upgrades
including
electrification
In-progress • City of Richmond Port is in
the progress of updating
infrastructure
• Port Report brought to City
Council on 11/7/2024
WW3 Berthing vessels
at the port
In-progress
Port infrastructure
updates are
necessary
• City of Richmond Port
completing exploratory
steps
• Port Report brought to City
Council on 11/7/2024
WW4 Boat building
In-progress
Port infrastructure
updates are
necessary
• City of Richmond Port
completing exploratory
steps
• Alameda and Contra
Costa County
implementing HRTP
grants for Marine Trades
and Water Transportation
Careers Workforce
Training Program
WW5 Training center
for boat
maintenance and
repair
In-progress • Alameda and Contra
Costa County
implementing HRTP
grants for Marine Trades
and Water Transportation
Careers Workforce
Training Program
WW6 Shoreline
ecotourism
In-progress • City of Richmond Port
completing exploratory
steps
Other OP1 Green hydrogen Additional resources
needed
Accomplishments:
• The City’s Employment and Training Division (E & T) has connected with local green and blue businesses to discuss the creation of green and blue workforce pathways for Richmond residents.
• E & T has been awarded an approximate total of $6,175,889 from local, State, and Federal organizations to develop innovative workforce training opportunities, expand career training, and support participation of vulnerable and undeserved Richmond populations.
• E & T and RichmondBUILD continues to contract with the Construction Trades Workforce Initiative (CTWI) to strengthen structured pathways from pre- apprenticeship to employment in the building and construction trades. • In 2023, E & T graduated 49 RichmondBUILD participants • E&T through a partnership with Richmond Promise established an internship pipeline within the City of Richmond for Richmond Promise Graduates. • In 2023 alone, E & T’s YouthWORKS supported hundreds of Richmond youth with training and job placement in over 80 work sites, started to institute Metrix Learning, an online workforce training platform for all Richmond residents. • Graduation of two cohorts from the new Beautify Richmond workforce training program which provides training to formerly incarcerated residents to enter into landscaping and groundskeeping careers through a partnership between E & T, Rubicon and the Re-entry Success Center.
• E & T has been actively researching options for the expansion of the RichmondBUILD program into electrician pre-apprenticeship programs and electricians with the Electric Vehicle Certification.
• E & T actively participates in the Jobs First Initiative to seek state and Bay Area funding to continue to support green and blue workforce projects. • This multifaceted strategy reflects Richmond's commitment to sustainable development, public health, and environmental stewardship, in collaboration with agencies like the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) and the Richmond Workforce Development Board.
• Every two years the Business Development Division Economic Development publishes a San Francisco Business Times Richmond supplement, highlighting all businesses in Richmond with highlights of green and blue related businesses. • Business Development Division contracted with the BluDot platform to develop a business-friendly environment and market the City’s competitive advantage. • Business Development Division continuously visits and assists businesses in connecting to resources, relocating existing operations, connecting to workforce development, and facilitating business-business transaction. • Business Development Division annually participates and highlights a Richmond business in the Bay Area Manufacturing Week.
• A few green and blue businesses who have come to call Richmond home or have expanded in Richmond include but are not limited to OPT Marine Robotics, AI Crete, and others.
• The Port of Richmond (Port) has identified improvement areas (conduits, pull boxes, cable management equipment, and related appurtenances) necessary to electrify shore power infrastructure for vessels to connect to while berthed. • The Port has applied for grant funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration and for the Electrification, Carbon Capture, and Shore Power Program and to the Environmental Protection Agency for the Clean Ports Program: Zero-Emission Technology Deployment Competition. • The Port is in the process of switch gears and transformers to upgrade the property’s utility metering, main breaker compartment, and eventually the installation of battery backup.
• The West Contra Costa Integrated Waste Management Authority (RecycleMore) has started in 2024 to host fix-it clinics for residents in their member cities, Richmond, San Pablo, El Cerrito, Pinole, Hercules, and Unincorporated Contra Costa County.
• Since 2007, approximately 551 Richmond homes have received solar at no cost to the resident through Environmental and Health Initiatives Division’s (EHI) partnership with the non-profit GRID Alternatives. GRID Alternatives also provides training for Bay Area residents interested in entering into a solar related career. • Published analysis on transitioning existing buildings within Richmond to all electric through technical assistance from the Department of Energy’s Communities Local Energy Action Program (LEAP) Pilot.
• Awarded approximately $500,000 in grants to support with California Senate Bill 1383.
• Environmental and Health Initiatives Division (EHI), Community Development Department, and several non-profits was awarded a $35 Million grant from the California Strategic Growth Council’s Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) Program to fund green and blue projects and workforce training in the Santa Fe, Coronado, and Iron Triangle neighborhoods to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and improve community health, also known as Richmond Rising. • The Engineering Division is starting on the two Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) bicycle and pedestrian improvement infrastructure projects on Harbour Way South and Marina Way South funded by TCC.
• The Community Development Department through TCC grant and the award of a Housing Fellow is in the process of researching and developing a Community Land Trust.
• The Planning Division through the TCC grant is in the process of developing an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) toolkit.
• Raven has received City permits for the development of a Hydrogen processing facility at the Organics Processing Facility.
• The California Energy Commission (CEC) awarded the City of Richmond, Zero Net Energy Alliance, and other partners the Advanced Energy Communities Phase I Grant as well as Phase II Grant for projects to advance Distributed Energy Resources Communities (DER), Virtual Power Plant Pilot, and Zero Net Carbon Ready Homes.