The City of Albany Climate Action Committee met on February 15th, 2023, to discuss topics such as rebates for house electrification, equity in climate action and adaptation planning. The next Climate Action Committee will be held on April 19, 2023 at 7pm.

Rebates:
The Albany City Council approved an additional $65,000 in rebates for the “Heat Pump HVAC (Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning) Rebate Program” on February 6th. In addition, there is a $750 signing bonus for contractors who register with BayREN (Bay Area Regional Energy Network) or TECH Clean California. Heat Pumps are an alternative to the conventional furnaces in our homes, which require gas to operate. Instead, they use electricity to pump fluids called refrigerants that absorb heat very well. This fluid is used to heat up or cool down your home to the desired temperature. These pumps are a lot more efficient than traditional gas powered furnaces, and do not emit greenhouse gasses.

For more information on heat pumps, visit:
https://www.albanyca.org/departments/sustainability/sustainability-resources-and-events/heat-pump-hvac-rebate-program

BayREN also offers rebates for Induction Cooktops for up to $750. Induction Cooktops use electromagnets to directly heat pots and pans directly, which make them much more efficient compared to gas stoves and electric stoves. They are also much safer than gas stoves because they only react to metal, greatly reducing the risk of house fires and other accidents. Induction Cooktops are now also starting to become adopted among professional chefs.

For more information on Induction Cooktops, visit:
https://www.bayren.org/homeowners/induction-cooktops

Equity in Climate Action and Adaptation Planning:
Natasha Gallatin, a CivicSpark Fellow, gave a presentation on “Equity in Climate Action and Adaptation Planning”. CivicSpark is an Americorps program that is dedicated to building capacity in local public agencies. According to Gallatin, “While climate change affects everybody, they don’t impact everyone equally.” Some examples of disadvantaged groups are black, indigenous, latinx, and/or low income communities who have reduced capacity to adapt. This is very important in an increasingly turbulent climate, with storms earlier this year and heat waves a couple months back. Racial discrimination, housing insecurity, and isolation due to language barriers magnify these climate threats for these underprivileged groups.

Election of Chair and Vice Chair
In this meeting, the Committee also voted on a chair and vice chair. Haadiyah Mohammed was voted unanimously to become chair, and Mark Meldgin was voted unanimously to serve as vice chair.

–Rinta Taira