The City of Alameda’s 2022 Climate Action and Resiliency Plan (CARP) and 2023 Work Plan go before the City Council on March 21. So, what progress did the City of Alameda make toward reducing greenhouse gases last year and what are the plans for 2023?

First, it is important to understand the sources of greenhouse gas emissions in Alameda. The biggest emitter by far in Alameda is the transportation sector at 70% of the city’s emissions. The next 27% is building energy usage, and the remaining 3% is from water, wastewater, and waste.

The city’s main focus on transportation has been to support the transition from gas-powered vehicles to electrical vehicles with rebates through Alameda Municipal Power (AMP). AMP offers customers in single-family homes up to $800 in rebates for installing a level 2 EV Charger. In 2022, 112 residential customers received an AMP rebate to install a level 2 EV charger. AMP also offers EV charger rebates for multi-family buildings and businesses. But although they are working with several individuals, none of these rebates have been distributed yet. The city is also installing EV chargers in city-owned public parking lots, including at the Civic Center garage in 2023. Today, 5.2% of registered vehicles in Alameda are electric, plug-in hybrid, or fuel cell vehicles, for a total of 2,721 vehicles.

AMP offers rebates for used EVs with a purchase limit of $40,000. A total of 12 used EV rebates were issued in 2022. So far AMP has issued 81 EV rebates toward CARP’s goal of 821 EV rebates. AMP launched a new e-bike rebate as well for up to $600 depending upon the price of the bike. To further support transportation by bicycle, 0.85 miles of bikeways were completed in 2022. For more information on AMP rebates visit https://www.alamedamp.com/407/Rebates-and-Incentives.

The next big focus is tackling the 27% for building energy usage by electrification of appliances (AMP electricity is 100% renewable). In 2021 the City Council passed an ordinance requiring all new construction in Alameda to be all-electric. With the adoption of the 2022 California Building Code, Alameda expanded the definition of new construction to include substantial alterations and additions. In 2022 the City held several community workshops on the electrification of appliances, covering AMP’s rebates to support that transition, including $100 for electric dryers (57 issued in 2022), $1,500 for heat pump water heaters (20 issued in 2022), $2,500 for electrical panel upgrades, and in 2022, AMP also began offering a $1,500 for heat pump HVAC systems.