California Regional Action Update: Central Valley

ICLEI USA
June 3, 2009

Central Valley governments, from north to south, are well-positioned to establish new models for regional collaboration.

In the Sacramento area, Sacramento County jurisdictions continue to work in partnership with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) and others to advance the Sacramento Area Green Partnership. Sacramento County and the jurisdictions within the County have completed GHG inventories and are considering models for regional climate action planning. SACOG continues to work closely with ICLEI  to develop an inventory and climate action planning effort that would build coordination between the various public agencies of the six county area. SACOG is also interested in exploring options to support the development of a regional public financing program, as supported by AB 811.

In the San Joaquin Valley, the City of Stockton continues to drive innovative and robust climate work. The City has formed a Climate Action Planning Committee, which recently approved the City’s GHG inventory, and is beginning to research potential emission reduction targets. Stockton also recently received a grant under DOE’s Building America Program to establish a base of research and administrative infrastructure to support the roll-out of a public financing program (re AB 811). Stockton will use part of these funds to work with local energy service contractors to develop capacities for streamlining both energy efficiency and renewable energy retrofits; and they will identify “target neighborhoods” to concentrate retrofit efforts and further streamline activities.