Sacramento 2040 General Plan Update Virtual Workshop: Resiliency and Climate Action

Resiliency and Climate Action

Do you support these strategies to improve resiliency and climate action in Sacramento?

Big & Bold Strategy 1-a: Require all new buildings to be all electric and eliminate the use of natural gas and fossil fuels for building operations.
Residential and commercial natural gas use accounts for over 13 percent of Sacramento’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Switching from natural gas to electricity for common uses like cooking and heating could eliminate that source of emissions. All-electric construction has been found to be generally cost effective for most types of development.

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* 1. Would you support this strategy?

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Big & Bold Strategy 1-b: Gradually transition existing buildings away from natural gas through the building permit process.
This strategy would require anyone filing a building permit application to replace appliances like gas heaters, hot water heaters, and cooking appliances with electric instead of gas models, which would gradually transition existing buildings away from natural gas, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 12 percent by 2045 compared to 2016 conditions. Due to existing incentive programs, most homes in Sacramento will likely see cost savings due to electrification.

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* 2. Would you support this strategy?

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Big & Bold Strategy 1-c: Assist low-income residents to transition their homes from gas to electric by offering financial incentives.
The City could work with SMUD to expand existing low-income programs, such as roof-top solar, weatherization, and low-income discount programs, to retrofit and electrify existing buildings. These retrofits have been found to result in increased tenet retention, improved health and comfort, and reduce rental costs. This strategy would be implemented with the goal of reducing energy consumption, decreasing utility bills, and transitioning 100 percent of low-income homes to all-electric by 2040.

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* 3. Would you support this strategy?

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Big & Bold Strategy 1-d: Provide infrastructure to fully transition from combustion engine vehicles, supporting use of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs).
The City would continue to support the use of zero-emission vehicles with electric vehicle charging space and panel requirements for new developments, as well as zero-emission car share expansions to serve more neighborhoods and affordable housing. This strategy would complement the City's 2017 EV Strategy and help to fulfill one of the major recommendations of the Mayor’s Commission on Climate Change to reduce citywide greenhouse gas emissions.

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* 4. Would you support this strategy?

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Big & Bold Strategy 2: Increase the amount of tree-canopy cover in the City, prioritizing investments in areas with the greatest urban heat island effects, areas of poor air quality, and areas with populations most vulnerable to the effects of increased and extreme heat.
This strategy could help Sacramento residents adapt to increased and prolonged heat waves associated with climate change. Trees keep the whole city cooler by providing shade and preventing pavement, cars, and concrete from heating up. This strategy would also reduce citywide greenhouse gas emissions as trees can reduce air conditioning energy needs, improve air quality, and sequester carbon. The City could require more trees to be planted in areas with higher pollution rates; plant trees along major roads and highways in disadvantaged communities, in parks, and in parking lots; work with landowners to add more trees to existing parking lots; plant more trees in parks and along City streets; and address barriers like irrigation and maintenance costs in disadvantaged areas. These tactics could also achieve important equity objectives.

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Map of Existing Tree Canopy Coverage in Sacramento

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* 5. Would you support this strategy?

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Big & Bold Strategy 3: Develop a Neighborhood Resilience Network program that offers resources, trainings, and strategies that help communities be prepared for emergencies.
The City could implement a program to train community members and provide resources on how to plan for an evacuation or a shelter-in-place order, and how to communicate in an emergency. The pilot training program would start in two Sacramento neighborhoods that are most vulnerable to climate change risks. Implementing a Neighborhood Resilience Network program would help build community capacity and support neighborhood preparedness for emergencies and climate change.