Climate Mitigation and Adaptation News

March 22, 2023

Early Bird Registration for the CCEC Forum is Available Now!

Early Bird Registration for the 14th Annual California Climate & Energy Forum will be open through April 16th! We hope that you will join the forum to learn new best practices and build new connections to support your work! Final details on the forum program will be made available early April, so stay tuned!

Additional information on rates and registration logistics is available here.

TOMORROW: Join CRCRC's Next Building Decarbonization Working Group Meeting!

Are you working on building decarbonization in California's Capital Region? Join CRCRC's Building Decarbonization Working Group! This group meets the fourth Thursday of each month from 3:00 - 4:00 PM and our next meeting is tomorrow, March 23rd! 

We want to ensure that we are continuing to provide spaces for practitioners and those working to advance building decarbonization efforts to collaborate and share information and resources with one another. To ensure we are continuing to provide this space, this month's meeting will focus primarily on round robin updates and discussion with working group participants. 

If you are looking for specific input/ guidance or have any updates related to recent building decarbonization efforts that you would like to share with other participants from the region you are encouraged to complete this interest form and join the working the working group!

CleanTech Meetup: Electric Vehicle Charging

March 23, 2023 | 9:00 - 11:00 AM

A critical bottleneck in EV adoption is the availability of charging infrastructure. California leads the Nation in EV adoption. Over 40% of all EVs sold are sold in California. Much of this results from ambitious targets and zero emissions goals. The California Energy Commission (CEC) has set an ambitious goal of installing 250,000 Level 2 EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) chargers by 2025. The CEC estimated California would need at least 1.5 million charging ports to meet the demand for electric vehicles. The CEC has approved $2.9 Billion for ZEV Infrastructure. Join this event to look at EV Charging. Where the money is being spent, what has been done, what needs to be done, and how it is affecting drivers. We will hear from experts and have a discussion about Electric Vehicle charging.

More information on this event available here.

RE+ Northern California

March 28 - 29, 2023

RE+ Northern California is the largest forum for professionals dedicated to the integration of solar, storage, and additional renewable energy assets like wind energy and electric vehicle infrastructure in the region. Join conversations with industry buyers, suppliers, distributors, consultants, and more to explore solutions, exchange ideas, and discover new technologies.

This event was designed to serve and advance this market by bringing together buyers and suppliers in solar and energy storage to explore business solutions, new technologies, policy initiatives, and other market factors.

More information on this event available here.

14th Annual Legislative Summit & Reception

March 29, 2023 | 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM

The 14th Annual Legislative Summit is an in-person event that brings together legislators, policymakers, and community members to discuss the imminent need for equity in energy, as California moves in the direction of a low-carbon economy. Hear from engaging presenters who will share their work and insights on ensuring disadvantaged groups are at the forefront, as legislation and policies are implemented to meet California’s climate goals. We'll be meeting with legislators to learn more about their legislative priorities this year, along with continuing the conversation of ensuring small businesses are not left behind during the transition to a low-carbon economy.

More information on this event available here.

California Climate Policy Summit 2023

April 11, 2023 | 8:30 AM - 6:00 PM

California is still grappling with prolonged drought, life-threatening heatwaves, and devastating wildfires. Our century-old power grid is failing under the stress of the climate crisis, leaving millions of people vulnerable to power outages during climate disasters. And air pollution from fossil fuels is poisoning far too many of our communities. All the while, fossil fuel interests are fighting tooth and nail to reverse our hard-fought progress. 

Against this backdrop, the second annual California Climate Policy Summit will bring together elected and business leaders, policy experts, activists, and environmental justice advocates to build support for climate policy commensurate with what science demands. The Summit will take place on April 11, 2023, at the Holiday Inn Downtown-Arena (300 J Street) in Sacramento, followed by a lobby day at state legislative offices on April 12. 

More information on this event here.

Does your organization have updates you would like to share with the rest of the CRCRC? Share them through this newsletter!

If you or anyone at your organization has updates you would like to have promoted through this newsletter, utilize this form to submit them to be included in this newsletter! This can include any updates, upcoming projects, or opportunities for collaboration that you would like to share with the broader CRCRC network!

City provides tool to help Sacramento residents cut home energy bills, emissions

Read an overview from CapRadio on the XeroHome tool here.

Final Report: The Impacts on California of Expanded Regional Cooperation to Operate the Western Grid

Read this full report by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) here.

Rain, snow and wind are returning to Northern California. In Sacramento, impacts expected to be milder than recent storms

CapRadio

After last week’s heavy rain renewed flood concerns, another storm is set to roll into Northern California. But experts say its impacts — at least in the Sacramento region — are expected to be mild compared to other storms this winter. “We do have another system that will bring additional precipitation to the area on Tuesday into Wednesday,” said Idamis Del Valle-Shoemaker, a meteorologist with the Sacramento branch of the National Weather Service. Read this full article here.

Sacramento has jobs for hundreds of young people under 30. Here’s how to get started

The Sacramento Bee

The City of Sacramento has launched its first step in a jobs program aimed at employing hundreds of youth within the next two years. The state-wide program, Californians For All Youth Jobs Corps, focuses on hiring youth who typically do not have access to career-building resources. Participants will be placed in jobs in different cities tackling three critical issues: climate change, food insecurity and COVID-19 recovery. Read this full article here.

Governor Newsom and Legislative Leaders Strike Deal on Proposal to Hold Big Oil Accountable

Office of Governor Gavin Newsom

Governor Gavin Newsom’s special session proposal to hold Big Oil accountable, authored by Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), is now in print. The measure includes a dedicated, year-round independent watchdog to root out price gouging by oil companies. The language of the special session proposal can be found here. With this step, the bill can now move through the legislative process of committee hearings and votes. Read this full article here.

Explainer: What California's atmospheric rivers mean for drought, floods, fires

Reuters

California has experienced an exceptionally wet winter with 11 atmospheric rivers battering the state since late December. A twelfth such storm landed earlier this week, threatening to cause even more flooding, landslides and road closures. Atmospheric rivers are vast airborne currents of dense moisture carried aloft for hundreds of miles from the Pacific and funneled over land to fall as bouts of heavy rain and snow. Here's what such storms mean for the near and long term. Read this full article here.

California risk shifts from drought to floods after record

rain, snow

Los Angeles Times

Though California may be ending its winter with quenched reservoirs and near record snowpack, meteorologists are warning that the state will face increased flooding risk in the coming months as Sierra Nevada snowmelt fills rivers and streams. Earlier this month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s spring flood outlook reported that drought conditions will continue to improve in much of the state, but the potential for flooding will worsen in the face of heavy snowpack and elevated soil moisture. Read this full article here.

California storms create paradox: Too much water in reservoirs, too soon

CalMatters

Two winters’ worth of snow has already fallen in the Sierra Nevada since Christmas, pulling California from the depths of extreme drought into one of its wettest winters in memory. But as a series of tropical storms slams the state, that bounty has become a flood risk as warm rains fall on the state’s record snowpack, causing rapid melting and jeopardizing Central Valley towns still soggy from January’s deluges. Read this full article here.

With all this rain and snow, can California really still be in a drought? Look deeper

Los Angeles Times

California is continuing to leverage recent actions and a historic $8.6 billion investment to ensure that water from storms is captured and conserved to help preserve supplies for communities, wildlife and the environment, and water users if dry conditions return – actions aligned with California’s Water Supply Strategy. Read this full article here.

California Drought Update: 92% of state in no or low level drought due to 2023 storms

ABC 10

The latest drought monitor showed continued improvement in California thanks to consistent rain and snow across the state this winter. More than 90% of the state is now in no or low drought conditions, according to the latest drought monitor released earlier this month by the National Drought Mitigation Center. Read this full article here.