Agenda 11-02-23; 6-a - Orange County Climate Action Plan and Greenhouse Gas Inventory

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J1fPLE1TE%1T.1aT1 \ AND REPORTING BUDGET In 2019, the Board of Commissioners created the Community Climate Action Grant Program (CCAG) funded through a 1/4 cent property tax to help meet adopted goals that would uphold the Paris Agreement and achieve 100% renewable energy by 2050. The Community Climate Action Grant Program provides funding for impactful public, non-profit, and small business projects, such as solar power at school districts and weatherizing affordable housing. The CCAG will be used to incentivize grant applicants to support the actions identified within the CAP as well as new and innovative programs that complement the CAP through reducing GHG emissions. In addition to the grant program, a review of the Sustainability Budget will need to be completed. FUNDING PLAN Securing the necessary funding to effectively execute the CAP demands a diverse range of funding strategies and avenues. An integral component of the financial approach is identifying potential external funding sources, particularly for actions that require additional support. Recognizing that certain strategies might surpass the County's current resources, tapping into external funding becomes essential. Within this framework, specific funding sources are identified where known.The implementation year for each strategy is selected based on the prioritization score, as well as the Top 10 strategies, as introduced in the CAP's Executive Summary. An imminent implementation year signifies a high prioritization score for that strategy, while a later year means a comparatively lower score. The cost estimates are indicative only; they are based on preliminary assessments, comparisons with similar programs, and expert input and are meant to provide a rough evaluation. For example, several of the strategies involve efforts of County staff. In these cases, a percentage of a staff's time, reflected as a portion of a "full time equivalent" has been estimated. In other cases, estimated costs of newly purchased goods and services are used.4 An inflation factor of 3% year-over-year was applied to the estimated costs. The budget will follow the County's fiscal cycle and specific costs will be integrated into direct department budgets. It should be noted, however, that the County can rely heavily on the influx of state and federal grants to support many of these strategies. Strategy CR 6.3 will ensure that proper staff is in place to manage on-going grant opportunities. 'The full description for all costs has been provided to the County, in a Climate Action Tracker,which accompanied this CAP,and is available upon request. 2023 CLIMATE ACTION PLAN ORANGE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA 83