The table below shows climate action plan elements recommended for consideration by California cities and counties. Electricity and gas fuel decarbonization elements are additive, synergistic, and comparably effective in most local cases. They support faster decarbonization progress than renewable electricity alone. They are inter-dependent to the extent energy resilience is best (most cost-effectively and completely) achieved by including gas fueled electricity supply[2] in the local electricity supply mix.
Recommended Local California Decarbonization and Resilience Plan Elements
In general, cities and counties must look to deep decarbonization building retrofits and accelerated replacement of gasoline and diesel fueled vehicles as core strategies. Local action plans can identify specific electricity and gas fuel decarbonization and resilience measures that rely on local experience, trends, assets and deployment capacities. There is no shortage of local planning guidance on the electricity column of the table. [3] [4] Local gas fuel planning guidance is also becoming available. [5]
Deep decarbonization retrofits address all on-site energy use, including on-site vehicle fueling or charging. On-site solar electricity production can shrink city and county carbon footprints, especially when combined with heat pump space and water heating in temperate climates. Solar thermal systems for space and water heating have an important role to play as well when backed up by on-site solar electricity or locally produced fuel. They are an especially effective choice for multi-family buildings or buildings with limited unshaded roof space.
“Carbon negative” refers to the fact that methane produced locally from organic feedstocks lowers GHG emissions much more, even when burned, than if organic feedstocks decompose and release methane into the atmosphere. Carbon negative bio-methane is now used to fuel heavy duty vehicles and is starting to be substituted for pipeline natural gas. Personal vehicles can be powered by batteries charged using locally produced solar electricity or by fuel cells that convert solar generated hydrogen.[6]
Gerald (Gerry) Braun © 2021 IRESN
[1] Local Fuel Gas Decarbonization and Resilience Actions
[2] Increased production of renewable hydrogen for use transportation and electricity generation and availability of locally produced carbon negative methane is assumed. Blending renewable hydrogen with geologic methane (aka natural gas) is feasible, though there are percentage limits beyond which transport infrastructure must be replaced or retrofitted.
[3] Planning for Adaptive Communities
[4] Local climate action planning in California increasingly to date has emphasized building sector electrification. Some local jurisdictions, e.g., most recently Oakland, have banned natural gas hook ups for new buildings. California’s mild winters and the avoidance of solar customer acquisition costs in new construction make this an economically competitive renewable transition element in California’s coastal areas and central valley.
[5] State Policies for Collaborative Local Renewable Integration
[6] Renewable hydrogen prospects are receiving a surge of government and industrial attention in Japan and Germany because of hydrogen’s importance as an enabler of long term electricity storage and fuel cell electric vehicle deployment.