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Palo Alto launches new Youth Climate Advisory Board term and expands heat-pump water heater outreach
Summary
Public works staff reported the Youth Climate Advisory Board will begin a new term Sept. 2 and described expanded outreach for heat pump water heaters, including a giveaway campaign that led to 29 contracts and 34 installations tied to recent outreach.
Brad Eggleston, the city’s Director of Public Works, told the Climate Action and Sustainability Committee on Aug. 22 that the Youth Climate Advisory Board’s new term will begin Sept. 2 and that outreach tied to home electrification has increased this summer.
Eggleston said the city will have “11 high school students that come from Pali, Gunn, Castawayja, and Kahila high schools” serving on YCAB in the new term and that staff are starting collaboration with the teens to produce Instagram content aimed at younger audiences.
The update also summarized recent home-electrification outreach tied to the city’s heat pump water heater program. Eggleston said a giveaway campaign drew 143 residents to sign up, produced 29 signed contracts and resulted in 34 heat pump water heaters installed. The city mailed a postcard about the program to roughly 15,000 single-family homes and is running social media and other marketing while state-level incentives remain available.
Eggleston described a pending referral incentive intended to accelerate participation: participants who refer a neighbor would receive $50 and new participants would receive $100 toward installation. Staff also said they are finalizing a sticker and mailer to place on gas water heaters with emergency-replacement information and transition tips, and that outreach contractors will audit existing communications and develop an annual communications strategy.
Eggleston thanked SD350 volunteers for distributing 25 lawn signs promoting electrification over July 4 and said a photo/testimonial from the giveaway winner will be released soon. Committee members suggested scheduling a reception or a brief appearance for the new YCAB members at a future committee meeting so council members can meet and thank the teens.
Staff said the state’s availability of technical incentives for heat pump water heaters and heat pump HVAC systems is likely to be short-lived and projected funds could be exhausted as early as September; the city’s outreach will continue until the state funds are exhausted.
Ending
Eggleston said the new outreach contract will soon be in place and that staff will return to the committee with additional program updates as the YCAB term and outreach campaigns advance.
