Mountain View sustainability staff update committee on CoolBlock, water-heater rebates and multifamily EV charging pilot
February 11, 2026 | Mountain View, Santa Clara County, California
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Mountain View sustainability staff on Feb. 5 presented results from a neighborhood-level climate outreach effort and described two programs designed to reduce residential emissions and expand electric vehicle access for renters.
“My name is Danielle Lee, and I'm the city's chief sustainability and resiliency officer,” Lee said, introducing the Sustainability and Resiliency Division team and its goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build community resilience.
Whitney Ramos, a sustainability analyst, summarized CoolBlock Mountain View, a team-based household decarbonization program that staff said operated from 2020 to 2025 with match grant funding from the County of Santa Clara and produced a 2025 CoolBlock Mountain View Handbook. “That handbook is available for Mountain View homeowners and renters online now,” Ramos said, and staff are finalizing a Spanish-language version. Ramos added the program website received more than 1,600 visitors in 2025.
Ramos described the Year of the Water Heater outreach and a limited-time Mountain View electric water heater rebate. Staff plan a short survey called the “water heater dating game,” launching Feb. 14, to understand the age and prevalence of existing water heaters in the city and to inform future outreach and rebate targeting.
The third item was a multifamily electric vehicle (EV) charging pilot approved recently by the council, with a planned Earth Day 2026 launch and technical assistance from partner Silicon Valley Clean Energy. Lee said the pilot is designed to reduce installation costs for property owners so renters can access charging. “We are budgeted for 180 ports total, and [we are] limiting to 18 ports per site,” Lee said, adding the limit is intended to spread the benefit across multiple properties.
On costs, staff said they designed the pilot to stack available rebates so installations could be “virtually free” in many cases; staff also plan a concierge service to help property managers navigate rebates and installation steps. Lee said the program will include dedicated outreach to property managers and that fourplexes meet partner eligibility criteria.
Committee members repeatedly pressed staff on equity and reach. Committee member Webb said residents in South Mountain View and large apartment complexes often do not receive the same program information as downtown residents, and urged staff to expand outreach. Lee and Ramos said staff redesigned CoolBlock outreach to try to broaden participation, attempted renter- and Spanish-language cohorts, and will follow up with targeted outreach to large complexes and mobile home communities (the latter noted as a unique challenge because of electric-capacity constraints).
Staff characterized the multifamily program as an initial pilot intended to prove a concept that could be expanded; they said the city had recently added funds to the heat pump water heater program, doubling rebate capacity and reopening reservations.
The committee did not take formal action on the presentations; staff said they will return with additional program details and follow up answers on eligibility, mobile home inclusion and outreach pathways.
The Human Relations Committee’s next regular meeting is scheduled for March 5, 2026.
“My name is Danielle Lee, and I'm the city's chief sustainability and resiliency officer,” Lee said, introducing the Sustainability and Resiliency Division team and its goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build community resilience.
Whitney Ramos, a sustainability analyst, summarized CoolBlock Mountain View, a team-based household decarbonization program that staff said operated from 2020 to 2025 with match grant funding from the County of Santa Clara and produced a 2025 CoolBlock Mountain View Handbook. “That handbook is available for Mountain View homeowners and renters online now,” Ramos said, and staff are finalizing a Spanish-language version. Ramos added the program website received more than 1,600 visitors in 2025.
Ramos described the Year of the Water Heater outreach and a limited-time Mountain View electric water heater rebate. Staff plan a short survey called the “water heater dating game,” launching Feb. 14, to understand the age and prevalence of existing water heaters in the city and to inform future outreach and rebate targeting.
The third item was a multifamily electric vehicle (EV) charging pilot approved recently by the council, with a planned Earth Day 2026 launch and technical assistance from partner Silicon Valley Clean Energy. Lee said the pilot is designed to reduce installation costs for property owners so renters can access charging. “We are budgeted for 180 ports total, and [we are] limiting to 18 ports per site,” Lee said, adding the limit is intended to spread the benefit across multiple properties.
On costs, staff said they designed the pilot to stack available rebates so installations could be “virtually free” in many cases; staff also plan a concierge service to help property managers navigate rebates and installation steps. Lee said the program will include dedicated outreach to property managers and that fourplexes meet partner eligibility criteria.
Committee members repeatedly pressed staff on equity and reach. Committee member Webb said residents in South Mountain View and large apartment complexes often do not receive the same program information as downtown residents, and urged staff to expand outreach. Lee and Ramos said staff redesigned CoolBlock outreach to try to broaden participation, attempted renter- and Spanish-language cohorts, and will follow up with targeted outreach to large complexes and mobile home communities (the latter noted as a unique challenge because of electric-capacity constraints).
Staff characterized the multifamily program as an initial pilot intended to prove a concept that could be expanded; they said the city had recently added funds to the heat pump water heater program, doubling rebate capacity and reopening reservations.
The committee did not take formal action on the presentations; staff said they will return with additional program details and follow up answers on eligibility, mobile home inclusion and outreach pathways.
The Human Relations Committee’s next regular meeting is scheduled for March 5, 2026.
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