2022 Final Extreme Heat Action Plan

Protecting Californians
From Extreme Heat:

A State Action Plan to Build Community Resilience
April 2022
Protecting Californians From Extreme Heat:
A State Action Plan to Build Community Resilience
April 2022
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
Gavin Newsom, Governor
Thank you to the numerous partners who contributed to this plan.
This Action Plan is located on the

California Natural Resources Agency website:
resources.ca.gov
Contents
Executive Summary i
Introduction 1
What is Extreme Heat and What are its Impacts? 1
Updating California’s Response 2
Action Track A: Build Public Awareness and Notification 5
Track A - Goal 1: Build public awareness about extreme
heat through targeted communications campaigns 6
Track A - Goal 2: Support actionable climate science and
research to inform risk assessments and decision-making 9
Track A - Goal 3: Improve accuracy and accessibility of
heat modeling and data to inform decision-makers 15
Action Track B: Strengthen Community Services and Response 19
Track B - Goal 1: Invest in social resilience 20
Track B - Goal 2: Protect California’s workers and economy from
the impacts of extreme heat 22
Track B - Goal 3: Support local planning and response measures
to extreme heat events 27
Action Track C: Increase Resilience of our Built Environment 33
Track C - Goal 1: Protect critical infrastructure 34
Track C - Goal 2: Support heat resilient and cooler communities
through relevant regulations and codes 38
Track C - Goal 3: Invest in cool buildings and surfaces 45
Track C - Goal 4: Utilize science-based frameworks and tools 49
Action Track D: Utilize Nature-based Solutions 53
Track D - Goal 1: Promote nature-based solutions to reduce
extreme heat risks 54
Track D - Goal 2: Support nature’s ability to withstand and
adapt to increasing temperatures 59
Track D - Goal 3: Reduce heat risk to water supply and systems 64
Protecting Californians From Extreme Heat c

Executive Summary
California’s best climate science projects that every corner of our state will be
impacted in years and decades to come by higher average temperatures and
more frequent and severe heat waves. Extreme heat threatens public health and
safety; economic prosperity; and communities and natural systems. It also poses
profoundly disproportionate consequences for the most vulnerable among us.
This plan outlines a strategic and comprehensive set of state actions to address
extreme heat, and serves as an update to the “Preparing California for Extreme
Heat Guidance and Recommendations” report released in 2013.
The substance and organization of this plan was guided by extensive public
input, collected over the course of 2021 and 2022, including through five public
listening sessions, ten regional workshops, and numerous consultations with
California Native American tribes.
Actions in the plan are organized into four tracks – (A) Build Public Awareness
and Notification; (B) Strengthen Community Services and Response; (C) Increase
Resilience of Our Built Environment; and (D) Utilize Nature-Based Solutions.
These tracks include established and recommended state actions to address
extreme heat. The Administration is committed to continued scoping and
exploration of these actions.
Areas of near-term focus include:
• Implement a statewide public health monitoring system to identify heat
illness events early, monitor trends, and track illnesses to intervene and
prevent further harm.
• Accelerate readiness and protection of communities most impacted by
extreme heat, including through cooling schools and homes, supporting
community resilience centers, and expanding nature-based solutions.
• Protect vulnerable populations through codes, standards, and regulations.
• Expand economic opportunity and build a climate smart workforce that
can operate under and address extreme heat.
• Increase public awareness to reduce risks posed by extreme heat.
• Protect natural and working lands, ecosystems, and biodiversity from the
impacts of extreme heat.
Protecting Californians From Extreme Heat i

Introduction
California’s best climate science projects that every corner of the state will be
impacted in years and decades to come by higher average temperatures and
more frequent and severe heat waves. These changes will pose a risk to every
region and sector across natural, built, and social systems. The 2022 Action
Plan outlines California’s all-of-government approach to mitigating the health,
economic, cultural, ecological, and social impacts of increasing average
temperatures and heat waves. It constitutes California’s response to what has
become known as “extreme heat” and accompanying “extreme heat events.”
What is Extreme Heat and What are its Impacts?

Climate change is increasing temperatures across the planet and in California.
Extreme heat refers to temperatures that are well above normal conditions, and
extreme heat events are consecutive unusually hot days and nights for a given
area. Different regions of our state experience extreme heat differently; some
areas accustomed to hot temperatures are experiencing very hot conditions
while other areas that have been historically cool are experiencing warmer
temperatures. Increasing temperatures also impact people differently. For
vulnerable people, including older populations, children, and those with certain
health conditions, and for people with limited or no access to cooling or shade,
extreme heat can be dangerous – even deadly. This Action Plan responds to
extreme heat as it is experienced differently across California and seeks to
support tailored approaches across California’s diverse microclimates.
Average annual temperature increases experienced over most of California
have already exceeded 1°F, with some areas exceeding 2°F, when comparing
the average from 1901-1960 to 1986-2016.1 The daily maximum average
temperature, an indicator of extreme temperature shifts, is expected to rise 4.4°F
– 5.8°F by 2050 and 5.6°F – 8.8°F by 2100.2 Heat waves that result in public health
impacts, also referred to as heat-health events, are also projected to worsen
throughout the state. By 2050, average heat-health events are projected to last
two weeks longer in the Central Valley and four to ten times more often in the
Northern Sierra region.3
1 Bedsworth, L., D. Cayan, G. Franco, L. Fisher, S. Ziaja. (California Governor’s Office of

Planning and Research, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, California Energy Commission,
California Public Utilities Commission). 2018. Statewide Summary Report, California’s Fourth
Climate Change Assessment. Publication number: SUMCCCA4-2018-013, 22.
2 Ibid, 23.
3 Ibid, 10.
Protecting Californians From Extreme Heat 1

Heat ranks amongst the deadliest of all climate-driven hazards in California,
and heat waves in cities are projected to cause two to three times more heat-
related deaths by mid-century.4 Climate vulnerable communities will experience
the worst of these effects, as heat risk is associated and correlated with physical,
social, political, and economic factors.5 Older populations, infants and children,
pregnant people, and people with chronic illness can be especially sensitive to
heat exposure. Combining these characteristics and existing health inequities
with additional factors, such as poverty, linguistic isolation, housing insecurity, and
the legacy of racist redlining policies, can put individuals at disproportionately
high risk of heat-related illness and death.6
Extreme heat also threatens California’s natural systems. Increasing temperatures,
for example, lead to exacerbated risk of wildfire; drought and its effects on
the health of watersheds; and the direct effects of heat on plants and animals
resulting in reduced fitness, increased stress, migration, and death. These shifts
result in significant cultural impacts to tribes, where plants and animals that have
been used as traditional food, medicine, materials, or in ceremony are no longer
present.
This Action Plan leverages expertise across state government to address the
broad range of impacts of extreme heat on California and builds a strong
foundation for enhanced and equitable climate change adaptation.
Updating California’s Response

In 2013, the state released Preparing California for Extreme Heat: Guidance and
Recommendations. The document summarized climate projections for increased
temperature and extreme heat conditions for California and presented state
agency recommendations. Coordinated by the California Department of
Public Health and the California Environmental Protection Agency, the report’s
recommendations focused on addressing extreme heat’s impacts on human
health. This document updates and builds upon actions initiated in the 2013
report.
The substance and organization of this draft Extreme Heat Action Plan were
guided by extensive public engagement. In addition to input received through
ten regional workshops and numerous consultations with California Native
American tribes, the state held a series of Extreme Heat Listening Sessions to
gather recommendations on priority state actions and areas of focus for the
Action Plan.
4 Ostro, B., Rauch, S., & Green, S. (2011). Quantifying the health impacts of future changes in
temperature in California. Environmental Research, 111(8), 1258–1264.
5 Basu, R. (2009). High ambient temperature and mortality: a review of epidemiologic studies
from 2001 to 2008. Environmental Health, 40 (8). ; Basu, R. & Malig, B. (2011). High ambient
temperature and mortality in California: Exploring the roles of age, disease, and mortality
displacement. Environmental Research, 111(8). .
6 Ibid ; Hoffman, J., Shandas, V., & Pendleton, N. (2020). The effects of historical housing
policies on resident exposure to intra-urban heat: A study of 108 US urban areas. Climate, 1(8).
2 Protecting Californians From Extreme Heat

Actions in the plan are organized into four tracks: A) Build Public Awareness
and Notification; B) Strengthen Community Services and Response; C) Increase
Resilience of the Built Environment; and D) Utilize Nature-based Solutions. These
tracks include existing and recommended state actions to address extreme
heat.
It will require time, effort, and funding to carry out these strategies. The pace of
implementation will depend upon our collective effort and the feasibility and
availability of resources. The 2021 Budget included a $300 million General Fund
set aside over two years to support investments that reduce urgent risks and
build long-term resilience to the impacts of extreme heat across California. The
Administration used use the Extreme Heat Action Plan to determine investments
prioritized for implementation with this funding set aside.
Moving forward this plan will be integrated into California’s Climate Adaptation
Strategy, which nests elements of relevant state plans and identifies how they
collectively drive on key climate resilience priorities. Progress on the Extreme Heat
Action Plan will be tracked through the Climate Adaptation Strategy’s annual
implementation reporting process.
Legend: How to Read the Action Plan

Each of the four Action Tracks include two types of actions:
1. Established actions.
2. Recommended (new) actions to strengthen resilience to extreme heat.
Recommended actions address important needs, and implementation
may require additional or new resources. The Administration is committed to
continued scoping and exploration of these actions.
Connection to the 2013 Report:
Actions included in the plan, that were also called for in the 2013 report, include
an implementation note, summarized as follows:
1. Completed = actions that are fully implemented, with links and reference
to deliverables or products.
2. Ongoing = actions that are still in progress or don’t have a final completion
date (require sustained actions).
3. Not Completed = actions that have not yet been implemented but where,
for established actions, existing programs and/or resources are identified
and secured, and, for recommended actions, resources are needed.
Protecting Californians From Extreme Heat 3

Action Track A:
Build Public Awareness and Notification
Extreme heat threatens public health and safety; economic prosperity; and
communities and natural systems – and yet these risks are not well understood.
For decades, Californians, especially in regions with the warmest climates,
have mobilized and prepared for seasonal hot days and extreme heat events.
However, as temperatures increase and heatwaves become lengthier, more
frequent, and dangerous, it is critical that communities across the state have
access to information that directly relates to their unique heat risk, adaptive
capacity, and available resources. Building public awareness and understanding
of extreme heat events and the risks they pose, as well as providing notification
when these events are predicted to occur, is therefore a critical area of focus for
the state of California.
The Public Awareness track includes key communications and information
actions from across the Administration, including established and new public
outreach and education efforts, as well as research and data provision activities.
These actions reflect the Administration’s commitment to prioritizing the needs
of our most heat vulnerable communities, by providing timely and actionable
information and communication strategies to people experiencing housing
insecurity, outdoor workers, older adults, young children, and people with certain
existing health conditions. The Public Awareness track also includes actions
that equip decision-makers with easily accessible data, best available climate
science and heat modeling, and research needed to assess heat risk and make
well-informed decisions.
The state’s actions in the Public Awareness track are organized around three
goals:
1. Build public awareness about extreme heat through targeted
communications campaigns,
2. Support actionable climate science and research to inform risk assessments
and decision-making, and
3. Improve accuracy and accessibility of heat modeling and data to inform
decision-makers.

Track A - Goal 1: Build public awareness about extreme
heat through targeted communications campaigns
Established Actions
TRACK A - GOAL 1, E1:

Implement existing actionable and targeted public awareness campaigns,
prioritizing outreach to communities most vulnerable to heat impacts.
• The Department of Public Health’s Emergency Preparedness Office provides
fact sheets and web-based content for the public on how to stay safe
during extreme heat, disseminates information to local health departments
and emergency networks, and coordinates communications through the
CA Health Alert Network. This includes information for priority populations.
• In collaboration with StoryCenter, Tracking California, and Lideres
Campesinas, the Department of Public Health’s Climate Change and
Health Equity Section supported the creation of digital stories narrated by
community residents about adverse social, economic, and health impacts
from extreme heat events. Two of these stories are narrated by Indigenous
farmers in the Mixteco language.
• The Department of Aging publishes Resources for Staying Safe During
Extreme Heat tailored for older adults and adults with disabilities, as well as
for other priority populations.
• The Department of Industrial Relation’s Division of Occupational Safety and
Health continues to improve and expand its stakeholder communication
channels prior to and during high heat events, including issuing coordinated
public awareness materials on the Heat Illness Prevention Standard when the
National Weather Service issues multiple excessive heat watches or warnings.
• The 99 Calor Campaign targets outdoor workers with Heat Illness
Prevention materials, discussion guides in multiple languages, and external
communications about Department of Industrial Relations Division of
Occupational Health and Safety’s Heat Illness Prevention Standard.

• Since 2010, the Department of Industrial Relations has managed a public
awareness campaign for employers and workers in multiple languages.
The campaign includes radio public service announcement in multiple
languages, outdoor advertisements in multiple languages, and paid social
media advertisements targeted at agriculture and construction workers in
English and Spanish.
• The Office of Emergency Services releases an annual #BeattheHeat
Campaign and collection of Summer Heat Resources.
• The Office of Emergency Services’ California State Warning Center is used
as a situational awareness pass through for heat alerts, watches, and
warnings received daily by the National Weather Service for all emergency
management partners, including tribal emergency managers.
• The Office of Emergency Services maintains the 2014 Contingency Plan for
Excessive Heat Emergencies (currently being updated as part of the draft
Extreme Temperature Response Plan) and the 2020 Electric Power Disruption
Toolkit for Local Government. Both documents contain information on public
awareness campaigns and information on cooling centers.
Agencies:
Health and Human Services Agency; Department of Aging, Department of Public
Health | Labor Workforce and Development Agency; Department of Industrial
Relations Division of Occupational Safety and Health | Governor’s Office of
Emergency Services
Recommended Actions
TRACK A - GOAL 1, R1:

Support public awareness campaigns that build upon current efforts to bolster
extreme heat event preparedness actions and adaptation strategies.
• Public awareness efforts should be culturally and linguistically
appropriate, accessible, and targeted at vulnerable populations who are
disproportionately impacted by the effects of extreme heat.
• Outreach efforts should leverage local partners and harness trusted
messengers to deliver information on resiliency in a community-focused
manner.
• Campaigns should build off the best practices and lessons learned from
other recent, successful public awareness initiatives like the California
Complete Count–Census 2020, LISTOS California and the California Tobacco
Control campaign.
Agencies: Governor’s Office of Planning and Research; Planning and Policy,
California Volunteers | Governor’s Office of Emergency Services| Environmental
Protection Agency; State Water Resources Control Board | Labor and Workforce
Development Agency; Workforce Development Board, Department of Industrial
Relations Division of Occupational Safety and Health | Natural Resources Agency;

State Lands Commission, Energy Commission, Department of Water Resources, Delta
Stewardship Council, Coastal Commission |Health and Human Services Agency;
Department of Public Health | Department of Food and Agriculture | Department
of Education

Support employers to protect worker health from extreme heat.
• Conduct outreach to organizations representing employers, with a focus on
smaller employers and those employing vulnerable worker populations, to
inform them about extreme heat risks, applicable regulations, and resources
for assistance in minimizing risks. This action was called for in the 2013 Report
and is a continuing need. The Department of Public Health has provided
limited outreach and education on heat illness prevention to employers of
outdoor workers. Outreach is also needed for employers of indoor workers
on heat illness prevention.
Agency: Health and Human Services Agency; Department of Public Health
Occupational Health Branch

Support a comprehensive outreach campaign to prevent heat related illnesses
among children, seniors, and people with disabilities in the care of licensed
facilities.
• The campaign would target support for facilities most impacted by extreme
heat with the least capacity to protect those in their charge. This includes,
but is not limited to, facilities located in areas of the state where seasonal
temperatures regularly reach above 90 degrees; facilities that serve
residents and clients who are Supplemental Security Income recipients;
facilities that serve seniors and people with disabilities (including but not
limited to skilled residential care facilities); facilities that serve families eligible
for state subsidized childcare; and licensees/workforce and residents/clients/
children that primarily use English as a Second Language.
Agency: Health and Human Services Agency; Department of Public Health,
Department of Social Services

Track A - Goal 2: Support actionable climate science and
research to inform risk assessments and decision-making
Established Actions

Identify the characteristics of vulnerable populations and communities that
are highly resilient to heat. Use statistical approaches to determine vulnerable
subgroups (i.e., by age, education level, income, and other demographic
indicators) for regions or counties.
• A collection of resources produced by the Department of Public Health
and the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment identified
characteristics of populations facing heightened heat risk and equip
decision-makers with the information to pinpoint those populations
in their community. This action was called for in the 2013 Report and
implementation is ongoing.
• Resources developed to date include:
| The Department of Public Health’s Climate Change and Health
Vulnerability Indicators for California and their visualization platform
estimate vulnerability by census tract or smallest scale available for
every county in California, including population sensitivity and adaptive
capacity indicators related to extreme heat.
| The Fourth Climate Change Assessment’s California Heat Assessment
Tool was developed for local and state health practitioners to better
understand heat vulnerability and identify where actions can be taken to
prevent and reduce public health impacts of extreme heat events.
| The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment has contributed to
a growing body of literature linking harmful health effects to increasing
temperatures and heat waves and has helped identify groups who are
most vulnerable to heat-related mortality and illness.

Agencies: Health and Human Services Agency; Department of Public Health |
Environmental Protection Agency; Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment

Support an open, accessible, user-friendly, and integrated platform that
holistically identifies communities vulnerable to climate change impacts,
including heat.
• This platform will allow decision makers to determine which communities
face increased vulnerability during extreme heat events.
Agencies: Governor’s Office of Planning and Research; Planning and Policy, in
partnership with relevant agencies

Support actionable research and science to inform heat adaptation and
resilience actions.
• The Indicators of Climate Change in California describe how California’s
climate is changing, including increasing frequency and severity of extreme
heat events, and how these changes are affecting the state.
• Recent Research on Climate Change in California: A bibliography is a
compilation of information relevant to climate change and its impacts as a
source of current and emerging scientific information on climate change,
including extreme heat.
• The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment conducts and
releases human health studies relating increased temperatures to adverse
health outcomes.
• The California Climate Change Assessments fund applied climate research
to increase our understanding of how climate change is projected to
impact California, including heat.
Environmental Protection Agency; Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
| Governor’s Office of Planning and Research; Planning and Policy, Strategic Growth
Council | Natural Resources Agency; Energy Commission

Develop regionally specific vulnerability assessments that identify communities
with the highest social vulnerability to climate impacts, meaning communities
with high sensitivity and low adaptive capacity to climate impacts, including
extreme heat.
• A number of regionally specific vulnerability assessments have been
completed and include extreme heat, including:
| The 2019 Caltrans Climate Change Vulnerability Assessments were
completed statewide, including for Los Angeles and Ventura, Inyo, Mono
and Eastern Kern, and Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.

| The Delta Stewardship Council’s Delta Adapts: Creating a Climate Resilient
Future.
| The Tahoe Conservancy’s Integrated Vulnerability Assessment of Climate
Change in the Lake Tahoe Basin.
| The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission’s
Adapting to Rising Tides: Vulnerability & Risk Assessment Report –
Alameda County.
| The Department of Water Resources’ Climate Change Vulnerability
Assessment (2019) and Climate Change Adaptation Plan (2020).
| Sierra Nevada Conservancy funded the Sierra Nevada Regional Climate
Vulnerability Assessment all of the 22 counties of the Sierra Nevada. The
overall project is expected to be completed by June 30, 2022.
| The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection California’s
2017 Forest and Rangelands Assessment, specifically, Chapter 3.2 (Urban
Forestry).
Agencies: Natural Resources Agency; Delta Stewardship Council, Sacramento-San
Joaquin Delta Conservancy, Tahoe Conservancy, Department of Water Resources,
San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, Sierra Nevada
Conservancy, Department of Forestry and Fire Protection |State Transportation
Agency; Caltrans

Evaluate and improve the effectiveness of early heat warning systems geared
toward populations at risk, including addressing community-level impacts.
• The Department of Public Health is exploring opportunities to improve Heat-
Health Warnings utilizing the California Heat Assessment Tool and is assessing
the feasibility of collaborating with other agencies, including the National
Weather Service, to base heat alert warnings in California on health-based
thresholds rather than historical averages. This action was called for in the
2013 Report and implementation is ongoing.
Agencies: Health and Human Services Agency; Department of Public Health
| Environmental Protection Agency; Office of Environmental Health Hazard
Assessment | Labor and Workforce Development Agency; Department of Industrial
Relations Division of Occupational Safety and Health | Natural Resources Agency;
Office of State Climatologist, Department of Water Resources |Governor’s Office of
Emergency Services| Department of Food and Agriculture | Governor’s Office of
Planning and Research; Planning and Policy

Identify heat adaptation strategies with health co-benefits.
• The Department of Public Health’s Climate Change and Health Equity
Section provides health equity analysis and input to local and state
agencies’ climate change-related plans, policies, and investments,

including those regarding heat adaptation strategies. In addition, the
Section hosts a Toolkit that outlines a collection of Public Health Adaptation
Plans, actions, and other resources that walk users through the steps of
planning for the health impacts of climate change. This action was called
for in the 2013 Report and implementation is ongoing.
• The Governor’s Office of Planning and Research’s State Adaptation
Clearinghouse supports a community of practice on adaptation and
resilience and includes a suite of resources on extreme heat, such as
examples of local heat adaptation plans, including identification of those
that also provide health benefits. This action was called for in the 2013
Report and implementation is ongoing.
Agencies: Governor’s Office of Planning and Research; Planning and Policy,
in partnership with relevant agencies |Health and Human Services Agency;
Department of Public Health | Environmental Protection Agency; California Air
Resources Board, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment

Evaluate energy and cost-efficient strategies that could provide protection
against heat and air pollution for vulnerable populations.
• The Public Utilities Commission developed and implemented the
Environmental and Social Justice Action Plan (2019), which committed the
Commission to increasing investment in clean energy resources to benefit
Environmental and Social Justice communities, especially to improve local
air quality and public health and to increase climate resiliency. The Public
Utilities Commission released a draft of the updated Environmental and
Social Justice Action Plan 2.0 in October 2021. This action was called for in
the 2013 Report and implementation is ongoing.
• The Public Utilities Commission oversees various energy efficiency programs,
including the Energy Savings Assistance program which provides low-
income eligible customers with no-cost home weatherization and
energy efficiency measures, and ventilation and air conditioning system
equipment. These investments help these customers during extreme
heat events, while reducing energy consumption and costs. In 2021, the
Public Utilities Commission approved a Decision authorizing $2.2 billion
for the Energy Savings Assistance program through 2026 as well as a new
customer-centered prioritization model to better target these investments
and help mitigate the impacts of extreme heat event for the most
vulnerable populations. This action was called for in the 2013 Report and
Agencies: Natural Resources Agency; Energy Commission, Department of Forestry
and Fire Protection | Public Utilities Commission | Environmental Protection Agency;
California Air Resources Board | Labor and Workforce Development Agency;
Department of Industrial Relations Division of Occupational Safety and Health
| Government Operations Agency; Building Standards Commission | Business,

Consumer Services and Housing Agency; Housing and Community Development

Address the impacts of extreme heat events and wildfires on health hazard
assessments and support science-based guidance for state agencies, medical
and public health providers, school authorities, and the public.
• The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment provides information
that integrates evolving scientific understanding and the clinical health
implications, particularly in vulnerable populations such as children, older
adults, and pregnant people.
• The California Air Resources Board’s Climate Heat Impact Response Program
mitigates the emissions from increased electricity generation due to extreme
heat events. This program requires emissions mitigation through various zero
emission projects.
Agency: Environmental Protection Agency; Office of Environmental Health Hazard
Assessment, California Air Resources Board

Continue to incorporate extreme heat and impacts on energy demand into
Integrated Energy Policy Report forecasts.7
• These forecasts flow directly into the Public Utilities Commission and
California Independent System Operator electric system planning activities,
which assess grid impacts and identifies where system upgrades may be
needed. 8
Agency: Natural Resources Agency; Energy Commission | Public Utilities Commission
| California Independent System Operator
7 Javanbakht, Heidi, Cary Garcia, Ingrid Neumann, Anitha Rednam, Stephanie Bailey, and
Quentin Gee. 2022. Final 2021 Integrated Energy Policy Report Volume IV: California Energy
Demand Forecast. California Energy Commission. Publication Number: CEC-100-2021-
001-V4. Pages 16-18.
8 Ibid. pages 27-30

Recommended Actions

Support the development of a framework for designing studies that assess the
impact of heat exposure on individuals (personal heat exposure assessment
studies).
• These studies can be used by local health departments to monitor high-risk
populations within their communities, including athletes, aging populations,
outdoor workers, and firefighters, and to provide tailored interventions based
on individual needs.
Assessment

Support research that quantifies the economic impacts of excess deaths from
past extreme heat events and develop decision-support tools to project these
impacts under future climate change scenarios to guide heat adaptation and
resilience actions.
| Governor’s Office of Planning and Research; Planning and Policy | Natural
Resources Agency; Energy Commission

Support analyses of heat-related illnesses, including equity analyses, and
produce reports and visualizations to inform public health action.
• Provide guidance to local health departments and tribal health programs to
integrate extreme heat into health plans and assessments, as well as Public
Health Emergency Preparedness and Hospital Preparedness Programs.

Track A - Goal 3: Improve accuracy and accessibility of
heat modeling and data to inform decision-makers
Established Actions

Develop an urban heat island effect index, including a definition consistent
with the legislative intent in Assembly Bill 296 (2012), and assess the extent and
severity of the urban heat island effect for California cities to inform quantifiable
reduction goals.
• The California Environmental Protection Agency released a study in 2015
entitled “Creating and Mapping an Urban Heat Island Index for California”
that defined and examined the characteristics of an urban heat island and
produced a series of interactive maps that shows the urban heat island
effect for each census tract in and around most urban areas throughout
the state. This action was called for in the 2013 Report and implementation
is complete.
Agencies: Environmental Protection Agency; Office of Environmental Health Hazard
Assessment, California Air Resources Board |Governor’s Office of Planning and
Research; Planning and Policy |Government Operations Agency; Department of
General Services, Building Standards Commission | Health and Human Services
Agency; Department of Public Health | Natural Resources Agency; Energy
Commission, Department of Forestry and Fire Protection| State Transportation
Agency; Caltrans

Conduct analysis on heat-related illnesses by industry and occupation to inform
tailored prevention activities.
• The Department of Public Health completes the California Occupational
Health Indicators report every three years, which provides analysis on
workers employed in California and the key indicators or measures of how
the work environment, including heat, affects health.
Occupational Health Branch

Collect and maintain observed and projected heat-related data to inform heat
adaptation actions.
• Cal-Adapt houses the state’s downscaled climate projection data, including
current and projected data on Extreme Weather, Extreme Heat Days &
Warm Nights, and Cooling Degree Days & Heating Degree Days. It also
includes a new Extreme Weather Tool (beta) to explore extreme weather
events, including heat.
• An MOU between the CA state government and the California Institute
of Technology Jet Propulsion Laboratory is exploring opportunities to
utilize remote sensing data, field measurements, and models to improve
California’s resilience to challenges magnified by climate change.
Agencies: Natural Resources Agency; Energy Commission | Governor’s Office of
Planning and Research; Planning and Policy | Department of Food and Agriculture
| Environmental Protection Agency

Recommended Actions

Report near real-time data on heat-related illnesses during heat waves through
implementation of a robust, statewide syndromic surveillance system.
• Syndromic surveillance systems provide monitoring capabilities on health
conditions and symptoms in near real-time from hospital emergency
departments. Full participation across the state in such a system would
provide near real-time data to identify heat illness events early, monitor
trends, and track illnesses, and therefore support officials to respond quickly
to minimize health risks from extreme heat events. The Department of
Public Health has the capacity to report on syndromic surveillance data,
but additional resources are needed to increase the uptake of use of this
system throughout the state (only 46 of 320 emergency departments are
currently reporting data). This action was called for in the 2013 Report and
implementation has not been completed.
| The Department of Industrial Relations Division of Occupational Safety
and Health would benefit from this data to determine locations for high-
inspection enforcement inspections, education, and outreach efforts.
The Office of Emergency Services Law Enforcement Branch would benefit
|
from a robust surveillance system since the Branch tracks high mortality
rates due to heat events and provides support to local law enforcement
with Coroner Mutual Aid, if requested.

Modernize the Electronic Death Registration System to register heat-related
deaths to facilitate interventions and prevent additional deaths.

Action Track B:
Strengthen Community Services
and Response
The burden of extreme heat falls disproportionately on the most vulnerable
among us, including California Native American tribes, rural, and economically
disadvantaged communities. For example, many rural communities in California
have insufficient infrastructure systems to support upgrades or other investments
that support cooling actions. In urban areas, formerly redlined and marginalized
communities are generally hotter than neighboring affluent communities, and
case studies of cities across California suggest heat stress is unequally distributed
across income groups.
The Community Services and Response track includes a suite of actions that
reduce heat exposure and build community adaptive capacity, support local
climate adaptation planning and implementation, and advance temperature
standards for indoor and outdoor workers.
The state’s actions in the Community Services and Response track are organized
around three goals:
1. Invest in social resilience,
2. Protect California’s workers and economy from the impacts of extreme heat,
and
3. Support local planning and response measures to extreme heat events.

Track B - Goal 1: Invest in social resilience
Established Actions
TRACK B - GOAL 1, E1:

Convene health and social service providers from multiple sectors, including
state and local agencies, and researchers who are developing state-of-the-
art vulnerability mapping techniques, mitigation and adaptation strategies,
and other information to identify strategies to increase community resilience
by improving social infrastructure, such as places and organizations that foster
cohesion and support.
• State agency efforts support the development of strategies that increase
community resilience by improving social infrastructure. This action was
called for in the 2013 Report and implementation is ongoing. Resources and
programs developed to support implementation of this action include:
| Planning and Investing for a Resilient California provides guidance for
state agencies to help identify climate vulnerable communities for
investment, conduct community engagement, and apply an “equity
checklist” to decisions and projects.
| Partners Advancing Climate Equity builds capacity for frontline
community leaders in California. Participants receive monetary support,
in-depth training, and mentorship that cultivates skills in leveraging
available resources to advance local climate resilience and social equity
priorities and navigating state funding programs, policies, resources, and
decision-making processes.
| California Climate Investments Technical Assistance Program supports
communities in applying to the CCI funding programs, several of which
fund projects that can mitigate extreme heat. This assistance aims to level
the playing field for applicants that may lack the capacity to access
funds successfully.
| The California Climate Action Corps is enhancing adaptive capacity of

communities and advancing local climate adaptation planning through
increased climate-related service.
Agencies: Governor’s Office of Planning and Research; Strategic Growth Council,
California Volunteers | Environmental Protection Agency; California Air Resources
Board | Health and Human Services Agency; Department of Public Health

Support Community Resilience Centers that advance community-led efforts to
build new or retrofit existing facilities that will serve as centers to help vulnerable
residents withstand the impacts of extreme heat, wildfires, power outages,
flooding, and other emergency situations brought about by climate change.
• The Department of Food and Agriculture will invest in Community Resilience
Centers with funding through the 2021 Budget, including but not limited to
leveraging California’s fairgrounds.
• The Strategic Growth Council will establish a Community Resilience Centers
Grant Program in FY 22-23.
Agencies: Department of Food and Agriculture | Governor’s Office of Planning and
Research; Planning and Policy, Strategic Growth Council
Recommended Actions
TRACK B - GOAL 1, R1:

Develop a “Cool Buddy” program to identify heat-vulnerable people and reach
out and check on them during heat events.
• This program can be advanced through support for small community-
based organizations in collaboration with local health, social service, and
emergency management departments and can build social capital and
community cohesion throughout the year.
• The California Volunteers Neighbor to Neighbor program builds strong
connections and relationships between neighbors. Leaders are trained to
build neighborhood networks, identify vulnerable neighbors, and set up
systems to check in on each other during emergencies, like extreme heat
events. The proposed Senior Companion volunteer program is another
opportunity to increase check-ins with older adults during heat events.
Governor’s Office of Planning and Research; California Volunteers | Governor’s
Office of Emergency Services

Track B - Goal 2: Protect California’s workers and economy
from the impacts of extreme heat
Established Actions

Evaluate the Department of Industrial Relations Division of Occupational
Safety and Health’s Heat Illness Prevention Standard (Title 8, California Code of
Regulations, Section 3395) to determine its effectiveness and whether revisions
are necessary.
• The Division of Occupational Safety and Health evaluated and revised
its Heat Illness Prevention Standard in 2015. The revision included new
requirements, specifically surrounding provision of fresh, cool, and free
water, and access to shade during all recovery, rest, and meal periods when
the temperature exceeds 80 degrees Fahrenheit. This action was called for
in the 2013 Report and implementation is complete.
Agencies: Labor and Workforce Development Agency; Department of Industrial
Relations Division of Occupational Safety and Health | Department of Food and
Agriculture | Health and Human Services Agency; Department of Public Health

Convey necessary worker protection measures to regulated entities.
• The Division of Occupational Safety and Health’s Heat Health Illness
Prevention Network is a voluntary public/private partnership established to
increase both employers’ and employees’ awareness of the hazard of heat
illness and the importance of heat illness prevention measures through the
provision of timely and essential information. This action was called for in the
2013 Report and implementation is ongoing.
Agriculture |Health and Human Services Agency; Department of Public Health

Support training of employers and workers in industries with outdoor work,
including assurance of adequate water, shade, rest breaks, and training on
heat risks.
• The Division of Occupational Safety and Health’s 2015 Heat Illness Prevention
Standard update included assurance of adequate water, shade, and rest
breaks. This action was called for in the 2013 Report and implementation is
complete.
• Additionally, the Division of Occupational Safety and Health has developed
and published a suite of education and training materials, consultation
services e-tool, and sample procedures for employers to accompany the
Heat Illness Prevention Standard. This effort focuses on driving prevention
through easily accessible information for workers and employers to be
coupled with targeted enforcement before and during periods of high risk.
Agriculture

Evaluate the effectiveness of engineering and administrative controls to mediate
employee exposures to high heat; develop new methods of protection.
• The Division of Occupational Safety and Health provides consultations to aid
employers in evaluating the effectiveness of engineering and administrative
controls, as well as implementing strategies for ensuring employee safety
from heat-related illness. This action was called for in the 2013 Report and
• The Division of Occupational Safety and Health is developing a new Indoor
Heat Illness Prevention regulation to protect indoor workers from heat
illness. Included in the draft regulation are requirements for the employer to
implement engineering and administrative controls to prevent heat illness.
The draft regulatory text requires employers to implement engineering
controls in certain environments to lower indoor temperatures.
Agriculture

Develop an indoor heat regulation for consideration by the Occupational Safety
and Health Standards Board.
• The California Labor Code Section 6720 requires the Division of
Occupational Safety and Health to propose an indoor heat regulation
to the Standards Board. The Division of Occupational Safety and Health
has convened several advisory committee meetings on this topic and

is in the final stages to submit the complete rulemaking package to the
Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board. The rule making process
is currently underway and formal rulemaking at the Standards Board is
expected to commence in 2022.
Agency: Labor and Workforce Development Agency; Department of Industrial
Relations Division of Occupational Safety and Health

Evaluate occupational health risks and strategies to reduce those risks.
• The Division of Occupational Safety and Health’s Outdoor Heat Illness
Prevention Standard is based on literature evaluating occupational health
risks and strategies for reducing those risks. This action was called for in the
2013 Report and implementation is complete.
• An Indoor Heat Illness Prevention Standard is in development and will
similarly be based on evaluating occupational health risks and strategies
for reducing those risks. This action was called for in the 2013 Report and
Agriculture | Health and Human Services Agency; Department of Public Health
TRACK B -GOAL 2, E7:

Support business continuity during extreme heat events and create economic
opportunity through investments in heat adaptation actions.
• The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development’s Business
Investment Services raises awareness of climate risks in the business
community and assists businesses to operate with minimal interruption
during and after extreme climate events or emergencies.
Agencies: Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development | Department
of Food and Agriculture
Recommended Actions

Protect workers from occupational exposure to excessive heat and provide
information on occupational protections and available resources.
• This effort calls for partnering with local health departments and community-
based organizations working with farmworkers and other outdoor workers,
as well as reaching and educating employers with indoor workers in high risk
industries, including the informal and service economies, about addressing
heat hazards.

Department of Food and Agriculture | Labor and Workforce Development Agency;
TRACK B -GOAL 2, R2:

Identify education opportunities and strategic enforcement strategies to protect
workers impacted by extreme heat from heat illness and other health & safety
and labor law issues.
• Engage in outreach to workers and employers that are vulnerable to
extreme heat hazards about heat illness prevention requirements.
• Collaborate with other state enforcement agencies and local partners on
strategic enforcement efforts to protect the health & safety and economic
well-being of workers impacted by extreme heat.
Relations Division of Occupational Safety and Health | Health and Human Services
Agency; Department of Public Health

Conduct targeted enforcement of outdoor workplaces during periods of
high heat to ensure compliance with established outdoor worker heat illness
prevention regulations, as well as targeted enforcement of existing requirements
under the Injury and Illness Prevention Program for indoor heat hazards.
Agency: Labor and Workforce Development Agency; Department of Industrial
Relations Division of Occupational Safety and Health

Following passage of an occupational heat illness prevention standard for
indoor work environments (see Goal 2, E5), conduct targeted enforcement and
education campaigns.
• Conduct targeted enforcement of indoor workplaces during periods of high
heat to ensure compliance with indoor standards and perform outreach
and education on the new regulation.
• Create guidelines and methods to help employers comply with indoor heat
illness regulation. Recommendations would be based on the findings of the
engineering control measure evaluation (see Goal 2, E4) for indoor work
environments, and a publication with these recommendations would serve
as an awareness material.
Agencies: Labor Workforce and Development Agency; Department of Industrial
Relations Division of Occupational Safety and Health | Health and Human Services
Agency; Department of Public Health

Support grants for industry-based partnerships that strengthen California’s
resilience to extreme heat.
• Build workforce programs and training infrastructure to meet employer
needs and provide promising career pathways for individuals from
disadvantaged communities vulnerable to extreme heat.
Agency: Labor and Workforce Development Agency; Workforce Development
Board

Build resilience through training partnerships and apprenticeships in jobs and
careers that address extreme heat.
• Promote or expand existing efforts to address extreme heat (ex.
construction, building decarbonization, microgrids, tree trimming, and
forest stewardship) and invest in new areas of focus, such as climate-smart
Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning; building weatherization; energy
efficiency retrofits; urban forestry; watershed friendly landscaping; climate
smart management of schoolyards, parks, and open spaces; etc.
Agency: Labor and Workforce Development Agency; Workforce Development
Board

The Delta Stewardship Council will work with agricultural networks, farmers, and
farmworkers in the Delta to understand what the agricultural community needs
to address extreme heat.
• Conduct targeted outreach with agricultural networks, farmers, and
farmworkers to understand needs.
• Improve awareness and resources among vulnerable groups, including
farmworkers, through appropriate linguistic, accessible outreach.
Agencies: Natural Resources Agency; Delta Stewardship Council | Department of
Food and Agriculture

Work with California Native American tribes and stakeholders to understand
vulnerabilities of fisheries to extreme heat events.
Agency: Natural Resources Agency; Department of Fish and Wildlife; Ocean
Protection Council

Track B - Goal 3: Support local planning and response
measures to extreme heat events
Established Actions

Assess state, regional, and local hazard mitigation plans, heat contingency
plans, and other hazard planning documents for potential incorporation and/
or refinement of heat impacts according to climate projections. Promote the
integration of climate change research into state and local hazard identification
and risk assessment planning efforts.
• The 2018 State Hazard Mitigation Plan integrates climate change
considerations throughout the document as climate change, including
extreme heat, has the potential to affect the severity, frequency, and
location of hazards events. The development of the 2023 State Hazard
Mitigation Plan is underway and will continue to integrate climate risks,
including extreme heat. This action was called for in the 2013 Report and
implementation is complete.
• The Office of Emergency Services continues to support state and local
emergency planning efforts through the administration of federal funds,
creation of resources such as the 2020 California Adaptation Planning
Guide, and its Contingency Plans. This action was called for in the 2013
• The Office of Emergency Services, in coordination with the Governor’s
Office of Planning and Research and the Natural Resources Agency,
updated the California Adaptation Planning Guide in 2020. The update
includes technical guidance on climate adaptation planning; resources
on how to integrate climate change into other local hazard plans; and
provides example strategies and detailed case studies of successful
climate change planning in California. The Adaptation Planning Guide is
integrated into the Office of Planning and Research Integrated Climate

Adaptation and Resiliency Program’s Adaptation Clearinghouse as an
interactive web application. This action was called for in the 2013 Report
and implementation is ongoing.
• The Office of Emergency Services updated the Contingency Plan for
Excessive Heat Emergencies (2014). The Electric Power Disruption Toolkit for
Local Government (2020) supports the State Emergency Plan and describes
state operations during heat-related emergencies and provides guidance
for state, local, and non-governmental institutions in the preparation of heat
emergency response plans. The 2022 update for the State Emergency Plan
is underway and will continue to integrate climate risks, including extreme
heat.
Agencies: Governor’s Office of Emergency Services | Governor’s Office of
Planning and Research; Planning and Policy| Health and Human Services Agency;
Department of Public Health | Labor and Workforce Development Agency;

Maintain and update a comprehensive Adaptation Clearinghouse, including
resources to support local, regional, and tribal heat planning activities.
• The State’s Adaptation Clearinghouse is a comprehensive, searchable
database of resources to support local, regional, and statewide climate
adaptation planning and decision-making.
Agency: Governor’s Office of Planning and Research; Planning and Policy, in

Support the safety and continuity of care for patients/residents and workforce at
licensed facilities during heat-related emergencies.
• During a heat-related emergency, the Department of Public Health’s
Licensing and Certification Program’s response activities include advising
health care facilities on caring for patients/residents during extreme heat
conditions, monitoring of heat-related unusual occurrences reported by
health care facilities until resolved, and investigation of patient/resident
heat-related complaints.

Support grants to local, regional, and tribal governments for climate adaptation
and resilience planning activities.
• The Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program will establish a
grant program that supports local, regional, and tribal governments climate
adaptation and resilience planning activities, including heat.


Launch a Community Resilience and Heat Program to coordinate state efforts
and support local and regional heat adaptation efforts.
• The Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program will launch this
new grant program to provide grants for extreme heat and urban heat
island adaptation activities.
Recommended Actions

Support local jurisdictions and tribes in integrating extreme heat adaptation
strategies into Local Coastal Plans.
• Develop guidance for updating local coastal programs, in consultation with
California Native American tribes, to increase climate change resilience
and sustainability along the coast, including by addressing extreme
heat through land use and building measures such as green building
design, smart growth and planting trees/landscaping that reduce the
impacts, occurrence, and severity of extreme heat events.
• Assist local governments, in consultation with California Native American
tribes, in updating local coastal programs and processing permits for
climate change resilience and sustainability plans and projects that address
extreme heat.
• Support tribal jurisdictions by providing technical assistance and support
to integrate extreme heat adaptation strategies into their own planning
document.
Agency: Natural Resources Agency; Coastal Commission

Support California communities in developing disaster preparedness plans
that incorporate extreme heat and are more inclusive of the needs of people
experiencing homelessness.
• Distribute best-practice models and toolkits to guide Continuums of Care,
county emergency managers, and local government jurisdictions in building
capacity to address the needs of the most vulnerable to extreme events,
including extreme heat.
• Incorporate additional climate adaptation strategies into Technical
Assistance to Improve the Delivery of Homelessness Programs provided to

Continuums of Care and local government jurisdictions.
• Assess and document strong local, state, and tribal examples of disaster
preparedness and responses to recent emergencies, to develop stronger
guidance and expectations regarding services and supports for people
experiencing homelessness in disaster preparedness, response, and
recovery efforts.
• Support the inclusion of Continuums of Care into local emergency, hazard,
and heat contingency planning efforts. Incorporate people experiencing
homelessness into planning documents relating to extreme heat events.
Agencies: Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency; Housing and
Community Development | Health and Human Services Agency; Department of
Social Services, Department of Public Health | Governor’s Office of Emergency
Services

Work with tribal and local governments, and community-based organizations to
bolster protections for unhoused populations during extreme heat events.
• Coordinate with tribal and local governments on Climate Action and
Adaptation Plans to incorporate strategies on how to aid unhoused
populations during extreme heat events.
• Support training for first responders to help them anticipate the variety of
illnesses (not limited to heat illnesses like heat stroke or dehydration) that are
associated with excess heat, including mental health and cognitive impacts.
• Work with local governments and local Continuums of Care to support
local plans containing provisions for supporting people who are medically
vulnerable, including providing access to resilience centers and/or cooling
centers in the event of power shutoffs.
Agencies: Environmental Protection Agency; Office of Environmental Health Hazard
Assessment | Health and Human Services Agency; Department of Social Services,
Department of Public Health, Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability
Commission | Governor’s Office of Emergency Services

Support the development of local and tribal heat action plans that include a
broad suite of actions to reduce the ambient temperature to counteract the
Urban Heat Island effect and reduce risks during extreme heat events.
• Develop an Extreme Heat Plan Alignment Guide and other resources that
can guide local governments in preparing and updating comprehensive
heat action plans, or components of other plans.
Agency: Governor’s Office of Planning and Research; Planning and Policy

Provide resources to fund local health departments, tribal health programs,
and community-based organizations to develop regional Climate Change and
Health Resilience Plans.
• Activities that regions may propose to carry out through their Climate
Change and Health Resilience Plans include assessing local vulnerability
to the health impacts (including extreme heat); completing environmental
scans of local climate change planning (including heat planning); and
conducting robust community and stakeholder engagement to create and
implement plans to address climate and health impacts, including from
extreme heat.

Work with the Department of Health Care Services, health care systems, and
organizations such as the California Health Care Climate Alliance to plan to
assure continuity of operations, safety, and health for patients as global heating
increases.
Agency: Health and Human Services Agency; Department of Public Health,
Emergency Medical Services Authority, Department of Health Care Services,
Department of Managed Health Care

Support behavioral interventions, including conducting outreach and
engagement with hospitals and medical clinics, to improve clinical evaluation
protocols for patients experiencing heat-illness and heat stroke.
Agency: Health and Human Services Agency; Emergency Medical Services
Authority, Department of Health Care Services, Department of Managed Health
Care

Convene an interagency state working group that facilitates opportunities for
a more coordinated, effective approach to extreme heat through the ICARP
Community Resilience and Heat Program.
• Coordinate periodic inventories of the state’s efforts to adapt to extreme
heat and update California’s Extreme Heat Action Plan as part of the
update to the State’s Climate Adaptation Strategy.
Agency: Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, Planning and Policy, in

Action Track C:
Increase Resilience of our Built Environment
As temperatures increase, and heatwaves become more frequent and severe,
the cascading impacts of extreme heat and infrastructure failings can further
exacerbate risks to people, our economy, and the environment. For example,
impacts to critical built infrastructure, such as roadways, rail systems, and drinking
water, can result in significant impacts on the state’s population and economy.
The proposed actions outlined in the Built Environment track are organized
around four goals:
1. Protect critical infrastructure,
2. Support heat resilient and cooler communities through relevant regulations
and codes,
3. Invest in cool buildings and surfaces, and
4. Utilize science-based frameworks and tools.

Track C - Goal 1: Protect critical infrastructure
Established Actions
TRACK C - GOAL 1, E1:

Protect energy systems from the impacts of extreme heat.
• The Public Utilities Commission is addressing the need to protect energy
supplies to essential services across several rulemakings and programmatic
activities, including:
| Climate Adaptation rulemaking: Calls for climate vulnerability assessments
every three years from California’s three large energy utilities.9 These
assessments examine the vulnerability of electric and gas infrastructure
and operations to extreme weather, including extreme heat. The
vulnerability assessments will focus on disadvantaged communities
as well as critical infrastructure when providing plans for potential
mitigation efforts.
| Microgrid rulemaking: Initiated by SB 1339 (Stern, 2018) to create a policy
framework to facilitate the commercialization of microgrids, can support
local resiliency by ensuring the power stays on for critical services, such as
cooling centers, even if the larger grid is unable to function due extreme
heat or other emergencies. The Microgrid Incentive Program provides
$200M for microgrid development in vulnerable and disadvantaged
communities in California.
| Risk-Based Decision-making and Utility General Rate Cases: Previous
Public Utilities Commission decisions require utilities to identify risks
associated with utility infrastructure, such as an increasing frequency
of heatwaves, and to propose investments to mitigate those risks. For
example, rising temperatures and an increased frequency of heatwaves
may require changes to the type of electrical equipment utilities
9 Southern California Edison will file a vulnerability assessment in 2022, Pacific Gas and
Electric in 2024, and San Diego Gas and Electric in 2025.

purchase and install to keep the grid running, or how that equipment is
maintained, to maintain an acceptable level of reliability.
Agencies: Natural Resources Agency; Energy Commission | Public Utilities
Commission | Health and Human Services Agency; Department of Public Health,
Emergency Medical Services Authority

Increase energy resilience during extreme heat events.
• The Joint Agency Root Cause Analysis (2021) and Summer 2021 and 2022
Reliability Analysis (2021) identified potential improvements for grid reliability
in extreme heat events, some of which are completed, while others are in
process. Examples of these improvements include but are not limited to the
following:
| The Public Utilities Commission opened an emergency procurement
proceeding (R.20-11-003) to address 2021-2023 grid reliability and has
authorized procurement of additional resources to support the electricity
grid in the event of continued, higher-than-forecast electricity demand
resulting from extreme heat events.
| The Public Utilities Commission is tracking progress on generation and
battery storage projects that are currently under construction in California
to address any Commission-related barriers and also to assess the impacts
of supply chain and trade issues that are effecting targeted online dates.
| The Independent System Operator, Public Utilities Commission, and Energy
Commission have developed a contingency plan and communication
protocols to better coordinate their responses to future grid challenges
resulting from extreme heat events.
• In 2021, the Public Utilities Commission’s emergency reliability proceeding
resulted in increases in “reserve margin” resources, which increased reliability
when demand is higher than predicted and/or there are system disruptions.
The proceeding also resulted in the Emergency Load Reduction Program,
a new voluntary program that pays customers who reduce their electricity
demand in the event of a grid reliability event. This program provides the
state’s investor-owned utilities and the Independent System Operator an
additional tool to rely on when there is increased demand during extreme
heat events that also coincide with electric grid emergencies.
• For summer of 2022 and 2023, this rulemaking authorized the procurement
of additional resources. In parallel, the Public Utilities Commission has
directed utilities to ensure new community-scale microgrids can make
resources available to the grid to avoid outages, as well as authorized
several demand-side measures to reduce electricity demand during times
of high grid stress. The Public Utilities Commission has prohibited large
electric utilities from disconnecting residential customers when temperatures
are above 100 degrees based on a 72-hour look-ahead period.

Commission

Support communities seeking to invest in heat-resilient transportation
infrastructure.
• Caltrans engages with communities most vulnerable to climate change
impacts to support development and implementation of climate-resilient
transportation infrastructure projects. The Sustainable Transportation
Planning Grant Program includes funding eligibility for climate change
adaptation plans for transportation facilities or to support studies that
advance climate change adaptation efforts. Caltrans will also explore
opportunities for heat-resilient infrastructure through the new federal
discretionary Healthy Streets Program (Sec. 11406 in the Infrastructure
Investment and Jobs Act). Finally, Caltrans is pursuing opportunities
to advance heat resilience through Caltrans’ investments in bike and
pedestrian infrastructure.
• The High-Speed Rail Authority collaborates with communities and
stakeholders regarding climate-resilient station area planning. Planning for
station site design work includes collaboration with surrounding communities
on the use of the station facilities and designs that minimize heat/maximize
shading, as well as active transportation access to the station.
Agency: State Transportation Agency; Caltrans, High-Speed Rail Authority

Address food system vulnerabilities to extreme heat.
• The Department of Food and Agriculture is working to increase climate
smart agriculture practices that improve crops’ resilience to extreme heat
to ensure California’s working lands are as productive as possible and
vulnerable communities can access fresh produce given the impacts
of heat. This includes investment in healthy refrigeration infrastructure in
underserved communities.
• Rendering and hauling capacity is often reduced when it is needed the
most, as mortalities rise due to extreme heat. The Department of Food and
Agriculture is working to increase capacity for the disposal of livestock and
poultry carcasses during extreme heat events.
Agency: Department of Food and Agriculture
Recommended Actions
TRACK C - GOAL 1, R1:
Protect and secure energy infrastructure on state lands.
• Work with sister agencies and utility lessees to identify infrastructure risks and

vulnerabilities to extreme heat events and identify and implement strategies
to improve protections and risk.
Agencies: Natural Resources Agency; State Lands Commission, Energy Commission,
Coastal Commission | Public Utilities Commission
TRACK C - GOAL 1, R2: Support the development, protection, and security of

energy infrastructure on tribal lands.
Agencies: Natural Resources Agency; State Lands Commission, Energy Commission,
Coastal Commission | Public Utilities Commission

Utilize demand forecasts to prepare energy systems for heat and other weather-
related extremes.
• Develop enhanced demand forecasts that consider likelihood of
extreme events and consider a wide range of weather patterns in hourly
forecasts; improved assessment of supply and demand under various
possible conditions and scenarios for near-, mid-, and long-term reliability,
and increased collaboration with the Public Utilities Commission and
Independent System Operator for contingency planning and assessing
potential load flexibility.
Agency: Natural Resources Agency; Energy Commission

Identify relevant heat-related risks to the state’s fish hatcheries and upgrade
facilities accordingly to operate efficiently under extreme heat and drought
conditions while protecting vulnerable fish populations; provide support for tribal
hatcheries seeking to undertake these actions.
Agency: Natural Resources Agency; Department of Fish and Wildlife
Track C - Goal 1, R5:

Develop alternate methods for the disposal of livestock and poultry carcasses
during extreme heat events to avoid overwhelming critical rendering
infrastructure.
• When animal and poultry mortality rates increase due to extreme heat,
the State’s thinly stretched rendering facilities cannot accommodate the
additional volume. Alternative methods must be established to safely
handle these materials and protect public health.
Agencies: Department of Food and Agriculture | Environmental Protection Agency;
Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, California Air Resources Board,
State Water Resources Control Board | Governor’s Office of Emergency Services

Track C - Goal 2: Support heat resilient and cooler
communities through relevant regulations and codes
Established Actions

Review and incorporate changes as appropriate to state and local regulations,
industry practices for buildings, and land use and design elements to identify
opportunities to accelerate the adoption of cooling strategies for both indoor
and outdoor environments.
• To incorporate best practice into revision of residential and commercial
building standards and codes, and to ensure thermal comfort and healthful
indoor air quality, the 2019 Building Code included new requirements for
ventilation and indoor air quality. There are also optional requirements for
mechanical ventilation for indoor air quality. This action was called for in the
2013 Report and implementation is complete.
• The Department of Public Health staff plans to collaborate with external
partners and state agencies to develop recommendations for how the
state building codes could be updated during the 2025 building codes
update cycle, and work with the Building Standards Commission and other
state administering agencies to ensure climate adaptation and resilience
measures are incorporated.
• The Governor’s Office of Planning and Research provides technical
assistance to local governments to support Senate Bill 379 (Jackson, 2015)
implementation, which requires cities and counties to update their safety
elements to address climate adaptation and resiliency strategies applicable
to their jurisdiction. This action was called for in the 2013 Report and
• The 2013 Report called for an update to the California Green Building
Standards Code, Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations (CALGreen)
to include measures that mitigate the health risks of extreme heat events

in the built environment by incorporating consideration of health impacts.
While heat mitigation strategies have been included as optional “reach
codes” in the Building Code, health impact measures have not been listed
as requirements, therefore this implementation has not been completed.
Agencies: Government Operations Agency; Building Standards Commission |
Natural Resources Agency; Energy Commission | Governor’s Office of Planning
and Research; Planning and Policy| Environmental Protection Agency; California
Air Resources Board | Health and Human Services Agency; Department of Public
Health

Review and improve access to and use of air conditioning and other indoor
cooling strategies, including passive cooling techniques and other alternate
methods that are energy efficient, low-cost, and do not rely on high global
warming potential refrigerants. Address obstacles to the use of air conditioning
and other cooling strategies for vulnerable populations.
• The Department of Public Health collaborated with the Department of
Community Services and Development on the implementation of AB 1232,
which called for an assessment of the Low-Income Weatherization Program,
development of an action plan for ensuring greater collaboration between
the program and public health agencies, and promotion of projects that
increase health and financial benefits to residents. The weatherization
measures provided by Low-Income Weatherization Program can help
keep single and multi-family housing cool and safe during extreme heat –
including through energy efficient air conditioning, improved insulation and
windows, and solar PV. This action was called for in the 2013 Report and
• The Public Utilities Commission is also delivering on this action through:
| Extreme Weather Rulemaking: reinstated Flex Alert funding in 2020 and
created targeted marketing for extreme heat events.
| Decision D.16-11-022: directed the three large electric utilities to include
funding for cooling centers in their General Rate Cases. These cooling
center locations include government-run senior centers, community
centers, parks and recreation sites, and public buildings. The funding is
approximately $200,000 per year to support 400 cooling centers across
the state within the large electric utilities’ jurisdictions.
| The Energy Savings Assistance Program: (A.19-11-003): provides no cost
weatherization measures to income qualified customers which can
provide a tighter home envelope for customers and reduces their air-
conditioning costs. This program focuses on providing not only energy
savings but considerations for how these upgrades impact health,

comfort, and safety, which has implications for helping households better
regulate indoor air temperature during extreme heat.
| The Energy Commission’s Research and Development programs fund
several active projects that focus on improving building envelope
performance in both new constructions and retrofit situations. The
envelope improvements could reduce heating and air condition use in
homes. The projects build on completed research projects that promote
cool surfaces and technologies, focus on reducing actions that increase
heat risk and reduce indoor heat exposure, increase load flexible
buildings to mitigate extreme heat (EPC-19-043, Advanced Energy-
efficient and Fire-resistive Envelope Systems Utilizing Vacuum Insulation
for Manufactured Homes. EPC-19-033, Demonstrating Benefits of Highly
Insulating Thin-Triple Window Retrofits in California. PIR-18-007, Phase
Change Material-Enhanced Insulation for Residential Exterior Wall Retrofits.
EPC-19-035, Advancing Energy Efficiency in Manufactured Homes Through
High Performance Envelope.
Natural Resources Agency| Public Utilities Commission | Labor Workforce and
Development Agency; Department of Industrial Relations Division of Occupational
Health and Safety | Governor’s Office of Emergency Services | Environmental
Protection Agency; California Air Resources Board

Support local governments with the integration of extreme heat mitigation
actions in general plan and housing element updates.
• The 2020 Integration Concepts for General Plan Updates or Other Local
Planning Activities outlines concepts for integrating various policy topics
and new requirements into General Plan updates, housing element
updates, or other local planning updates. This Technical Advisory highlights
the importance of extreme heat mitigation for housing in vulnerable
communities.
Agencies: Governor’s Office of Planning and Research; Planning and Policy |
Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency; Housing and Community
Development

Support regional sustainable communities’ strategies, including the mitigation of
urban heat island effect through the Sustainable Transportation Planning Grants
Program. Extreme heat mitigation planning activities are included in these
grants at the discretion of the applicant in their planning efforts, for instance as
part of a comprehensive adaptation plan or sustainable mobility plan.
Agency: State Transportation Agency; Caltrans

TRACK C - GOAL 2, E5: Drive residential heat resilience through building code
updates.
• The 2019 California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen) includes
voluntary reach codes for both residential and non-residential projects,
including specific pavement options to reduce the heat island effect
of sidewalks, patios, driveways, and parking lots. Reach codes can be
adopted by local jurisdictions to strengthen their building codes.
• The 2022 Energy Code Update encourages the installation of highly efficient
electric heat pumps as a baseline technology. Heat pump heating,
ventilation, and air conditioning equipment provide an affordable cooling
option that also reduces harmful air pollution associated with gas usage.
The 2022 Energy Code Update also expands the solar and battery storage
standards to certain building types. Battery storage coupled with solar are
an important resilience strategy.
Agencies: Government Operations Agency; Building Standards Commission |
Natural Resources Agency; Energy Commission

Support indoor living and caretaking facilities for vulnerable populations, such
as aging and disabled populations, infants, and children.
• The Department of Social Services Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly
Manual of Policies and Procedures mandates that Residential Care Facilities
for the Elderly and Continuing Care Retirement Communities have minimum
and maximum temperature thresholds and allow residents to adjust
temperature.
• The Department of Public Health’s Center for Health Care Quality enforces
state and federal regulations to keep Skilled Nursing Facilities and other
healthcare facilities at a comfortable and safe temperature.
• The Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing Division
regulates inspections on childcare facilities licensed by the Division.
These facilities must maintain minimum and maximum temperatures in
indoor rooms.
Agency: Health and Human Services Agency; Department of Social Services,
Department of Public Health

Bolster correctional facilities’ resilience to extreme heat events.
• The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation requires that all
facilities have a heat plan protocol to help reduce the harm to staff and
incarcerated populations from extreme conditions.
Agency: Government Operations Agency; Department of General Services,
Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

Recommended Actions

Support climate-smart planning in heat-vulnerable schools.
• Invest in net zero energy and zero carbon sustainability planning in
California’s K-12 public school districts located in heat-vulnerable
communities; facilitate meaningful student involvement through education,
data collection and information sharing.
• Provide support and technical assistance for sustainability planning to tribal
schools.
Agencies: Government Operations Agency; Department of General Services
Division of the State Architect | Department of Education; Board of Education |
Natural Resources Agency; Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

Consider allowing or requiring HVAC systems to be designed and installed to
meet higher design temperatures aligning with projected future temperatures
from climate modeling, rather than historic temperatures.
• This would require the Energy Commission to develop increased
performance standards in the California Energy Code for extreme heat
performance that would require manufacturers to meet the new standards
with their equipment. This would result in new buildings that still provide
sufficient cooling for public health during extreme heat events.
Agencies: Natural Resources Agency; Energy Commission | Government Operations
Agency; Department of General Services, Building Standards Commission

Administer and support enforcement of the California Green Building
Standards Code.
• Promote building standards that integrate design features such as water
efficiency and conservation, air quality, sustainable or cooling materials,
and other measures which mitigate the urban heat island effect.
• Work with local building officials to help ensure housing development and
construction are compliant with CALGreen to mitigate the health risks of
extreme heat events in residential housing.
Community Development | Government Operations Agency; Building Standards
Commission | Natural Resources Agency; Energy Commission

Review and incorporate changes to land use, design elements, and building
codes to identify opportunities that accelerate the adoption of cooling
strategies.

• Assist local governments in pursuing planning and development standards
that significantly contribute to reducing greenhouse gases (such as zoning
for high-density housing, infill, transit-oriented development, and transit
corridors) and adapting to climate impacts including urban heat island
effects.
• Promote energy conservation through Housing Element compliance to
ensure local governments include an analysis of opportunities for energy
conservation regarding residential development; and incorporate the
latest research and strategies into Housing Element review and technical
assistance regarding land-use planning for energy conservation;
conservation incentives for the building industry and residents; and
promoting green-building and energy-efficient standards and practices.
• Ensure local jurisdictions with disadvantaged communities incorporate
environmental justice into their housing elements as required by SB 1000.
• Provide outreach and technical assistance to local government jurisdictions
seeking to adopt Pro-housing Designation Program policies which
implement climate adaptation, hazard mitigation, and land-use efficiency.
• Incorporate climate adaptation and resilience strategies or metrics into the
Regional Early Action Planning Grant Program.
• Utilize Cool Color Technology in exterior building finishes. The CALGreen
Code has a voluntary code Section A5.106.7.2 Opaque wall areas which
if adopted locally would require wall surfaces to have a minimum of Solar
Reflectance Index (SRI) 25 (aged). Consider making this mandatory in areas
most affected by extreme heat events. This would require manufacturers
to meet these standards with their exterior finish systems. This would require
work with manufacturers, reference standards organizations and interested
parties and stakeholders.
• Further improve building envelope performance to better resist extreme
heat and increasing temperatures by increasing insulation value, glazing
performance, window shading device performance, and requiring thermal
breaks eliminating thermal bridging through building framing, glazing,
doors, etc. This would require the Energy Commission to develop increased
performance standards in the California Energy Code to require increased
insulation values, higher performing glazing and thermal breaks building
systems. The Energy Commission would need to work with manufacturers,
interested parties and stakeholders.
• Explore opportunities to improve thermal comfort in public spaces through
relevant codes and regulations, particularly in heat-vulnerable communities.
Community Development | Government Operations Agency; Building Standards
Commission, Division of the State Architect | Natural Resources Agency; Coastal
Commission | Department of Education; Board of Education

Advise partners on opportunities to increase heat resilience in collaborative
projects within both the built and natural environment.
Agency: Natural Resources Agency and all relevant Departments, Conservancies,
Commissions, and Boards

Explore the feasibility of implementing residential air temperature requirements.
Community Development | Natural Resources Agency; Energy Commission |
Government Operations Agency; Building Standards Commission

Develop “Cool Communities” model ordinances that local governments
can adopt in their building code to implement residential air temperature
requirements and provide related technical assistance to tribal governments.
• If these ordinances were adopted, they would require that newly
constructed buildings or alterations of existing buildings requiring building
permits include treatments to prevent and reduce heat exposure, such as
cool roofs, requirements for air conditioning in top floor living spaces with
multiple stories, greening/shade, insulation, low impact development, etc.
• Provide outreach and technical assistance to tribal governments about
“Cool Communities” practices and potential criteria for newly constructed
buildings and alterations of existing buildings requiring building permits.
Agency: Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency; Housing and
Community Development

Support installation of insulation, heat pump HVAC equipment, and facility-level
clean backup generation (e.g., microgrid) at designated heat shelter facilities in
tribal communities and communities most vulnerable to extreme heat events.
Commission

Explore implementation of indoor and outdoor heat exposure rules for schools.
Agencies: Department of Education; Board of Education | Government Operations
Agency; Building Standards Commission | Natural Resources Agency; Energy
Commission

Track C - Goal 3: Invest in cool buildings and surfaces
Established Actions

Examine and expand the use of cool, porous, or sustainable materials in
pavement.
• California has required state buildings to be Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design certified since 2004. This certification requirement
discourages state facilities from increasing paved surfaces, including new
parking and roadway, and encourages community green space. While
Caltrans has not developed a specification for cool, porous, and sustainable
pavements, the Department advanced the practices of recycling and
sustainability through the expanded usage of porous pavements. The
Department has also built two pavements that converted dark pavement
to white pavement and is exploring how to utilize cool pavements in
urban parking lots. This action was called for in the 2013 Report and
• The California Green Buildings Standards Code includes voluntary code
Section A5.106.11.1: hardscape alternatives, that has strategies for site
hardscape alternatives and references American Society for Testing
and Materials E1918 or C1549. Once Caltrans completes the standard
specification for sustainable or cool pavements pursuant to AB 296 (2012),
the Building Standards Commission will consider it for adoption in CALGreen.
These updates could consider mandating these in areas affected by urban
heat islands, including any standard specifications for cool or sustainable
pavements developed by Caltrans or the Department of General Services,
as well as any other appropriate updates for urban greening, hardscape
standards, or cool roofs. This action was called for in the 2013 Report and
implementation is not complete.

Agencies: State Transportation Agency; Caltrans | Governor’s Office of Planning
and Research; Planning and Policy | Government Operations Agency; Department
of General Services, Building Standards Commission | Environmental Protection
Agency

Support communities in expanding energy assurance.
Current energy assurance programs and resources administered by the state
include:
• The Low-Income Weatherization Program invests in low-income households
to provide weatherization services that can protect from extreme heat, and
energy efficiency services to enable more affordable and effective cooling
(including HVAC, heat pumps, and solar photovoltaic system upgrades).
| The Energy Efficiency and Demand Response programs integrate the
energy efficiency and demand response functions of smart thermostats
to address summer peak load and keep customers comfortable. Several
programs provide incentives for smart thermostats and the Public Utilities
Commission is also investigating smart demand response programs in the
Extreme Weather rulemaking.
| The Self-Generation Incentive Program, the Disadvantaged Communities
– Single-family Solar Homes program, and the Solar on Multifamily
Affordable Housing Program focus on low-income energy resource
distribution. These programs provide incentives for the installation of solar
and storage on a variety of low-income housing types.
| The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program provides low-income
households financial assistance to meet immediate residential heating
and/or cooling needs. The program also provides HVAC repair and
replacement, and weatherization services that address energy efficiency
and health and safety.
| The Weatherization Assistance Program helps reduce energy usage and
costs by providing services intended to improve energy efficiency in the
homes of eligible low-income households.
| The California Conservation Energy Corps Program provides free energy
surveys and retrofits for schools and public agencies, including ventilation
and air conditioning.
• The 2013 Report recommended the expansion of the California Local Energy
Assurance Planning Program. The implementation of this action has not
been completed, as the Program was discontinued.
Agencies: Health and Human Services Agency; Department of Community Services
and Development | Natural Resources Agency; Conservation Corps | Public Utilities
Commission

Recommended Actions

Develop and implement a program to accelerate protection of low-income
households in disadvantaged communities across the state that are impacted
by extreme heat.
• Provide for the direct installation of new heat pump HVAC equipment and
retrofits of existing air-conditioning systems, and complementary efficiency
measures where needed, in existing residential single family or multifamily
buildings. Work directly with existing local and statewide affordable housing
providers, tribal governments and tribal designated housing entities. The
direct install approach will facilitate quick program roll-out and the ability
to leverage installation infrastructure already in place for a variety of local,
regional, and statewide programs.
Commission | Environmental Protection Agency; California Air Resources Board |
Housing and Financing Agency | Health and Human Services Agency; Department
of Community Services and Development | Business, Consumer Services and
Housing Agency; Housing and Community Development | Government Operations
Agency; Building Standards Commission

Assess and address the unique outdoor water needs for extreme heat events at
institutions such as schools and other community gathering places.
• Support Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance implementation. Offer
technical assistance support to tribal governments seeking to adopt similar
ordinances. The ordinance was created as a model for local agencies
to enforce minimum standards in landscape design, construction, and
management. It achieves this through specific requirements related to soil,
plants, irrigation, stormwater, and non-potable water supplies.
Agencies: Environmental Protection Agency; State Water Resources Control Board |
Natural Resources Agency; Department of Water Resources | State Transportation
Agency; High-Speed Rail Authority

Provide funding for additional heat pump HVAC equipment to low-income
Californians as part of the Technology and Equipment for Cool Heating (TECH)
Initiative.
• This equipment provides air conditioning in summer and space heating in
winter without relying on natural gas.
Agency: Public Utilities Commission

TRACK C - GOAL 3, R4: Provide funding for external awnings, in coordination with
the Electric Program Investment Charge and Emerging Technology Programs.
• Awnings can reduce heat impacts at a relatively low cost, reducing indoor
air temperatures and facilitating less space cooling. These benefits deliver
reduced GHG emissions and peak demand caused by air conditioning load
spikes.
Commission

Support Electric Program Investment Charge Research and Development on
highly efficient building envelope retrofits.
• These retrofits have the potential to lower peak energy demand during
extreme high-heat events while maintaining occupant comfort.
Agency: Natural Resources Agency; Energy Commission
TRACK C - GOAL 3, R6: Streamline the permitting, inspection, and approval

processes for the installation of high-efficiency heat pump HVAC equipment
across the State.
• This action can be advanced through grants and incentives to local building
departments who can speed the approval of permits and inspections for
high efficiency heat pump HVAC equipment in existing buildings.
Commission

Support buildings built to Passive House standards.
• Passive House designs can reduce energy consumption in buildings more
than 75% beyond current California Building Standards Code and more
than 95% beyond existing California building stock. Passive House focuses on
high efficiency windows and insulation, as well as the elimination of thermal
bridging and other tight building envelope measures. Passive House design
is currently estimated to result in buildings that are 7-13% more expensive,
but the resulting energy and broader environmental savings far outweigh
the costs. Additionally, incentives for more Passive House construction could
transform the market and lead to price decreases beyond what is prevalent
today.
Commission

Track C - Goal 4: Utilize science-based frameworks
and tools
Established Actions

Conduct research to assess life-cycle costs and benefits associated with higher-
albedo pavement.
• Lifecycle and Co-Benefits of Cool Pavements (2017) was prepared for the
California Air Resources Board and the Environmental Protection Agency
by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California
Pavement Research Center, University of Southern California, and Thinkstep,
Inc. This action was called for in the 2013 Report and implementation is
completed.
Agencies: State Transportation Agency; Caltrans | Environmental Protection
Agency; California Air Resources Board

Provide science-based guidance on cool pavements.
• Caltrans has developed a Cool Pavements Handbook and has conducted
cool pavement pilot projects (as required by AB 296).
Agency: State Transportation Agency; Caltrans

Quantify the impact of increased temperatures on electric grid operation.
• The Public Utilities Commission is developing synthetic hourly climate data
corresponding to 1.5,2, or 3 degree Celsius future for the entire Western
Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) footprint that can be used to
quantify the impact of climate change on the operation of the electric grid.
Pilot studies using this approach show the impact of climate change on the
operation of electric substation transformers due to extreme heat.

• The Public Utilities Commission is also building an analogous model for the
existing historical hydropower assumptions going into the Public Utilities
Commission’s forecasting to capture the impacts of climate change.

Quantify the equity and resiliency impacts of electricity infrastructure
investments.
• The Public Utilities Commission is developing a regulatory and analytical
framework for quantitatively assessing the impacts of alternative electricity
infrastructure investments on resiliency and equity outcomes.
Recommended Actions

Study the impacts of mitigations to the built environment on reducing health
effects from high heat in California.
• Examine mitigation measures in the built environment to reduce urban
heat islands and heat effects generally such as cool surfaces, nature-based
solutions, including planting shade trees and increasing green spaces, as
well as weatherization.
• Understand changes in morbidities and mortalities due to heat-related
illness, as well as comfort and quality of life indicators; compare areas where
mitigations can be found and areas lacking these mitigations. Study the
effects of the different mitigations.
• Examine the impacts of different racial/ethnic and disadvantaged contexts
in communities and compare the frequency and efficacy of mitigation
measures in different communities.
• Examine the impact of urban heat islands on health, comfort, and quality
of life indicators, and examine results by race/ethnicity and other relevant
demographic indicators such as income.
Agency: Environmental Protection Agency; California Air Resources Board | Health
and Human Services Agency; Department of Public Health

Provide health data to support adoption of an indoor residential cooling
standard.

Convene a task force to assess effectiveness of built environment interventions,
including cool surface technologies.

In partnership with local and tribal communities, support pilot projects to explore
efficacy of built environment and nature-based interventions and to determine
which cooling strategies work best given local considerations.
• The Energy Commission’s Research and Development programs have
several planned research initiatives that focus on energy resiliency and cost-
effective building envelope upgrades to existing building and community
infrastructure and new construction. The projects build on completed
research projects that promote cool surfaces and technologies, focus on
reducing actions that increase heat risk and reduce indoor heat exposure,
and increase load flexible buildings to mitigate extreme heat.
• Utilize results from the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Urban
and Community Forestry Program, United States Department of Agriculture
Forest Service, and University of California Davis analysis of statewide urban
tree canopy cover data to inform high priority areas for investment in related
pilot projects and monitoring efforts.
Agency: Natural Resources Agency; Energy Commission, Department of Forestry
and Fire Protection

Action Track D:
Utilize Nature-based Solutions
When natural systems are healthy and resilient, they provide essential benefits
and services to people. Unhealthy landscapes have the opposite effect – they
release more greenhouse gases than they store, increase climate risks to people
and nature, and are more vulnerable to future climate change impacts.
Extreme heat and increasing temperatures compromise natural systems.
California is committed to supporting our natural systems to adapt and
promoting the expansion of nature-based climate solutions across the state.
Nature-based solutions can also increase resilience to the impacts of extreme
heat, cooling communities and providing strategic shade.
“Nature-based solutions” describe actions that work with and enhance nature to
help address societal challenges. This term is an umbrella concept used across
the world to describe a range of ecosystem-related approaches that protect
and restore nature to deliver multiple outcomes, including addressing climate
change, protecting public health, increasing equity, and protecting biodiversity.
California Native American tribes are the original stewards of all California lands
and waters since time immemorial. Tribal expertise and Traditional Ecological
Knowledges are place-based knowledges that have evolved in relationship
between the land and tribal communities over the millennia and provide
essential science to build climate resilience and contribute to achieving carbon
neutrality. Tribal expertise and Traditional Ecological Knowledges are essential
scientific components to Nature-Based Solutions and should inform efforts in this
space.
The actions in the Nature-based Solutions track are organized around three
goals:
1. Promote nature-based solutions to reduce extreme heat risks,
2. Support nature’s ability to withstand and adapt to increasing temperatures,
and
3. Reduce heat risk to water supply and systems.

Track D - Goal 1: Promote nature-based solutions to reduce
extreme heat risks
Established Actions
TRACK D - GOAL 1, E1:

Guide and accelerate nature-based climate solutions to build climate resilience
and contribute to achieving carbon neutrality.
• California released a Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy
in Spring 2022. It identifies land management actions that, among other
outcomes, help protect tribal and climate-vulnerable communities, improve
public health and safety, and expand economic opportunity. Many of these
land management strategies reduce risks from extreme heat and build
resilience to future temperature increases.
Agencies: Natural Resources Agency | Environmental Protection Agency |
Department of Food and Agriculture | Governor’s Office of Planning and Research;
Planning and Policy, Strategic Growth Council| Governor’s Office of Business and
Economic Development | State Transportation Agency | Public Utilities Commission
| Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency | Health and Human Services
Agency | Government Operations Agency | Labor Workforce and Development
Agency | Departments, Conservancies, Boards, and Commissions across agencies
TRACK D – GOAL 1, E2:

Partner with California Native American tribes to implement tribal expertise and
Traditional Ecological Knowledges to accelerate tribal nature-based climate
solutions that address extreme heat.
• Partnering with California Native American tribes on climate resilience
projects and supporting the study and implementation of tribal expertise
and Traditional Ecological Knowledges is a core commitment in the Natural
and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy, the Fifth California Climate
Change Assessment, and many other California policies and programs.

Agency: Natural Resources Agency | All relevant CNRA entities (Departments,
Conservancies, Boards, Commissions, etc.).

Utilize nature-based solutions as part of cooling strategies in public and private
spaces, including through planting trees, expanding greenspace, restoring
urban streams, and increasing public awareness of best practices to green
urban residential areas.
• The Urban and Community Forestry Program works to increase tree canopy
and vegetative solutions, and improve their management in communities
throughout California. This includes tree establishment care including
watering of trees and installation of water efficient irrigation. Projects in
disadvantaged communities can be endowed with additional post grant
maintenance funds to assist with long term success. The program supports
tree planting on both public and private property and allows for up to
20% of project budgets support engagement, education, and outreach.
The Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is tasked through Public
Resources Code to administer federal and state grants, technical assistance,
education, and outreach, and encourage best practices to be applied by
local governments and industry practitioners. This action was called for in
the 2013 Report and its implementation is ongoing.
• The Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Regional Urban Foresters
serve as primary contacts for urban forestry expertise, information, training,
and technical support for California’s communities. This action was called
for in the 2013 Report and its implementation is ongoing.
• The Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery’s Community
Composting for Green Spaces Grant Program provides funding to support
community groups operating small-scale composting programs in green
spaces within disadvantaged and low-income communities, and to utilize
the compost created to expand or improve publicly accessible green
spaces. This action was called for in the 2013 Report and its implementation
is ongoing.
• The Wildlife Conservation Board invested $48.5 million in six grants to restore
urban streams over the last three years, and the 2021-22 state budget
invested $50 million in urban stream restoration. This action was called for in
the 2013 Report and its implementation is ongoing.
• The High-Speed Rail Authority provided $2 million in funding for urban tree
planting within disadvantaged communities adjacent to the alignment. See
the 2021 Sustainability Report for additional details.
Agencies: Natural Resources Agency; Department of Forestry and Fire Protection,
Department of Water Resources, Department of Conservation, Wildlife Conservation
Board, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles
Rivers Conservancy | Health and Human Services Agency; Department of Public

Health | Environmental Protection Agency; State Water Resources Control Board,
Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery | State Transportation Agency;
Caltrans, High-Speed Rail Authority

Perform high-resolution tree canopy analysis of the state’s urban areas.
• This work is ongoing in partnership with University of California Davis and is
expected to be released in 2022-2023. This action was called for in the 2013
• The Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is currently conducting a
high-resolution tree canopy analysis of the state.
Agency: Natural Resources Agency; Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

Preserve, enhance, increase, and establish community green areas.
• The Urban Greening Grant Program funds projects that both establish and
enhance parks and open space and create more walkable and bike-able
communities.
• A number of Department of Parks and Recreation’s programs fund the
creation or improvement of recreational space:
• The Statewide Park Program creates new parks and recreation opportunities
in underserved communities across California.
| The Regional Park Program creates, expands, and improves regional
parks and regional park facilities.
| The Rural Recreation and Tourism Program creates new recreation
opportunities within rural communities to support health-related and
economic goals and increase active-transportation leading to more
physical activity and improved health.
| The Recreational Infrastructure Revenue Enhancement Program improves
and enhances local or regional park infrastructure.
Department of Parks and Recreation’s Per Capita Program provides
|
grants for local park rehabilitation, creation, and improvement to local

governments on a per capita basis.
Agencies: Natural Resources Agency; Department of Parks and Recreation

Scale nature-based solutions through transportation projects.
• The Environmental Enhancement and Mitigation Program funds
environmental enhancement and mitigation projects directly or indirectly
related to transportation projects. Project eligibility includes highway
landscape and urban forestry, resource lands, and roadside recreation.

Agencies: Natural Resources Agency | State Transportation Agency
Recommended Actions
TRACK D - GOAL 1, R1:

Partner with school districts, youth, and community-based organizations
to accelerate school greening projects in tribal and climate vulnerable
communities across the state.
Agencies: Natural Resources Agency; Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
| Department of Education | Department of Food and Agriculture |Government
Operations Agency; Department of General Services. Division of the State Architect

Utilize existing tools to strategically reduce risks of extreme heat through nature-
based climate solutions, such as the California Healthy Places Index: Extreme
Heat Edition and the California Heat Assessment Tool.
Agencies: All relevant agencies

Identify and implement opportunities to advance nature-based solutions,
particularly in communities most vulnerable to extreme heat and other climate
impacts.

Develop the State Water Resources Control Board’s framework for new water
efficiency standards, including the increasing of urban tree canopy for
Californians, especially in low-income, vulnerable communities.
• Promote climate-appropriate shade tree cover at schools and community
gathering places within the 2030 statewide water conservation framework
(AB 1668 & SB 606, 2018).
Agency: Environmental Protection Agency; State Water Resources Control Board

Promote increased use of green barriers between agricultural fields and
residences and schools to increase the area of permeable surfaces and green
space, while reducing the potential for offsite movement of pesticides, fertilizers,
and dust.
Agencies: Environmental Protection Agency; Department of Pesticide Regulation |
Department of Food and Agriculture | Natural Resources Agency |Department of
Education

Provide shade trees and maintenance information to utility customers in tribal
and disadvantaged communities that are vulnerable to extreme heat.
• Provide passive cooling in homes and neighborhoods, delivering improved
health outcomes, increased access to greenspace, and reduced air
conditioning load. It could be modeled after existing successful efforts, such
as SMUD’s shade tree program or Los Angeles’ City Plants initiative.
Agencies: Natural Resources Agency; Department of Forestry and Fire Protection |
Public Utilities Commission
TRACK D – GOAL 1, R7:

Invest in tribal sciences, including Traditional Ecological Knowledges.
• Invest in the study and implementation of tribally lead sciences, research,
and practices, including Traditional Ecological Knowledges, delivering on
robust tribally informed research and solutions for climate resilience and
addressing extreme heat.
Agency: Natural Resources Agency | All relevant CNRA entities (Departments,
Conservancies, Boards, Commissions, etc.).

Track D - Goal 2: Support nature’s ability to withstand and
adapt to increasing temperatures
Established Actions

Conserve 30% of California’s lands and coastal waters by 2030.
• Our 30x30 goal recognizes that we must act now to protect California’s
biodiversity, address climate change, and achieve a California for All.
The Pathways to 30x30 document will be finalized in early 2022. Progress
toward achieving this goal will be tracked through the California Nature
Geographic Information System.
Agency: Natural Resources Agency | Department of Food and Agriculture

Promote climate smart agricultural practices that build resilience to extreme
heat.
• The California Healthy Soils Program incentivizes farmers and ranchers to
transition to agricultural management practices that have a multitude of
benefits to farms and society. Healthy soils improve resilience to extreme
heat by increasing the moisture holding capacity of soils and allowing roots
to better penetrate to access that moisture.
• The Conservation Planning Program funds development of plans to support
climate smart management of agricultural lands in California. Among other
outcomes, implementation of these plans will reduce risks of extreme heat
and other climate risks to California’s food supply and economy.
• The State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) provides
financial assistance in the form of grants to implement irrigation systems
that reduce greenhouse gases and save water on California agricultural
operations. Projects installed through the SWEEP allow growers to respond to
times of extreme heat and crop stress with precise and efficient irrigations.


Support environmental restoration and conservation efforts that protect natural
systems from the impacts of extreme heat.
• Many restoration and conservation programs reduce risks and/or build
resilience to increasing temperatures for the benefit of California’s unique
biodiversity. These include but are not limited to riparian restoration that
cools aquatic habitat; climate refugia conservation; investments that result
in cooler water temperatures, such as streamflow enhancement and dam
removal; controlling stream bank erosion that allows water to warm faster;
and more.
• The 2015 State Wildlife Action Plan is a blueprint for conserving ecosystems
across the state. The document and associated sector plans identify
conservation strategies and actions to address multiple stressors, including
the effects of increased temperatures due to climate change.
Agencies: Natural Resources Agency; Department of Forestry and Fire Protection,
Department of Parks and Recreation; Department of Fish and Wildlife; Tahoe
Conservancy
Recommended Actions

Support forest health and mountain meadow restoration projects that retain
mountain snowpack and support water storage.
• Mountain snowpack plays a key role in the water cycle, storing water in
winter months and releasing it as runoff in spring and summer. Extreme
heat will lead to less snow, earlier snow melt, increased evaporation, and
potentially warmer surface water, adversely impacting the water available
for wildlife, hydropower, irrigation, and drinking water. Extreme heat also
results in earlier snowmelt, which accelerates the start of wildfire season and
contributes to more extreme wildfire activity.
Agency: Natural Resources Agency; Department of Fish and Wildlife, Wildlife
Conservation Board, Sierra Nevada Conservancy, Tahoe Conservancy

Support projects that plan for and implement infrastructure improvements at
recreational sites to prepare for extreme heat.
• Extreme heat events lead to added pressure on recreational sites in forests
and on rivers, lakes, streams, and beaches as people seek places to escape
high temperatures. Plan for and implement infrastructure improvements at
recreational sites to mitigate impacts from overuse, provide better conditions
and improved safety for people visiting these natural places, and protect
biodiversity and habitats.

• Identify opportunities to coordinate and collaborate with local jurisdictions
and conservancies, community partners, and other organizations on efforts
to implement infrastructure improvements at recreational sites.
Agency: Natural Resources Agency; Sierra Nevada Conservancy, Tahoe
Conservancy, Department of Fish and Wildlife, Wildlife Conservation Board, Coastal
Commission, San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission,
State Coastal Conservancy, Department of Parks and Recreation, State Lands
Commission

Identify opportunities to implement strategies on state lands that support
extreme heat preparedness and resiliency.
• Convene an annual meeting with partner agencies and entities to identify
strategies on state lands that support extreme heat preparedness and
resiliency, then create implementation plan.
• Engage in community outreach and provide educational resources for
lessees and trustees about how they can incorporate cooling strategies
in their activities, operations, and infrastructure. Encourage lessees and
trustees to implement such strategies in their activities, operations, and
infrastructure.
• Utilize ongoing research and experiments, such as forest treatments utilized
by Demonstration State Forests, to inform management practices.
• Create, evaluate, and adapt lease terms and conditions that require
incorporation of cooling strategies into lease activities, operations, and
infrastructure.
Agency: Natural Resources Agency; State Lands Commission, Department of Parks
and Recreation, Department of Fish and Wildlife, Coastal Commission, Department
of Forestry and Fire Protection

Promote access to beaches, coastal areas, and inland waterways that can
provide refuge from extreme heat events for heat-vulnerable residents.
• A disproportionate number of disadvantaged populations live in inland
areas that are more prone to extreme heat. Many indigenous people
were forcibly moved away from their ancestral lands on the coast. Access
projects could include campgrounds and cabins, trails, parking lots,
restrooms, etc. along with efforts to reduce barriers to coastal access, such
as shuttles, field trip programs, and reservation programs. Access projects
could also include projects to provide tribal members access to their
ancestral coastal lands.
• Engage and consult with tribes who may lack access to ancestral coastal
territories to identify opportunities to promote access to beaches and
coastal areas.

Agency: Natural Resources Agency; Department of Parks and Recreation,
State Coastal Conservancy, Coastal Commission, Wildlife Conservation Board,
Commission, San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, State
Lands Commission

Identify species, habitats, and ecosystems that are critically vulnerable to
extreme heat events and areas that may act as refugia, and connectivity
between these areas of refuge, to support biodiversity conservation.
• Implement a climate-biodiversity sensor network (weather stations and
ecological sensors), to measure and forecast vulnerability; include
Department of Fish and Wildlife-owned or -managed lands and facilities in
the assessment.
• Expand and accelerate aquatic stressor monitoring and tracking through
on-the-ground field surveys, remote imaging (e.g. via drones), and
enhanced GIS mapping capabilities.
• Monitor species within intertidal areas, which are vulnerable to extreme heat
during low tides. Focus initial monitoring efforts on Marine Protected Areas.
Agency: Natural Resources Agency; Department of Fish and Wildlife

Prioritize conservation and restoration of established and potential climate
change refugia, considering migration, range shifts, and connectivity to support
biodiversity.

Improve understanding of the link between elevated temperature and stream
ecology.
Natural Resources Agency; Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation Board

Incorporate guidance in grant guidelines that direct applicants to best available
information on how extreme heat might impact and be mitigated for restoration
projects.
Natural Resources Agency; Department of Parks and Recreation, Department of Fish
and Wildlife

Improve understanding of the link between elevated future temperatures and
changes to California’s carbon stocks.
Agency: Environmental Protection Agency; California Air Resources Board

Build resilience of our food system through assessing cropping systems’
vulnerability to extreme heat.
• Investigate which crops have seen significant damage in yield levels or
quality due to heat waves.
• Assess the potential and likelihood of mitigation through variety selection,
crop breeding, equipment, or infrastructure changes.
• Discuss which outreach efforts could enable effective responses.
• Invest in publicly funded research for heat tolerant, drought tolerant, and
climate resilient plant varieties that support a resilient food system and food
security for all Californians.

Improve management of surface water temperatures to reduce fish mortality
and improve watershed and ecosystem health in the Bay-Delta watershed.
• Focus on the Sacramento River and Water Rights Order 90-5 compliance
and emphasis on development of robust modeling and data to inform
decisions, early and transparent planning, collaborative solutions, and
where appropriate, consideration of additional, voluntary options that
balance multiple beneficial uses.

Support small, underserved farmers and urban centers through Integrated
Pest Management technical assistance and outreach, as part of California’s
commitment to advancing sustainable pest management.
• Integrated pest management is an ecosystem-based pest management
strategy focused on prevention of pests or their damage through techniques
such as biological control and the use of resistant varieties of plants or
materials.
Agencies: Department of Food and Agriculture | Environmental Protection Agency;
Department of Pesticide Regulation

Track D - Goal 3: Reduce heat risk to water supply and
systems
Established Actions

Reduce climate risks to drinking water, including increasing temperatures.
• The Human Right to Water Tool provides information about the vulnerability
of the state’s community water systems to potential water outages, and the
California Drinking Water Needs Assessment identifies small water systems
and domestic wells that are failing or at risk of failing to provide access to
safe drinking water.
• The Drinking Water Intended Use Plan and Clean Water Intended Use Plan
describe the State Water Resources Control Board’s plans for implementing
the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and Clean Water State Revolving
Fund programs that finance infrastructure improvements to mitigate drinking
water risks, support the human right to water, and protect and improve
water quality.
Assessment, State Water Resources Control Board

Support environmental restoration and conservation efforts that protect water
supply and quality from the impacts of extreme heat.
• The State Water Resource Control Board’s 2022 Strategic Work Plan includes
consideration for surface water temperature, which plays a key role in
reducing fish mortality, improving watershed and ecosystem health, and
increasing forest health, which can protect water quality and aquatic
habitat.
• The Wildlife Conservation Board’s Stream Flow Enhancement Program funds
projects that enhance flow in streams to support anadromous fish; support
special-status, threatened, endangered, or at-risk species; and provide
resilience to climate change.
Natural Resources Agency; Tahoe Conservancy; Wildlife Conservation Board
Recommended Actions

Promote green urban stormwater infrastructure to maximize groundwater
infiltration and storage.
• Groundwater is less vulnerable to extreme heat impacts than surface
storage. Green urban stormwater infrastructure can provide cooling along
with water quality and groundwater recharge benefits.
Natural Resources Agency; Department of Water Resources

Promote sustainable forest health conditions that protect water quality and
aquatic habitat, tribal beneficial uses, reduce fire risk, and increase water
yields through coordinated forestry planning activities and the development
of waste discharge requirements or waivers for private and federal lands forest
management activities.

resources.ca.gov
April 2022

2022 Final Extreme Heat Action Plan

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2022 Final Extreme Heat Action Plan

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Protecting Californians

From Extreme Heat:

Thank you to the numerous partners who contributed to this plan.

This Action Plan is located on the

Protecting Californians From Extreme Heat c

Protecting Californians From Extreme Heat i

What is Extreme Heat and What are its Impacts?

1 Bedsworth, L., D. Cayan, G. Franco, L. Fisher, S. Ziaja. (California Governor’s Office of

Protecting Californians From Extreme Heat 1

Updating California’s Response

2 Protecting Californians From Extreme Heat

Legend: How to Read the Action Plan

Protecting Californians From Extreme Heat 3

Action Track A: Build Public Awareness and Notification 5

TRACK A - GOAL 1, E1:

6 Protecting Californians From Extreme Heat

TRACK A - GOAL 1, R1:

Action Track A: Build Public Awareness and Notification 7

TRACK A - GOAL 1, R2:

TRACK A - GOAL 1, R3:

8 Protecting Californians From Extreme Heat

TRACK A - GOAL 2, E1:

Action Track A: Build Public Awareness and Notification 9

TRACK A - GOAL 2, E2:

TRACK A - GOAL 2, E3:

TRACK A - GOAL 2, E4:

10 Protecting Californians From Extreme Heat

TRACK A - GOAL 2, E5:

TRACK A - GOAL 2, E6:

Action Track A: Build Public Awareness and Notification 11

TRACK A - GOAL 2, E7:

12 Protecting Californians From Extreme Heat

TRACK A - GOAL 2, E8:

TRACK A - GOAL 2, E9:

Action Track A: Build Public Awareness and Notification 13

TRACK A - GOAL 2, R1:

TRACK A - GOAL 2, R2:

TRACK A - GOAL 2, R3:

14 Protecting Californians From Extreme Heat

TRACK A - GOAL 3, E1:

Action Track A: Build Public Awareness and Notification 15

TRACK A - GOAL 3, E3:

16 Protecting Californians From Extreme Heat

TRACK A - GOAL 3, R1:

TRACK A - GOAL 3, R2:

Action Track A: Build Public Awareness and Notification 17

Action Track B: Strengthen Community Services and Response 19

TRACK B - GOAL 1, E1:

20 Protecting Californians From Extreme Heat

TRACK B - GOAL 1, E2:

TRACK B - GOAL 1, R1:

Action Track B: Strengthen Community Services and Response 21

TRACK B - GOAL 2, E1:

TRACK B - GOAL 2, E2:

22 Protecting Californians From Extreme Heat

TRACK B - GOAL 2, E4:

TRACK B - GOAL 2, E5:

Action Track B: Strengthen Community Services and Response 23

TRACK B - GOAL 2, E6: