SoCalGas to Award $150,000 in Planning Grants to Support Climate Adaptation and Resiliency.
Weather related natural disasters, from wildfires and mudslides, to drought and extreme heat, have highlighted the critical importance of community hazard mitigation planning. We understand that with climate change, these extreme weather events are only going to increase in intensity and frequency. To assist local governments and tribal communities in planning for these events, SoCalGas® is initiating the Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Planning Grant Program.
The shareholder-funded initiative will invest $150,000 this year to support local planning efforts to help prepare for and recover from climate change risks, such as extreme heat, wildfires, drought, subsidence, sea level rise, flooding and mudslides.
In 2024, SoCalGas will award grants up to $50,000 through a competitive process. An advisory panel of planning and sustainability experts will select the winning applications from across Southern and Central California. Local governments and tribal communities that are participating in climate vulnerability assessments, climate adaptation and resiliency plans, emergency management, or updating their local hazard mitigation plans to address climate adaptation are eligible to apply. Local governments and tribal communities seeking funding to implement already-approved climate adaptation initiatives are also eligible to apply.
Grant proposals will be assessed according to the following criteria:
- DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES: SoCalGas encourages applicants to address vulnerabilities in disadvantaged and underserved communities
- COLLABORATION: the extent to which the grant proposal reflects coordination and partnerships with a diverse range of stakeholders (energy/water utilities, transportation, housing, etc.)
- CO-BENEFITS: identify potential co-benefits of the adaptation work, such as benefits to public health, air quality, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and positive economic impact
SoCalGas is committed to being an active collaborator. If awarded the grant, the applicant should include SoCalGas staff when planning both technical advisory and community meetings. In addition, SoCalGas staff will help support the approved scope of work, project timeline, and project funding that will be maintained throughout the life of the plan development. Applicants are also encouraged to engage SoCalGas staff throughout the entire grant life, when applicable.
Applicants, please download our proposal Cover Page. Attach the following in a combined PDF file to the Cover Page (not to exceed 5 pages) to Geoffrey Danker, AICP by June 28, 2024:
- Project Description (Briefly summarize the project)
- Project Justification (Define the issues the project is attempting to address and how the project will provide a solution)
- Grant Specific Objective (Describe how the proposed project meets the grant's criteria)
- Scope of Work, Projected Costs, and Project Timelines
Full eligibility requirements below. Please review Cover Page for all terms and conditions:
I. GENERAL INFORMATION
SoCalGas is looking to fund innovative projects or programs that address climate vulnerability, adaptation, resiliency, and hazard mitigation plans with a particular emphasis on supporting underserved communities.
II. ELIGIBILITY The following groups are eligible to apply:
- Local government organizations (cities, counties, tribal communities, municipal planning organizations, council of governments) that provide programs in communities in the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Ventura, Tulare, Santa Barbara, Fresno, and San Luis Obispo.
- Projects must commence in 2025 or 2026 and be 85% completed by December 31, 2026.
- Eligible proposals include projects or programs that address the local challenges of preparing vulnerability assessments, climate adaptation and resiliency plans, and local hazard mitigation plans. Projects that highlight specific efforts to engage with SoCalGas and other utility providers will be given special consideration.
III. EVALUATION/SELECTION PARAMETERS
A panel of climate change, sustainability, planning and SoCalGas representatives will use the following criteria to score projects:
- Effectively addresses the challenge of preparing a community for the impacts from climate change.
- Supports low-income communities/communities of concern with limited resources.
- Innovative, creative and encourages collaboration.
- Identifies co-benefits of the adaptation work, such as benefits to public health, air quality, reductions in greenhouse gas emission, and the economy.
- Has existing partial funding that can be leveraged by a new grant.
- Minimizes indirect administrative costs.
- Defines success/outcomes clearly and has quantifiable results.
- Demonstrates measurable outcomes within 12 months of the award.
- Involves promotion of significant outreach opportunities with other partners. This could include volunteer opportunities or participation by a large number of SoCalGas employees.
Notifications of winners will be made and grant checks awarded by November 1, 2024.
IV. EXCLUSIONS AND RESTRICTIONS Requests to the following are excluded:
- Individuals or entities other than local government organizations satisfying the eligibility requirements above
Funds cannot be used for:
- General operating expenses that are unrelated to the execution of the proposed program/project
- Equipment purchases not primarily related to the intended purpose of the fund
- Advocacy initiatives/programs that are political in nature
- Land acquisitions
- Capital campaigns
- Major travel expenses
- Loans or loan guarantees
- Debt reduction or past operating deficits
- Liquidation of an organization
- Any other cost or expense unrelated to the execution of the proposed program/project
V. CONTACT/SUBMISSION INFORMATION
Due to the volume of requests, we cannot respond to inquiries. If you feel your project or program is eligible, we encourage you to submit your applications.
VI. TIMELINE
The application submission period begins on May 15, 2024, and ends at 5 p.m. on June 28, 2024.