Turning Policy into Action

1. Turning Policy into Action Intro to Climate Action Plans and Measures CCBA Training 2012 Jillian Rich Program Manager September 5, 2012

2. PG&E Government and Community Partnerships • PG&E partners with local governments and communities to achieve mutual energy and GHG reduction goals. • Partnerships Include: • Energy Watch Programs • Climate and Energy Action Planning Assistance • Statewide Energy Efficiency Collaborative (SEEC) • Direct funding assistance • Training • Data • www.pge.com/energywatch • www.pge.com/sustainablecommunities

3. Today’s Discussion • CAP Recap: • Structure & Development Process • CEQA-Qualified GHG Reduction Plan • Metrics & Implementation • How can CAPs be useful to CCBA members? • Tying your work to sustainability: • Estimating potential GHG emissions • Measuring the impact of your work • Group Exercise

4. 4 CAP Structure and Development Process

5. CAP Summary

6. The CAP as a living document General Plan EIR Inventory GHGs Evaluate GHG Reduction Progress and Targets Update GHG Reduction Strategies CAP / GHG Reduction Strategy General Plan Implementation

7. Common CAP Structure • Introduction • Climate Change Background • Greenhouse Gas Inventory Summary • Goals and Measures • Transportation • Waste • Water • Energy • Adaptation • Next Steps / Conclusion • Technical Appendices • Each goal/measure should (ideally) include: • Action Items • Implementation Phasing • Fiscal Impact • Responsible Party • Metrics

8. Common CAP Development

9. Common CAP Development Timeline Source: ICLEI, www.californiaseec.org

11. Source: Alameda County CAP, 2011

12. CAPs are not always “CAPs”!

13. 13 Qualified GHG Reduction Strategies

14. ANYTHING can be a GHG Reduction Plan if…. • State CEQA Guidelines Section 15183.5.(b) state that a GHG Reduction Plan should have the following elements: • A GHG inventory and projection/forecast • A GHG reduction target below which GHGs would not be significant • Measures and actions that are proven to reduce GHG emissions and, if implemented on a project-by-project basis, would collectively achieve the reduction target • A mechanism to monitor the plan’s progress towards achieving the reduction target and a requirement to amend the plan if it is not achieving specified levels • An environmental document

15. CAP v. GHG Reduction Plan

16. GHG Reduction Plan No GHG Reduction Plan With GHG Reduction Plan Specific Plan Office Building GHG Reduction Plan Specific Plan Mixed Use Corridor Density Bonus Office Building Mixed Use Corridor Density Bonus Condo Building Condo Building

17. 17 CAP Metrics and Implementation

18. Alameda County CAP, 2011

19. Santa Rosa CAP, 2012

20. Belvedere CAP, 2011

21. City of Vallejo Example

22. City of San Carlos Example

23. City of Berkeley Example • http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ContentDisplay.aspx?id=70996

25. 25 CAPs and CCBA

26. Group Discussion • How do you see yourself using a local government CAP in your CCBA assignment this year?

27. 27 Measuring Success; Predicting Impacts • How to Monitor Sustainability Efforts and Evaluate Progress

28. Metrics for Project Implementation • Impact Metrics – Lasting impacts of the project. • Examples: Energy, VMT, waste, GHG reductions, and dollars saved • Process Metrics – Interim metrics that show the implementation progress or effort to date. Examples: • Number of workshops • Number of mailers sent to residents • Number of energy audits performed • kWh/therms of energy reduction identified • Number of program sign-ups • Number of site visits

29. Impact Metrics • Tips: • Tied directly to your action • Independent of outside influences such as changes in operations or seasonal fluxes • Based on easily-accessible, free, or publically-available data

30. How to show Impact 1. On average, City energy consumption decreased 10% more than previous years from August to February during the Project. 2. Trees planted as part of this Project are estimated to save 150,000 kWh through increased shade in summer months. 3. Several workshops were held over the 6-month period, during which time community-wide waste tonnages decreased by 5%.

31. Impact Metrics - Resources • Direct Measurement: • Utilities • Surveys (pre- and post-survey?) • Estimate Based on Research: • Local Climate Action Plans • See handout

32. Steps to Quantify Impacts • Identify a project • Identify impact metrics. • Is the metric tied directly to your action? • Can the metric be measured on a somewhat regular basis? • Is the metric independent of external or pre-existing influences? • Determine pre-project (current) conditions • Set a target • Is the target feasible? Use case studies. • Track and Report!

33. Difficult to Track: Community Outreach • Pre- and post-surveys to track GHG reductions • Energy reductions for smaller-scale municipal behavioral change • Process metrics: • Website visits • Number of workshop/meeting attendees • Number of mailers sent to residents/businesses • Number of phone calls received in response to outreach • Number of emails received in response to outreach

34. Statewide Assistance http://californiaseec.org

35. Summary • Establish metrics at the onset of a project • Track your metrics on a regular basis using a spreadsheet • Choose a mix of impact metrics (long-term outcome) and process metrics (short-term display of effort/progress) • Choose metrics that are readily available and can be directly tied to program implementation • Consider Co-Benefits

36. Group Exercise! • 4 groups: • Energy • Water • Waste • Transportation

37. Thank You Jillian Rich Jillian.Rich@pge.com

38. How it all began…. • Adopted in 2007, SB 97 requires the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) to amend the State CEQA Guidelines to address GHG emissions.

39. GHG Significance through the lens of… • Identify project impacts • Determine significance • Mitigate to a less than significant level

40. GHG Reduction Plan No GHG Reduction Plan With GHG Reduction Plan Specific Plan Office Building GHG Reduction Plan Specific Plan Mixed Use Corridor Density Bonus Office Building Mixed Use Corridor Density Bonus Condo Building Condo Building

41. GHG Reduction Plan • Identify project impacts • Determine significance • Mitigate to a less than significant level

42. Qualitative Threshold: GHG Reduction Plan Example: City/County of San Francisco, http://sfmea.sfplanning.org/GHG_Checklist_T1.doc

44. How do GHG Reduction Plans relate to Quantitative Significance Thresholds? • GHG Reduction Plans take the place of quantitative GHG significance thresholds. • Once a Reduction Plan is in place, projects should use the CAP checklist to determine significance

45. How do GHG Reduction Plans relate to SB 375 Targets? • SB 375 GHG reduction targets are for VMT from passenger cars and light trucks only and they are measured in GHG per capita • Climate Action Plans address all emissions sources, including passenger cars, light trucks, heavy-duty vehicles, and other sectors • The methodology for CAP VMT analysis may be different from that of the MPO’s in the SB 375 process

46. Exercise #1 • TREE PLANTING • Pursue a comprehensive community tree program for planting and maintaining trees on County-maintained roads, medians, and public parking lots in the unincorporated communities and encourage property owners to plant and maintain trees near structures to reduce building energy demand.

47. Exercise #1 • TREE PLANTING • Pursue a comprehensive community tree program for planting and maintaining trees on County-maintained roads, medians, and public parking lots in the unincorporated communities and encourage property owners to plant and maintain trees near structures to reduce building energy demand.

48. Exercise #2 • ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS • Require new developments to install electric vehicle charging stations in parking lots.

49. Exercise #2 • ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS • Require new developments to install electric vehicle charging stations in parking lots.

50. Exercise #2 • ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS • Require new developments to install electric vehicle charging stations in parking lots.