TO: CITY COUNCIL FROM: Mayor Sam Liccardo
Councilmember Jimenez
Councilmember Peralez
SUBJECT: SEE BELOW DATE: September 23, 2022
Approved Date
SUBJECT: CITY INITIATIVES ROADMAP - CLEAN ENERGY RESILIENCE:
RESIDENTIAL BUILDING ELECTRIFICATION UPDATES AND WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT ACCELERATION PARTNERSHIP
RECOMMENDATION
Accept the staff recommendation with the following additional direction:
1. Direct Staff to strategically leverage federal funding, including exploring the use of Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) formula funding from the IIJA, to scale the BlocPower program.
2. Direct staff, in coordination with BlocPower, to conduct outreach to IBEW to explore training and apprenticeship opportunities as part of the Accelerator Program.
3. Return in the Fall of 2023 to the Transportation & Environment Committee with a progress report on the Accelerator Program.
4. Coordinate with Mayor and Council Offices to promote available low-income programs, rebates, and incentives to residents and businesses to accelerate existing building electrification.
COUNCIL AGENDA: 9/27/2022
ITEM: 6.1
FILE NO.: 22-1455
COUNCIL AGENDA
September 27, 2022
Subject: Accelerator Program
BACKGROUND
On June 14, 2022, City Council accepted the Existing Building Electrification Framework and approved the Pathway to Carbon Neutrality by 2030 which will help guide the City’s efforts to support existing building electrification and achieve the City’s carbon neutrality goals. In the face of a rapidly warming planet, there is more work to do - and the chance to address our existing building stock, a major source of GHG emissions, is a step we must take.
There are more than 230,000 existing buildings in San José. These buildings typically use two energy sources, electricity and natural gas. San José’s primary electricity provider, San José Clean Energy (SJCE), is rapidly increasing the proportion of renewable energy sourced for San José’s electricity supply, ensuring that electricity use gets cleaner and results in fewer GHG emissions. “Natural” gas is a fossil fuel composed mainly of methane burned directly within buildings and is currently responsible for 19 percent of community-wide GHG emissions.
The Accelerator Program will help implement the City’s Existing Building Electrification Framework and Pathway to Carbon Neutrality by 2030. It will leverage local, regional, state, and federal programs and funding to create a one-stop shop that offers the lowest cost electric upgrades for residential buildings.
Both BlocPower and city staff should conduct outreach to IBEW to explore training and apprenticeship opportunities to ensure we are preparing our workforce for the electrification work that lies ahead. Additionally, we must find ways to bring additional resources to scale this work, and have a measurable impact on our climate goals.
Earlier this year, Council directed staff to return with recommendations for Climate Smart partnerships focused on building electrification and workforce development opportunities that will accelerate building electrification retrofits. We are happy to see it return quickly, and that we can begin the important work ahead.