(D) 1. Climate Smart San José Plan
Semi-Annual Update
Transportation & Environment Committee
April 7, 2025
Seena Eghtedar-Shenas, Supervising Environmental Services Specialist– ESD Kate Ziemba, Senior Environmental Program Manager– Energy Department (ED) Andrea Arjona Amador, Associate Transportation Specialist– Department of Transportation (DOT) • Background • Updates • Core Activities • Community
Engagement
• Programs and
Policies
• Looking Forward
2 Climate Smart San José
• Council approved the Climate Smart San José plan (2018) and adopted a carbon neutrality by 2030 goal (2021)
• Council declared a Climate Emergency (2019)
• Council adopted a carbon neutrality goal by 2030 (2021) and associated plan (2022) identifying 4 key strategies:
• zero-emission vehicles
• reduce vehicle miles traveled by 20%
• Switch our appliances from fossil fuels to electric
• carbon-neutral electricity
San Jose’s
Climate
Leadership
3 Climate Smart San José
Core Activities
Funding and Resources:
• Continue to seek and acquire external resources:
• Applied for an additional $67.27 million in external
funding
• Planning to submit applications for over $8.1 million in funding for Climate Smart initiatives in next reporting period
4 Total Amount of Awards
Pending Execution in
Reporting Period
(Sept. 2024 – Feb. 2025)
Total Amount of Awards
Executed in
FY 2024-2025 to Date
(July 2024 – Feb. 2025)
Total Direct
Funding $23,216,000 $1,175,000
Climate Smart San José
Community
Outreach and
Engagement
5 Highlights
• San José Climate Chronicles
• Launched new quarterly newsletter in Oct 2024 to engage residents in climate action
• Sponsored Electric Home Tour
• Over 730 people toured homes
• 31% of attendees expressed high interest in adopting heat pumps within the next 3 years
• Equitable Mobility Initiatives
• Supporting low-income transit solutions, including a $1.3M Mobility Wallet Pilot and a $3.5M microtransit grant
Climate Smart San José
6 Reduction in
Vehicle Miles
Traveled
Highlights
• Launched the East San José Equity
Mobility Project, including a $1.3 Mobility
Wallet Pilot
• Added 7.4 miles of new bikeways,
upgraded 32.8 miles – total network now
550 miles
• Working with Lyft and Metropolitan
Transportation Commission to deploy 500
new e-bikes, 32 new stations, and
promote ridership in East San José
• Launched a Curb Management Pilot
to digitize curb data and track
vehicle activity and uses
• Acquired a data subscription to improve
vehicle miles traveled tracking, monitor
key metrics, and support data-driven
Climate Smart strategies
Climate Smart San José
Zero-Emission Vehicles
Highlights • California EV Infrastructure
Project • 197 Level 2 and 32 Direct
Current Fast Chargers are
operational
• All projects installed by
end of 2025
• Multifamily EV Charger
Incentive Pilot • 11 properties reserved
funds for 78 ports
• Fast Charging Hubs Pilot • Procurement process for 4
-
7 hubs (10 ports each) at
libraries and community
centers
7 Climate Smart San José
8 100% Carbon-neutral Power
Highlights
• Default GreenSource service:
62% renewable
• ~1,600 customers upgraded to
TotalGreen (100% renewable)
• Contracted for over 1 gigawatt
of new renewable energy and
reliability resources
• On track to provide 100%
carbon neutral electricity by
2030
Climate Smart San José
9 Building Electrification
Highlights
• Energy Department
• Sunset externally funded energy
efficiency programs
• Residential (income-qualified): 281
appliances and 1,056 energy-saving
devices
• Commercial: 778 businesses served
• Total: $11M customer savings & 35
million kWh avoided
• Launched EcoHome Rebate, Payment Plan
and contractor network
• 325 customers reserved or received
$1.2 million+ in heat pump rebates
• 25% of funds have been paid out to
environmental justice communities
• 14 approved zero-interest payment
plans
Climate Smart San José
10 Building Electrification (cont’d)
Highlights
• Environmental Services Department
• Launched Electric Homes San José on
April 22, 2024, Earth Day
• Program closed in December 2024
• $254,000 in reserved incentives
• 56 project sites (with 28% dedicated
for equity communities)
• Implementing second year of Beyond
Benchmarking requirements
• 380 buildings were required to meet
energy and water efficiency
standards
• Compliances rates were 85% for
Annual Benchmarking and 59% for
Beyond Benchmarking
Climate Smart San José
Looking Ahead
(March – August 2025)
Anticipated Initiative Milestones:
• Start a telematics-based charging program for San José Clean Energy EV customers. • Offer incentives for home battery storage installations. • Complete a fleet electrification master plan for San José. • Develop a tool to guide city transportation investments and track progress. • Finalize the Climate Smart Zero Waste plan.
• Finalize the Climate Advisory Commission workplan for Fiscal Year 2025-2026. • Release the Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan draft. • Complete the City's 2023 greenhouse gas inventory.
• Host a Climate Smart training session for City of San José leadership staff. • Apply for BayREN Decarbonization Showcase and Energy Roadmapping Services.
Anticipated City Council Items:
• San José Clean Energy Workforce Development Programs (Spring 2025), and • Climate Smart Plan Administrative Update (Summer 2025). 11 Climate Smart San José
The End
Seena Eghtedar-Shenas, Supervising Environmental Services Specialist– ESD Kate Ziemba, Senior Environmental Program Manager– Energy Department (ED) Andrea Arjona Amador, Associate Transportation Specialist– Department of Transportation (DOT)