El Dorado County Receives CAL FIRE Grant; Van Norden Meadow in South Yuba on Track for Restoration; Green Janitor Education Programs Earn Praise and more…
Project Profiles
Learn About Grantees from Pomona, Woodland, the Bay Area, and More
Take a deep dive into six new profiles of projects in Pomona, Woodland, the Bay Area, and other communities. These profiles provide a narrative perspective on how California Climate Investments supports investments in community capacity building, capturing methane and generating renewable electricity, and more, for the betterment of Californians and their communities. Click the name of each program below to read the full project profile or check out our Project Profiles Map to learn more about projects underway across the state.
Low-Carbon Tomato Processing by State-of-the-Art Evaporation System Upgrade:In 2019, Pacific Coast Producers (PCP), the largest tomato canning facility in the country, was awarded a $5.7 million grant from California Climate Investments to support the installation of advanced energy-efficiency evaporation technology at their Woodland facility.
Energy Upgrades for Farmworker Household Brings Safety, Comfort, and $3.0 Energy Bills: The Low-Income Weatherization Program’s (LIWP) Farmworker Housing Component helps families install energy-efficient upgrades to stay cool amidst rising temperatures resulting from climate change. Learn how the program has helped one Central Valley family install a new rooftop solar PC system and cut down their energy bills.
Saving Quality Wood Products from Landfills with Habitat for Humanity: The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) awarded roughly $489,000 of California Climate Investment funds to Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley, Inc. as part of the first cycle of the Reuse Grant Program.
2022 Mid-Year Data Update Reports: $11.4 Billion in
California Climate Investments Implemented Across the State
The California Air Resources Board has released the 2022 California Climate Investments Mid-Year Data Update, reporting implementation of $1 billion from December 2021 through the end of May 2022, bringing the cumulative total to nearly $11.4 billion.
With new investments in affordable housing and sustainable communities, wildfire prevention, clean transportation, and more, projects across the suite of California Climate Investments continue to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and deliver major economic, environmental, and public health benefits for Californians, including meaningful benefits to the most disadvantaged communities.
To date, $5.4 billion in California Climate Investments funds have benefited priority populations. Cumulatively, 567,143 projects are expected to reduce an estimated 78.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, not including expected GHG reductions attributable to High-Speed Rail.
California Climate Investments Wants to Know How We Can Better Support Your Community's Needs and Priorities!
As we approach 10 years of California Climate Investments, we are looking to the future of the program and learning from our journey thus far. We invite you to share your thoughts on how California Climate Investments can further support the development of programs, projects, and resources to serve communities like yours while advancing State climate goals.
Complete the below survey to help us design California Climate Investments’ upcoming work, which includes:
Public Workshops on California's New Carbon Sequestration Registry
All are invited to attend the California Natural Resources Agency’s (CNRA) public workshops on the development of the state’s Carbon Sequestration and Climate Resiliency Project Registry. Senate Bill 27 (Skinner, 2021) requires CNRA to create a registry to facilitate funding of nature-based and direct air capture projects that deliver on California’s climate goals.
CNRA is seeking public input to inform its approach to developing the registry, and will hold two identical sessions on Wednesday, September 7, from 4-5:30pm and Thursday, September 8, from 10-11:30am. We invite you to listen and participate in English or Spanish.
For more information and to register, visit the following links:
California Air Resources Board is looking for individuals who are passionate about working at the intersection of climate change, equity, housing, and transportation through California Climate Investments.
Help us put billions of dollars of Cap-and-Trade auction proceeds to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, improving public health and the environment, and providing meaningful benefits to the most disadvantaged communities.
California State Transportation Agency Awards Nearly $800 Million for Transit
and Intercity Rail Projects
On July 7, the California State Transportation Agency awarded nearly $800 million across 23 projects in California that will expand public transit, increase intercity rail services, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These projects will directly benefit disadvantaged communities and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 4.3 million metric tons. These grants are from the fifth cycle of Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program, a California Climate Investments initiative.
Vouchers for point-of-sale discounts on off-road zero-emission equipment, up to a maximum of $500,000 per voucher;
No requirement to scrap, sell, or retire existing equipment; and
Additional funding may be available for charging/refueling infrastructure, equipment operated in disadvantaged communities, and small businesses.
Equipment supported:
On- and off-road terminal tractors
Truck- and trailer-mounted transport refrigeration units (TRUs)
Large forklifts and cargo-handling equipment
Airport ground-support equipment
Railcar movers and switcher locomotives
Mobile power units (MPUs) and mobile shore-power cable management systems
Construction equipment
Agricultural equipment
Commercial harbor craft
Innovative Small e-Fleet Pilot Program Opening August 31
The Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (California HVIP), a California Climate Investments program, has set aside $25 million to implement innovative solutions to assist small fleets in the transition to zero-emission trucks. Beginning August 31, privately owned or nonprofit trucking fleets with 20 or fewer trucks and annual revenue of less than $15 million can access flexible financing options for zero-emission trucks through the Innovative Small e-Fleet Pilot Program. This funding allows small fleets to access flexible financing, lease, rental, and truck-as-a-service options with enhanced incentives and fueling support.
Last Call for FARMER Applications to
Upgrade Agricultural Trucks and Equipment
CARB’s Funding Agricultural Replacement Measures for Emission Reductions Program (FARMER) has designated $8.5 million to eligible air quality management districts to help farmers transition from traditional gas-powered tractors and farm equipment to zero-emission Alternatives. Applications are due August 31!
Funding is available to replace:
On-road heavy-duty trucks;
Off-road vehicles, such as tractors;
Stationary and portable engine sources, such as agricultural pumps;
Utility Terrain Vehicles (UTV) or small tractors (eligible for replacement with electric UTV); and
Infrastructure engaged in, or supporting, agricultural operations.
Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program (AHSC)
Timeline Extension
The AHSC Round 7 Guidelines and Notice of Funding Availability release has been extended to December 2022 to align with the next California Department of Housing and Community Development SuperNOFA. The Round 7 AHSC applications will be due in March 2023 and awards will be made in August 2023, giving applicants enough time to receive AHSC award letters for consideration in the Fall Cycle of the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee (CDLAC) application date.
If you have any questions, please email ahsc@sgc.ca.gov.
El Dorado County Receives Grant Money to Help Prevent Wildfires
The El Dorado Fire Safe Council was awarded a CAL FIRE Wildfire Prevention Grant to assist its efforts to clear hazardous trees left over from the Caldor Fire. This award is one of 144 grants distributing $118 million to fund local wildfire prevention projects across California. Funding comes from the CAL FIRE Wildfire and Forest Resilience Strategy, part of California Climate Investments.
Van Norden Meadow on Track for Restoration in Summer of 2022
The South Yuba River Citizens League was awarded $3.7 million from the Wildlife Conservation Board’s Climate Adaptation and Resiliency grant program and California Climate Investments to implement Phase One of the restoration of the 485-acre Van Norden Meadow in partnership with Tahoe National Forest.
Van Norden is one of the largest meadows on the west side of the Northern Sierra and is critical for water storage, water quality, wildlife habitat, and forest resiliency. Phase 1 began in July and will extend into October. Additional restoration work will be completed in the summers of 2023 and 2024.
Green Janitor Education Programs Earn Praise
from California Governor
Governor Newsom recently highlighted Green Janitor Education programs, an initiative founded in 2014 as the result of a collaboration between the US Green Building Council Los Angeles, Building Owners and Managers Association Los Angeles, and United Service Workers West SEIU. The program provides community-centered career opportunities for people of all backgrounds and upbringings to improve sustainability in facilities. These opportunities, called ‘High Road Training Programs’, are included in the California Workforce Development Board’s High Road Training Partnership. This program is funded by the California Climate Investments, which is focused on reducing carbon footprints in facilities and providing frontline staffs and building occupants alike a safer environment — especially for disadvantaged communities.
Community Partnership Rescues Excess Food to
Feed Santa Barbara County Residents
The Food Rescue Project, a partnership between Veggie Rescue, Santa Ynez Valley Community Kitchen at St. Mark’s Church, and Community Environmental Council’s Santa Barbara County received a Food Waste Prevention and Rescue grant from the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle). This volunteer-based partnership was launched in 2021 to reduce carbon-emitting food waste by providing surplus food from farms to local food-insecure communities at no cost.
Pasadena Unified's Jackson Elementary Says Goodbye Asphalt, Hello Greener Future
The California Natural Resources Agency awarded Jackson Elementary $764,000 from its Urban Greening Grant Program, a California Climate Investments initiative. The grant will support the school’s efforts to replace existing blacktop with trees, gardens, and natural play spaces to support positive mental, physical, and academic outcomes for students.
Davis Permanently Preserves 124 Acres of Farmland Northeast
of City Limits
The City of Davis recently purchased an agricultural conservation easement on 124 acres of farmland as a permanent preserve for agriculture development and open space. The property is currently planted with almond and pistachio trees, abutting a stormwater conveyance channel that also serves as a wildlife corridor. The city’s efforts are supported by the California Strategic Growth Council’s Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation program (SALC), a California Climate Investments program.
![Older adults and children eating food from the Food Rescue Project.]](https://mcusercontent.com/7c7ad616674d57b627fb05bf7/images/8f854f04-fd18-5610-840d-f437291dcc6e.png)
