Mesa updates council on Climate Action Plan funding, youth grants, watershed and airport studies

Scott Boucher, energy and sustainability director, and Laura Heinemann, deputy director for environmental and sustainability, presented the department’s strategic priorities and an update on MCAP-funded projects at the April 24 study session.

Why it matters: MCAP funding and related grants support local tree planting, water conservation, electrifying municipal vehicles, and studies that could affect long-term water reliability and municipal energy planning. The department said MCAP commitments total about $17.8 million across roughly three years of work.

Laura Heinemann described the Mesa Climate Action Fund’s youth program, funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies. The program awards grants of up to $5,000 to youth teams aged 15–24; the city received $50,000 for round one and a $100,000 award for round two. Staff said round-two awards funded 13 projects and the final application deadline for remaining funds is May 13, 2025. Heinemann said projects have included air monitors, tree-planting, reusable-cup programs and community gardens.

The department highlighted partners that have supported tree-planting and other projects: the Arizona Sustainability Alliance, Arizona Conservation Corps and corporate volunteers from Amazon supported recent plantings and tree-trimming events. Staff said SRP provides rebates and incentive funding for energy-efficiency projects and that staff aim to capture the maximum available SRP incentives when possible. Staff also noted they received approximately $267,067 from SRP last year.

Planned MCAP investments and requests: staff proposed a suite of water-conservation incentives and irrigation improvements. They requested roughly $290,000 for nonresidential grass-to-xeriscape incentives (about $270,000 for project incentives and $20,000 for irrigation upgrades). The department said the incentive does not cover full project cost but is designed to encourage HOAs and other non-single-family property owners to adopt desert-adapted plants and more efficient irrigation. Staff also proposed phased irrigation upgrades in parks and improvements to municipal landscaping that the transportation and parks departments are also addressing.

Studies and regional partnerships: Boucher and staff proposed funding feasibility studies for two water-supply projects: potential Bartlett Dam modifications to increase capacity and a Salt River/CAP interconnect facility. Staff said these studies are long-term efforts to evaluate options as Colorado River reliability and regional supply change. The department also proposed a sustainability and energy planning study for Falcon Field Airport to review airport-owned infrastructure, vehicle and ground-support electrification, public EV charging, potential electric-aircraft charging and resilience options such as PV and storage.

SRP watershed biomass agreement: staff described ongoing support for SRP’s watershed protection and biomass agreement, which thins forested areas in the Verde and Salt River watersheds and uses biomass for renewable electricity. The department said the program has an insurance-like value in protecting watersheds against severe wildfire and associated turbidity impacts on water treatment. Staff said the city’s budget included $375,000 to participate in SRP watershed thinning activity; they described benefits that include reduced downstream turbidity events and potential renewable energy credits associated with biomass generation, but said a precise ROI is difficult to quantify because benefits include avoided costs and improved watershed health.

RNG and food-to-energy projects: staff said the renewable natural gas (RNG) “flare to fuel” project is at the commissioning stage and that design work on a separate food-to-energy processing facility is on hold pending updated financial analysis. Staff said earlier feasibility work showed challenging payback times for a full food-to-energy processing facility; they plan to revisit financials as tipping fees and other costs change.

Community engagement and urban forestry: the department outlined community engagement efforts including events, partnerships, and an urban forestry program. Staff said they are building a GIS-based dashboard to track city-planted trees and canopy goals and highlighted recent successful plantings and volunteer events.

Ending: staff asked council to consider the proposed MCAP budget items during the FY26 budget process and to support the planned feasibility studies. Council asked clarifying questions about payback periods for LED conversions, project timelines and how event and outreach capacity might be sustained through partnerships.