SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE
Meeting Date: May 11, 2026
Subject: RECEIVE UPDATE on Applications for Bay Area Air District REPAIR Grants and RECOMMEND the Board of Supervisors APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Conservation and Development Director, or designee, to apply for and accept, if awarded, a grant from the Bay Area Air District Reinvesting Penalties for Air Improvement and Resilience grant program for a $15 million Catalyst grant from the Local Community Benefits Fund for Richmond and Surrounding Communities and a $5 million Opportunity grant from the Local Community Benefits Fund for Benicia and Surrounding Communities
Submitted For: John Kopchik || Director | DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION & DEVELOPMENT
Department: DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION & DEVELOPMENT
Presenter: Jody London || Sustainability Coordinator | DCD; Demian Hardman-Saldana || Principal Planner | DCD
Contact: Jody London | (925) 655-2815
Referral History:
The Bay Area Air District (Air District) adopted the Community Benefits Penalty Funds Policy to directly support communities disproportionately impacted by air pollution. Penalty funds and other funds from enforcement actions are administered through the Bay REPAIR (Reinvesting Penalties for Air Improvement and Resilience) program and are allocated to the Local Community Benefits Fund or the Regional Community Benefits Fund. The Local Community Benefits Fund reinvests back in the specific community affected by the air quality violations that led to the penalty. The Local Community Benefits Fund may also invest mitigation funds that are more limited in their scope. The Local Community Benefits Fund Program Goals are to:
• Reduce air pollution or mitigate its impacts, improve public health outcomes, and build economic resilience for a just transition away from the harmful effects of a fossil fuel-based economy.
• Advance integrated projects to holistically meet community needs.
• Strengthen community-led and collaborative solutions.
The Air District, in conjunction with the California Air Resources Board, has fined Chevron USA, Inc., for air quality violations. Additionally, Chevron committed to pay into a Community Air Quality Fund to mitigate the effects of potential particulate matter emissions in violation of Air District Rule 6-5. The Local Community Benefits Fund for Richmond and surrounding communities has $35,744.460 in available funding.
The Air District, in conjunction with the California Air Resources Board, fined Valero Refining Company for air quality violations in October 2024. The Local Community Benefits Fund for Benicia and surrounding communities has $60,011,061 in available funding. The Air District may revise this funding estimate to account for any accrued interest.
Awards from the Local Community Benefits Fund are divided into three grant types.
1. Seed Grants. Seed grants fund smaller projects led by non-profit organizations. These grants are open only to 501(c)(3) organizations, range in size from $100,000 - $200,000, and are for terms up to two years.
2. Opportunity Grants. Opportunity grants fund multi-stakeholder collaboration over one or more projects. The Lead Applicant must partner with at least one Co-Applicant. Grants range in size from $500,000 - $5 million and are for terms up to three years. At least 25% of grant funds must be directed to co-applicants.
3. Catalyst Grants. Catalyst grants fund multi-stakeholder collaboration over multiple projects. Grant size ranges between $10 million - $40 million and are for terms up to five years. Benicia is the only community eligible to apply for a Catalyst grant in the Benicia solicitation.
Referral Update:
Staff have been working since January to develop proposals for the funding opportunities for both the Benicia and Richmond REPAIR grants. The applications being developed are described below.
$5 Million Benicia Opportunity Grant Proposal
This Benicia grant application, if successful, will enable the County and partner agencies to make major investments in improving energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from residential buildings occupied by low and moderate households throughout the region eligible for funding, which extends from Rodeo to Pittsburg. The application also includes training for local contactors seeking to provide home energy retrofit services and expand the County’s existing efforts to provide all-electric building retrofits to childcare facilities within the County. All these services further the goals of the County’s Climate Action and Adaption Plan.
Lead Applicant: Contra Costa County - $750,000
Conservation and Development Department - $675,000
• $500,000 (10% of total grant) for Grant Management/Admin
• $175,000 for a no-cost all-electric buildings retrofit program for residential daycare facilities for homes similar to what is already planned to be implemented through Contra Costa County’s Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) funding. The County is partnering with CoCoKids to implement this program and might seek a similar partner for projects in Solano County communities. The County will leverage its procurement process to expand the program.
Contra Costa County Health Department, Environmental Health - $75,000
• $75,000 for Air monitors/monitoring in Pittsburg/Bay Point Area(s)
Co-Applicant: ABAG/MTC - Bay Area Regional Energy Network - $2 Million
• $2 Million to deliver a clean home retrofit program that layers Air District funding onto the Bay Area Regional Energy Network (BayREN) existing EASE HOME Program (moderate income program, up to 120% of area median income). The retrofit program will focus on activities that fill gaps in current funding to create incentives for eligible EASE Home participants to install Heat Pump Hot Water heaters, HVAC Heat Pumps, cover additional remediation costs, as well as pilot the installation of solar and battery storage for some homes.
Co-Applicant: MCE - $1.225 or $1.25 Million
• $1 Million to provide similar services to those provided by BayREN EASE Home Program through MCE’s low-income Home Energy Savings program (up to 80% of area median income).
• $225,000-$250,000 to provide eight (8) contractor training sessions to existing contractors prioritizing training to contractors for the deployment of heat pump water heaters and leverage MCE’s existing Green Workforce Pathways Program by procuring hands-on training equipment for heat pump water heating or other all-electric equipment to expand the support of MCE’s other electrification trainings currently offered.
Co-Applicant: City of Vallejo - $500,000
• $500,000 to support targeted residential electrification (all-electric building conversions) and energy efficiency upgrades for low-to moderate-income households. The funding will serve as gap financing to complete projects that are otherwise stalled after existing incentives are applied, with a focus on disadvantaged communities. Anticipated measures include heat pump installations, electrical panel upgrades, and related home energy improvements that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve indoor air quality. Grant proposal was approved by City Council on 3/31/26 for support as a Co-Applicant with the County.
Co-Applicant: City of Pittsburg - $500,000
• $500,000 to deliver new electric vehicle (EV) charging equipment for required fleet vehicles in alignment with the City’s Fleet Electrification Plan and Sustainability Plan. City Council adopted resolution at its meeting on 4/20/26 for City to participate in grant application with County.
The project scope and budget(s) for the County and all Co-applicants listed above may be modified if the Air District’s technical assistance review team suggests changes to the grant proposal are needed to ensure a competitive grant application is submitted to the Air District.
$15 Million Richmond Catalyst Grant Proposal
The County will be the Lead Applicant for a Catalyst grant with a requested term of five years and a budget of approximately $15 million. This grant application is largely modeled off the $19 million U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) community change grant the County was awarded during the Biden administration but which was effectively cancelled at the start of current Trump administration. The work invested by County staff and partner agencies to develop that grant has formed the foundation of this proposal.
Below is a list of all the applicants, their allocated budgets and a brief summary of each project proposed. The total grant amount requested is $14,902,316.
Lead Applicant: Contra Costa County - $2,827,021
Conservation and Development Department (DCD) - $1,887,227
• $1,490,232 for grant management (10% of total grant amount)
• $200,000 to create a no-cost, all-electric buildings retrofit program for residential daycare facilities for homes similar to what is already planned to be implemented through Contra Costa County’s Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) funding. The County is partnering with CoCoKids to implement this program. This project will be led by DCD.
• $100,000 to support marketing and outreach of Bay Area Regional Network clean home retrofit project listed below.
• $96,999 to cover some indirect costs associated with implementation of the overall grant.
Contra Costa County Health Department (CCH) - $889,792
• This project is a bicycle education program that will be led by the Contra Costa Health Community Wellness Program. This project will integrate education and health promotion that centers hands-on training, community engagement, and capacity-building strategies to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT), decrease transportation-related emissions while empowering residents, especially youth, to safely access their neighborhoods.
Public Works Department (PWD)
• $50,000 for Public Works staff install signage for The Watershed Project (Co-Applicant) listed below.
Co-Applicant: Urban Tilth - $6,489,568
• Complete construction and launch operations of the North Richmond Farm Community Resiliency Center (CRC), a community hub providing clean air refuge, emergency preparedness, preventative health access, food distribution, and environmental education for the residents of North Richmond.
• Lead community outreach, leadership development, and emergency preparedness programming throughout the grant term.
Co-Applicant: ABAG/MTC - Bay Area Regional Energy Network - $1,792,919
• Implement a clean home retrofit program that layers additional Air District funding onto the Bay Area Regional Energy Network (BayREN) EASE HOME Program (moderate income program, up to 120% of AMI) focusing on activities that fill gaps in current funding to create incentives for eligible EASE Home participants to install Heat Pump Hot Water heaters, HVAC Heat Pumps, and some remediation costs, as well as pilot the installation of solar and battery storage for some homes
Co-Applicant: Community Housing Development Corporation (CHDC) - $1,297,875
• Clean energy retrofit of Corinne Sain Senior Center in North Richmond.
• Clean energy retrofit to install solar and battery storage to four (4) duplexes that were formerly part of the Las Deltas housing project.
Co-Applicant: Richmond LAND (RLAND) - $907,750
• Clean energy retrofits to install new all-electric appliances with solar and battery storage for (4) duplexes that were formerly part of the Las Deltas housing project.
Co-Applicant: The Watershed Project (TWP) - $1,587,183
• Plant and establish 120 large-canopy trees along 2 miles of priority sidewalks and the Wildcat Creek Trail;
• Revegetate riparian banks with 400 native plants and improve 1 mile of the Wildcat Creek Trail running alongside Verde K-8 School;
• Refresh and expand the Urban Nature Loop self-guided walking tour and Safe Routes to School wayfinding; and
• Operate a paid, locally-hired stewardship workforce through TWP's Green Collar Corps, Watershed Crew, Canopy Rangers, and Block Ambassadors.
Project scope(s) and budget(s) for the County and all Co-applicants listed above may be modified if the Air District’s technical assistance review team suggests changes to the grant proposal are needed to ensure a competitive grant application is submitted to the Air District.
Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):
RECEIVE UPDATE on Applications for Bay Area Air District REPAIR Grants and RECOMMEND the Board of Supervisors APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Conservation and Development Director, or designee, to apply for and accept, if awarded, a grant from the Bay Area Air District Reinvesting Penalties for Air Improvement and Resilience grant program for a $15 million Catalyst grant from the Local Community Benefits Fund for Richmond and Surrounding Communities and a $5 million Opportunity grant from the Local Community Benefits Fund for Benicia and Surrounding Communities.
Fiscal Impact (if any):
The Opportunity grant has a maximum award of $5,000,000. These funds will be allocated between the County and co-applicants, including the Bay Area Regional Energy Network (BayREN), MCE (County’s Community Choice Aggregator), the City of Vallejo, and the City of Pittsburg. $750,000 will be allocated to the County, with the remaining funds allocated among partner agencies as described in detail below. No County matching funds are required.
The Catalyst grant has a maximum award of $15,000,000. Funds will be allocated between the County and co-applicants, including Urban Tilth, Richmond LAND, the Community Housing Development Corporation, and The Watershed Project as described in detail below. The allocation to the County is $2,827,021, with the balance allocated among other partners. No County matching funds are required.