New Interactive Map Tracks Climate Investments in California

For Immediate Release

August 7, 2015
Contact: Alex Barnum, (916) 324-9670


SACRAMENTO— California leads the nation with its ambitious programs to combat climate change, from ramping up renewable energy to driving the development of cleaner cars and its cap-and-trade program. Now, an interactive online map is available to track where funds from these ground-breaking programs are being invested.

The new website – www.ClimateInvestmentMap.CA.Gov – brings together information on a dozen different climate and energy programs into a single searchable application, allowing users to view the locations of individual projects and providing a summary of climate and energy investments for each of the state’s 120 legislative districts.

The map was developed by the California Department of Technology working with the California Environmental Protection Agency, the Air Resources Board, the California Energy Commission, the California Public Utilities Commission, the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the California Natural Resources Agency and other state agencies and departments.

“As we strengthen our efforts to fight climate change, it is important that we keep Californians and their elected representatives informed about how state funds are being invested,” said Secretary for Environmental Protection Matthew Rodriquez. “This website identifies where funds are being spent and how they are helping communities, including some of our most disadvantaged communities, across the state.”

Currently, the site is tracking nearly $6 billion in climate-related investments, including programs in agriculture, energy, transportation, natural resources, sustainable communities and waste reduction. The site will continue to add data on additional programs.

“This data will help local and state leaders as well as all Californians see where the state’s climate investments are located,” said California Energy Commission Chair Robert B. Weisenmiller. “The data will help us evaluate the effectiveness of our efforts as these investments are critical to meet California’s greenhouse gas reduction targets.”

California’s pioneering 2006 climate law – AB 32 – set the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. California is on track to meeting its targets through a comprehensive set of programs that includes energy efficiency and renewable energy, cleaner vehicles and fuels, and putting a price on carbon through a cap-and-trade system.

Earlier this year, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. issued an executive order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in California 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. The target, the most ambitious in North America, is consistent with California’s existing commitment to reduce emissions 80 percent under 1990 levels by 2050.

The Climate Investment Map illustrates the growing investments from these programs at the local and regional level. Initially, the site is prioritizing for inclusion climate and energy programs with the largest budgets and readily accessible data. Among the programs included are the following:

  • California Solar Initiative – Overseen by the California Public Utilities Commission, the initiative provides incentives for solar systems installations to customers of the state’s investor-owned utilities.
  • The California Clean Energy Jobs Act (Proposition 39) – Administered by the California Energy Commission, Prop 39 provides funding to local schools to improve energy efficiency and create clean-energy jobs.
  • Clean Vehicle Rebate Project – Administered by the Air Resources Board, the program is designed to promote the purchase of zero-emission vehicles.

The website will be continually updated with new programs, with a particular focus on those recently funded with proceeds from California’s cap-and-trade program. The site will also incorporate other ways of viewing the data geographically – including by city and county, by census tracts and other boundaries.

While the state’s climate programs are aimed at reducing carbon pollution, these investments also have a variety of other tangible benefits, including reducing air pollution and improving public health, creating green jobs and reducing energy costs. Future improvements to the site will focus on quantifying and tracking those benefits as well.

To view the new website, go to www.ClimateInvestmentMap.CA.Gov.