The City Council accepted the Climate Smart San Jose semiannual update and approved several related San Jose Clean Energy actions on Dec. 2.

Climate staff presented an administrative update that keeps the plan’s core strategies (evacuating vehicles, building electrification, zero‑emission electricity) while streamlining metrics, adding interim milestones for 2027 and incorporating the natural and working lands element. Staff emphasized that San Jose is not currently on track for its community carbon‑neutrality goal by 2030 and outlined over 40 initiatives in the recent reporting period, including deployment of 500 shared e‑bikes, 7.4 miles of bikeways, multifamily EV charger pilots and Eco Home heat pump installations.

On pilot programs, staff reported on two options: a contractor incentive to pay $1,000 to contractors for their first six heat‑pump installations (pilot budget not to exceed $100,000 to support ~15 new contractors) and an electric commercial leaf‑blower purchase incentive (up to $1,500) delivered at point of sale. Staff recommended pursuing the contractor incentive and not pursuing the leaf‑blower pilot because leaf blowers account for less than 0.1% of city GHG emissions and the program would be staff‑intensive with limited local benefit.

Public commenters and climate advocates (e.g., Mothers Out Front) supported the contractor incentive and urged pairing pilots with reach‑code considerations to accelerate electrification. Council members who have personally used heat pumps or electric blowers asked operational questions about contractor capacity, timing, savings and outreach; staff said the bond sale/transaction for energy procurement is separate and pilot funding is modest.

Council also approved returning San Jose Clean Energy customer credits (public comment urged options to redirect credits into resilience funds but council moved to return credits to customers). The motions for the Climate Smart update, the contractor incentive pilot and the customer credits passed unanimously.

Provenance: Climate Smart presentation and SJCE pilot discussion (topic introduction: SEG 1363; topic finish: SEG 2010).