As part of a sweeping new climate plan to make San Jose more environmentally friendly, the city is angling to become one of the first in the U.S. to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to meet the levels outlined in the ambitious Paris Agreement.
The city will launch San Jose Clean Energy — an alternative to PG&E known as a community-choice energy program — later this year. On Thursday, Mayor Sam Liccardo said the city will make 100 percent emission-free electricity available to everyone who participates in the program.
By 2030, Liccardo said, the city plans to reduce carbon emissions from car trips by a million tons a year by expanding ride sharing, public transit options and the use of electric vehicles. The plan also outlines a goal to reduce per capita residential water consumption by 30 percent by that time. And by 2040, Liccardo wants the city to become the first in the world to produce a gigawatt of solar power, enough to power 250,000 homes.
Climate issues, Liccardo said during a blustery news conference outside City Hall where the mayor joked the city would invest in windmills, “require us to look beyond the immediate horizon.”
The plan is ambitious — it’s expected to cost around $264 billion between now and 2050 — and not all of the details are worked out yet. Former Mayor Chuck Reed also outlined a “green vision” but left office without achieving all of the goals, including one to divert all waste from landfills.
But environmental groups say they are pleased the city is outlining specific targets.
“I think we have a shot at it,” said Bruce Naegel, director of metrics and research for the advocacy group Sustainable Silicon Valley.
Liccardo acknowledged the work of environmental organizations have at times pressured him to do more to counter climate change, and said achieving the new goals will require “community effort.”
The city’s aim, Liccardo said, is not to simply put more Teslas on the road, but to include low-income residents, too — for instance by building denser housing that’s both more environmentally friendly and affordable. The city also purchased electric buses for the airport and plans to double the number of public charging stations for electric vehicles. (Liccardo owns a Chevy Volt.)
“We simply cannot change the course of climate change at City Hall by ourselves,” echoed Kerrie Romanow, director of the Environmental Services department.
The new plan comes as the Trump administration has tried to walk back Obama-era environmental goals, angering activists.
President Trump announced in June his decision to pull out of the 2015 Paris accord, a climate change agreement between nearly 150 countries backed by former President Obama.
“Cities and states have become our first line of defense against climate destabilization,” said Linda Hutchins-Knowles, a member of the South Bay arm of the environmental group Mothers Out Front.
“We’re fired up to make it happen,” Liccardo said.
The city will host a town hall where residents can learn more about the new climate plan on Tuesday, February 20, from 7-8:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers. Read the full plan here.
