Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan

Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan

Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) has prepared a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan (GHGRP) that meets the requirements of CEQA Guidelines Section 15183.5 to establish a comprehensive, programmatic strategy for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with its operations and activities. The GHGRP includes an updated inventory of historical emissions (2017-2021), forecasts of future emissions through 2045, and establishes emissions reduction targets and a carbon budget consistent with State policies, including Assembly Bill 1279. The Plan identifies a suite of reduction measures, such as use of zero emission fuels, facility electrification, and carbon sequestration, to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045. Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15183.5, Valley Water intends to use the GHGRP for tiering and streamlining of the GHG analysis for future Valley Water projects through 2045, that have environmental documents, such as Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs), which have not yet initiated the public review process and/or do not already include actions to achieve a net zero increase in GHG emissions. To determine project consistency with the GHGRP, Valley Water has developed a GHGRP Consistency Review Checklist (Consistency Checklist). Valley Water will use the Consistency Checklist to determine whether a proposed Valley Water project is consistent with the GHGRP. Valley Water projects that demonstrate consistency with the GHGRP may be able to conclude that they cause no additional significant environmental effects with respect to GHG emissions in their CEQA review.

Los Gatos, Morgan Hill, San Jose, San Martin

Santa Clara

Citywide, Countywide

California Air Resources Board (ARB), California Department of Conservation (DOC), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Bay Delta Region 3 (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 4 (DOT), California Department of Water Resources (DWR), California Energy Commission, 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, San Francisco Bay Region 2 (RWQCB), California State Coastal Conservancy (SCC), California State Lands Commission (SLC), Office of Historic Preservation, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water, District 17, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Quality, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Rights, State Water Resources Control Board, Divison of Financial Assistance

Other (Electric Vehicle Chargers, Facility Electrification)

Plan to reduce GHG emissions

Aesthetics, Agriculture and Forestry Resources, Air Quality, Biological Resources, Cultural Resources, Cumulative Effects, Drainage/Absorption, Energy, Flood Plain/Flooding, Geology/Soils, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Hazards & Hazardous Materials, Hydrology/Water Quality, Land Use/Planning, Mandatory Findings of Significance, Mineral Resources, Noise, Population/Housing, Public Services, Recreation, Schools/Universities, Septic System, Sewer Capacity, Solid Waste, Transportation, Tribal Cultural Resources, Utilities/Service Systems, Vegetation, Wetland/Riparian, Wildfire