Ventura County Regional Effort for Climate Action Planning (VCRECAP)
Funded Through EPA's Climate Pollution Reduction Grants: Planning Grant
Overview
The Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) program provides funding to states, local governments, tribes, and territories to develop and implement plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air pollution. The CPRG program is a two-phased grant program that provides funding of $250 million for noncompetitive planning grants and $4.6 billion for competitive implementation grants. Planning funds can be used to update existing climate, energy, or sustainability plans or to develop new plans.
The County of Ventura Sustainability Division is pleased to receive funds through EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) Planning Grant to create a Regional Climate Action Plan for the Thousand Oaks-Oxnard-Ventura Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The grant has three main deliverables: a Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP), a Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP), and a Status Report.
PCAP - Background Information
The County created an Advisory Group for the development of the PCAP. The Advisory Group is comprised of the cities of Fillmore, Moorpark, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Santa Paula, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Ventura, and the Central Coast Climate Justice Network (CCCJN), Port of Hueneme, Ventura County Air Pollution Control District (VCAPCD), and Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC).
The PCAP focuses on three priority greenhouse gas (GHG) emitting sectors, identified by the Advisory Group. The three sectors that have been selected are Transportation, Buildings, and Solid Waste/Waste Generation. The CCAP (second deliverable) will expand to all emission sectors for a regional GHG inventory. The County hired Rincon Consultants, Inc. to assist with the creation of the GHG inventory and other elements for the PCAP which include a Low-Income and Disadvantaged Communities (LIDAC) Benefits Analysis and identification of GHG reduction measures.
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Priority Climate Action Plan - Released
The County of Ventura Sustainability Division is pleased to share the Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP). The Public had the opportunity to be part of the PCAP process through the community survey and will have the opportunity to engage more during the CCAP process.
Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP)
Following the success of the Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP), which focused on the County’s three highest greenhouse gas (GHG) emitting sectors, the County is now developing a more comprehensive Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP). The CCAP addresses all major sources of GHG emissions across the following sectors:
- Building Energy
- Transportation & Mobility
- Waste Management
- Water & Wastewater
- Natural & Working Lands
- Agriculture
In addition, the CCAP includes a countywide GHG inventory, reduction targets, and proposed strategies and projects to meet those targets.
The CCAP development process officially began in August 2024, when the County’s Sustainability Division resumed work with the CPRG Advisory Group. The County also continued working with Rincon Consultants, Inc. to support technical work and meet project deliverables.
To guide CCAP development, the CPRG Advisory Group has been meeting monthly, with each meeting focused on specific topic areas. This structure helps ensure meaningful discussions and targeted strategy development.
Year | Month | Topic |
|---|---|---|
2024 | August | CCAP Kick-Off |
September | Cancelled | |
October | Scheduling | |
November | Cancelled for Holiday Season | |
December | Cancelled for Holiday Season | |
2025 | January | GHG Inventory & Measures |
February | Transportation – Part 1 | |
March | Building Energy – Part 1 | |
April | Solid Waste, Water, & Wastewater | |
May | Agriculture, Natural & Working Lands, and Off-Road Equipment | |
June | Transportation – Part 2 | |
July | Building Energy – Part 2 | |
August | CCAP Review |
To ensure the CCAP reflects community needs and priorities, a CPRG Subcommittee was also formed. This group includes representatives from local non-profits, community-based organizations (CBOs), and public agencies, who provide additional input and feedback throughout the process.
An early version of the CCAP is now available for public review. We invite you to read the draft and share your thoughts, suggestions, or concerns using the linked Feedback Form. Feedback will be accepted through September 12, 2025.
Note: Please be advised that any communication submitted to the County of Ventura, any Board members, staff or County consultants is a public record under the Brown Act and California Public Records Act. This means that any information contained in the communication, including personal information, may be subject to public disclosure.
Timeline for CPRG Planning Grant
Action Dates | |
|---|---|
Priority Climate Action Plan Due | March 1, 2024
|
CPRG implementation Grant Proposals Due | April 1, 2024, by 11:59 pm (ET) |
Comprehensive Climate Action Plan Due | Summer/Fall 2025 |
Status Report | Summer/Fall 2027 |
CPRG Advisory Group
CPRG Subcommittee
Resources
The Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) program provides $5 billion in grants to states, local governments, tribes, and territories to develop and implement ambitious plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air pollution.
Phase 1 of the CPRG program provides flexible support to states, local governments, tribes, and territories regardless of where they are in their climate planning and implementation process. Planning grant recipients are using the funding to design climate action plans that incorporate a variety of measures to reduce GHG emissions. Visit the CPRG Planning Grant webpage to learn more about key deliverables and deadlines.
On October 27, 2023. EPA announced the CPRG Implementation Grants Notice of Funding Opportunity. These competitions are open to entities that received planning grants to develop Priority Climate Action Plans (PCAPs) under phase 1 of the CPRG program, as well as entities that did not directly receive a planning grant that are applying for funds to implement measures included in an applicable PCAP. View their webpage to learn more about the CPRG Implementation Grant program.
On July 25, 2023 the Sustainability Division released a Request For Information requesting consultant expertise to conduct a greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory and other deliverables for the PCAP. View the EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Request For Information webpage for more information.
The County of Ventura’s Climate Action Plan is woven throughout the County’s 2040 General Plan and is available online at egeneralplan.vcrma.org. Sections of the 2040 General Plan with details related to the CAP can be found at:
- Ventura County 2040 General Plan, Various Elements for all policies and program depicted with a “CAP” icon;
- Ventura County 2040 General Plan, Chapter 1. Introduction
- Ventura County 2040 General Plan, Appendix B. Climate Change
- Draft EIR for the 2040 General Plan, Appendix D. GHG Calculations
- Draft EIR for the 2040 General Plan, Appendix F. Vehicle Miles Traveled Estimation
- Final EIR for the 2040 General Plan, Appendix D. Revised Draft EIR Appendix D GHG Calculations
One of the action strategies in the City of Camarillo’s Sustainability Master Plan is to prepare a citywide CAP that outlines specific goals, measures, and actions, as well as realistic timelines for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The City is also updating the Safety Element of the General Plan.
Visit their page to learn more.
The City of Oxnard adopted their Climate Action and Adaptation Plan on December 7, 2022. The City’s CAAP builds on the City’s successes of implementing the City’s 2030 General Plan and recommits to furthering the City’s sustainability goals and policies.
The City of Ventura has a draft Climate Action and Resilience Plan that will establish new vision for climate action, establish quantitative goals and tracking metrics, and identify programs/actions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase resilience.
The City of Thousand Oaks is creating a Climate and Environmental Action Plan in parallel with their General Plan. Visit their website for more information.
