TO: Napa County Climate Action Committee
FROM: David Morrison, Special Projects Director
REPORT BY: Ryan Melendez, Planner II - Sustainability
SUBJECT: Ad hoc Subcommittee status update on the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Napa County Greenhouse Gas Emissions monitoring project
RECOMMENDATION
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DISCUSSION: Staff requests that the CAC Ad hoc subcommittee give regular updates to the Committee regarding the status of the planning and development of the prospective Greenhouse Gas Monitoring project in collaboration with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
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BACKGROUND
At the October, 2023 Climate Action Committee meeting, members heard from Lucas Patzek with Napa Resource Conservation District (RCD) and Sebastien Biraud with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) on a prospective project to measure and monitor the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions over time within Napa County. This project would allow scientists at the LBNL, Napa RCD staff, the CAC members and staff, and other stakeholders to see baseline GHG data and the direct impacts of our actions against climate change, in real time. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is limited in its capacity to monitor atmospheric conditions on a regional scale, as they mainly observe at much larger scales. The results of this pilot project are important to achieving long-term climate goals in our region and acting as a pilot project for other regions across the globe.
At the November 27, 2023 CAC meeting, the Committee adopted a resolution to show support for a collaborative project with Napa Resource Conservation District, the CAC, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for tracking of net greenhouse gases within Napa County. The resolution also designated the formation of an Ad hoc subcommittee to work towards the development of the project.
Napa RCD and LBNL is seeking an estimated $6M to see this project come fully to fruition. This would include five-to-ten monitoring towers estimated at $500K per tower installed, and five years of staff time estimated at $200K per year. There is currently no government funding in place for this effort, but it would be built on a platform of millions of dollars invested in LBNL by the US Department of Energy (DOE) over decades to better understand the impact of a changing climate on natural ecosystems. It will also build on recent investments in LBNL by the California Energy Commission (CEC) to estimate and mitigate methane emissions associated with the oil and gas industry in California’s Southern San Joaquin Valley.
Since the adoption of Resolution NO. 2023-01-CAC, showing support of the project and forming the project’s Ad hoc subcommittee, staff have gathered data on existing tower infrastructure within and bordering Napa County where GHG monitoring equipment could be co-located. LBNL is currently working on a first draft cost estimate for the project infrastructure needs based on existing and new infrastructure needed. Subcommittee members have also begun outreach for fundraising efforts. On Thursday, January 4th, 2024, Subcommittee members, staff from Napa RCD, Napa County, City of Napa, City of St. Helena, and other interested parties met with Congressman Mike Thompson to discuss opportunities to secure funding. Congressman Thompson relayed that he can put in a request to a Congressional research team about funding opportunities relevant to this project. He also mentioned that, while there are impressive climate action efforts happening in locales, there is a general lack of regional-scale climate action coordination and suggested Napa County participation in a future Cool Davis Climate Conference. Other funding opportunities identified include: (1) FY25 Community Project Funding through the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) - Farm Protection and Conservation Program; (2) the Natural Resources Conservation Service (Conservation Operations) - which supports private landowners, conservation districts, and other organizations to conserve, maintain, and improve the nation’s natural resources; (3) the California Air Resources Board; and (4) PG&E. The Subcommittee also plans to reach out to Assemblymember Aguilar-Curry and Senator Dodd for a briefing on this project and to inquire about other potential funding sources.
Staff requests that the Climate Action Committee Ad hoc subcommittee give an update to the general committee on the progress of outreach and fundraising opportunities for the project.
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ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: The proposed action is not a project as defined by 14 California Code of Regulations 15378 (State CEQA Guidelines) and therefore CEQA is not applicable.