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Goal B Improve infrastructure’s climate resilience to protect public health and safety

Priority

Bolster Public Health and Safety to Protect Against Increasing Climate Risks

All Priority Goals

Actions

  • Action 1 Reduce the risk of energy infrastructure-related ignitions that lead to catastrophic wildfire.

    Success Metric: Reduction in the risk of infrastructure-related wildfires and increase in wildfire risk mitigation capabilities of electrical corporations as indicated by decreases in utility wildfire ignitions and other wildfire safety related metrics including the number of approved utility wildfire mitigation plans.

    Timeframe: Ongoing

    Agency/Agencies: Natural Resources Agency – Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety | Public Utilities Commission

    For More Details: CPUC Safety Policy Division; Wildfire Mitigation and Safety

  • Action 2 Increase resilience of critical, climate vulnerable energy infrastructure.

    Success Metric: Results of Climate Vulnerability Assessments filed with the Public Utilities Commission by Investor-Owned Utilities.

    Timeframe: 2025

    Agency/Agencies: Public Utilities Commission

    For More Details: CPUC Climate Adaptation

    Success Metric: Rehabilitate dams to regain storage capacity.

    Timeframe: 2040

    Agency/Agencies: Natural Resources Agency - Department of Water Resources

    For More Details: California’s Water Supply Strategy; Dam Safety and Climate Resilience Local Assistance Program

  • Action 3 Reduce vulnerability of water and wastewater infrastructure to climate-driven disasters, such as flooding, storm surge, sea level rise, drought, and landslides.

    Success Metric: Increase in the number of National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits and waste discharge requirements that include infrastructure climate resilience requirements.

    Timeframe: Ongoing

    Agency/Agencies: Environmental Protection Agency - State Water Resources Control Board, Regional Water Quality Control Boards

    For More Details: State Water Resources Control Board Comprehensive Response to Climate Change

  • Action 4 Support California Native American tribes and communities diversify their water supply sources.

    Success Metric: Reduction in number of drinking water systems with only one well, or only one type of water source.

    Timeframe: 2027

    Agency/Agencies: Environmental Protection Agency – State Water Resources Control Board | Natural Resources Agency – Department of Water Resources

    For More Details: SAFER Needs Assessment; Countywide Drought and Water Shortage Contingency Plans; Water Resilience Portfolio; Senate Bill 552 (Hertzberg, 2021)

    Success Metric: Increased number of physical connections among local and regional water systems to improve access to multiple sources of water.

    Timeframe: Ongoing

    Agency/Agencies: Environmental Protection Agency – State Water Resources Control Board | Natural Resources Agency – Department of Water Resources

    For More Details: California Drinking Water Needs Assessment; Countywide Drought and Water Shortage Contingency Plans; Water Resilience Portfolio; Senate Bill 552 (Hertzberg, 2021); URC TA Program; 2021 Urban and Multibenefit Drought Relief Funding

    Success Metric: Support tribal drought relief programs.

    Timeframe: Ongoing

    Agency/Agencies: Natural Resources Agency – Department of Water Resources | Environmental Protection Agency – State Water Resources Control Board

    For More Details: Drought Funding; Small Community Drought Relief

  • Action 5 Evaluate and strengthen resilience of regulated water and wastewater facilities.

    Success Metric: Climate change vulnerability assessments regularly updated in Electronic Annual Report for drinking water with assessment results made available via a publicly-accessible system.

    Timeframe: Ongoing

    Agency/Agencies: Environmental Protection Agency – State Water Resources Control Board

    For More Details: State Water Resources Control Board Comprehensive Response to Climate Change

    Success Metric: Support tribal water system improvements and maintenance.

    Timeframe: Ongoing

    Agency/Agencies: Natural Resources Agency – Department of Water Resources

    For More Details: Drought Funding; Small Community Drought Relief

  • Action 6 Examine the use of sustainable pavement technologies, such as cool surfaces and porous pavement, that reduce heat impacts and increase resilience, durability, and design life.

    Success Metric: Reduction in pavement-related urban heat island effects.

    Timeframe: Ongoing

    Agency/Agencies: State Transportation Agency – Caltrans | Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, Formerly the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research – Planning and Policy | Government Operations Agency – Department of General Services, Building Standards Commission | Environmental Protection Agency

    For More Details: Cal EPA Urban Heat Index

    Success Metric: Case studies created and provided by Extreme Heat and Community Resilience Program grantees and technical assistance providers and through other state projects.

    Timeframe: 2026

    Agency/Agencies: Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, Formerly the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research

    For More Details: Extreme Heat and Community Resilience Program

    Success Metric: Increase funding for sustainable pavement pilot projects and related research.

    Timeframe: 2026

    Agency/Agencies: State Transportation Agency – Caltrans | Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, Formerly the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research – Planning and Policy |Government Operations Agency – Department of General Services, Building Standards Commission |Environmental Protection Agency

    For More Details: Caltrans Sustainable Pavement

    Success Metric: Increase the number of case studies on the use of sustainable pavement in state projects.

    Timeframe: 2026

    Agency/Agencies: State Transportation Agency – Caltrans | Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, Formerly the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research – Planning and Policy |Government Operations Agency – Department of General Services, Building Standards Commission |Environmental Protection Agency

    For More Details: Caltrans Sustainable Pavement