Dear Mayor, Vice Mayor, Councilmembers, and Staff,


As the Chair of the Environmental Quality Commission I am grateful for all of the people who have worked tirelessly to secure funds and make recommendations to get the home electrification program referenced in agenda item L1 up and running as quickly as possible. Thank you all.


Building decarbonization is a critical component of our city’s Climate Action Plan, and helping low income residents in District 1 electrify their homes is key to making this energy transition in a just and equitable way.


The EQC supports having Peninsula Clean Energy be Menlo Park’s partner in administering this program. They already have a home upgrade program in place that can be leveraged to electrify additional homes in a timely manner.


I’m also glad staff’s proposal includes the EQC recommendation to designate funds to support workforce development. Ensuring we have people with the skills to navigate this clean energy transition is essential.


Staff has also brought forward some ideas that weren’t previously discussed at our EQC meeting, so my next comments are being made as an individual.


Staff has recommended that City Council consider expanding PCE’s Home Upgrade program eligibility criteria to maximize participation levels and spend funds in the time allotted. Their two ideas: 1) increasing the eligibility criteria from 80% to 120% of the average median income, and 2) allowing renter-occupied single-family homes to participate, seem quite reasonable given the circumstances.


That said, I am not on the Building Decarbonization Ad Hoc Subcommittee of the EQC, so if there are other people who speak/write about this agenda item who are either closer to the needs of the Belle Haven community, or who are deeper in community wide home electrification, I would defer to their expertise.


Thank you.


Nancy Larocca Hedley