Sonoma County staff said that carbon neutrality “is achievable” by 2030, as they presented carbon mitigation plans to the county’s Board of Supervisors. And, in a move technically unrelated but similar in spirit, the board gave $28 million to PG&E to upgrade energy systems in county-owned properties.
But that $28 million pales in comparison to the money that may be needed down the road should the board commit to county staff’s Climate Resilience Comprehensive Action Plan in September. Staff estimated that it will cost upwards of $200 million to get county-run facilities carbon-free by 2030, according to a staff memo on the PG&E contract.
In their resiliency plan presented Tuesday, staff mainly recommended near-term improvements for the next two years with an eye toward subsequent “mid-term” improvement at the end of the decade. Staff argued for a two-pronged approach, investing in both energy-efficient improvements in the county’s built environment and sequestration efforts through its vast wilderness.
Staff said they assigned each proposal a score based on estimated effect and feasibility, noting that the sequestration efforts were some of the highest rated. Protecting existing urban and rural forest cover, for example, was the highest rated.
But many of the near-term funding recommendations from staff were geared toward taking stock of the county’s existing practices rather than building improvements. Over half of the 25 recommendations were to commission studies on various county practices or to form groups dedicated to addressing a specific problem.
Supervisor Lynda Hopkins pressed staff on a specific plan to form an inter-governmental committee tasked with brainstorming small improvements, like putting compost bins in bathrooms. Hopkins asked staff why the board should spend money on giving advice to specific departments rather than just buying eco-friendly alternatives for the departments outright.
To demonstrate the point, Hopkins held up her metal water bottle, then a disposable paper cup she was using for tea. The solution to that wasteful consumption, Hopkins said, was to just buy reusable water glasses for board meetings.
“I just think it’s a rather high dollar amount for implementing something that I feel like should be already within the purview of, say, a department head,” Hopkins said.
‘Thoughtful’ and ‘innovative’
Still, Tuesday’s meeting brought action to one of the more concrete recommendations from staff, as the board put more than $28 million toward the PG&E contract. In return, PG&E will upgrade a number of systems throughout county-owned property.
According to a draft scope of work agreement between the county and the utility, these improvements include the installation of LED lightbulbs at schools and jails, as well as solar panels covering the parking lot at the county’s campus in Santa Rosa.
“I think when you talked about opportunities in the built environment (for the comprehensive plan), this is exactly what we are looking at,” Supervisor Susan Gorin said, thanking staff.
However, staff said another of the most tangible aspects of their comprehensive plan seemed to be struggling. The county’s goal, set in 2021, of transitioning 30% of its fleet to electric vehicles by 2026 was behind schedule, said Barbara Lee, the county’s Director of Climate Action and Resiliency. Lee said that the county hadn’t yet found the more than $5 million in funds necessary to make that transition.
“It’s great to see that we have the ability to achieve (carbon neutrality). … But more important to me is that I think we have the responsibility to achieve that.”
Supervisor Chris Coursey
To make up the difference, Lee said staff hoped to get $400,000 from the board to fish for additional federal funding expected to become available in the next year.
Still, the staff’s report sparked some optimism amongst people at the board meeting. Supervisor Chris Coursey commended staff, calling the reporting “thoughtful” and “innovative.” And the few public commenters who spoke on the issue expressed appreciation for the report.
“It’s great to see that we have the ability to achieve (carbon neutrality),” Coursey said. “But more important to me is that I think we have the responsibility to achieve that.”
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