• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) celebrated the launch of California’s first federal home energy rebates program to help lower utility bills and home energy costs for Central Coast residents, according to an Oct. 8 statement from Carbajal’s office. The rebate program will make it cheaper for California residents to install heat pumps, electrical panels, and insulation. The Inflation Reduction Act, the landmark climate law, helped launch the program. “My No. 1 priority in Congress is lowering the cost of living for Central Coast residents. That’s why I worked in 2022 to pass a landmark cost-savings law, the Inflation Reduction Act, to provide both tax incentives and direct rebates for Central Coast families looking to lower their energy costs,” Carbajal said in the statement. “We are already seeing the impact these incentives are having on the Central Coast, and the new programs launching today will help more families not only bring down their monthly bills, but also improve their quality of life and cut harmful pollution while they’re at it.” These rebates are projected by the U.S. Department of Energy to save American households up to $1 billion annually in energy costs and support an estimated 50,000 U.S. jobs in residential construction, manufacturing, and other sectors.
• U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California) celebrated the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) designation of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary—which will be the third largest in the national sanctuary system and the first tribally nominated sanctuary in the United States. The Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary was originally proposed by the Northern Chumash Tribal Council in July 2015, and the Commerce Department moved the proposed sanctuary into the designation phase in November 2021. NOAA wrapped up the final public comment period in October 2023 and issued their final environmental impact statement (EIS) last month. As part of their recent final EIS for the Sanctuary, NOAA announced a preferred alternative boundary that will protect 4,543 square miles, encompassing 116 miles along the coastline and up to 60 miles from the shore to support environmental and tribal priorities off the Central Coast while supporting state and national offshore wind development goals. “After years of advocacy, today’s announcement finally honors the Chumash people’s sacred waters as a National Marine Sanctuary and safeguards a vibrant and diverse Central Coast ecosystem. This sanctuary designation marks a hard-fought victory for the Chumash people, our conservation priorities, and the responsible development of offshore wind as California strives to meet its ambitious clean energy goals,” Padilla said in the Oct. 11 statement. “Thanks to this designation and sanctuary management plan, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians will play an active role in preserving their traditions and managing these important cultural and ecosystem resources. I’m glad to have worked alongside NOAA officials, tribal leaders, local stakeholders, and my House colleagues to ensure these vital marine and cultural resources can thrive for years to come.”
• Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that more than 11.5 million California households will automatically see savings on their October electricity bill through the California Climate Credit, funded by the state’s Cap-and-Trade program, according to an Oct. 2 statement from Newsom’s office. The Cap-and-Trade program collects funds by requiring companies to pay for climate pollution and is managed by the California Air Resources Board. Electricity bill credits this month will range from approximately $32 to $174. More than 1 million small businesses are also expected to receive the credit. Including credits that went out in April, Californians will receive an average of $217 in bill credits during 2024. Since 2014, California households have already received an average of $971 in combined automatic April and October climate credits on their utility bills, totaling more than $14 billion statewide. “Thanks to our state’s Cap-and-Trade program, millions of Californians will see an average credit of $71 on their electric bills this month,” Newsom said in the statement. “Not only does this credit provide much-needed relief for families, it’s helping Californians make the switch to cleaner energy.”
This article appears in Oct 17-27, 2024.
