2022 AIA Communities by Design Reimagining Petaluma SDAT - Report - Page 46
Petaluma DAT
Areas of Opportunity
To effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions from
economic activity, the City of Petaluma needs to assess
the impact economic activity, as of today, has on climate
change. For this, three metrics are useful: energy
intensity5, carbon intensity6 and energy-related carbon
emissions, which when combined with population and
GDP per capita are known as the Kaya Identity7.
When substantial reductions in energy intensity and
carbon intensity occur, as in the first year of the
COVID-19 pandemic, then the only reason for emissions
to increase could be attributed to changes in population
and the redistribution of organic and material waste.
While the City of Petaluma has managed to reduce
carbon intensity by increasing participation of clean
electricity through Sonoma Clean Power, it still needs to
address emissions from natural-gas powered energy use
inside residential and non-residential buildings. This is of
specific importance in the short term when considering
20-year global warming potential of fugitive methane
emissions8.
According to the White House of Domestic Climate
Policy, building electrification represents the most
effective solution to address emissions from energy
use inside buildings. The US DOE recently launched
a national initiative focused on deploying clean and
efficient building heating and cooling systems, and
for the development of new appliance and equipment
standards to advance heat pump technology and
induction stoves.
Even though transportation is the number one source
of carbon emissions for the City of Petaluma, it is
5. Energy used per unit of GDP.
6. CO2 emissions per unit of energy.
7. U.S. Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide Emissions, 2020,
EIA, December 2021.
8. https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/understandingglobal-warming-potentials
important to recognize that a strategy focused on the
replacement of internal-combustion engine vehicles
may not be immediately viable. However, a strategy
focused on reducing number of vehicle miles traveled
(VMT) and increasing the overall efficiency of the city’s
transportation systems, may lead to a substantial
reduction in carbon emissions.
It is our estimation that by Reimagining Mobility and
incorporating the recommendations to build 15-minute
neighborhoods, the City could eliminate as much as
25% to 30% of its transportation-related emissions.
Recommendations
1. Electrification: Consider as top priority the
electrification of residential, commercial, and
industrial buildings, assessing the City’s current
needs in terms of capacity and infrastructure, and
the economic benefits of scale and co-deployment
of technologies such as solar, energy storage and EV
charging infrastructure.
2. Energy Intensity in Transportation: Consider a holistic
approach to an integrated, multi-modal transportation
system, seeking to maximize efficiency and reduce
VMT in passenger vehicles. Further incentivize the
transition to electric vehicles by deploying both Level
2 and Level 3 charging infrastructure, considering
equity, accessibility and affordability in its design and
deployment strategy.
3. Enabling Infrastructure: Prioritize work with the
distribution utility company to model future electric
loads and anticipate necessary infrastructure
upgrades, considering a phased approach to
electrification, also considering fluctuations in
efficiency of batteries and heat pumps.
4. Data Collection and Flexibility: Prioritize data
collection (smart meters and thermostats), grid
flexibility and interactivity, while designing resiliency
measures such as microgrid interconnection, in
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coordination with the distribution utility company.
5. Workforce Development: Determine skill and capacity
development needs, considering potential job and
career pathways for disadvantaged communities,
including other vulnerable groups such as
undocumented immigrants, formerly and currently
incarcerated.
Develop an Adaptation and Social
Resilience Strategy
As the City of Petaluma begins to plan and prepare for
the immediate and long-term impacts of climate change,
it also seeks to develop an adaptation and resilience
strategy, capable of forecasting and addressing the
simultaneous and compounding effects of current and
future economic and health crises.
6. Regional Cooperation and Support for Wraparound
Services: Develop a multi-regional approach to
workforce development support, including wraparound
services such as child-care, transportation, language
support and employer certification, in collaboration
with Sonoma County and other municipalities near
Petaluma.
In the case of disadvantaged communities, climate
change impacts can take the form of threat
multiplier, especially in those communities already
disproportionately experiencing the effects of the current
global economic crisis or the prolonged health and
economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Financing:
Recommendations
1. Develop a strategy to increase private and
philanthropic participation for the development
of affordable energy efficiency and electrification
financing options.
2. Rely on the state government and philanthropic
organizations to provide city-wide loan loss reserve
and loan guarantees for low-income individuals, as
well as those without or with a limited credit history,
expanding access and participation of disadvantaged
communities.
3. Use the government’s convening power to enable
industry consolidation, scale and bulk purchasing
power.
4. Develop a strategy to aggregate smallscale electrification projects, in order to incentivize
participation of private investors, including local
credit unions and CDFIs, in the development of a
comprehensive solution to upfront and minimize
capital expenditures.
5. Consolidate state and federal incentives to maximize
efficiency in incentive, grant and rebate allocation, and
to reduce the overall cost of capital.
1. Consider developing a strategy to address BOTH
climate adaptation and economic resilience, focusing
on bolstering the city’s ability to withstand the effects
of climate change – including flooding and fire risks,
heat waves and uncharacteristically cold winters – and
anticipate the subsequent economic shock.
2. Promote business continuity, preparedness and the
development of a resilient workforce and skill training
programs, to mitigate the individual and regional
impacts of industry and core employment shifts,
following the compounded effects of climate change
and economic downturn.
3. Establish information and knowledge networks,
focused on education and preparedness, with the
objective of boosting pre-disaster recovery planning
and developing post-disaster responsive capacity.
4. Increase local short-term responsive capacity to
predictable climate events such as heat waves,
uncharacteristically cold winters, flooding and fire, by
developing multiple city-managed cooling centers and
winter shelters within 15-minute neighborhoods.
