Sacramento, California - Today, the Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 3 on Resources and Transportation voted to approve their proposed 2018-2019 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Funding (GGRF) Expenditure Plan that was highly reflective of the priorities set forth by Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella) and the fourteen other members who joined forces to urge the reinstatement of critical Natural Resources programming funds.
Shortly after the adjournment of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 3, the California Air Resources Board released the encouraging results of the latest cap-and-trade auction.
“After three years of consistent policy efforts and advocacy, we are finally seeing these investments directed toward the most need. We can’t sit on this opportunity; we owe it to our environmentally vulnerable California communities, like those in my district, to push the envelope and further enhance their ability to access these vital cap-and-trade dollars. Our Coachella and Imperial Valley areas have already been able to secure major climate investments for agriculture, affordable housing, transportation and parks infrastructure projects,” stated Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia, Chair of the Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies.
Assemblymember Garcia’s district has seen a significant infusion of funds over the last year, across a diverse benefit spectrum.
“Just last week, Imperial Valley Food Bank was able to break ground on a new storage facility project whose purchase of the cooler and freezer system was made possible due to a half a million dollar CalRecycle, Climate Investment grant,” explained Garcia. “Thanks to our diligent efforts we have broadened the horizon of how disadvantaged areas across our state can utilize cap-and-trade dollars.”
Additional examples of recent 56th Assembly District Climate Investments:
- SunLine Transit Agency was awarded $12.5 million to deploy five new zero-emission fuel cell buses and support the development of the largest hydrogen fueling station in the United States.
- Imperial County is expected to receive more than $1.2 million under the new Funding Agriculture Replacement Measures for Emission Reductions (FARMER) state grant program that was designed to help farmers to secure funds to replace old and highly emissive vehicles and equipment for more efficient ones.
- The City of Coachella and Coachella Valley Association of Governments acquired a $170,000 Transformative Climate Communities planning grant, which will help them to orchestrate a more sustainable and healthy city model.
- El Centro and North Shore park projects were able to utilize a collective $4 million of these dollars to break ground and construct new and much needed local parks.