Green Sacramento County

Actions

Action TEMP-02-a: Partner with the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD), SMUD, PG&E, and the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) to implement future and ongoing heat-related climate change initiatives. Such partnerships could include helping other organizations increase participation in existing programs through education and promotion, and by using and integrating them in County programs and activities, where feasible. Examples include, but are not limited to, participation in SMAQMD’s Regional Urban Heat Island Initiative, Sacramento Tree Foundation Shade Tree and NeighborWoods Programs, PG&E’s Energy Efficient Cool Roof program, and SACOG’s Complete Streets GHG reduction measures.  Status: Ongoing.

Status of Im​​​ple​​mentation​

The County aims to reduce urban heat island effects by leveraging and supporting existing programs, as well as partnering with local agencies and utilities on the development of future heat-reducing initiatives. Reducing the urban heat island effect will result in less reliance on air conditioning, which decreases energy use. It also provides public health benefits through reducing occurrences of heat-borne illnesses.   

The County partners with regional agencies through many pathways. One is through the Building Electrification MOU Among Local Sacramento Agencies for the purpose of coordinating building electrification projects, policies, and activities. Through the MOU, the County is working with the cities of Sacramento and Elk Grove as well as SMUD to coordinate electrification efforts and advance community-based co-benefits such as tree planting to reduce the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. All other incorporated cities in Sacramento County have been invited to join the MOU. The above agencies hold a monthly coordination meeting to coordinate, troubleshoot, and strategize about advancing building electrification which through comprehensive energy upgrades include landscaping and cool roofs with a tremendous potential to address the UHI effect. 

Another regional partnership formed to pursue the U.S. EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants. Although these grants were not awarded to the region by the Biden Administration, the regional partnership remains strong, and the partners still meet to coordinate. 

The County has recently supported the City of Sacramento in successfully securing a U.S. EPA Government to Government grant supporting weatherization and tree planting work in the North Sacramento/Del Paso, Meadowview, and Stockton Blvd. area (including the unincorporated county). 

SacOES works in close partnership with SMUD in coordinating during non-incident planning cycles as well as through coordination calls during activation of Phase II and III Extreme Weather events (Extreme Heat Annex) to ensure utility capacity during extreme heat events. Further we have partnered with SMUD to identify critical infrastructure prioritized for reenergization. Coordination and collaboration also take place during activations of the Emergency Operations Center. After action reports from these events are available on the OES website at https://sacoes.saccounty.gov/EmergencyManagement/Pages/Planning.aspx​. 

Updated 4/2/25.​