ADDENDUM for the Riverside County 2026 Climate Action Plan Update (ZR 6013)

ADDENDUM for the Riverside County 2026 Climate Action Plan Update (ZR 6013)

The proposed 2026 Climate Action Plan Update (2026 CAP Update; project) is an update to the County’s 2019 CAP to re-evaluate previous GHG reduction targets identified in the 2019 CAP and propose new or revised targets and reduction measures that are consistent with updates in State climate change regulations. The proposed project calculates the County’s GHG emissions inventory for the baseline year of 2022 and identifies 2030 and 2045 forecast emissions under Business-As-Usual (BAU) and Adjusted Business-As-Usual (ABAU) scenarios. Sources of emissions include energy (electricity and natural gas), solid waste, on-road transportation, aviation, water and wastewater, off-road sources, and agriculture. Community reduction measures were identified for the County to meet the State-aligned target to achieve 40 percent below 1990 levels of emissions by 2030 and reduce emissions to 85 percent below 1990 levels of emissions by 2045. The 2026 CAP Update includes the following community reduction measures and associated potential actions related to energy, water efficiency, transportation, solid waste, clean energy, and agriculture: R2 ENERGY MEASURES R2-EE1: Energy Efficiency Training, Education, and Recognition in the Residential Sector • Post energy efficiency information links on website and/or social media and provide materials at public events. • Set up email list for email blasts of new information or trainings. • Encourage Homeowners to use the Southern California Edison (SCE) Energy Education Centers for energy efficiency resources. • Promote and manage energy-efficiency programs which are not already in the purview of Energy Service. • Invite building inspectors to hold trainings semi-annually on energy efficiency and Title 24 requirements and Ordinance No. 457 requirements. • Encourage participation in existing demand response programs. R2-EE2: Promote Home Energy Evaluations • Promote SCE energy audits program for residents within the SCE service area and the Home Energy Saver Do It Yourself online energy audits for the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) service. R2-EE3: Establish/Promote Residential Home Energy Renovations • Promote existing home energy renovation programs by participating in existing energy efficiency programs from Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG), SCE, and Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas). • Continue improving permit process, including online permitting, to facilitate energy efficiency upgrades. R2-EE4: Encourage Energy Efficiency Standards Exceeding State Requirements • Educate County staff and developers on future Title 24 updates and new energy efficiency opportunities for new residential development. • Promote Tier 1 and Tier 2 green building ratings such as LEED, Build It Green, or Energy Star® certified buildings. • Establish online permitting to facilitate upgrades. • Comply with State Title 24 and County Ordinance No. 457 energy efficiency requirements on new residential buildings, such as zero net energy homes that require all new residential construction projects to achieve zero net-energy use. • Encourage all-electric residential development. R2-EE5: Energy Efficiency Training, Education, and Recognition • Post energy efficiency links on Website/social media and provide materials at public events. • Set up email list for email blasts of new information or training sessions. • Encourage business owners to visit SCE Energy Education Centers for energy efficiency resources. • Invite building inspectors to hold trainings semi-annually on energy efficiency and Title 24 and Ordinance No. 457 requirements. R2-EE6: Promote Non-Residential Building Audits • Promote the SCE energy audit program for non-residents within the SCE service area and the Home Energy Saver Do It Yourself online energy audits for Imperial Irrigation District (IID) service area. R2-EE7: Establish/Promote Non-Residential Building Retrofits • Promote existing non-residential building retrofits programs by participating in existing energy efficiency programs from WRCOG, SCE, and SoCalGas. • Continue improving the permit process, including online permitting, to facilitate energy efficiency retrofits. R2-EE8: Encourage Energy Efficiency Standards Exceeding State Requirements • Educate County staff and developers on future Title 24 updates and additional energy efficiency opportunities for new non-residential development. • Promote Tier 1 and Tier 2 Green Building Ratings such as LEED, Build It Green, or Energy Star® certified buildings. • Continue improving the permit process, including online permitting, to facilitate energy efficiency improvements in new nonresidential development. • Comply with State goals on new non-residential buildings, such as Net-Zero Energy Buildings for all new non-residential constructions zero-net-energy by 2030. • Encourage all-electric commercial development. R2 WATER EFFICIENCY MEASURES R2-W1: Support Implementation of 2018 Water Conservation Legislation • Provide general water efficiency information and links to water district conservation webpages on the County's website. • Implement the low-irrigation landscaping requirements as part of plan check. R2-W2: Exceed 2018 Water Conservation Legislation • Support water districts in direct outreach to homeowner associations, businesses, and other community groups to inform them on water efficiency standards. • Promote recycled or grey water for community uses such as residential landscaping. • Promote rainwater harvesting rebates and demonstrations project. R2 TRANSPORTATION MEASURES R2-T1: Encourage Alternative Transportation Options • Work with SCAG, transit agencies, and the community to identify and remove barriers to alternative transportation. • Sponsor events, such as a “bike to work day” or “car-free zone day” to promote biking, walking, transit and other forms of active transportation. • Create additional active transportation routes from transit centers to surrounding residential, commercial, and employment areas. • Implement reduced parking requirement in areas served by transit. • Provide pedestrian network improvement. • Encourage transit use by expanding transit network coverage and/or hours, increasing transit service frequency, and implementing transit-supportive roadway treatments. R2-T2: Expand Bicycle Routes and Active Transportation Connections • Expand bike routes to improve bike transit. • Construct or improve bike facility. • Implement pedal and electric bikeshare programs. • Implement bicycle, pedestrian, and active transportation improvements identified through the General Plan Circulation Element, community mobility plans, and corridor planning efforts. • Coordinate with RCTC, WRCOG, CVAG, local transit agencies and other regional partners to advance active transportation projects and pursue funding opportunities. R2-T3: Promote Ride Sharing Programs within Businesses • Promote ride-sharing and facilitate air district incentives for ride-sharing. • Provide reserved preferential parking spaces for ride-sharing, carpooling, and ultra-low or zero-emission vehicles. • Promote commute trip reduction programs by providing on-site and online commuter information services and transit pass sales, and designating employee transportation. • Implement voluntary employee trip reduction program. • Require businesses of a certain size to provide facilities such as bike racks. • Implement Transportation Demand Management (TDM) and rideshare measures for logistics and warehouse development subject to the County’s Good Neighbor Policy F-3 and applicable State law, including AB 98, including rideshare programs for logistics and warehouse projects (larger than 250,000 square feet in size with more than 20 loading bays) that employee more than 250 employees. R2-T4: Electrify the Fleet • Promote EV incentive programs at outreach meetings. • Support application for grants to install e-chargers at public facilities. • Work with community groups, utilities, and businesses to expand EV charging infrastructure and facilitate streamlined permitting in accordance with Government Code Sections 65850.7 and 65850.7. • Comply with State Title 24 and County Ordinance No. 457 energy efficiency requirements that require new commercial and industrial development to designate electric or other alternative fueled vehicles parking spaces and install e-chargers. R2 SOLID WASTE MEASURES R2-S1: Reduce Waste to Landfills • Outreach to community to promote waste recycling and diversion. • Add additional recycling containers in public places. • Comply with Statewide waste reduction, recycling, and composting requirements. R2 CLEAN ENERGY MEASURES R2-CE1: Promote Clean Energy • Outreach to community to promote clean energy incentives. • Require solar panel installation on new residential buildings. • Require solar panel installation on new commercial buildings and commercial parking lots. • Require solar panel installation on new industrial buildings that are not exempt per County Ordinance No. 457. • Encourage energy storage systems installation with solar panels. R2-CE2: Promote All-Electric Equipment and Aviation • Encourage electric construction equipment. • Encourage electric off-road equipment by providing necessary electrical charging stations onsite. • Require electrical conduits at loading bays of new cold storage warehouses to power refrigerated trucks. • Encourage electric batteries in aviation. R2 AGRICULTURE MEASURES R2-A1: Promote Best Management Practices in Agricultural Activities • Reduce agricultural equipment fuel use by implementing regenerative agriculture. • Implement best management practices for manure management. • Reduce GHG emissions by increasing fertilizer efficiency. As stated previously, the 2026 CAP Update builds upon the Countywide GHG reduction measures adopted under the 2015 CAP and 2019 CAP and proposes new and enhanced measures in order to achieve the updated reduction targets established pursuant to SB 32. Accordingly, implementation of the listed community reduction measures associated with the 2026 CAP Update is the primary focus of this Addendum. It is important to note the 2026 CAP Update is a policy document and is not a plan to develop specific projects. No new development or construction is proposed as part of the project. Additionally, no changes to the County’s existing land use designations or zoning are proposed under the 2026 CAP Update. The 2026 CAP Update establishes a framework under which future projects would be designed for the purposes of reducing GHG emissions. Future projects that implement measures from the 2026 CAP Update would be required to undergo separate environmental review to evaluate potential sitespecific impacts on a case-by-case basis. Although the 2026 CAP Update is designed as a stand-alone GHG policy document, it would be utilized as a companion document to the County’s General Plan to provide a more comprehensive and detailed framework for land-based policy decisions to reduce GHG emissions from existing and future development. Because the proposed policy document does not result in any physical change to the environment, and because Certified EIR No. 521 evaluated development of the County’s existing land use pattern and includes policies and programs to address environmental impacts, the proposed project would not result in any new environmental impacts or increase the severity of any environmental impacts previously evaluated in Certified EIR No. 521. The following discretionary approvals from the County would be required for the proposed project: • Adoption of this Addendum to Certified EIR No. 521 (State Clearinghouse No. 2009041065); and • Adoption of the 2026 CAP Update. A. Type of Project: Site Specific ; Countywide ; Community ; Policy . B. Total Project Area: N/A Residential Acres: N/A Lots: N/A Units: N/A Projected No. of Residents: N/A Commercial Acres: N/A Lots: N/A Sq. Ft. of Bldg. Area: N/A Est. No. of Employees: N/A Industrial Acres: N/A Lots: N/A Sq. Ft. of Bldg. Area: N/A Est. No. of Employees: N/A Other: C. Assessor’s Parcel No(s): Multiple D. Street References: N/A E. Section, Township & Range Description or reference/attach a Legal Description: N/A F. Brief description of the existing environmental setting of the project site and its surroundings: Riverside County encompasses 7,295 square miles that stretch across 200 miles of California, from the eastern edge of the Los Angeles metropolitan basin to the Colorado River; refer to Exhibit 1, Regional Vicinity. The County is bounded by San Bernardino County to the north, the State of Arizona to the east, San Diego and Imperial Counties to the south, and Orange County to the west. Riverside County is one of the most diverse counties in the State, and supports well established urban, suburban, and rural communities. It also includes an extensive array of agricultural lands, lands devoted to mineral resources extraction, and recreational areas. The western portion of the County contains most of the County’s non-desert and urbanized areas. To the east is the urbanizing hub of the Coachella Valley. Beyond the Coachella Valley is the northern half of the Salton Sea. Eastern Riverside County, which lies east of the crest of the San Jacinto Mountains, contains almost all the County’s desert regions. The 2026 CAP Update would apply to the entire unincorporated areas of the County of Riverside.

Banning, Beaumont, Blythe, Calimesa, Canyon Lake, Cathedral City, Coachella, Corona, Countywide, Desert Hot Springs, Eastvale, Hemet, Indian Wells, Indio, Indio Hills, Jurupa Valley, La Quinta, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Moreno Valley, Murrieta, Norco, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Perris, Rancho Mirage, Riverside, San Jacinto, Temecula, Wildomar

Riverside

Countywide, Southern California

California Air Resources Board (ARB), California Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy (CVMC), California Department of Conservation (DOC), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Inland Deserts Region 6 (CDFW), California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), California Department of Parks and Recreation, California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), California Department of Transportation, District 8 (DOT), California Department of Transportation, Division of Aeronautics (DOT), California Department of Transportation, Division of Transportation Planning (DOT), California Department of Water Resources (DWR), California Fish and Game Commission (CDFGC), California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES), California Highway Patrol (CHP), California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC), California Natural Resources Agency, California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Colorado River Basin Region 7 (RWQCB), California Regional Water Quality Control Board, San Diego Region 9 (RWQCB), California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Santa Ana Region 8 (RWQCB), California State Lands Commission (SLC), Colorado River Board, Office of Historic Preservation, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Quality, University of California Natural Reserve System (UCNRS)

Other (2026 Climate Plan Update)

Resolution

Air Quality, Hydrology/Water Quality, Noise, Transportation, Utilities/Service Systems