California legislature approves $12 million in Peninsula investments proposed by Senator Josh Becker

The California Legislature approved more than $12 million in Peninsula investments proposed by Senator Josh Becker in the package of trailer bills that were passed and sent to Governor Newsom the evening of June 29. Both houses convened to tackle bills building on the framework of the $300 billion placeholder budget the Governor signed earlier in the week.

“Our state Senate and Assembly have approved historic investments for the recovery and resiliency of Californians and our state, while banking hefty reserves and positioning California for a strong future,” said Becker in a statement.

“Our $300 billion state budget is the largest in our state history and the largest of any state.

“As a longtime advocate for education at all levels, affordable housing, mental health, economic equity, social justice and fast-tracking our clean energy transition, I’m pleased with budget elements we’re sending to the governor.”

The city of Menlo Park is to receive $4.5 million to help fund its innovative municipal electrification program. The city is partnering with the tech company BlocPower, a B Corporation that prioritizes social and environmental performance, to make decarbonizing homes and buildings — by replacing appliances and heating, ventilation and cooling systems that run on fossil fuels with those that run on electricity — accessible to those who could not otherwise afford it.

The city’s Climate Action Plan sets a 2030 goal of carbon neutrality. With fossil fuel use in structures accounting for 41% of the city’s greenhouse gas emissions, building electrification is key to Menlo Park reaching its goal. The city’s new partnership is intended to help Menlo Park get there. It also includes a job-training component for people who are under-represented in the workforce that retrofits homes and buildings to become climate friendly. The program will first focus on Menlo Park’s Belle Haven district.

“Building electrification must be accessible to everyone and we must unlock financing to make that possible,” said Senator Becker, who chairs the Senate Subcommittee on the Clean Energy Future and serves on the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Climate Change policies.

InMenlo file photo (c) 2021