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City staff report progress but warn the Climate Action Plan will need stronger policies to reach 2035 goal
Summary
City staff told the Sustainability Council Committee that early actions — municipal solar and storage, home electrification incentives (HEAP), and grant‑funded EV chargers — produced measurable gains, but vehicle miles traveled rose and staff said policy tools (reach codes, parking strategies) will be needed to meet a carbon neutrality by 2035 target.
City of Santa Barbara staff presented a two‑year implementation update on the Climate Action Plan May 7 and described a range of program results alongside warnings that more aggressive policy changes will be necessary to reach the city's goal of carbon neutrality by 2035.
"Our climate goal is bold. It is carbon neutrality by 2035," Jefferson Linn, energy and climate division manager, told the committee. Linn and colleagues summarized early outcomes across buildings, transportation, waste and carbon sequestration, while noting that the city has completed the "easy" measures and will need progressive policy choices going forward.
Key accomplishments staff highlighted included contracting for a facilities condition assessment covering about 82 municipal structures to support building electrification planning; adding roughly 503 kilowatts of new municipal solar and 4,500…
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