TO: Napa County Board of Supervisors
FROM: Brian D. Bordona, Director of Napa County Planning, Building & Environmental Services
REPORT BY: Ryan Melendez, Planner II - Sustainability
SUBJECT: Introduction to a prohibition of new retail fossil fuel stations and restrict the expansion of existing retail fossil fuel stations
RECOMMENDATION
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Receive a presentation on the introduction of a prohibition of new retail fossil fuel stations and restrictions to the expansion of retail fossil fuel stations with a request to provide direction to staff. (No Fiscal Impact)
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BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
In June 2022, Napa County adopted a resolution finding that a climate emergency exists which threatens our county, state, nation, and the world. In this resolution, the Napa County Board of Supervisors set a priority of achieving zero net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within the unincorporated area as quickly as possible, with a target of 2030. This resolution also paved the way for the collaborative development of a Regional Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (RCAAP) by Napa County and other incorporated jurisdictions, which is scheduled for a publicly-released draft on August 1st, 2025.
As of 2017, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) reported that on-road transportation is the leading source of GHG emissions in California, accounting for about 40% of all GHG emissions in the State. In 2019 in Napa County, inclusive of the cities and town, on-road transportation accounted for 39% of total GHG emissions (see attachment 1: Final Napa County Regional 2019 Community Greenhouse Gas Inventory Update Summary). This sector is the largest contribution of GHG emissions of the seven sectors analyzed in the inventory process. When considering the emissions produced only in the unincorporated Napa County, on-road transportation emissions account for 10.6% of emissions, which is the fifth largest contributing sector for the unincorporated County behind Solid Waste (33.2%), Agriculture (25.8%), Building Energy (16.2%), and Off-Road Equipment (13.4%).
All incorporated jurisdictions within Napa County have adopted an ordinance that bans - or places a temporary moratorium on - new fossil fuel-dispensing stations and the expansion of existing stations. Several other jurisdictions throughout California have adopted similar legislation, including Sonoma County. Additionally, as part of the Draft RCAAP, one action - aimed at reducing fossil fuel vehicles - calls for a county-wide ban on the development of new fossil fuel stations and expansion of existing stations. While the plan is still in draft, the measure serves as a framework of actions that Napa County and incorporated jurisdictions can take to reduce GHG emissions.
To gauge the logistics of an ordinance for unincorporated county to prohibit the development of new retail fossil fuel stations and expansion of existing stations (such as the addition of fuel dispensers or fuel storage capacity), Napa County Planning, Building, and Environmental Services (PBES) staff have preliminarily reviewed data on the number of existing gas stations and the number of parcels that would be viable for future development. As of 2025, there are 37 fuel stations in Napa County, primarily concentrated in the incorporated jurisdictions and along major transportation corridors. Six (6) of the 37 fuel stations are in the unincorporated county; although there are no fuel stations located in the Lake Berryessa area or other rural areas except Angwin. In unincorporated Napa County, there are 15,683 total parcels of land. Of those, 2,154 parcels (13.7% of the total) are zoned to allow fossil fuel station development. Those zoning districts include Commercial Limited (CL), Commercial Neighborhood (CN) and Planned Development (PD). Based on a preliminary evaluation of those parcels that are zoned for gas stations, there are several zoning types, primarily those in PD districts, that are highly unlikely to pursue any gas station development. Additionally, one other zoning type (Marine Commercial - MC) would allow for the “dispensing of fuel and oil in conjunction with an approved use, refrigeration sales and service, and other similar services required to service boats and meet the needs of boat owners.” This zoning type would generally not allow for the retail dispensing of fossil fuels. Nonetheless, staff will conduct further analysis of the viability of all parcels with appropriate zoning in the event the Board directs staff to proceed with the development of an ordinance.
According to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), widespread use of Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) will improve California’s air quality and help meet California’s GHG reduction targets. And while a ban on new or expanding existing fossil fuel stations would not reduce the number of stations currently in use, it would limit any additional development and provides a foundation for the County to prioritize other low- and zero-carbon transportation fuels, such as green hydrogen and battery electric vehicle (BEV) charging stations to help in the efforts to reduce GHG emissions in unincorporated Napa County.
Requested Action:
Staff requests the Napa County Board of Supervisors receive a presentation and provide direction on whether to proceed with the preparation of an ordinance to ban new fossil fuel stations and restrict the expansion of existing fossil fuel stations.
FISCAL & STRATEGIC PLAN IMPACT
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Is there a Fiscal Impact? |
No |
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.