CARBON
NEUTRALITY
BY 2030
Pathway to
Attachment
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
01 02
03 04
Executive Summary
Introduction
Findings from the Discovery Phase
Recommended Acceleration Strategies
Appendices
Purpose
Our Vision
Our Focus Areas
The Development Process
7 8
9 10
What the Data Tells Us
Key Data Takeaways
What the City and Others are Already Doing
12 12
14 Strategy 1: Move to Zero-Emission Vehicles
Strategy 2: Reduce the Miles We Travel in Our Vehicles by at Least 20 Percent Strategy 3: Switch Our Appliances from Fossil Fuel to Electric Strategy 4: Power Our Community with 100 Percent Carbon-Neutral Electricity Leading by Example
Public Engagement
Resources to Support the Work
Measuring and Reporting on Progress
Appendix 1: Summary of Statewide, Regional, and City Plans, Policies, and Programs Appendix 2: Findings by Focus Area
Appendix 3: Carbon Neutrality by 2030 Supporting Action Detail Appendix 4: Additional Options for Future Consideration Appendix 5: Forthcoming External Funding Opportunities for Carbon Neutrality by 2030 Strategies
Appendix 6: Examples of Building Electrification Policy Options 17 18
19 20
20 21
22 23
25 36
43 62
64 70
4 6
12 16
24 EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
As scientists continue to emphasize the need
for rapid and far-reaching action to slow climate
change, San José has begun to feel the impacts
of climate change in the form of wildfires,
drought, and extreme heat. Acknowledging
the need for accelerated action, in November
2021 San José City Council set an aspirational
goal for San José to become carbon neutral by
2030. This goal builds on the already ambitious
goals in the City of José’s (“City”) climate action
plan, Climate Smart San José (“Climate Smart”),
and sets an example for other cities around
the world. This Pathway to Carbon Neutrality
by 2030 (“Pathway”) recommends strategies
and supporting actions to accelerate the City’s
Climate Smart work and put San José on a
course to carbon neutrality by 2030.
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
San José GHG Emissions – Pathways and Inventories
Business
as Usual
Climate Smart plan
pathway
Inventories
(all sectors)
Carbon Neutral by
2030 pathway
2008 2020 20362014 2026 20422010 2022 20382016 20322028 20442012 2024 20402018 20342030 2046 2,000,000
0 4,000,000
6,000,000
8,000,000
10,000,000
12,000,000
Metric tons CO2e
4 Eighty-five percent of San José’s
communitywide greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions come from transportation and
buildings, and this first iteration of the
Pathway focuses on carbon neutrality for
those sectors.
Based on staff assessment of local data
and existing programs and policies at
the state, regional, and City levels, the
Pathway includes priority near-term
(1-2 fiscal years) actions supporting the
following four key strategies:
• Move to zero-emission vehicles
• Reduce the miles we travel in our
vehicles by at least 20 percent
• Switch our appliances from fossil fuel
to electric
• Power our community with 100 percent
carbon-neutral electricity
It also includes priority actions to help the
City lead by example by reducing GHG
emissions from municipal operations. In
addition, this document provides an overview
of available, potential, and needed resources,
and describes how progress will be tracked
and this Pathway will be updated over time.
Though the focus of this Pathway is on
reducing GHG emissions, its ultimate aim is
for San José to become a better, stronger and
more resilient community and to improve life
for San José residents. Reaching this goal will
require the involvement and engagement
of all parts of the San José community,
including San José’s historically marginalized
communities, low-income residents, seniors,
disabled residents, and struggling families.
While the strategies identified are data-
based, the City will need to seek extensive
community input to guide and refine the
actions advancing those strategies so that
they can be supported by and supportive of
the San José community.
San José Communitywide
GHG Emissions (2019)
51%
Transportation
15%
Other
19%
Commercial
Buildings
15%
Residential
Buildings
5 INTRODUCTION
01 PURPOSE Climate change is a daunting problem that
will not be solved without action from many
participants around the world. San José’s GHG
emissions are a small piece of total global
emissions. Setting a goal and a plan for reducing
San José’s communitywide GHG emissions will
not solve the global problem, but doing so will
make an impact by setting an example for others.
California and its cities lead the world in climate
action. As one of the largest cities in California
and the country, where San José leads, others
follow. By setting ambitious goals and laying out
strong plans to achieve them, San José is helping
accelerate climate action around the world, as
well as within its community.
In 2018, City Council approved the City’s
climate action plan, Climate Smart San José,
which includes ambitious targets to reduce
GHG emissions by 2050 in alignment with
the Paris climate agreement. Climate Smart
identifies strategies to reach those targets
while also improving residents’ quality of
life, with a focus on San José’s community-
identified priorities of safety, health, freedom,
community, and positive experiences
(known as the “Good Life 2.0”). In November
2021, given the latest climate science from
the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC)1 and going beyond Climate
Smart goals, San José City Council adopted
a resolution setting an aspirational goal for
San José to be carbon neutral by 2030. Being
carbon neutral would mean reducing the
community’s net GHG emissions (from our
transportation, buildings, grid-supplied energy,
industry, and treatment of waste), in a given
year, to zero.
With the Carbon Neutral Resolution
adoption, Council directed staff to return
with a specific strategy for the acceleration
of work in Climate Smart San José needed
to put our community firmly on a path to
achieve our carbon neutrality goal by 2030.
This document presents key strategies and
recommends focused short-term (next 1-2
fiscal years) supporting actions to kick-start
this initiative. It is important to note that this
Pathway is considered a living document since
many things can, and likely will, change in
the coming years. Similarly, it is important to
acknowledge that this document is not meant
to be an all-encompassing plan to address
all community priorities – many actions not
included here are being addressed through
separate City efforts (e.g., climate resiliency
and increasing the urban tree canopy).
We will need to be both focused and
thoughtful in order to reach our carbon
neutral by 2030 goal in a way that improves
life for people throughout our community.
1IPCC, 2022: Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [H.-O.
Pörtner, D.C. Roberts, M. Tignor, E.S. Poloczanska, K. Mintenbeck, A. Alegría, M. Craig, S. Langsdorf, S.
Löschke, V. Möller, A. Okem, B. Rama (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press. In Press. 7 OUR
VISION
San José will become a better, stronger
and more resilient community by
accelerating climate action and moving
to carbon neutrality by 2030.
Reaching carbon neutrality will be a
transformative process for our city. In 2030,
we envision San José as a world-leading
green city whose residents are living the
Good Life 2.0 - with high-quality jobs,
comfortable, healthy homes and workplaces
powered by reliable clean electricity, and
many clean, safe, and easy-to-use
transportation options to get around town.
The City recognizes that without special
effort, the benefits of this vision may not
reach all members of our community.
To guide our pathway, the City’s vision
toward carbon neutrality by 2030 includes
the following two core components:
1. Engaging our community throughout
the process.
The City’s carbon neutrality planning is a
living process and needs community input at
every stage to guide San José’s transition to
carbon neutrality. The City envisions carrying
out this work in a way that is open,
transparent, proactive in gathering input
from many different parts of the community,
and responsive to what we hear.
2. Making all voices heard.
Historically marginalized communities are hit
first and worst by the impacts of climate
change and often have the fewest resources
and support to recover from extreme weather
events, emergencies, loss of energy or road
closures, flooding and other impacts 2. Given
this, the City commits to engaging all of the
community, prioritizing historically
marginalized communities, low-income
residents, seniors, disabled residents, and
struggling families, to include diverse
perspectives and ensure that all are included
in the benefits of this transition and not made
more vulnerable by it. Success in achieving
San José’s carbon neutrality goal depends on
the support of all of the community.
2Goldstein, Benjamin, Dimitrios Gounaridis, and Joshua P. Newell. “The Carbon Footprint of Household Energy Use in the United States.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 117, no. 32 (August 11, 2020): 19122–30. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1922205117. 8
OUR FOCUS
AREA
In April 2022, the IPCC issued its Sixth
Assessment Report that flagged the need for
nations to reduce their fossil fuel usage much
faster to avoid calamitous overheating of the
planet. As shown in Image 1 , 85 percent of San
José’s communitywide GHG emissions come
from two areas – transportation and buildings.
Given San José’s GHG emissions profile,
the Pathway will focus on the following
three key areas:
1. Transportation. San José can build upon
its existing transportation plans, policies and
programs to further accelerate the use of
zero-emission vehicles, active transportation
(e.g., walking and biking) and shared services
(e.g., car sharing and public transit). This work
can include land-use planning that supports
reduced vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and
increases mode shift, investments in transit,
bike, and pedestrian infrastructure, programs
and policies to encourage behavior change
by residents and workers, and programs and
policies to support electric vehicles (EVs) and
smart and shared mobility options. This work
builds on Climate Smart strategies 2.1, 2.3,
2.4, 3.1, and 3.3.
2. Buildings. San José’s Natural Gas
Infrastructure Prohibition Ordinance requires
all-electric new construction, with limited
exceptions. The City can help accelerate an
all-electric transition by supporting energy
efficiency improvements in its existing
building stock. This work can include
consumer and contractor education and
training, incentives, and turnkey upgrade
programs, and builds on Climate Smart
strategies 2.2 and 3.2.
3. Power Source. San José Clean Energy
(SJCE), managed by the City’s Community
Energy Department (CED), can move from its
current 95 percent carbon-neutral3 to a 100
percent carbon-neutral base power product
by 2030 to provide a clean source of power
for current and future electric buildings and
transportation. The portfolio will likely include
some natural gas resources to maintain
reliability, but any natural gas production will
be offset by carbon-free energy. This work
builds on Climate Smart strategy 1.1.
The remaining sources of our GHG emissions
are being addressed by separate efforts and
can be incorporated into future versions of
this Pathway.
3SJCE’s current 95 carbon-neutral goal is based on a typical weather year. Weather, particularly snowpack and drought, determines hydropower supplies. Hydropower is a prominent carbon-neutral power source in California. 51%
Transportation
15%
Other
19%
Commercial Buildings
15%
Residential Buildings
9 THE DEVELOPMENT
PROCESS
In this phase, staff examined available
data that provided insights into our GHG
emissions and what we are already doing
(goals, plans, policies, and programs)
statewide, regionally and at the City that
brings us toward our carbon neutrality goal.
In this phase, building upon the Discovery
Phase work, staff identified and assessed
potential acceleration strategies and
recommended Acceleration Strategies in
each of the three key areas to jumpstart the
City’s efforts towards our carbon neutral by
2030 goal.
This Pathway reflects staff’s research, planning,
and insights given available resources,
building upon the extensive research,
analysis, and community engagement that
the City has already completed to-date to
inform existing Climate Smart transportation,
building, and power source initiatives
(summarized in Appendix 1) and the existing
Climate Smart plan. The next steps toward
a carbon neutrality goal will be refining the
strategies and actions in this Pathway and
establishing timelines for implementation
with additional technical analysis and
community input. The City is committed to
moving forward thoughtfully, with a focus on
maximizing return on investment, and with
strong community support.
This Pathway was developed using a two-phase
approach – Discovery and Planning—with an
overview of each provided below.
DISCOVERY PHASE PLANNING PHASE
10 FINDINGS FROM
DISCOVERY
PHASE
02 FINDINGS FROM
DISCOVERY PHASE
What the Data Tells Us
San José’s communitywide GHG
inventories show that our GHG emissions
have decreased over time, but are not
decreasing at a rate quick enough to
reach carbon neutrality by 2030 without
additional efforts (see Image 2).
To achieve carbon neutrality, San José
needs to eliminate 5.4 million metric tons
of carbon dioxide equivalent (MT CO2e)
emissions annually – an amount that would
cover the entire city in a blanket of carbon
dioxide approximately 20 feet thick.
Key Data Takeaways
Staff collected and analyzed available data
for insights into San José’s GHG emissions
(see Appendix 2). Key takeaways from the
data are summarized on the next page.
This section provides relevant data and information
on goals, plans, policies, and programs relevant
to our efforts – providing a context for the
recommended acceleration strategies identified in
the Planning Phase (Section 3).
Image 2: San José GHG Emissions – Pathways and Inventories Business
as Usual
Climate Smart plan
pathway
Inventories
(all sectors)
Carbon Neutral by
2030 pathway
2008 2020 20362014 2026 20422010 2022 20382016 20322028 2044 20482012 2024 20402018 20342030 2046 2050 Metric tons CO2e2,000,000
0 4,000,000
6,000,000
8,000,000
10,000,000
12 • Primary focus should be on converting
passenger vehicles and then trucks and
commercial vehicles to electric.
• To achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, the
City will need to significantly accelerate the
pace of EV adoption and corresponding EV
charging infrastructure.
• Reducing VMT to Climate Smart’s current
reduction goal would require significant
focus now through 2030, and the choices
that are made (e.g., development, capital/
grant improvements) during that time will
have lasting VMT and GHG effects.
• Given the timescale needed for VMT
reductions, the majority of GHG emissions
reductions through 2030 from the
transportation sector will be need to come
from the move to zero-emission vehicles.
• Primary focus should be on electrifying
space and water heating equipment in
residential buildings.
• Existing programs and incentives can support
building energy efficiency and electrification.
• Low-income communities, in particular, will
require significant assistance to fully electrify
their homes.
• Solar and the replacement of appliances at
their end-of-life can significantly improve the
economics of home electrification.
• SJCE already offers a low-carbon base
power product and continues to grow its
renewable content.
• Maintaining SJCE’s current customer base
and potentially seeking to bring more
direct access (commercial and industrial)
customers to SJCE’s service can support
San José’s carbon neutral by 2030 goal.
• It will be important to monitor customer
enrollment in GreenValue and evaluate its
impact on the carbon neutrality goal.
• Reaching California’s 100 percent clean
energy goals will require the deployment
of utility-scale renewable energy paired
with short and long-duration storage and
rooftop solar with home energy storage.
• While municipal operations are a small
percentage of communitywide GHG
emissions, they are within the City’s
direct control.
• Primary focus should be on employee
commutes and buildings and facilities.
• Within buildings and facilities, focus should
be on the Airport’s central utility plant.
• Municipal operations can move to 100
percent carbon-neutral electricity quickly
through SJCE.
TRANSPORATION BUILDINGS
POWER SOURCE
MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS
13 The State of California, the Bay Area
region, and the City are leaders in their
climate action policies, programs and
achievements. The state, region, and City
have all already taken significant steps
towards carbon neutrality:
• At the state level, California set a carbon
neutral by 2045 goal in 2018. In July 2021,
Governor Newsom directed California state
agencies to accelerate California’s progress
to its climate goals with a new 2035
carbon neutrality goal. With this direction,
the California Air Resources Board (CARB)
and California Public Utilities Commission
(CPUC) are evaluating pathways for the
state to achieve carbon neutrality by the
new 2035 goal date. There are also many
state laws, executive orders, policies, and
funding programs driving GHG emissions
reductions in specific sectors, including
buildings, transportation, electricity, and
solid waste.
• Regionally, agencies including the
Metropolitan Transportation Commission
(MTC), the Valley Transportation Authority
(VTA), and Santa Clara County are
developing or have adopted climate action
plans or plans that incorporate GHG
emissions reduction goals. The Bay Area
Regional Energy Network (BayREN)
provides programs and significant
incentives to encourage increased building
energy efficiency and electrification, and
the Bay Area Air Quality Management
District (BAAQMD) is considering a
phase-out approach to the sale of natural
gas appliances.
WHAT THE CITY
AND OTHERS ARE
ALREADY DOING
• San José was the first city of its size to
approve a climate action plan in alignment
with the Paris climate agreement, establish
a community choice aggregation program
(SJCE) to provide its community with
cleaner power, require all-electric new
construction, and adopt a carbon neutral
by 2030 goal. In addition, the City’s
Envision 2040 General Plan supports smart,
transit-oriented growth and densification
and the City offers rapid, online permits for
solar panels, and EV chargers. The City has
developed plans to support VMT reduction,
active mobility, and more expansive and
equitable access to electric and shared
vehicles. The City has also adopted an
ordinance to require all-electric new
construction and offers incentives,
education, and information to support
home energy efficiency and building and
vehicle electrification.
Appendix 1 provides a summary of both
completed and planned statewide, regional
and City plans, policies and programs in the
three key areas, providing the background
for the identification of strategies the City
can employ to leverage, build upon, and fill
any important gaps in existing plans, policies
and programs to accelerate San José’s
progress towards its climate goals.
14 RECOMMENDED
ACCELERATION
STRATEGIES
03 RECOMMENDED
ACCELERATION STRATEGIES
Scenario analyses conducted by ICLEI –
Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI),
provided as part of the City’s participation
in the global Race to Zero initiative, found
that San José could reach carbon neutrality
for electricity, buildings, and transportation
by 2030 (see Image 3) by implementing the
following four very aggressive strategies:
1. Getting to 100% carbon-neutral electricity
2. Reducing total VMT by between 15 and 50
percent from 2019 levels (decrease required
depends on level of EV adoption)
3. Getting to between 79 and 88 percent
EVs (increase required depends on level of
VMT reduction)
4. Starting in 2023, retrofitting 14.3 percent of
currently existing residential and commercial
buildings to be all-electric each year
In all of these scenarios, GHG emissions for
these three sectors combined are reduced to
about 227,000 MT CO2e total – which could
be balanced out by carbon capture and
sequestration options (as explained in more
detail in Appendix 4).
While San José’s communitywide GHG inventories
show that our GHG emissions are decreasing over
time and the City has taken significant action
already, we will need to significantly accelerate
progress to reach a carbon neutral by 2030 goal.
Image 3: ICLEI GHG Emissions Scenario Analysis
2019 2030
GHG Emissions (MT CO2e)
2,500,000
0 1,000,000
500,000
1,500,000
2,000,000
3,000,000
3,500,000
4,000,000
4,500,000
On-road transportation
Residential eletricity
Residential natural gas
Industrial eletricity
Commercial eletricity
Commercial and
industrial natural gas
16 The Climate Smart plan includes nine
strategies to reduce communitywide GHG
emissions and water use. Given limited
resources and time, the City must focus and
scale existing Climate Smart efforts to achieve
a carbon neutrality goal. This Pathway does
not establish any new policies or mandates.
It recommends four key strategies, based on
the strategies in the Climate Smart plan, to
create a prioritized body of work for the City
to accelerate the community’s movement
to carbon neutrality. Given the close goal
timeline, the actions within each of the
strategies in this Pathway are identified for
the near term, within the next two fiscal years.
As these strategies are deployed and staff
measure and report on progress, staff will
need to regularly update the actions within
each of the recommended acceleration
strategies (see Measuring and Reporting on
Progress section for details).
Additional analysis and community
engagement will be necessary in the creation
of specific programs and policies supporting
the four strategies. Additional funding
will also be necessary for establishment of
new work and future scaling of successful
programs, and staff will pursue federal, state
and other funding opportunities. Appendix
3 provides details, including a description,
equity components, available resources, and
the potential for scaling given additional
resources, on the supporting actions
identified within each of the recommended
acceleration strategies.
With SJCE providing 100 percent carbon-
neutral electricity to San José (see Strategy
4), our community can significantly reduce
GHG emissions from the transportation
sector by accelerating the shift to EVs. This
strategy builds on ongoing work supporting
Climate Smart strategies 2.3 (Create Clean,
Personalized Mobility Choices) and 3.3
(Make Commercial Goods Movement Clean
& Efficient). To facilitate this transition,
the City should expand its efforts to: 1)
increase awareness and information about
EVs; 2) expand access to EV charging;
and 3) reduce other barriers to adoption,
including the cost to purchase or access
shared EVs. In addition to GHG emissions,
shifting to EVs will reduce operational
costs for vehicle owners as well as noise
and air pollution, including toxic pollutants
known or suspected as carcinogens as
well as pollutants causing neurological,
cardiovascular, respiratory, reproductive and/
or immune system damage. Vehicle-related
pollution has disproportionally impacted
communities of color, who are more likely
to live near highways, freight corridors and
industrial areas than white Americans. The
acceleration actions listed below are intended
to leverage existing programs and incentives
to boost EV adoption across our communities.
Supporting Actions:
EV1. Increase access to EV charging citywide
EV2. Increase access to EV charging at
City facilities
EV3. Implement EV education and awareness
programs, with a focus on disadvantaged
communities where adoption is the lowest
EV4. Implement and/or promote programs
that reduce cost and other barriers to EV
ownership and usage
EV5. Secure external funding and resources
STRATEGY 1: MOVE TO
ZERO-EMISSION VEHICLES
17 While reducing GHG emissions through
vehicle electrification is a vital focus area
for addressing San José’s transportation
sector (see Strategy 1), our community can
also significantly reduce GHG emissions by
accelerating the switch to alternate, carbon-
neutral modes of transportation such as
cycling, walking and public transit (known
as “mode shift”). The City has already been
working to drive mode shift in support of
Climate Smart strategies 2.1 (Densify Our
City to Accommodate our Future Neighbors),
2.4 (Develop Integrated, Accessible Public
Transport Infrastructure), 3.1 (Create Local
Jobs in Our City to Reduce VMT), and 3.3
(Make Commercial Goods Movement Clean
& Efficient). To facilitate this transition, the
City should expand its efforts to: 1) improve
infrastructure for bikers and pedestrians; 2)
make transit more convenient and easier to
use; 3) incentivize modes of transportation
other than driving; and 4) densify the city.
As with vehicle electrification, mode shifting
will reduce noise and air pollution, which
disproportionally impact communities
of color, who are more likely to live near
highways. The acceleration actions listed
below are intended to expand and build
upon existing programs and policies to
boost mode shifting across our communities.
Supporting Actions:
MT1. Build complete and safe streets
MT2. Make more public space for people
MT3. Fill gaps in trails and sidewalks
MT4. Provide lighting improvements
MT5. Provide urban greening
MT6. Provide low-stress bike facilities and
slow streets
MT7. Maintain bike and pedestrian
infrastructure
MT8. Provide bike storage
MT9. Enhance bike connectivity
MT10. Make signals work better for people
walking or biking
MT11. Expand transit service
MT12. Improve existing transit service
MT13. Establish means-based transit fares
MT14. Enhance transit stops
MT15. Provide user-friendly transportation
information
MT16. Provide mobile ticketing
MT17. Provide microtransit & on-demand
service
MT18. Establish mobility hubs
MT19. Develop and implement Transit-First
Policy
MT20. Provide transportation demand
management (TDM)
MT21. Implement smart parking and
curbside management policies
MT22. Implement transportation impact fees
MT23. Encourage carshare
MT24. Encourage sustainable local deliveries
MT25. Increase affordable housing near
transit and growth areas
MT26. Increase local jobs near transit and
low-VMT areas
MT27. Support development of Urban
Villages with mixed land uses and amenities
MT28. Encourage emerging mobility in
equity priority communities
MT29. Secure external funding and resources
STRATEGY 2: REDUCE THE MILES
WE TRAVEL IN OUR VEHICLES BY
AT LEAST 20 PERCENT
18 The use of natural gas in buildings
inherently generates GHG emissions, while
SJCE can provide carbon-neutral electricity
to San José residents and business. The
City has already been working to assist in
the transition to carbon-neutral buildings
in support of Climate Smart strategies
2.2 (Make Homes Efficient & Affordable
for Our Residents) and 3.2 (Improve Our
Commercial Building Stock). To reach
carbon neutrality by 2030, the City can
help accelerate the upgrade of natural
gas-fueled appliances to all-electric options
– with a focus on space and water heating.
In addition to reducing GHG emissions,
electrification upgrades will improve
indoor air quality and increase resilience
to heat waves by adding air conditioning
to homes that did not previously have
it. The acceleration actions listed below
are intended to increase the awareness,
understanding, and demand for building
electrification; streamline the building
electrification process and reduce associated
costs; support the creation of a high-quality
electrification workforce; and leverage
existing programs and incentives.
Supporting Actions:
B1. Evaluate Natural Gas Infrastructure
Prohibition Ordinance for updates
B2. Evaluate Building Reach Code for updates
B3. Develop and implement a building
electrification framework
B4. Initiate electrification upgrade accelerator
B5. Partner to develop an electrification plan
for targeted disadvantaged neighborhoods
B6. Provide residential electrification
incentives for low-income residents
B7. Support electrification workforce
development
B8. Implement Zero Emissions Neighborhood
(ZEN) pilot
B9. Support the creation of an online Zero
Carbon hub
B10. Leverage existing programs and incentives
B11. Explore opportunities to reduce the cost
of building electrification
B12. Explore policy options for existing
building electrification
B13. Provide community education
and outreach
B14. Secure external funding and resources
B15. Collaborate and partner with other
entities with similar carbon neutrality goals
to support progress
STRATEGY 3: SWITCH OUR
APPLIANCES FROM FOSSIL
FUEL TO ELECTRIC
19 Given the inherent GHG emissions from
natural gas and the subsequent focus on
electrifying buildings and transportation,
providing 100 percent carbon neutral
electricity to those buildings and
transportation is vital. SJCE already procures
significant renewable and storage capacity
for the San José community in support
of Climate Smart strategy 1.1 (Transition
to a Renewable Energy Future) and will
need to continue an aggressive pathway
to achieve 100 percent carbon-neutral
electricity on an annual basis 4 by 2030. In
addition to reducing GHG emissions, SJCE’s
procurement of energy resources helps
bolster grid resiliency and supports new
and innovative energy technologies such
as long-duration storage and firm clean
resources. The acceleration actions listed
below are intended to ensure focused
planning and progress while maintaining
cost competitiveness.
Although it is a minimal portion of
communitywide emissions, the City
should demonstrate within its own
operations the same commitment to bold
climate action that it is seeking from the
community. The City can take impactful
supporting actions within each of the four
carbon neutrality strategies by: 1) moving
to a zero-emission fleet, 2) supporting
employee commutes via carbon-neutral
options, 3) electrifying its buildings, and
4) powering municipal buildings with 100
percent carbon-neutral power.
Supporting Actions:
M1. Switch to TotalGreen electricity
Supporting Actions:
P1. Develop and implement a ten-year
Integrated Resource Plan
P2. Procure a minimum of 204 MWs of
storage and renewables
P3. Enroll maximum Disadvantaged
Community – Green Tariff Program customers
P4. Support clean energy improvements to
natural gas plants
P5. Market to direct access customers to
utilize SJCE’s service
P6. Increase uptake of TotalGreen
service option
P7. Support distributed generation and local
resiliency through on-site solar and battery
storage and back-up power
M2. Implement an employee TDM program
M3. Update the Green Fleet Policy
M4. Integrate the City’s All-Electric Policy for
Municipal Facilities into City processes
M5. Integrate Climate Smart across
City government
M6. Secure external funding and resources
The strategies above may not get us all the way
to zero emissions by 2030. We can also
consider negative emissions strategies as well
as developing technologies that may become
available in the coming years (see Appendix 4
for Additional Options for Future Consideration).
STRATEGY 4: POWER OUR
COMMUNITY WITH 100 PERCENT
CARBON-NEUTRAL ELECTRICITY
LEADING BY EXAMPLE
4SJCE will procure enough renewable energy to cover 100% of its customers’ usage on an annual basis 20
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
As noted in the Recommended Acceleration
Strategies section, refining some of the identified
strategies into detailed programs and/or policies
will require both targeted and broad community
engagement. This engagement should intentionally
elicit input from a wide range of stakeholders,
including historically marginalized communities,
low-income residents, seniors, disabled residents,
and struggling families, and seek opportunities to
co-create policies and programs. It will also build on
the citywide Community Engagement Framework
and other resources being developed by the
citywide Community Engagement Working Group
and the City’s Office of Racial Equity.
21 RESOURCES TO
SUPPORT THE WORK
As noted in the Recommended Acceleration
Strategies section, there are some resources
available – and more expected to come – that
can help fund the work described in this
Pathway. Both the State of California
Proposed Budget and the federal
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which
passed in November 2021, are allocating an
unprecedented amount of funding for
building and transportation electrification and
climate resiliency initiatives. City staff should
continue to closely monitor and prepare for
these opportunities as well as additional
funding opportunities anticipated in the near
future to support building electrification,
energy efficiency, weatherization, EVs and EV
charging infrastructure, and transportation
mode shifting. Forthcoming funding options
known at this time are listed in Appendix 5.
City staff should leverage and promote
available external resources, incentives, and
programs that align with Climate Smart
goals to maximize the support available to
our community.
In addition to external funding, this work will
need sustained and sufficient City budget to
be successful. Staff is needed to develop,
implement and track success of new
programs and policies; to coordinate efforts
across City departments; to acquire, manage
and report on grant funding; to track and
report on overall progress; and to inform and
engage the community in the effort to reach
carbon neutrality. In addition, non-personal
funds are needed to fulfill grant matching
requirements, for technical consultants and/or
contractor support, to fairly compensate
community-based organizations (CBOs) and
other stakeholders for their collaboration, for
outreach and marketing, and for program
development and implementation. Staff will
return to City Council to request future
budget actions as necessary to pair requests
for additional resources with specific policy
and program proposals.
The Pathway presented here focuses on GHG
emission reductions, but investments in
resilience to the impacts of climate change
are also needed. The City will develop a
resilience and adaptation plan, in FY 22-23
pending budget approval, with actions to
protect our community from wildfires, heat,
flooding, drought and sea-level rise.
In it evaluation of the costs of taking action to
reduce our GHG emissions and increase
resilience to the impacts of climate change,
the City should also weigh the cost of
inaction. Longer delays in reducing our GHG
emissions will lead to greater warming and
more danger from climate hazards such as
floods, fire, and extreme heat; less preparation
for those hazards will lead to greater loss of
life, health, property and livelihoods.
22 City staff will report progress on this
Pathway as part of the existing Climate
Smart reporting schedule, which includes:
• Biannual updates to the Transportation and
Environment Committee and City Council
• Communitywide and municipal GHG
inventories (alternating years)
• Climate Smart dashboard
(updated annually)
• Core Service Area annual reporting
(DOT, ESD)
In addition, municipal operations updates
are provided via the following:
• Annual Fleet Report (Municipal Fleet)
• Biennial Airport Sustainability Report
(next report summer 2022)
This Pathway is intended to be evaluated
and updated following each biannual
communitywide GHG emissions inventory.
MEASURING AND
REPORTING ON PROGRESS
23 APPENDICES
04 APPENDIX 1
SUMMARY OF STATEWIDE, REGIONAL,
AND CITY PLANS, POLICIES, AND PROGRAMS
Focus Area Climate-related
Plans
(approval year)
Climate-related
Policies
(adoption year)
Climate-related
Programs/
Projects
(activity year)
Plans, Policies,
and/or Programs
in Development
Cross-Area CARB Scoping
Plan (next update
will be released in
2022)
Updated every 4-5
years, assesses
progress on the
State’s GHG
reduction goals
and lays out a path
to achieve them
Executive Order
B-55-18 (2018)
Established a
statewide goal of
achieving carbon
neutrality no later
than 2045
Transportation California Zero-
Emission Vehicle
Market
Development
Strategy (2021)
Executive Order
B-16-12 (2012)
Laid the
foundation for the
state to help bring
1.5 million zero-
emission vehicles
to California by
2025
CARB California
Clean Fuel Reward
(2021; ongoing)
Offers point-of-sale
rebate, in
partnership with
electric utilities, up
to $750 depending
on battery capacity
for purchases or
leases of new EVs
Electric Vehicle
Charging Station
Permitting
Guidebook (2019)
AB 544 (2017)
Extended
California’s
program to allow
certain clean
alternative fuel
vehicles to use
carpool lanes
CARB Clean
Vehicle Rebate
Project (2016;
ongoing)
Offers $1,000-
$7,000 in rebates
for purchases or
leases of some EVs,
depending on
income
Statewide5
5The City acknowledges that there are also federal programs and incentives (e.g., for building energy efficiency, electrification, and onsite solar) that are not currently shown in this Appendix given the state, regional, and local focus. 25 The Climate Action
Plan for
Transportation
Infrastructure
(2021)
AB 739 (2017)
Required at least
15 percent of
specified heavy-
duty vehicles newly
purchased by state
agencies to be
zero-emission
beginning in 2025,
and at least 30
percent of those
vehicles to be ZEV
beginning in 2030
CARB Drive Clean
Assistance Program
(ongoing)
Offers up to $5,000
as a point-of-sale
incentive for
purchase or lease
of new or used EVs
by income-
qualified
households. Also
offers grants for at
home charging
and portable
chargers
AB 630 (2017)
Codified a clean-
car program that
benefits low-
income residents
by helping them
replace high-
polluting vehicles
with cleaner and
more efficient
vehicles
CARB Clean
Vehicle Assistance
Program (Closed as
of 4/14/21;
additional funds
may be added in
2022)
Offered $4,500-
5,000 as a point-of-
sale incentive for
purchase or lease
of new or used EVs
by income-
qualified
households
Executive order
B-48-18 (2018)
Orders all state
entities to work
with private sector
to put five million
zero-emission
vehicles on the
road by 2030 and
install 250,000 EV
charging stations
by 2025
26 Executive Order
N-79-20 (2020)
Requires all new
vehicles sold in CA
to be zero-emission
by 2035 for
passenger vehicles
and 2045 for
commercial trucks/
vans
CARB Innovative
Clean Transit
Regulation (2018)
Sets a statewide
goal for public
transit agencies to
gradually transition
to 100 percent
zero-emission bus
fleets by 2040,
starting by
purchasing only
zero-emission
buses by 2029
CARB Proposed
Advanced Clean
Cars II Regulations
(2022)
Would require 35
percent of all new
car purchases by
2026 and 100
percent by 2035 to
be electric,
hydrogen-powered,
or plug-in hybrids
SB 743 (2013)
Requires agencies
to measure
transportation
impacts in
California for new
development
projects using VMT
27 Buildings Assembly Bill 3232
(2018)
Requires the State
to assess the
potential for
California to reduce
building-related
emissions by at
least 40 percent
below 1990 levels
by 2030
Building Initiative
for Low-Emissions
Development
(BUILD; 2021)
Provides building
electrification
incentives for
low-income
residential projects
that build new
housing, repurpose
existing buildings
for housing, or do
major renovations
on existing housing
through 2023
Building Energy
Efficiency
Standards (also
known as “Title 24”;
2022; updated
every three years)
Incentivizes all-
electric new
construction,
energy efficiency,
and solar
Technology and
Equipment for
Clean Heating
(TECH; 2021)
Provides building
electrification
incentives for
existing homes
through 2023
Switch is On
campaign (2020,
ongoing)
Encourages
building
electrification and
provides online
tools to find
available all-electric
products, rebates
and incentives, and
qualified
contractors
Low-Income
Weatherization
Program (LIWP;
ongoing)
Weatherization
Assistance Program
(WAP; ongoing)
28 Low Income Home
Energy Assistance
Program (LIHEAP;
ongoing)
Power Source Renewable
Portfolio Standard
(last updated 2018)
Requires load
serving entities to
be 60 percent
renewable by 2030
Grid Alternatives
(ongoing)
Offers no-cost solar
to low-income
households
Senate Bill 100
(2018)
Establishes a goal
for 100 percent of
California’s
electricity to be
supplied by
carbon-neutral
resources by 2045
Solar on
Multifamily
Affordable Housing
(SOMAH; ongoing)
Provides financial
incentives for
installing
photovoltaic solar
systems on
multifamily
affordable housing
in California
Focus Area Climate-related
Plans
(approval year)
Climate-related
Policies
(adoption year)
Climate-related
Programs/
Projects
(activity year)
Plans, Policies,
and/or Programs
in Development
Cross-Area Not applicable
Transportation Bay Area Plug-in
Electric Vehicle
Readiness Plan
(2013)
BAAQMD Clean
Cars for All (2019;
ongoing)
Allows turn-in of
old vehicles for a
rebate toward a
new or used
hybrid, plug-in
hybrid, battery, or
hydrogen fuel EV,
prepaid card for
public transit or
e-bikes, and/or EV
charger
Regional
29 Santa Clara VTA
Sustainability Plan
(2020)
Sets 2040 GHG
emissions goals to
reduce emissions
60 percent from
2009 levels by 2025
and 90 percent by
2040
VTA zero-emission
fleet goal (2022)
Aim to have 100
percent zero-
emissions buses by
2036
Silicon Valley
Regional Intelligent
Transportation
Systems (ongoing)
Plan Bay Area 2050
(2021)
Long-range plan
charting the course
for the future of
the nine-county
San Francisco Bay
Area focused on
four key elements
— housing, the
economy,
transportation and
the environment
Acterra’s Karl
Knapp GoEV
Program (ongoing)
Supports the
transition to EVs
VTA Transit
Oriented
Communities
Playbooks (2019)
VTA Better Bus
Stops Program
(2020; ongoing)
Funds amenities at
bus stops
improving the rider
experience
VTA Transit
Passenger
Environment Plan
(2016)
Defines VTA’s
approach to
designing and
improving bus
stops
30 Buildings BayREN Energy-
efficiency and
Electrification
Incentives (2020;
ongoing)
In 2021, BayREN
rebates supported
381 single-family
home upgrades
and 2,085
multifamily unit
upgrades in San
José – 53 percent
and 90 percent of
all rebates paid out
in the county,
respectively.
BAAQMD Draft
Amendments to
Rule 9-4 and Rule
9-6 (2021)
These amendments
would ban the sale
of NOx-emitting
furnaces (as of
2029) and water
heaters/boilers (as
of 2027 for small
water heaters and
2031 for large
water heaters),
meaning that only
all-electric
equipment could
be sold
PG&E rebates,
financing, and
resources to
support energy
efficiency (ongoing)
Power Source Not applicable
Focus Area Climate-related
Plans
(approval year)
Climate-related
Policies
(adoption year)
Climate-related
Programs/
Projects
(activity year)
Plans, Policies,
and/or Programs
in Development
Cross-Area Climate Smart San
José (2018)
Carbon Neutrality
by 2030 Resolution
(2021)
City Council memo
template update to
include evaluation
of Climate Smart
conformance
(2019)
Pathway to Carbon
Neutrality by 2030
(2022)
SJCE Programs
Roadmap (2021)
Electrification Expo
(2019)
Zero-Emissions
Neighborhood
pilot development
(ZEN; 2021,
ongoing)
Envision San José
2040 General Plan
(last updated
2022)
Climate Smart
Challenge online
platform (2020,
ongoing)
City of San José
31 Greenhouse Gas
Reduction Strategy
(within General
Plan; last updated
2020)
GoGreen Teams
Pilot (2021,
ongoing)
Transportation Electric Mobility
Roadmap (2019)
Council Policy 5-1
(Transportation
Analysis) (2018)
Drive Electric
(2021)
Limited-time
discount by four
San José
dealerships on the
purchase of several
EV models
Parking and
Transportation
Demand
Management
Ordinance Update
(2022)
Better Bike Plan
2025 (2020)
Complete Street
Design Standards
and Guidelines
(2018)
Drive Forward
(2021)
Program offering
financial
counseling and EV
education
Transit First Policy
(2022)
Emerging Mobility
Action Plan (2022)
One-Way Vehicle
Sharing Policy
(2021)
California Electric
Vehicle
Infrastructure
Project (CALeVIP;
2020-2023)
Offers incentives for
EV charging
infrastructure
Council Policy 5-1
(Transportation
Analysis) Update
(2022)
East San José
Multimodal
Transportation
Improvement Plan
(En Movimiento;
2021)
Municipal: Green
Fleet Policy (2007)
and Vehicle
Replacement
Policy (last
updated in 2021)
Began amassing
credits from the
City’s EV chargers
via the states Low
Carbon Fuel
Standard program
(2021; ongoing)
Move San José Plan
(2022)
Vision Zero Action
Plan (2020)
LED Streetlight
Conversion
Program (2009;
ongoing)
Downtown
Transportation Plan
(2022)
Green Stormwater
Infrastructure Plan
(2018)
Commercial freight
strategic planning
(2021; ongoing)
West San José
Multimodal
Transportation
Improvement Plan
(2022)
32 Trail Master Plans
(various)
Walk n’ Roll
(ongoing)
Program to
increase the
number of kids
who walk and bike
to school
One-Way Vehicle
Sharing
Regulations (2022)
Municipal: City
Employee Smart
Pass Program,
Pre-tax Commuter
Benefits Program,
and Green Trip
Challenge
Walk Safe San José
Plan (2024)
North San José
Multimodal
Transportation
Improvement Plan
(2025)
BART Silicon Valley
route (TBD)
Berryessa BART
Multimodal
Transportation
Improvement Plan
(TBD)
Municipal: City
Employee
Bikeshare Subsidy
Program (TBD)
Buildings Building Reach
Code (2019)
Silicon Valley
Energy Watch
(2004-2020)
Energy efficiency
programs
Building
Electrification
Framework (2022)
Natural Gas
Infrastructure
Prohibition (2020,
2021)
Heat Pump Water
Heater Rebate
Program (2019-
2021)
SJCE Energy
Efficiency
Programs (2022-
2025)
33 Energy and Water
Building
Performance
Ordinance (BPO)
(2018)
Requires owners of
nonresidential and
multifamily
buildings 20,000
square feet and
larger to annually
report energy and
water use.
Municipal: Natural
Gas Infrastructure
for Municipal
Facilities policy
(2019)
Applicable to new
construction and
existing buildings
that undergo major
renovation, retrofit,
or remodel with
some exemptions
Power Source Integrated
Resource Plan
(2020)
SJCE formed
(2018)
SJCE Integrated
Resource Plan
(2022)
Disadvantaged
Community –
Green Tariff
Program (2021)
SJCE investment:
100 MW of solar, 10
MW of battery
storage in Fresno
County (2022)
SJCE investment:
225 MW of wind in
New Mexico (2021)
SJCE investment:
100 MW of solar in
Kern County (2022)
SJCE investment:
62 MW of
renewable energy,
delivered 6 a.m. to
10 p.m. daily, in
Kern County (2021)
SJCE investment:
Up to 25 MW of
long-duration
storage in Kern
County (2026)
34 Municipal:
Environmental
Service
Department
Wastewater and
Municipal Water
Operations Moved
to TotalGreen/100
percent Renewable
service option for
FY 2021-2022.
35 APPENDIX 2
FINDINGS BY FOCUS AREA
6California Energy Commission (2022). California Energy Commission Zero Emission Vehicle and Infrastructure Statistics. Data last updated April 29, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2022 from http://www.energy.ca.gov/zevstats.
7California Energy Commission (2022). California Energy Commission Zero Emission Vehicle and Infrastructure Statistics. Data last updated April 29, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2022 from http://www.energy.ca.gov/zevstats.
Transportation Findings
Data for the transportation sector
shows that:
• Nearly 90 percent of transportation
emissions come from “on-road” sources
(see Image 4).
• Of those on-road emission:
43 percent is from passenger vehicles.
Heavy-duty and light-duty trucks
represent about 20 percent each
(see Image 5).
• As of the end of 2021, there were about
720,000 vehicles registered in San José,
about 35,000 (or 5 percent) of which were
EVs (either plug-in hybrids or fully electric).
• From 2016 to 2021, EV ownership in
San José has grown by an average of 27
percent year over year (excluding 2020,
when car sales were disrupted by COVID).
Continued growth at this rate would lead
to 42 percent EV adoption by 2030. To
reach an accelerated 90 percent EV goal
by 2030, EV adoption would need to grow
by 38 percent year over year until 2030.
(See Image 6)
• To meet Climate Smart’s current GHG
reduction targets, the City’s Electric
Mobility Roadmap projected that San José
would need to increase the percentage
of EVs to 14 percent by 2025, or 105,000
vehicles, and would need approximately
5,500 EV chargers to support them.
Image 4: San José Transportation GHG
Emissions (2019)
Image 5: San José On-road GHG Emissions
(2019)
On-road
88%
Medium-duty trucks
13%
Local flights
0.1%
Light rail
0.02%
Commuter trains
0.1%
Freight
rail
0.4%
Light-duty
trucks
22%
Heavy-duty
trucks
20%
Off-road
6%
Passenger
cars
43%
Buses
2%
Motorcycles &
Motor Homes
Non-local
flights
5%
Buses
1%
36 8Projections based on ratios recommended by the California Energy Commission and the International Council on Clean Transportation: California Plug-In Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Projections: 2017- 2025, California Energy Commission staff report, March 2018 (https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy18osti/70893.pdf) xxxi Quantifying the Electric Vehicle Charging Gap Across U.S Markets, January 2019, ICCT, https://theicct.org/sites/default/files/ publications/US_charging_Gap_20190124.pdf
9Pike, Ed, Kido, Cassidee, and Goldsmith, Hannah. (2019, May 14). Driving Plug-in Electric Vehicle Adoption with Green Building Codes. Forth Webinar. Retrieved from https://www.slideshare.net/eimnaline742/drivingplugin- electric-vehicle-adoption-with-green-building-codes-by-ed-pike-cassidee-kido-and-hannah-goldsmith 10City VMT model; Google Environmental Insights Explorer (2022). Retrieved May 12, 2022 from https://insights.sustainability.google/.
• If the City were to achieve 90 percent
EV ownership (including both battery
electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles) by
2030, approximately 702,000 EVs would be
registered in the city.
To support these EVs, San José would
need approximately 62,000 publicly
accessible chargers to support them: 60,000
Level 2 chargers at workplaces (58%) and
other public facilities (42%) as well as 2,000
fast chargers.8
• As of April 2022, there were 1,826 EV
chargers installed in the city, of which 254
were owned and operated by the City.
• EV charging infrastructure is significantly
cheaper to install at the time of new
construction versus as a retrofit.9
• From 2008 to 2019, total annual VMT
decreased by 100 million miles each year,
while VMT per service population per day
decreased by 0.3 miles each year. If the
same rate of decrease continues, total
annual VMT will decrease by 18 percent by
2030 and VMT per service population per
day will decrease by 31 percent by 2030.10
Image 6: Percentage of EV Ownership in
San José
• Significant mode shift will require
infrastructure upgrades (e.g. bicycle
lanes, street upgrades) which typically
take 3-5 years to complete, assuming
funding is available.
Key Transportation Sector Takeaways:
• Primary focus should be on converting
passenger vehicles and and then trucks
and commercial vehicles to electric.
• Reducing VMT to Climate Smart’s current
reduction goal would require significant
focus now through 2030, and the choices
that are made (e.g. development, capital/
grant improvements, etc.) during that time
will have lasting VMT and GHG effects.
• Given the timescale for VMT reductions,
the majority of GHG emissions reductions
through 2030 from the transportation
sector will be need to come from on the
move to zero-emission vehicles.
• To achieve carbon neutrality by 2030,
the City will need to significantly
accelerate the pace of EV adoption and
corresponding EV charging infrastructure.
Actuals Growth needed
to reach 90%
by 2030
Projection if growth
continues at recent
year-over-year rates
2010 2016 20242013 2019 20272011 2017 20252014 20222020 2028 20302012 2018 20262015 20232021 2029 Percent of vehicles registered in
San José that are EVs
0%
30%
60%
10%
40%
70%
90%
20%
50%
80%
100%
37 112020 American Community Survey 5-year estimates – Table B25040 HOUSE HEATING FUEL and Table B25117 TENURE BY HOUSE HEATING FUEL
12U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2018. 2015 Residential Energy Consumption Survey, Table CE4.5. https://www.eia.gov/consumption/residential/data/2015/c&e/pdf/ce4.5.pdf 132018 data from the American Community Survey, via the Greenlink Equity Map. https://www.equitymap.org/ 14National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Centers for Environmental Information Local Climatological Data, 2017-2021. Retrieved May 10, 2022 from https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cdo-web/datatools/lcd 15Data from Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services; average number of annual Cooling Center activation days for 2015-2021.
16DNV GL Energy Insights USA, Inc. 2020. 2019 California Residential Appliance Saturation Study. California Energy Commission. Publication Number: CEC-200-2021-005-ES.
Building Findings
Data for the buildings sector shows that:
• 56 percent of building emissions are from
natural gas usage (see Image 7).
• Residential buildings use 63 percent of
natural gas used in the city.
• Commercial/industrial buildings are
9 percent of the building stock, but
responsible for 33 percent of natural
gas use.
• 61 percent of homes in San José are
heated with natural gas, and 35 percent
with electricity.
For owner-occupied homes, 75 percent
are heated by natural gas and 21 percent
by electricity.11
For renter-occupied homes, 43 percent
are heated by natural gas and 53 percent
by electricity.
• 85 percent of the residential building
stock is single-family.
• Approximately 90 percent of residential
natural gas usage is from water and
space heating.12
• The Climate Smart plan calls for
10,000-20,000 homes to be upgraded to
be all-electric each year from now until
2040 but reaching zero emissions by
2030 could require accelerating this work
to upgrading more than 40,000 homes
to be all-electric each year from 2023
until 2030.
• 39,000 households in San José face an
energy burden of 10 percent or higher.
Image 7: San José Buildings GHG Emissions
(2019)
Governmental
natural gas
2%
Commercial
& Industrial
natural gas
22%
Residential
natural gas
20%
Electricity
41%
Other
residential
fuel
3%
On-site electric
generation with
natural gas
4%
• Approximately 80,000 San José households
participate in the California Alternate Rates
for Energy (CARE) discount program that
helps low-income customers pay their
energy bills.
• San José currently experiences 45 days
on average per year where temperatures
reach 85 degrees Fahrenheit or higher 14,
and approximately 5 days per year over
97 degrees Fahrenheit (the threshold for
activating community cooling centers). 15
• Approximately 20 percent of single-family
and 40 percent of multi-family buildings do
not have air conditioning. 16
38 17https://www.energystar.gov/campaign/heating_cooling/replace 18Mahone, Amber, Charles Li, Zack Subin, Michael Sontag, Gabe Mantegna, Alexis Karolides, Alea German, and Peter Morris. “Residential Building Electrification in California|Consumer Economics, Greenhouse Gases and Grid Impacts.” San Francisco, CA: Energy and Environmental Economics, Inc. (E3), April 2019. https://www. ethree.com/wpcontent/uploads/2019/04/E3_Residential_Building_Electrification_in_California_April_2019.pdf 19BayREN, 2021. Local Government Policy Calculator for Existing Single-Family Buildings. https://www.bayren. org/how-adopt-reach-code/addressing-existing-buildings
• Furnaces have a life span of approximately
15 years, and air conditioners a life span of
about 10 years17. Switching to a heat pump
HVAC system when gas furnaces reach
end-of-life can provide both heating and
cooling to homes that did not previously
have air conditioning, which is especially
important given that the number of high
heat days is expected to increase.
• Numerous energy efficiency and
electrification programs/incentives exist
(summarized in Appendix 1) providing
significant low- or no-cost services,
particularly to low-income communities,
which could be further leveraged to benefit
the San José community.
• Pairing building electrification with
onsite solar can significantly increase
the operational cost savings from
building electrification.18
• San José already has many all-electric
building examples within our own
community, including affordable housing
developments, such as Quetzal Gardens,
and the new Adobe North Tower.
In addition to the above data, the BayREN
Policy Calculator 19 offers some insights into
the potential impact of several single-family
residential building energy efficiency/
electrification policy options. However, even
with all of these policy options in place for
single-family residential buildings and with
very aggressive compliance targets, San José
would only reach carbon neutrality for
single-family residential buildings in 2036
(see Image 8).
Key Building Sector Takeaways:
• Primary focus should be on electrifying
space and water heating equipment in
residential buildings.
• Existing programs and incentives can
support building energy efficiency
and electrification.
• Low-income communities, in particular,
will require significant assistance to fully
electrify their homes.
• Solar and the replacement of
appliances at their end-of-life can
significantly improve the economics of
home electrification.
Image 8: BayREN Policy Calculator Output, Showing Impact of Single-Family Home Electrification Policy Options on GHG Emissions 39 Power Source Findings
Data for the power source sector shows that:
• San José’s community choice aggregation
program, SJCE, currently serves 97 percent
of the more than 360,000 electricity
accounts in San José, with only a 3 percent
opt out rate.
• SJCE has invested in more than 500
megawatts (MW) of new renewable energy
and reliability resources.
• SJCE’s base power product is already 95
percent carbon-neutral.
• SJCE also offers a 100 percent renewable
electricity option, TotalGreen, and about
1,500 customers have opted up to this rate.
• With energy prices on the rise and
COVID-19 still affecting residents and
businesses, SJCE’s customers can also
now elect to take service under a low-cost
product with lower carbon-neutral content
called GreenValue (launched in May 2021).
To date, more than 1,800 customers are
taking advantage of this product. The
carbon-neutral content of GreenValue will
be 80 percent in 2022. 20
• In May 2021, SJCE launched the SJ Cares
program for income-qualified customers.
Customers enrolled in the state’s California
Alternate Rates for Energy and Family
Electric Rate Assistance programs are
automatically enrolled and receive more
renewable energy (SJCE’s standard
GreenSource service) for the lowest rates.
Beginning March 1, 2022, SJCE offered SJ
Cares customers a 5 percent rate discount –
the lowest rates in San José.
• About 47 percent of San José’s served
electricity load is residential, 44 percent is
commercial, and 9 percent is industrial.
• About 21 percent of electricity use in San
José is from direct access customers, who
are commercial and industrial customer
that buy their electricity directly from a
generation facility rather than from SJCE
or PG&E, so the carbon-neutral content of
their power is unknown.
• San José has a current Climate Smart
bold goal to achieve 1 GW of solar by 2040
and currently has 242 MW of rooftop solar
installed through 2021. 21
• In terms of cost, large-scale solar projects,
such as those that SJCE is already
investing in, offer economies of scale and
lower cost per MW of renewable power
added to the grid.
Key Power Source Takeaways:
• SJCE already offers a low-carbon base
power product and continues to grow its
renewable content.
• Maintaining SJCE’s current customer base
and potentially seeking to bring more
direct access (commercial and industrial)
customers to SJCE’s service can support
San José’s carbon-neutral by 2030 goal.
• It will be important to monitor customer
enrollment in GreenValue and evaluate its
impact on the carbon neutrality goal.
• Reaching California’s 100 percent clean
energy goals will require the deployment
of utility-scale renewable energy paired
with short and long-duration storage and
rooftop solar with home energy storage.
20Based on a typical weather year. Weather, particularly snowpack and drought, determines hydropower supplies. Hydropower is a prominent carbon-neutral power source in California. 21California Solar Initiative (2022). California Distributed Generation Statistics. https://www.californiadgstats.ca.gov/downloads/ 40
Wastewater
Treatment
36%
Municipal Operations Findings
(Cross-Sector)
Data for municipal operations shows that:
• GHG emissions from municipal operations
are about one percent of total citywide
GHG emissions.
• 76 percent of GHG emissions from
municipal operations are from the
following three sources: Wastewater
Treatment (35 percent), Employee
Commutes (22 percent), and Buildings &
Facilities (19 percent) (see Image 9).
• In the last municipal GHG inventory,
two-thirds of emissions from wastewater
treatment came from natural gas use
in the treatment process. Wastewater
treatment emissions are expected to
decrease in future as a result of two
projects currently underway that will
allow the Wastewater Facility to use
more low-emissions digester gas and less
natural gas.
• For the municipal Buildings & Facilities
sector, 56 percent of emissions are from
electricity and 44 percent from natural
gas (see Image 10).
• The Mineta San José International Airport
(“Airport”) represents 25 percent (largest
single source) of the Buildings & Facilities
emissions (see Image 11).
• 94 percent of Airport natural gas usage is
from its central utility plant (i.e. heating/
boilers), which will need to be retrofitted
or upgraded to meet future demands.
• The total cost to move all of the
remaining City operations electricity
accounts to SJCE’s TotalGreen (100
percent renewable) service option
would be approximately $980,000 and
would save approximately 3,900 MT
CO2e, representing five percent of total
municipal GHG emissions.
Image 9: 2018 Municipal Operations
GHG Emissions
Image 10: Municipal Buildings & Facilities
GHG Emissions, by Energy Use Type
Image 11: Municipal Buildings & Facilities
GHG Emissions, by Use
Employee
Commute
22%
Water Services
1%
Natural gas
44%
Public
lighting
14%
Airport
buildings &
facilities
25%
Buildings &
Facilities
19%
Electricity
56%
Buildings
& facilities
(excluding
Airport)
61%
Solid Waste
12%
Vehicle Fleet
10%
41 • Beginning in Fiscal Year (FY) 19-20, all
City vehicles moving forward are being
replaced with an EV when a suitable option
is available for that type of vehicle (e.g.
light duty, medium duty or heavy duty).
The City’s fleet is comprised of 12 percent
EVs (including both fully electric vehicles
and plug-in hybrids) and 24 percent
diesel vehicles running exclusively on low-
emissions renewable diesel (see Table 1 for
the City’s current fleet inventory).
Key Transportation Sector Takeaways:
• While municipal operations are a small
percentage of communitywide GHG
emissions, they are within the City’s direct
control.
• Primary focus should be on Employee
Commutes and Buildings & Facilities
sectors.
Within Buildings & Facilities, focus should
be on the Airport’s central utility plant.
• Municipal operations can move to 100
percent carbon-neutral electricity quickly
through SJCE.
Table 1: City Vehicle Fleet, by Fuel Type
Fuel Number of Vehicles in City Fleet Portion of Fleet (%) Gasoline 1224 50%
Renewable diesel
(low emissions)
594 24%
Hybrid 310 (includes 9 plug-in hybrids) 13%
Electric 290 12%
Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) 26 1%
Total 2,444
42 APPENDIX 3
CARBON NEUTRALITY BY 2030
SUPPORTING ACTION DETAIL
ID Type Title Description Equity
Component
Available
Resources
Scaling
EV1 Zero-Emission
Vehicles/ EV
Charging
Infrastructure
Increase Access
to EV Charging –
citywide
Develop an EV
charging strategy
(in coordination
with SJCE and
PW) in the next
six months that
identifies the
most effective
approach(es) to
significantly
increase access
to public
charging in the
city.
Focused effort for
people living in
multifamily
housing and
disadvantaged
communities;
ensure
installations
occur in
neighborhoods
where residents
are unable to
charge at home
at prices lower
income residents
can afford;
co-develop with
community
Existing staff Secure funding
to sub-stantially
increase access
to EV charging
by increasing the
number and
distribution of EV
chargers and
implementing
programs to
reduce cost to
those who are
low-income
EV2 Zero-Emission
Vehicles/ EV
Charging
Infrastructure
Increase Access
to EV Charging
- City Facilities
Conduct
electrical load
studies at City
facilities,
including
analysis on the
cost to shift the
City’s EV chargers
in downtown
garages to
separate meters
and savings from
electric rate
change, to assess
City EV charging
needs for next
5-10 years to
support City
vehicles,
employees, and
visitors.
N/A Existing staff and
consultant to
initiate design
and cost analysis
for a portion of
sites.
Secure funding
for additional
load studies and
for facility
upgrades
required to
support the
installation of
additional City
EV chargers and
for separate
metering (as
recommended).
Strategy 1: Move to Zero-Emission Vehicles
43 EV3 Zero-Emission
Vehicles/ EVs
Implement EV
Educa-tion and
Awareness
Programs
Increase
community
knowledge and
aware-ness
through a variety
of activities,
including:
Co-sponsor at
least one “Ride
and Drive” event
per year.
Continue train
sales
representatives
on EVs at SJ
dealerships.
Focused effort in
disadvantaged
communities
where adoption
is the lowest
Locate Ride and
Drive events and
working with
partners in East
San José and
other low-
income
communities.
Train sales
repre-sentatives
on EVs at used
car dealerships.
Unfunded;
Pending FY
22-23 budget
approval for DOT
staffing to
collaborate on EV
Ride and Drive
event and
provide baseline
car dealership
trainings and
offer basic info
on EVs to
community
groups
Secure funding
to:
Support more
Ride and Drive
events
Create enhanced
Drive Forward II
(financial literacy
and EV
education
program)
designed and
delivered by
CBOs.
EV4 Zero-Emission
Vehicles/ EVs
Implement and/
or Promote
Programs that
Reduce Cost and
Other Bar-riers to
EV Ownership
and Usage
Continue
implementing
the City’s Drive
EV program
offering limited-
time dealer
discount on the
purchase of EVs
at participating
San José
dealerships.
Discounted
prices for new
vehicles offered
through Drive EV
will help some
lower-in-come
residents
purchase an EV.
Additional
incentives;
education, and
more used EV
are needed to
accelerate and
broaden EV
adoption in San
José.
Pending FY
22-23 budget
approval for DOT
staffing to
implement
program.
Secure grant
funding to:
Provide
additional EV
purchase
incentives
Identify
partnerships and
strategies to
expand used EV
supply in San
José
Create an electric
car share service
in partnership
with the
community that
provides
alternatives to car
ownership and
enables those
interested in
buying an EV to
try one out at an
affordable price
Develop other
shared, electric
service models,
in collaboration
with
communities,
that expands
mobility options
and reduces GHG
emissions
EV5 Zero-Emission
Vehicles/ EVs and
EV Charging
Infrastructure
Secure Ex-ternal
Funding and
Resources
Secure external
funding and
resources to
support the
move to zero-
emission vehicles
and EV charging
infrastructure
Prioritize funding
for
disadvantaged
communities
Existing staff for
resource/ funding
applications
Grant matching
funds (as
required)
44 ID Type Title Description Equity
Component
Available
Resources
Scaling
MT1 Streets Build Complete
and Safe Streets
Rebuild streets
to make them
safer, pri-oritizing
the needs of
those with
mobility
impairments,
adding bike
lanes, building
bus boarding
areas, reduc-ing
speed limits,
creating café/
retail space, etc.
Conduct
community-
based planning,
de-sign, funding,
delivery, and
maintenance of
projects citywide.
Ensure equitable
processes and
outcomes
prioritizing
underserved
communities.
Existing staff to
initiate;
leveraging:
Caltrans
Sustainable
Transportation
Planning Grants;
One Bay Area
Grant Program;
Active
Transportation
Program; and
Highway Safety
Improvement
Program; full
implementation
costs unfunded
Support design,
construction,
maintenance,
and monitoring
MT2 Streets Make More
Public Space for
People
Reimagine our
streets as more
enjoyable places
with more space
for people and
encourage
people to travel
using active
modes such as
walking and
biking, as well as
for people
visually impaired
or in wheelchairs
Conduct
community-
based planning,
design, funding,
delivery, and
maintenance of
projects citywide.
Existing staff to
initiate
Support design,
construction,
maintenance,
and monitoring.
MT3 Streets Fill Gaps in Trails
and Sidewalks
Create an
inventory of
sidewalks and
trails to identify
where they are
missing and then
add sidewalks
and trails where
needed to make
sure that all
places are
walkable,
bike-friendly, and
accessible for
wheelchair and
visually impaired
users.
Conduct
community-
based planning,
design, funding,
delivery, and
maintenance of
projects citywide.
Ensure equitable
processes and
outcomes
prioritizing
under-served
communities in
Council Districts
2, 4, 5, 6, and 822.
Existing staff to
initiate;
leveraging One
Bay Area grant
Support design,
construction,
maintenance,
and monitoring
Strategy 2: Reduce the Miles We Travel in Our Vehicles by at least 20 Percent 22Per the City’s Move San José Plan, the action is found to be the most valuable and impactful in these council districts. 45 MT4 Streets Provide Lighting
Improvements
Require better
lighting for new
developments,
street
reconstruction,
and at transit
stops to increase
visibility and
personal safety
while walking,
using a
wheelchair or
other assistive
device, biking,
and waiting for
transit at night.
Conduct
community-
based planning,
design, funding,
delivery, and
maintenance of
projects citywide.
Ensure equitable
processes and
outcomes
prioritizing
underserved
communities in
Council Districts
3 and 623.
Existing staff to
initiate
Support design,
construction,
maintenance,
and monitoring.
MT5 Streets Provide Urban
Greening
Add more trees
and other plants
on streets to
create shade,
lower
temperatures,
and make
walking, using a
wheelchair or
other assistive
device, and
biking more
pleasant.
Conduct
community-
based planning,
design, funding,
delivery, and
maintenance of
projects citywide.
Existing staff to
initiate
Support design,
construction,
maintenance,
and monitoring
of urban
greening designs.
MT6 Streets Provide Low-
Stress Bike
Facilities and
Slow Streets
Make biking
safer and more
pleasant,
creating low-
stress routes to
help attract
more people to
biking.
Conduct
community-
based planning,
design, funding,
delivery, and
maintenance of
projects citywide.
Ensure equitable
processes and
outcomes
prioritizing
underserved
communities in
Council Districts
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and
924.
Existing staff to
initiate;
leveraging: One
Bay Area Grant
Program;
Transportation
Development Act
Article 3
Program; Senate
Bill 1 Program;
and MTC Safe &
Seamless
Mobility Quick-
Strike Program
Support design,
construction,
maintenance,
and monitoring.
MT7 Streets Maintain Bike
and Pedestrian
Infrastructure
Make biking, and
walking,
rappelling in a
wheelchair, and
using other
assistive devices
more pleasant
by maintaining
infrastructure to
keep things in
good condition.
Ensure equitable
processes and
outcomes
prioritizing
underserved
communities in
Council District
725 .
Existing staff to
initiate;
leveraging
Senate Bill 1
Program
Support design,
construction,
maintenance,
and monitoring.
23Per the City’s Move San José Plan, the action is found to be the most valuable and impactful in these council districts. 24Per the City’s Move San José Plan, the action is found to be the most valuable and impactful in these council districts. 25Per the City’s Move San José Plan, the action is found to be the most valuable and impactful in these council districts. 46 MT8 Streets Provide Bike
Storage
Make it easier to
bike places by
providing secure
bike racks and
other quality bike
parking.
Conduct
community-
based planning,
design, funding,
delivery, and
maintenance of
projects citywide.
Ensure equitable
processes and
outcomes
prioritizing
underserved
communities in
Council Districts
3, 6, and 1026.
Existing staff to
initiate
Support design,
construction,
maintenance,
and monitoring.
MT9 Streets Enhance Bike
Connectivity
Make it easier to
complete trips
on bike by
building
welldesigned,
seamless bike
lanes that
connect with
each other, and
prioritize bike
connections
between
neighborhoods
and activity
centers.
Conduct
community-
based planning,
design, funding,
delivery, and
maintenance of
projects citywide.
Ensure equitable
processes and
outcomes
prioritizing
underserved
communities in
Council Districts
4, 6, 8, and 927.
Existing staff to
initiate;
leveraging:
Transportation
Development Act
Article 3 Grants;
Senate Bill 1;
MTC Safe &
Seamless
Mobility Quick-
Strike Program;
and new
development
projects.
Support design,
construction,
maintenance,
and monitoring.
MT10 Streets Make Signals
Work Better for
People Walking
or Biking
Identify locations
where operation
of traffic signals
should prioritize
pedestrian and
bicycle mobility,
comfort, and
safety.
Conduct
community-
based planning,
design, funding,
delivery, and
maintenance of
projects citywide.
Existing staff to
initiate
Support design,
construction,
maintenance,
and monitoring.
MT11 Transit Expand Transit
Service
Expand the
transit system by
developing new
transit lines
above or below
street level traffic
and expanding
rail service. The
City of San José
controls streets
and can dedicate
more lanes to
transit.
Improve access
to transit by
physical
improvements
and fare
programs that
lower the cost of
riding transit and
rail throughout
San José and the
Bay Area.
Existing staff to
initiate
Expedite
expansion of
transit/rail, in
regional
collaboration
26Per the City’s Move San José Plan, the action is found to be the most valuable and impactful in these council districts. 27Per the City’s Move San José Plan, the action is found to be the most valuable and impactful in these council districts. 47 MT12 Transit Improve Existing
Transit Service
Make it easier to
get around on
public transit
and paratransit
by supporting
increases in
frequencies of
service, adding
routes, adding
bus lanes and
signal priority,
and having
transit run more
hours of the day.
Conduct
community-
based planning,
design, funding,
delivery, and
maintenance of
projects citywide.
Ensure equitable
processes and
outcomes
prioritizing
underserved
communities in
Council Districts
1, 2, 3, 6, 7, and
929.
Existing staff to
initiate
Support design,
construction,
maintenance,
and monitoring.
MT13 Transit Establish
Means-Based
Transit Fares
Make sustainable
public
transportation
and paratransit
transportation
more affordable
by offering
reduced-fare
transit for those
in need.
Conduct
community-
based planning,
design, funding,
and
implementation.
Unfunded Establish parking
and
transportation
management
entities in
down-town and
transit villages to
provide transit
subsidy for
low-income
residents.
MT14 Transit Enhance Transit
Stops
Improve
accessibility,
comfort, and
safety at transit
stations and
stops by having
shelters, benches,
better lighting,
an emergency
button, and
real-time
information, and
incorporating
universal de-sign.
Conduct
community-
based planning,
design, funding,
delivery, and
maintenance of
projects citywide.
Ensure equitable
processes and
outcomes
prioritizing
underserved
communities in
Council Districts
5, 6, and 729.
Existing staff to
initiate
Partner with the
VTA in the design,
construction,
maintenance,
and monitoring
of improvements.
MT15 Transit Provide
Userfriendly
Transportation
Information
Use real-time
information tools,
like bus
crowding
displays, transit
arrival
information, and
bikeshare
availability, to
help people
make decisions
about their trips.
Conduct
community-
based planning,
design, funding,
delivery, and
maintenance of
projects citywide.
Ensure equitable
processes and
outcomes
prioritizing
underserved
communities in
Council Districts
5 and 630.
Unfunded N/A
28Per the City’s Move San José Plan, the action is found to be the most valuable and impactful in these council districts. 29Per the City’s Move San José Plan, the action is found to be the most valuable and impactful in these council districts. 30Per the City’s Move San José Plan, the action is found to be the most valuable and impactful in these council districts. 48 MT16 Transit Provide Mobile
Ticketing
Mobile ticketing
can allow people
to plan car-free
trips easily on
their phones by
having mobile
transit passes,
bikeshare and
carshare rentals,
and other
transportation
services all
available for
purchase online.
Conduct
community-
based planning,
design, funding,
delivery, and
maintenance of
projects citywide.
Unfunded N/A
MT17 Transit Provide
Microtransit and
On-Demand
Service
Microtransit and
on-demand
services can
provide more
transportation
options for
people in areas
with fewer transit
connections or
during less busy
days and times
when demand
isn’t high enough
for a fixed route
transit service
with full-sized
vehicles.
Conduct
community-
based planning,
design, funding,
delivery, and
maintenance of
projects citywide.
Ensure equitable
processes and
outcomes
prioritizing
underserved
communities in
Council Districts
1, 2, 4, 5, 8, and
931.
Unfunded N/A
MT18 Transit Establish Mobility
Hubs
This strategy
helps to make
connections
between
different
transportation
options (e.g.,
Caltrain, light rail,
buses, electric
scooters,
bikeshare, EV
charging
stations) easier
by developing
hubs where
everything comes
together.
Conduct
community-
based planning,
design, funding,
delivery, and
maintenance of
projects citywide.
Ensure equitable
processes and
outcomes
prioritizing
under-served
communities in
Council Districts
1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, and
1032.
Unfunded Design,
construction,
maintenance,
and monitoring
31Per the City’s Move San José Plan, the action is found to be the most valuable and impactful in these council districts. 32Per the City’s Move San José Plan, the action is found to be the most valuable and impactful in these council districts. 49 MT19 Policy Develop and
Implement
Transit-First
Policy
A Transit First
Policy prioritizes
public transit,
bicycling, and
walking on city
streets to
improve
frequency,
reliability, and
speed of transit.
It also addresses
street design and
access to transit
stops to improve
safety and user
experience for
people who take
transit.
Conduct
community-
based planning,
design, funding,
delivery, and
maintenance of
projects citywide.
Existing staff to
initiate
N/A
MT20 Policy Provide TDM TDM focuses on
helping
employees use
existing
multimodal
options (i.e.
transit,
ridesharing,
walking, biking,
paratransit, and
telework) to get
to and from work
by providing
better
information and
incentives. This
includes TDM
requirements for
new
developments.
Conduct
community-
based planning
and
implementation
of TDM programs
citywide. Ensure
equitable
processes and
outcomes
prioritizing
underserved
communities in
Council Dis-tricts
3, 7, and 1033.
Existing staff to
initiate
Establish parking
and
transportation
management
entities in
downtown and
transit villages to
provide TDM
programs for
low-income
residents.
MT21 Policy Implement
Smart Parking
and Curbside
Management
Policies
Smart parking
policies include
removing parking
minimums,
instituting
parking
maximums,
developing
shared parking or
unbundled
parking schemes,
and demand
driven parking
pricing.
Conduct
community-
based planning,
design, funding,
delivery, and
maintenance of
projects citywide.
Ensure equitable
processes and
outcomes
especially for
underserved
communities in
Council Districts
3 and 734.
Existing staff to
initiate
Establish
marketrate
public parking
33Per the City’s Move San José Plan, the action is found to be the most valuable and impactful in these council districts. 34Per the City’s Move San José Plan, the action is found to be the most valuable and impactful in these council districts. 50 MT22 Policy Implement
Transportation
Impact Fees
Transportation
impact fees (TIF)
are paid by new
developments to
fund
transportation
improvements.
These can be
targeted to
multi-modal
improvements to
reduce car
dependence and
provide better
non-auto
transportation
infrastructure to
serve the new
site.
N/A Unfunded Update Council
Policy 5-1
(Transportation
Analysis) to
institutionalize
TIF.
MT23 Policy Encourage
Carshare
Carshare is a car
rental model
where people are
able to rent cars
for shorter
periods of time,
often by the
minute or hour.
Conduct
community-
based planning,
design, funding,
delivery, and
maintenance of
projects citywide.
Ensure equitable
processes and
outcomes
prioritizing
underserved
communities in
Council Districts
5, 7, and 835.
Existing staff to
initiate
Create an electric
car share service
in partnership
with community
that provides
al-ternatives to
car ownership
and enables
those interested
in buying an EV
to try one out at
an affordable
price.
Develop other
shared, electric
service models,
in collaboration
with
communities,
that expands
mobility options
and reduces GHG
emissions.
MT24 Policy Encourage
Sustainable
Local Deliveries
Encourage the
use of alternative
modes such as
bike couriers,
small trucks, and
truck-free zones
for last-mile
deliveries to
reduce
congestion and
pollution in
neighborhoods.
Conduct
community-
based planning,
design, funding,
delivery, and
maintenance of
projects citywide.
Existing staff to
initiate
Partner with
freight operators
to create an
urban freight
delivery zone in
Downtown.
MT25 Land Use Increase
Affordable
Housing Near
Transit and
Growth Areas
Encourage the
production of
affordable
for-sale and
rental units,
especially near
transit.
N/A Existing staff to
initiate;
leveraging
Affordable
Housing and
Sustainable
Communities
Program
N/A
35Per the City’s Move San José Plan, the action is found to be the most valuable and impactful in these council districts. 51 MT26 Land Use Increase Local
Jobs Near Transit
and Low-VMT
Areas
Concentrate jobs,
housing, and
services around
transit stations to
reduce carbon
footprint while
create more
productive and
more livable
communities.
N/A Existing staff to
initiate
N/A
MT27 Land Use Support
Development of
Urban Villages
with Mixed Land
Uses and
Amenities
Create walkable,
bicycle-friendly,
transit-oriented,
dense, mixed-use,
infill urban
developments
that provide both
jobs and housing.
Engage local
residents in the
urban village
planning process.
Existing staff to
initiate
Support create
urban village
plans for all
planned growth
areas; Secure
MTC Priority
Development
Area Grants
MT28 Emerging
Mobility
Encourage
Emerging
Mobility in Equity
Priority
Communities
Staff will work with
community and
non-profit
organizations to
fund and
implement
specific projects
that realize the
Emerging Mobility
Action Plan’s
recommendations,
as well as
incorporate policy
and procedural
recommendations
in its regulations.
The Emerging
Mobility Action
Plan centered
racial equity and
inclusion in its
recommendation.
Projects will be
designed and
implemented in
partnership with
equity pri-ority
communities—one
of the
recommendations
of the plan.
Existing staff to
ini-tiate; Pending
FY 22-23 budget
approval
(additional DOT
staffing)
Extend
community
engagement as
well as design
and implement
mobility projects
that
meaningfully
address
community
needs
MT29 Implementation Secure External
Funding and
Resources
Secure external
funding and
resources to
support the
reduction of
vehicle miles
traveled
Prioritize funding
for
disadvantaged
communities
Existing staff for
resource/ funding
applications
Grant matching
funds (as
required)
ID Type Title Description Equity
Component
Available
Resources
Scaling
B1 Building
Electrification/
New
Construction
Evaluate Natural
Gas Infrastructure
Prohibition
Ordinance for
updates
Evaluate and
propose any
recommendations
for an early
phase-out of
Distributed Energy
Resources (DER),
commercial
cooking, and other
exemptions
N/A Pending FY
22-23 budget
approval
(staffing)
N/A
Strategy 3: Switch our Appliances from Fossil Fuel to Electric 52 B2 Building
Electrification/
New
Construction
Evaluate Building
Reach Code for
Updates
Evaluate building
reach code
updates to
consider: EV
charging
infrastructure
requirements for
multi-family
buildings, ways
to reduce the
carbon costs of
construction (per
Council direction
on 4/26/22), and/
or to further
utilize roof space
(i.e. solar panels,
green roofs) to
minimize carbon
foot-print (per
Council direction
on 11/8/21).
Targeted
sup-port to
multifamily
residents to allow
better access to
EV charging
options
Pending FY
22-23 budget
approval
(staffing) and
mid-year budget
request
(consultant
services) per
Council direction
on 4/26/22
N/A
B3 Building
Electrification/
Existing
Buildings
Develop and
Implement a
building
electrification
framework
A Building
Electrification
Framework will
help to guide the
City’s supportive
programs and
policies, aligned
with the
concerns of San
José’s historically
marginalized
communities, to
further building
electrification
Co-created with
CBOs
representing
historically
marginalized
communities
Existing staff N/A
B4 Building
Electrification/
Existing
Buildings
Initiate
Electrification
Upgrade
Accelerator
Release a
Request for
Information and/
or Request for
Qualifications to
identify
partnerships to
support existing
building
electrification
analysis,
financing,
implementation,
and
electrification
workforce
development.
Targeted
low-income
assistance
Pending FY
22-23 budget
approval (staffing,
contractual);
leverage exist-ing
programs and
incentives (see
Appendix 1)
Hire contractor
to provide
supplemental
electrification
assistance and
funding for
residential
buildings,
leveraging
existing
programs as
possible
53 B5 Building
Electrification/
Existing
Buildings
Partner to
Develop an
Electrification
Plan for Targeted
Disadvantaged
Neighborhoods
The Department
of Energy (DOE)
will provide
technical
assistance
needed to
develop the
scope of work for
single family and
multifamily
housing units for
energy efficiency
and
electrification
upgrades
specifically in
disadvantaged
communities.
The detailed
plans will create
funding-ready
projects.
Targeted
low-income
plan-ning and
assistance;
partnering with
First Community
Housing, Latinos
United for a New
America (LUNA),
and International
Assistance
Network (ICAN)
Pending FY
22-23 budget
approval
(staff-ing); DOE
Community-
Local Energy
Assistance
Program (LEAP)
grant (technical
assistance)
N/A
B6 Building
Electrification/
Existing
Buildings
Provide
Residential
Electrification
Incentives for
Low-Income
Residents
Offer incentives,
focused on
space and/or
water heating
appliances.
Note: May be
coupled with B4
(Retrofit
Accelerator) and/
or leveraged with
other existing
programs
Targeted
low-income
assistance
Pending FY
22-23 budget
approval (staffing
and incentives)
Increased
incentive
amounts and/or
increased
incentive
participants
B7 Building
Electrification/
Ex-isting
Build-ings, New
Con-struction
Support
Electrification
Workforce
Development
Supplement and
promote existing
electrification
workforce
trainings (e.g.
Silicon Valley
Clean Energy,
TECH program)
to increase
contractor
understanding/
support and
provide a
pathway to
high-quality job
opportunities
Targeted
engagement of
historically
marginalized
communities
Pending FY
22-23 budget
approval
(staffing);
$275,000 (SJCE
funding for
services)
DOE Community-
LEAP grant
(planning
assis-tance)
Launch an
electrification
workforce
development
working group
Develop and
fund additional
electrification
workforce
development
analysis, planning,
and programs
54 B8 Building
Electrification/
Existing
Buildings
Implement Zero
Emissions
Neighborhood
(ZEN) Pilot
Initiate
implementation
of the ZEN
demonstration
pilot, which is
intended to
bring a suite of
Climate Smart-
related measures
to a single
neighborhood to
reduce GHG
emissions and
improve local
economic,
environmental,
transportation,
and health
conditions.
Targeted in
historically
marginalized
communities;
measures
codeveloped
with
neighborhood
Pending FY
22-23 budget
allocation
(staffing); $74,000
Guadalupe-
Coyote Resource
Conservation
District
partnership
(funding urban
greening only);
leverage existing
programs as
possible.
Implement
additional
Climate Smart
measures (e.g.
building
electrification,
transportation
infrastructure/
pilots, etc.)
B9 Building
Electrification/
Existing
Buildings, New
Con-struction
Support the
Creation of an
Online Zero
Carbon Hub
Work w/
supporting
organizations
(e.g. County of
Santa Clara,
Building
Decarbonization
Coalition,
internal
departments) to
identify and
promote a hub
to serve as the
City’s central
information
location for
building
electrification
information,
resources, and
incentives
Targeted
outreach to
his-torically
marginalized
communities
Pending FY
22-23 budget
approval
(staffing);
platform
unfunded
Create City
zero-carbon hub
(as needed)
B10 Building
Electrification/
Existing
Buildings, New
Construction
Leverage Existing
Programs and
Incentives
Meet with
program
coordinators for
each of the
programs and
incentives (see
Appendix 1)
available to San
José residents/
businesses to
develop and
implement an
annual action
plan to support
uptake. Track
progress.
Targeted
outreach to
historically
marginalized
communities
Pending FY
22-23 budget
(staffing)
Contract with
CBOs to engage
San José’s
historically
marginalized
communities
55 B11 Building
Electrification/
Existing
Buildings
Explore
Opportunities to
Reduce the Cost
of Building
Electrification
Technical analysis
and partnerships
to determine and
implement
economies of
scale or other
measures to
reduce the cost
of building
electrification
(e.g. coordinating
with PG&E on
options for
neighborhood-
wide upgrades
and including
B10)
Targeted in
historically
marginalized
communities
Pending FY
22-23 budget
(staffing to
initiate);
technical
assistance
unfunded
Consultant to
evaluate cost and
technical analysis,
and
recommended
cost reduction
strategies
B12 Building
Electrification/
Existing
Buildings
Explore Policy
Options for
Existing Building
Electrification
(see examples in
Appendix 6)
Conduct
community
meetings and
host a City
Council study
session in Fall
2022 to vet and
explore policy
options and
determine any
next steps.
Per Council
direction in
November 2021,
keeping in mind
that
“implementation
of a carbon
neutrality goal
will act neither
as a policy nor
legal barrier to
any one
development or
project—when
viewed in
isolation-- that
might potentially
add emissions”
Targeted
engagement of
historically
marginalized
communities
Pending FY
22-23 budget
approval
(staffing) and
mid-year budget
request
(consultant
services) per
Council direction
on 4/26/22
Launch an
Equitable Building
Electrification Task
Force that would
develop guiding
recommendations
for a suite of
policies and
programs
necessary to
achieve
residential
building
electrification;
draft policy and
conduct
community
engagement (as/
if directed).
B13 Building
Electrification/
Existing
Buildings, New
Construction
Provide
Community
Education and
Outreach
Promote and
leverage existing
informational
resources such
as the Switch Is
On campaign,
and develop new
educa-tion and
awareness-
raising
campaigns
Targeted reach
to disadvantaged
communities via
CBOs
Existing staff;
Pending FY
22-23 budget
approval
(marketing)
Increased
partnerships,
community
engagement,
and marketing
B14 Building
Electrification/
Existing
Buildings, New
Construction
Secure External
Funding and
Resources
Secure external
funding to
support building
electrification,
energy efficiency,
and onsite
renewables and
back-up power
Targeted
low-income
assistance
N/A N/A
56 B15 Partnership and
Collaboration
(Applies Cross-
Sector)
Collaborate and
Partner with
Other Entities
with Similar
Carbon Neutrality
Goals to Support
Progress
Engage with
other
jurisdictions and
large businesses
or institutions
with a carbon
neutral by 2030
or 2035 goal to
learn, share, and
support progress
N/A Existing staff N/A
ID Type Title Description Equity
Component
Available
Resources
Scaling
P1 Power Source Develop and
implement a
ten-year
Integrated
Resource Plan
SJCE’s IRP will
identify a
pathway,
including cost, to
100 percent
carbon-neutral
elec-tricity (on an
annual basis) by
2030; due to be
submitted to
CPUC by Nov. 1,
2022
SJCE will
continue to
consider
maintaining
lower cost
products to
ensure
customers are
able to opt for
products priced
to meet their
needs
Existing staff N/A
P2 Power Source Procure a
Minimum of 204
MWs of storage
and renewables
SJCE will add the
following resources
to its portfolio
through 2026: in
alignment with
CPUC Mid-term
Reliability
procurement
mandate (decision
20-05-003):
2023: 43 MW
storage and
renewables (already
procured)
2024: 129 MW of
batteries or
renewables that
can operate during
the peak demand
hours in September
2025: 54 MW of
re-newables that
can provide power
in hours 5-10PM
(32 MW must be in
addition to
resources procured
in 2024)
2026: 21.5 MW of
long duration (8
hour) storage and
21.5 MW of firm
clean resources
with an 80 percent
capacity factor
Power
developers
commit
community
development
funding, which
has helped
implement
community job
training for
people with low
incomes and
people who are
black,
indigenous, or
people of color
(BIPOC)
Existing staff N/A
Strategy 4: Power Our Community with 100 Percent Carbon-neutral Electricity 57 P3 Power Source Enroll Maximum
Disadvantaged
Community
– Green Tariff
Pro-gram
Customers
Enroll and
sustain a near
100 percent
sub-scription in
SJCE’s
Disadvantaged
Community
– Green Tariff
program
Program is only
eligible to
low-income
customers living
in disadvantaged
communities
Existing staff Possible
expansion of
program to more
participants
should additional
CPUC or non-
CPUC funding
become available.
P4 Power Source Support clean
energy
improvements to
natural gas
plants
Explore
opportunities for
adding batteries
to natural gas
plants to reduce
hours of
operation and
retrofitting to
permit use of a
green hydro-gen/
natural gas blend.
Reduce
emissions in
communities
neighboring
natural gas
electric
generation plants
Existing staff N/A
P5 Customer
Uptake
Market to direct
access customers
to utilize SJCE’s
service
Encourage direct
access customers
(typically larger
power users) to
enroll in SJCE’s
service for clean
power
N/A Existing staff N/A
P6 Customer
Uptake
Increase uptake
of TotalGreen
service option
Promote SJCE’s
TotalGreen (100
percent
renewable)
service option
and increase
uptake
communitywide
N/A Existing staff N/A
P7 Onsite
Renewables
Support
distributed
generation and
local resiliency
through on-site
solar and battery
storage and
back-up power.
Promote and
leverage existing
programs for
rooftop solar and
storage.
Targeted
promo-tion of
programs
available for
low-income
residents
Existing staff Secure funding
to provide
additional
incentives for
demand
response and
storage
utilization such
as a virtual
power plant.
58 ID Type Title Description Lead
Department
Equity
Compo-nent
Available
Re-sources
Scaling
M1 Power Source Switch to
TotalGreen
Electricity
Switch all City
operations
electricity
accounts to
SJCE’s
TotalGreen
service option
by 2025.
SJCE N/A Currently
unfunded;
Environmental
Services
Department
(ESD) Regional
Wastewater
Facility and
Municipal
Water
operations
already opted
up to
TotalGreen
and the
Airport is
requesting
budget for FY
22-23.
Est. $980,000
in additional
utility costs
each fiscal
year, including
the Airport
M2 Transportation
– Employee
Mode Shift
Implement an
Employee
TDM Program
Initiate a TDM
program for
City
employees to
help
employees use
existing
multimodal
options (i.e.
transit,
ridesharing,
walking, biking,
paratransit,
and telework)
to get to and
from work by
providing
better
information
and incentives.
DOT N/A Currently
unfunded;
DOT is
requesting
budget for FY
22-23
N/A
M3 Transportation
– Fleet
Electrification
Update the
Green Fleet
Policy
Update the
Green Fleet
Policy (City
Adminis-trative
Policy Manual
5.1.10) to
reflect
zero-emission
vehicle priority
Public Works
(PW)
N/A Existing staff N/A
Leading by Example
59 M4 Buildings
- Electrification
Integrate the
City’s All-Elec-
tric Policy for
Municipal
Facilities into
City Processes
Evaluate the
City’s Natural
Gas Infrastruc-
ture for
Municipal
Facilities policy
(Council Policy
Manual, 8-15)
for removal of
exemptions
and develop
implementa-
tion processes
to ensure
compliance;
specifically
target the
Airport’s
existing central
utility plant and
conduct a
study to
determine the
feasibility to
upgrade to
allelectric
replacement.
ESD (policy),
PW (policy
implementa-
tion), Air-port
(central utility
project)
N/A Existing staff for
policy evalution
and implemen-
tation proceses;
consultant
services for
Airport and
other projects
is unfunded
N/A
M5 Coordination
and Integration
Integrate
Climate Smart
across City
Government
Further
integrate
climate
considerations
and messaging
into decision
making,
operations, and
communictions
across City
goverment.
Options for
consideration
include:
integrating
Climate Smart/
carbon
neutrality
messaging
fur-ther into
de-partment
communic-
tions; joint
climate
communictions
campaigns
with divisions/
departments
with connet-
ions to key
stakeholders;
and employee
climate training.
All Deparments N/A Currently
unfunded; ESD
is requesting
budget for FY
22-23
Citywide
mandatory
employee
training
program (est.
$100,000)
60 M6 Funding Secure External
Funding and
Resources
Secure external
funding and
resources to
support
building
electrification,
energy
efficiency,
onsite
reneables,
back-up power,
vehicle
electrification
and EV
charging
stations, and
employee
mode shift
ESD, PW, DOT,
SJCE
Prioritize
funding for
municipal
buildings/
operations
located in and/
or serving
disadvantaged
neighborhoods
Existing staff for
resource/
funding
applications
Grant
matching
funds (as
required)
61 APPENDIX 4
ADDITIONAL OPTIONS FOR FUTURE CONSIDERATION
36City-designated NWLs are lands designated as “Open space, Parklands, and Habitat”, “Agriculture”, or “Open Hillside” in the Envision San José 2040 General Plan.
The acceleration strategies identified in
this Pathway may not accomplish San
José’s carbon neutrality goal by 2030.
As the Pathway is updated, the City can
also consider negative emissions strategies
as well as developing technologies that
may become available in the coming
years, including:
• Technology-based Carbon Removal:
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) and
Direct Air Capture (DAC) use chemical or
physical processes to remove carbon
dioxide from power plant or factory flue
gases (CCS) or the air (DAC) and then
store the carbon dioxide so that it can’t
enter the atmosphere. Multiple
technologies for CCS and DAC are
currently in early stages of development.
• Increasing Carbon Sequestration in
Natural and Working Lands: Plants and
soils capture and store carbon from the
atmosphere, reducing atmospheric levels
of (or “sequestering”) carbon dioxide. This
natural carbon sequestration is especially
high on natural and working lands
(NWLs)36 such as parks, farms, and open
space preserves. The City is currently
developing a Natural and Working Lands
Element for the Climate Smart plan that
assesses current levels of carbon
sequestration on City-designated NWLs
in the City’s sphere of influence and sets
goals and identifies actions to increase
carbon sequestration on these lands in
the future. The City’s Community Forest
Management Plan (DOT), Green
Stormwater Infrastructure Plan (ESD), and
ActivateSJ Plan (Parks, Recreation, and
Neighborhood Services) also support the
establishment and management of
plants that sequester carbon, as do the
efforts of many local and regional CBOs
and agencies.
• Emerging Innovations: Additional options
that can help reduce GHG emissions are
being developed or may arise over time and
can be considered for incorporation to
support the City’s carbon neutrality by 2030
strategies as the City progresses towards its
goal. These may include:
Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) Integration: The
ability for EV batteries to put power back on
the grid, including during peak hours, or
serve as a backup power source for homes.
This can improve grid resilience and could
potentially lower electricity bills for residents.
Dynamic Induction Charging: This
emerging technology allows drivers to
charge their EVs while driving via wireless
charging infrastructure embedded into
roadways and could make EVs more
appealing to residents who would not be
able to charge at home.
Automated Zero-emission Vehicles: Driver/
pilot-free aerial or ground-based vehicles
that transport people and goods. These
include small aircraft, with no crew, that are
operated remotely, with some level of
remote assistance, or entirely autonomously.
Time-based Carbon Offsets: Systems and
tools to track hour-by-hour energy use and
match with hourly renewable energy
certificates (RECS, or “offsets”) to allow
entities to achieve 24/7 carbon-neutral goals.
62 Green Hydrogen Fuel Cells: Hydrogen fuel
can be produced in various ways, some
that are cleaner than others. “Blue
hydrogen” uses a process called steam
methane reformation, in which hydrogen is
made from methane and carbon emissions
are curtailed with carbon capture and
storage. Hydrogen that is produced with
water, and has a clean electricity source to
run the process, is considered “green
hydrogen,” as it produces no carbon
emissions. The current challenges with
green hydrogen are cost and transit. Large
amounts of renewable electricity, as well as
the electrolysis process, can be expensive.
Additionally, hydrogen is extremely
flammable and hard to store, making
transport difficult. However, green
hydrogen is a potential low-carbon fuel
that could replace hydrocarbons. Since
hydrogen is already widely used, and there
is growing interest from petroleum
companies, these challenges could be
resolved in the near future.
63 APPENDIX 5
FORTHCOMING EXTERNAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
FOR CARBON NEUTRALITY BY 2030 STRATEGIES
Funding Focus
Area
Funding Title
(Entity
Distributing)
Description of
Use(s)
Amount
(or Estimated
Amount)
Status
Cross Sector Transformative
Climate
Communities
Planning Grant
(California
Strategic Growth
Council)
Plan and design
neighborhood
plan that
addresses climate
change at a
community level.
Strategies may
include: affordable
housing, transit
access, energy
efficiency, water
efficiency, waste
management,
urban greening,
indoor air quality,
brownfield
redevelopment
$300,000 Application In-
Progress, due July
1, 2022
Transformative
Climate
Communities
Implementation
Grant (California
Strategic Growth
Council)
Implementation of
neighborhood
plan that
addresses climate
change at a
community level.
Strategies may
include: affordable
housing, transit
access, energy
efficiency, water
efficiency, waste
management,
urban greening,
indoor air quality,
brownfield
redevelopment
$35 million Forthcoming (est.
Spring 2024
application for use
in 2024-2029)
64 Transportation Active
Transportation
Program (Caltrans
and MTC)
Funds Active
Transportation
projects.
TBD Application
In-Progress
One Bay Area
Grant (MTC)
Funds various
transportation
projects in
alignment with
regional goals
including
Complete Street
Projects.
TBD Application
In-Progress
Surface
Transportation
Block Grant (STBG)
Program
Federal formula
funding through
MTC. EV charging
infrastructure and
installation and
deployment of
intelligent
transportation
technologies are
eligible projects.
TBD Not released yet.
Transportation
Alterna-tives
Program (TAP)
Federal formula
funding through
Caltrans.
TBD Not released yet.
National Highway
Freight Program
Federal formula
funding through
Caltrans
TBD Not released yet.
Congestion
Mitigation and Air
Quality
Improvement
Program (CMAQ)
Federal formula
funding through
Caltrans
TBD Not released yet.
Highway Safety
Im-provement
Program (HSIP)
Federal formula
funding through
Caltrans
TBD Not released yet.
Nationally
Significant Freight
and Highway
Programs (INFRA)
Federal
competitive grant
funding; Funds
highway and rail
projects of regional
and national
economic
significance
TBD Not released yet.
65 Local and Regional
Project Assistance
(RAISE)
Federal
competitive grant
funding; formerly
known as the
BUILD and TIGER
grant program.
TBD Not released yet.
Stopping Threats
on Pedestrians
Federal competitive
grant funding for
bollard installation
projects to prevent
pedestrian injuries
and acts of
terrorism in areas
used by large
numbers of
pedestrians.
TBD Not released yet.
Safe Streets and
Roads for All Grant
Program
Federal competitive
grant funding to
develop and
implement
comprehensive
safety plans and
projects.
TBD Not released yet.
Congestion Relief
Program
Federal competitive
grant funding for
projects in large,
urbanized areas to
advance innovative
and multimodal
solutions to
congestion relief
TBD Not released yet.
Strengthening
Mobility and
Revolutionizing
Transportation
(SMART)
Federal competitive
grant funding for
demonstration
projects focused on
advanced smart city
or community
technologies and
systems to improve
transportation
efficiency and safety.
TBD Not released yet.
Culvert Removal,
Replacement and
Restoration
Program
Federal competitive
grant funding for
removing, replacing,
and restoring
culverts to address
the flow of water
through roads,
bridges, railroad
tracks and trails.
TBD Not released yet.
66 Reconnecting
Communities
Federal
competitive grant
funding for
planning and
construction of
projects to mitigate
existing
transportation
facilities that create
barriers to mobility,
access, or
economic
development.
TBD Not released yet.
Railroad Crossing
Elimination
Competitive Grant
Program
Federal competitive
grant funding for
the elimination of
hazards at railway-
highway crossings
TBD Not released yet.
National
Infrastructure
Project Assistance
Federal competitive
grant funding for
multimodal and
multijurisdictional
projects of national
or regional
significance.
TBD Not released yet.
Bridge Grant
Programs
Federal competitive
grant funding
TBD Not released yet.
Bridge
Replacement,
Rehabilitation,
Preser-vation,
Protection and
Construction
Federal formula
funding
TBD Not released yet.
67 Active
Transportation
Infrastructure
Investment
Program
Federal competitive
grant funding for
safe and connected
active transportation
projects that
connect
destinations within
or between
communities
-- including schools,
workplaces,
residences,
businesses,
recreation areas,
and other
community areas
– or to create active
transportation
spines connecting
communities and
metropolitan
regions, or states.
TBD Not released yet.
Capital Investment
Grants
Federal
competitive grant
funding for transit
improvement
projects
TBD Not released yet.
Bus Formula
Grants
Federal
competitive grant
funding
TBD Not released yet.
Bus Competitive
Grants
Federal
competitive grant
funding
TBD Not released yet.
Low-No Emission
Buses
Federal
competitive grant
funding
TBD Not released yet.
Charging and
Fueling
Infrastructure
Grants
Federal
competitive grant
funding for
strategically
deploying publicly
accessible EV
charging
infrastructure and
other alternative
fueling
infrastructure
along designated
alternative fuel
corridors.
TBD Not released yet.
68 Healthy Streets
Program
Federal competitive
grant funding for
encouraging urban
forestry projects
aimed at tackling
climate change and
environmental
justice through
roadways built using
green infrastructure
elements.
TBD Not released yet.
Buildings Energy Efficiency
Conservation Block
Grant (EECBG)
(Infrastructure
Investment and
Jobs Act)
Federal funding for
cities to advance
energy efficiency,
energy
conservation, and
renewable energy
projects in
communities
(details TBD).
TBD Forthcoming
(est. Fall 2022)
Power Source Renewables
Advancing
Community
Energy Resilience
(RACER) (Federal
Office of Energy
Efficiency and
Renewable
Energy)
Funds to invest in
locally appropriate
energy resilience
planning at the
community level,
including the
development and
integration of new
and existing
metrics and
preparedness and
response plans, via
robust multi-
stakeholder
participation and
collaboration.
Identify any
opportunities for
solar storage
deployment in
those locations
that can best
support increased
resilience.
$500,000-
$3,000,000
(depending on
topic area)
Evaluating
opportunity;
due July 2022
PG&E Microgrids
Program (CPUC)
Technical support
and cost offsets for
qualifying energy
distribution system
upgrades.
TBD Forthcoming
(est. Fall 2022)
69 APPENDIX 6
EXAMPLES OF BUILDING
ELECTRIFICATION POLICY OPTIONS
Policy Description Examples of
Implementation
Building Performance Standards
(BPS)
A BPS policy couldestablish targets
for buildings to electrify, reduce
GHG emissions, or to improve other
metrics, by specific dates. To do
this, buildings could be required to
benchmark their performance over
time. Successful BPS policies
include complementary support
programs and assistance for
covered buildings, local workforce,
and historically marginalized
populations.
New York City, NY
Minimum Efficiency Standards for
Rentals (MESR)
An MESR policy for existing
residential rental properties could
require property owners to meet a
minimum efficiency standard for
their building or unit - thereby
incentivizing building electrification
- before they can receive and/or
renew their rental license.
Burlington, VT
Requirements at Time of Major
Renovation37
This policy could provide
prescriptive requirements for
allowable electric building systems
at the time of major renovation of
a building.
Vancouver, BC
(under development)
Requirements at Time of System
Replacement38
This policy could regulate which
systems are allowable to install at
the time of system replacement -
such as requiring the installation of
appliances powered by electricity
instead of gas - and would be
enforced through permitting.
Vancouver, BC
(under development)
Commercial Linkage Fee
Environmental Sustainability
Credit
This could provide a credit on the
commercial linkage fee for net
zero-emissions buildings (for both
qualifying retrofits and new
construction).
None known
37This policy is currently under discussion by several Bay Area community choice aggregation organizations, which cannot enact or enforce this law, but could help support implementation in the cities that they serve. 38At the April 26, 2022 City Council meeting, Council directed staff to evaluate this policy option and engage with the community and return to Council in Fall 2022 with findings. 70 May, 2022 | www.sanjoseca.gov