Monterey County releases draft Climate Action and Adaptation Plan for public comment, says staff; county secures $15M grant for municipal EVs and chargers

Monterey County sustainability staff presented a draft Community Climate Action and Adaptation Plan to the Economic Development Committee on May 29 and announced plans to release the draft for a 60-day public comment period in early June.

Cora, the county sustainability program manager, said the inventory shows transportation is the county's largest source of greenhouse-gas emissions, followed by agriculture and then buildings. She said that with the strategies proposed in the draft plan ' including building electrification, vehicle trip reduction (public transit and shared mobility) and climate-smart agriculture ' the county's projected emissions would meet the 2030 and 2045 target trajectories used for planning.

"With the proposed strategies in our climate action and adaptation plan thus far, this is our current projection for greenhouse gas production," Cora said, noting the plan accounts for statewide action and then the additional reductions expected from local measures. She said the draft includes cost estimates and short-term actions for the sustainability program to develop long-term funding strategies, but that many measures will require additional funding and multiagency collaboration.

Committee members asked how the county would fund implementation and whether municipal procurement or an EV procurement policy would be recommended. Cora said the county is developing a municipal climate action plan that includes an EV procurement policy and noted recent grant success: the county received a $15 million award for regional implementation efforts, with $10 million to Monterey County as lead applicant and $5 million split among regional partners. The chair reported the local match from earlier solar projects helped secure the award; county staff said the grant would help buy electric vehicles (about 55) and install approximately 46 charging stations, and would fund workforce training for EV and charger maintenance.

Cora asked committee members and stakeholders to participate in public engagement and said staff would return after the 60-day comment period for adoption later this year.