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Board accepts Climate Action Task Force report; county shows progress on EV chargers, resilience and urban forestry planning
Summary
Supervisors accepted a biannual report on Contra Costa’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan implementation, including Measure X sustainability funding, EV‑charger rollouts, resilience planning, an urban forest grant and an employee commute survey; the acceptance vote was unanimous.
The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 16 accepted the interdepartmental Climate Action Task Force report, receiving updates on implementation steps under the county’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAP).
Department leaders said the county is turning planning into projects: they reported Measure X funding allocated to a $2.5 million sustainability fund for priority infrastructure, substantial progress on electric vehicle (EV) charging for county operations, new resilience planning grants, and a $750,000 award to develop an urban forest management plan.
Brendan Havener Daughton, the county energy manager, told the board that county fleet electrification is “well underway.” He said the county has 161 Level‑2 (overnight) chargers in operation, 46 chargers under construction and 158 chargers planned and funded across 18 facilities. The county has 82 electric vehicles in service — roughly 6% of the fleet — and is preparing a 0‑emission vehicle transition plan to guide a goal of a fully electric fleet by 2035. Daughton said the plan will include a department‑by‑department total cost of ownership analysis and a phased charging‑infrastructure rollout; staff plan to present the full plan later this year.
Jody London, the county’s sustainability coordinator, described resilience work funded by a roughly $1.5 million state grant for shoreline and Delta community planning, and a small PG&E grant to conduct a resilience‑hub feasibility study at Ambrose Community Center in Bay Point. London also announced a $750,000 grant to develop an urban forest management plan, including community engagement, workforce development pathways and maintenance planning. She said an employee commute survey drew more than 2,300 responses and will inform county operational strategies.
Board members supported the report; Supervisor John Gioia urged the county to collect and publish lifecycle cost data comparing zero‑emission and internal‑combustion vehicles to inform future purchases. Supervisors also discussed transit‑and‑bus electrification challenges raised by some operators, including manufacturing and battery supply limitations for larger buses, and noted the county’s focus on light‑ and medium‑duty vehicle electrification where the technology and economics are more mature.
The board accepted the report by unanimous roll call vote and asked staff to return with the 0‑emission vehicle transition plan and ongoing progress updates.
