What's New List Serve Post Display

You are invited to participate in a series of community meetings
and a statewide webcast later this month to provide input on the
draft updates to the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB or
Board)Funding Guidelines for Agencies that Administer California
Climate Investments (Funding Guidelines). California Climate
Investments is a statewide initiative that puts billions of
Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions,
strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the
environment—particularly in disadvantaged communities.  The
meetings will be held on the following dates at these locations:

Fresno - Community Meeting
Date: Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Time: 6 pm – 8 pm
Location: Cecil C. Hinton Community Center
2385 S. Fairview Avenue,
Fresno, California 93706

Los Angeles - Community Meeting
Date: Wednesday, August 23, 2017
Time: 6 pm – 8 pm
Location: Holman United Methodist Church,
3320 W Adams Boulevard,
Los Angeles, California 90018

Oakland - Community Meeting
Date: Monday, August 28, 2017
Time: 6 pm – 8 pm
Location: Elihu Harris Building                      
1515 Clay Street, 
Oakland, California 94612

Sacramento - Workshop and Webcast 
Date: Thursday, August 31, 2017
Time: 10 am – 12 pm
Location: CalEPA Headquarters, Sierra Hearing Room
1001 I Street,
Sacramento, California 95814

A live webcast of the Sacramento meeting will be available at:
https://video.calepa.ca.gov/

We welcome your participation in these community meetings and any
written comments you may provide.  This input helps inform
administering agencies in the design and implementation of their
California Climate Investments programs.  CARB staff will
consider the feedback received from these meetings and written
comments in the development of the Proposed Update to the Funding
Guidelines, to be considered for approval by the Board following
a public hearing in Fall 2017.  The draft Funding Guidelines are
available at: www.arb.ca.gov/cci-fundingguidelines.

The draft Funding Guidelines include updated provisions to
incorporate the requirements of Assembly Bill 1550 (Gomez,
Chapter 369, Statutes of 2016) for disadvantaged communities,
low-income communities, and low-income households.  In addition,
the draft updates also include revisions to reflect “lessons
learned” and feedback received from stakeholders during initial
program implementation, including improvements on reporting and
transparency.
  
The recent enactment of Assembly Bill 398 (Garcia, Chapter 135,
Statutes of 2017) and Assembly Bill 617 (Garcia, Chapter 136,
Statutes of 2017) combats air pollution at the neighborhood
level, and helps California achieve its ambitious climate goals
by providing direction 
on a post-2020 Cap-and-Trade Program.  Assembly Bill 398 also
identifies a list of priorities for the Legislature to consider
for future appropriations from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund
(GGRF or Fund).  Upcoming legislative action on expenditure of
GGRF monies may necessitate conforming changes to CARB’s Funding
Guidelines.  CARB staff is releasing the draft Funding Guidelines
now to provide guidance to agencies already administering
California Climate Investments from prior appropriations, and to
solicit public input on the new requirements to fulfill Assembly
Bill 1550 (Gomez, Chapter 369, Statutes of 2016).  CARB staff
will update the draft Funding Guidelines as needed to implement
any future direction from the Legislature.

For more information on these community meetings and the public
comment period, see the detailed community meeting notice at: 
https://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/capandtrade/auctionproceeds/carb_2017_funding_guidelines_meeting_notice.pdf

To learn more about California Climate Investments, please visit:
http://www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov.

BACKGROUND:

California Climate Investments: The State proceeds from the
Cap-and-Trade Program (title 17, California Code of Regulations,
invest in climate action, with an emphasis on our most
disadvantaged and low-income communities.  The GGRF holds the
State’s portion of auction proceeds, generated by California’s
Cap-and-Trade Program.  The Governor and Legislature determine
which State agencies and programs will receive appropriations
from this Fund to invest in projects that reduce greenhouse
gases.  Over a dozen State agencies administer the Fund programs
and each agency is responsible for its own program.  

CARB Funding Guidelines:  State law also requires CARB to develop
guidance for all State agencies that receive appropriations from
the GGRF, including guidance on reporting, quantification
methods, and maximizing benefits to disadvantaged communities. 
In 2015, CARB staff released the Funding Guidelines, followed by
a Supplement document in 2016, to provide direction for agencies
with September 2016 budget appropriations.  The passage of
Assembly Bill 1550 modifies the existing Senate Bill 535 (De
León, Statutes of 2012) investment requirements for disadvantaged
communities, and provides new funding targets for low-income
communities and low-income households.  As a result, CARB must
update the Funding Guidelines to reflect the new requirements.  

In February 2017, the California Environmental Protection Agency
and CARB staff jointly held three community meetings and a
statewide webinar 
to discuss how to identify disadvantaged and low-income
communities, and how to assess whether projects benefit
individuals living in these communities.  In April 2017, after
incorporating public input, California Environmental Protection
Agency identified the list of disadvantaged and low-income
community census tracts for the purpose of Assembly Bill 1550
investments. For more information,see
www.calepa.ca.gov/EnvJustice/GHGInvest. 

CARB staff has also considered the comments received from the
community meetings in the development of the draft Funding
Guidelines.