Sustainability, Climate Action, and Resilience
This chapter of the General Plan serves as the Climate Action Plan for the City of Palmdale and outlines the City’s greenhouse gas reduction and sustainability strategies.
Chapter Highlights
Learn About
Goals and Policies
Learn About
Maintain and Implement Climate Adaptation Plan (CAP)
SCR-1.1 CAP Maintenance. Maintain and regularly update a Climate Action Plan to reduce GHGs generated within the City.
SCR-1.2 GHG Inventory. Conduct community GHG inventories every 3-5 years to track progress toward achieving the City’s GHG reduction goal.
SCR-1.3 Funding Sources. Seek funding to support implementation of GHG reduction projects for the City, residents, and businesses.
SCR-1.4 Community Engagement. Develop and implement comprehensive community engagement including educational outreach, issue-specific awareness campaigns, and technical assistance.
Clean Energy
SCR-2.1 Carbon Free Energy. Direct EPIC to provide 75% carbon-free or renewable electricity to residents and businesses by 2030, achieving 100% carbon-free electricity by 2045.
SCR-2.2 Community Solar. Explore the development of community solar projects and microgrids.
SCR-2.3 Battery Permitting. Establish a streamlined approval process for battery storage systems.
Buildings
SCR-3.1 Energy Efficient New Construction. Integrate CALGreen Tier 1 and Tier 2 green building and energy efficiency standards into new construction and major remodels.
SCR-3.2 All-Electric Reach Code. Consider adopting a local reach code to encourage new buildings to be all-electric.
SCR-3.3 Solar and Storage. Require installation of photovoltaic panels and battery storage on all residential new construction and nonresidential new construction over 5,000 sq. ft.
SCR-3.4 Energy Efficient Existing Buildings. Establish an energy and water efficiency upgrade program for existing buildings, focusing resources on the most underserved populations.
SCR-3.4 Benchmarking Energy and Water Use. Register municipal buildings with Energy Star Portfolio Manager and report energy and water use (AB 802).
Transportation
SCR-4.1 Bike Facilities. Promote bicycle use with new private development projects through requirements for bicycle parking, lockers and showers, bike share facilities, and when feasible, connections to City bike lanes.
SCR-4.2 Public Transit. Expand the public transit system, increase frequency of service, and provide shade at transit stops.
SCR-4.3 Public EV Chargers. Install EV chargers at suitable public facilities, including any parking structures, the future multi-modal High Speed Rail station, and community parks.
SCR-4.4 EV Reach Code. Adopt EV requirements beyond CALGreen in both number of chargers and charger capacity.
SCR-4.5 ZEV Purchasing. When purchasing City vehicles give preference to fuel efficient vehicles, including the use of zero emission vehicles.
SCR-4.6 Clean Fuels. Require use of clean fuels for City construction and maintenance vehicles and lawn/garden equipment.
SCR-4.7 Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety. Promote bicycle and pedestrian modes of travel by promoting pedestrian and cyclist safety.
Solid Waste
SCR-5.1 Zero Waste Plan. Create a zero-waste plan that institutes cost-effective diversion programs for municipal operations and the community.
SCR-5.2 Organic Waste Diversion. Establish programs to comply with State-established requirements for organics and food waste diversion.
SCR-5.3 Waste Diversion Education and Assistance. Develop an education and technical assistance program for residents and businesses on composting, recycling, and reuse of materials.
SCR-5.4 Nonresidential Collection Efficiency. Continue to review waste franchise agreements to establish rate structures that encourage less frequent nonresidential collection.
Water and Wastewater
SCR-6.1 Recycled Water. Increase municipal reuse of local recycled water. Support the efforts of the Palmdale Water District and the Joint Powers Authority (JPA) Palmdale Recycled Water Authority (PRWA) in its proof of concept and implementation of aquifer augmentation through advanced treatment of recycled water.
SCR-6.2 Water Efficiency Standards. Establish water efficiency standards that are more stringent than CALGreen and model water efficient landscape ordinance (MWELO).
SCR-6.3 Low-Water Use Plant List. Implement the City’s landscape plant list and use of low-water plants in new or renovated landscaped areas.
SCR-6.4 Rainwater Capture. Encourage rainwater capture and use of cisterns for outdoor watering purposes.
SCR-6.5 Greywater Permitting. Establish a streamlined permitting process for greywater systems.
Ecosystems
SCR-7.1 Tree Planting in Public Spaces. Plant additional trees on streets, parks, and other public spaces to sequester carbon, provide shade, contribute to stormwater management, provide habitat, and enhance community character.
SCR-7.2 Preferred Tree and Plant List. Establish a preferred tree list of species appropriate for the urban forest which are more resilient to drought, heat, and pests. Prioritize native plants and pollinator-friendly plants.
SCR-7.3 Tree Planting on Private Property. Adopt a tree preservation ordinance to encourage tree preservation and additional planting on private property as appropriate.
SCR-7.4 Green Infrastructure. Integrate green infrastructure stormwater management practices into the design of open spaces and public rights-of-way.
SCR-7.5 Cool Pavement. Incorporate cool pavement practices into street maintenance activities to reduce the urban heat island effect.
Community Resilience and Awareness
SCR-8.1 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan. Build on the existing LHMP and acknowledge the LHMP in the General Plan per AB 2140.
SCR-8.2 Areas of Physical and Social Vulnerability. Focus investments on areas of high vulnerability, exposure, and sensitivity for both physical infrastructure and social communities.
SCR-8.3 Public Safety Power Shutoffs. Work with Southern California Edison (SCE) to minimize the impacts of Public Safety Power Shutoffs.
SCR-8.4 Resilience Features. Add resilience features to community facilities to provide basic services during disruptive events or disasters.
SCR-8.5 Pre-Disaster Recovery Plan. Create a pre-disaster recovery plan that sets up post-disaster policies and programs indicating which areas will be replanned and when, and that shows where and how rebuilding will occur.
SCR-8.6 Disaster Rebuilding and Recovery. Develop policies to ensure that housing units damaged during a natural disaster are repaired or replaced in ways that advance the policies, objectives, and actions of the General Plan.
SCR-8.7 Heat and wildfire mitigation. Develop policies and building standards that reduce the urban heat island effect and the risk and damage of wildfire such as:
- Encourage the use of high-albedo roofs and paving
- Incorporate more robust temperature and air quality controls in facility retrofits and designs
- Provide consolidated public messaging about wildfire preparation, evacuation, and communications avenues in multiple languages
- Encourage fire-wise landscaping including alternatives to wood fencing
- Require ember-resistant attic ventilation openings
- Encourage the installation of air filters to protect against indoor air quality impacts during wildfire smoke exposure events
- Identify and modify vulnerable infrastructure in high wildfire risk areas, such as replacing wooden utility poles or undergrounding utility lines.
SCR-9.1 Integration of Sustainability. Integrate environmental and sustainability issues into City decision-making processes, operations, community activities, and criteria in budgeting and prioritization efforts through a “triple bottom line” approach.
SCR-9.2 Acknowledge Indigenous History. Acknowledge and celebrate the Indigenous history and tradition of the area now known as Palmdale.
SCR-9.3 Raise Awareness about Natural Systems. Provide interpretive displays and other information on natural systems at parks, nature centers, and trailheads.
My Neighborhood Map
Desired Targets and Outcomes
OUTCOME: Palmdale is a regional leader by integrating sustainability and climate action into all decisions and inspiring other communities to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions.
Space
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR:
- Reduction in energy and water use.
- Reduction in vehicle miles traveled.
Space
TARGET:
- Carbon neutrality by 2045 (EO B-55-18).
OUTCOME: New and existing buildings are decarbonized and able to operate on carbon-free energy.
Space
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR:
- Number of buildings retrofit per year to be all-electric.
- Renewable or carbon-free content of electricity.
- Total kilowatts or megawatts of distributed renewables installed.
- Energy Use Intensity for existing buildings.
Space
TARGET:
- 100% of new and 50% of existing buildings are all-electric and energy efficient.
- Energy supply is 100% renewable (SB 100).
OUTCOME: Secure water supply and efficient use through aquifer management and increased water reuse.
Space
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR:
- Compliance with water quality regulations for potable water and stormwater quality.
- Water use per capita (gpcd).
- Number of permitted greywater reuse systems.
Space
TARGET:
- Water use is 85 gallons or less per person per day.
OUTCOME: Reduced emissions from transportation, increase access and safety for walking, biking, and transit use.
Space
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR:
- Number of pedestrian and cyclist accidents and fatalities.
- Vehicle miles traveled.
- Mode share.
- Number of EV chargers installed.
- Electric vehicle ownership.
Space
TARGET:
- Zero pedestrian and cyclist fatalities.
- Increase in walking and biking mode share.
OUTCOME: Ecosystems and other existing or future natural open spaces are enhanced through restoration, redesign, and ongoing maintenance practices.
Space
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR:
- Total area of parks.
- Park space per capita.
- Percentage of people within a 20-min to a park or open space.
Space
TARGET:
- 80% of residents have nearby access to natural or open space.
OUTCOME: Impacts of urban heat island are reduced and mitigated.
Space
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR:
- Total area of green space and reflective roofs.
Space
TARGET:
- 30% of heat trapping surfaces converted to green space or reflective materials.
- 40% tree canopy cover.
OUTCOME: The most vulnerable residents are protected from climate and hazard impacts.
Space
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR:
- Number of resilience hubs.
- Number of low-income and senior housing units receiving weatherization and energy efficiency upgrades.
- Number of heat-related deaths, hospitalizations, and emergency room visits.
Space
TARGET:
- A community resilience hub at each Village Center and Multiuse Nodes.
- 50% of existing low-income dwelling units receive weatherization/upgrades.
OUTCOME: Palmdale is a regional leader by integrating sustainability and climate action into all decisions and inspiring other communities to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions.
Space
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR:
- Reduction in energy and water use.
- Reduction in vehicle miles traveled.
Space
TARGET:
- Carbon neutrality by 2045 (EO B-55-18).
OUTCOME: New and existing buildings are decarbonized and able to operate on carbon-free energy.
Space
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR:
- Number of buildings retrofit per year to be all-electric.
- Renewable or carbon-free content of electricity.
- Total kilowatts or megawatts of distributed renewables installed.
- Energy Use Intensity for existing buildings.
Space
TARGET:
- 100% of new and 50% of existing buildings are all-electric and energy efficient.
- Energy supply is 100% renewable (SB 100).
OUTCOME: Secure water supply and efficient use through aquifer management and increased water reuse.
Space
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR:
- Compliance with water quality regulations for potable water and stormwater quality.
- Water use per capita (gpcd).
- Number of permitted greywater reuse systems.
Space
TARGET:
- Water use is 85 gallons or less per person per day.
OUTCOME: Reduced emissions from transportation, increase access and safety for walking, biking, and transit use.
Space
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR:
- Number of pedestrian and cyclist accidents and fatalities.
- Vehicle miles traveled.
- Mode share.
- Number of EV chargers installed.
- Electric vehicle ownership.
Space
TARGET:
- Zero pedestrian and cyclist fatalities.
- Increase in walking and biking mode share.
OUTCOME: Ecosystems and other existing or future natural open spaces are enhanced through restoration, redesign, and ongoing maintenance practices.
Space
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR:
- Total area of parks.
- Park space per capita.
- Percentage of people within a 20-min to a park or open space.
Space
TARGET:
- 80% of residents have nearby access to natural or open space.
OUTCOME: Impacts of urban heat island are reduced and mitigated.
Space
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR:
- Total area of green space and reflective roofs.
Space
TARGET:
- 30% of heat trapping surfaces converted to green space or reflective materials.
- 40% tree canopy cover.
OUTCOME: The most vulnerable residents are protected from climate and hazard impacts.
Space
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR:
- Number of resilience hubs.
- Number of low-income and senior housing units receiving weatherization and energy efficiency upgrades.
- Number of heat-related deaths, hospitalizations, and emergency room visits.
Space
TARGET:
- A community resilience hub at each Village Center and Multiuse Nodes.
- 50% of existing low-income dwelling units receive weatherization/upgrades.
