Long Beach
City Scorecard Rank
27
Long Beach, CA
40.50Scored out of 100Updated 10/2020
Community-Wide Initiatives
Score: 2.5 out of 15 points
Community-Wide Summary List All
The City of Long Beach is currently in the process of developing its first Climate Action and Adaption Plan.
Last updated: September 2021
Community-Wide Climate Mitigation and Energy GoalsList All
Climate Mitigation Goal
The city does not have a community-wide greenhouse gas reduction goal, but has released a memo detailing reduction goals that may be included in its Climate Action and Adaption Plan.
Long Beach has conducted one greenhouse gas inventory for the year 2015.
Energy Reduction Goal
We did not find information regarding a community-wide energy reduction goal for the city.
Renewable Energy Goal
We did not find information regarding a community-wide renewable energy goal for the city.
Last updated: September 2021
Equity-Driven Approaches to Clean Energy Planning, Implementation, and EvaluationList All
Equity-Driven Community Engagement
As part of the city's Climate Action and Adaptation Plan outreach process, the city made direct outreach in marginalized communities and conducted outreach in Spanish and Khmer.
Equity-Driven Decision-Making
We were unable to determine if the city has created a formal role for marginalized community residents or local organizations representing those communities to participate in decision-making that affects the creation or implementation of a local energy, sustainability, or climate action plan.
Equity Accountability Measures
We were unable to determine whether the city has adopted specific goals, metrics, or protocols to track how multiple energy, sustainability, or climate action initiatives are affecting local marginalized groups.
Last updated: September 2021
Clean Distributed Energy ResourcesList All
The Port of Long Beach created the Energy Island Initiative, which sets goals of consuming energy from clean sources and installing local, distributed energy with microgrid connectivity. Through the initiative, solar panels have been installed on port facilities and a microgrid is being constructed.
Last updated: September 2021
Mitigation of Heat Islands List All
UHI Mitigation Goal
The I Dig Long Beach initiative set goals to plant 6,000 trees by 2020 and 10,000 trees by 2022.
UHI Policies and Programs
The City of Long Beach has passed a Low-Impact Development Ordinance, which requires all new developments and redevelopments that replaces more than 50% of the existing structure to incorporate low-impact development techniques.
Chapter 5.7 of the Southeast Area Specific Plan offers density bonuses to properties in exchange for land conservation measures.
Last updated: September 2021
Buildings Policies
Score: 14 out of 30 points
Buildings Summary List All
The City of Long Beach complies with the energy codes and efficiency standards set by the State of California and California Energy Commission. The city has passed EV-ready requirements. The city also offers incentives and financing options for energy efficiency upgrades and solar installation.
Last updated: June 2021
Building Energy CodesList All
Overview
The State of California requires all buildings to comply with statewide energy codes but allows local jurisdiction to adopt their own more stringent codes. The California Energy Commission is responsible for updating the state’s code.
Commercial
Commercial buildings in Long Beach must comply with CalGreen. The city’s zEPI score for their commercial energy code is 49.1.
Residential
Residential buildings in Long Beach must comply with CalGreen. The city’s zEPI score for their residential energy code is 58.1.
Solar-readiness policies
The California Energy Commission mandates that all new commercial and residential developments incorporate solar-ready infrastructure. The commission also adopted standards requiring solar systems on new home construction.
EV-charging readiness and infrastructure policies
The city amended its code to include a provision requiring 25% of parking spaces be EV-ready and 5% to be currently EV-capable.
Low-energy use requirements
The Green Building Policy for Municipal Buildings states new government buildings must achieve LEED standards.
Last updated: June 2021
Building Energy Code Compliance and EnforcementList All
Long Beach staffs two full-time employees solely dedicated to energy code enforcement. Long Beach Development Services conducts plan checks and field inspections. The service also provides upfront energy code training.
Last updated: June 2021
Policies Targeting Existing BuildingsList All
Commercial and multifamily benchmarking
Commercial and multifamily buildings comply with the California Energy Commission’s Energy Benchmarking Program.
Last updated: August 2021
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Workforce DevelopmentList All
The City of Long Beach has an active partnership with GRID Alternatives Greater Los Angeles (GRID). GRID's installation training programs offer experienced participants additional training to further develop their skills and prepare for opportunities in the solar jobs market. The City is strengthening its partnership with GRID through participation on the Renewables Accelerator.
Last updated: June 2021
Transportation
Score: 13 out of 30 points
Sustainable Transportation Planning List All
Sustainable Transportation Plan
The Long Beach Climate Action and Adaptation Plan includes a whole suite of transportation related strategies.
VMT/GHG Target and Stringency
At this time, the City does not have a codified vehicle miles traveled (VMT) or greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction target.
Progress Achieved Toward VMT/GHG Targets
We could not determine if the City tracks VMT or GHG numbers.
Last Updated: November 2021
Location Efficiency List All
Location Efficient Zoning Codes
Long Beach has a transit-oriented development code that applies to the downtown and midtown areas.
Residential Parking Policies
The city has reduced parking requirements in the downtown area to 1 space per unit.
Location Efficiency Incentives and Disclosure
The City does provide the state density bonus and provides incentives for sustainability features (i.e. greater height and FAR for LEED or solar) in the Downtown Plan area that is transit rich. It also has higher density allowances and requires mixed-use development in many portions of the Downtown and other areas with high quality transit, including the Midtown area.
Last Updated: November 2021
Mode Shift List All
Mode Shift Targets
The City has mode share goals specifically for biking. The goals as approved in the 2017 Bicycle Master Plan are: 10% of all trips by bike by 2027, 20% by 2037, and 30% by 2047.
Progress Achieved Toward Mode Shift Targets
The City measures ridership and safety metrics on a project by project basis, but does not currently measure citywide mode split beyond ACS data.
Complete Streets
The 2013 Mobility Element included a Complete Streets provision and the City has since implemented a Complete Streets Checklist to ensure capital projects are evaluated for potential active transportation and transit improvements.
Last Updated: November 2021
Public Transit List All
Transportation Funding
The transportation entities that serve the City of Long Beach have received $57,708,536.80 on average annually between 2015 and 2019. That equates to roughly $68.02 per capita between 2015 and 2019 within the Authority's service area.
Access to Transit Services
The Transit Connectivity Index measures transit service levels. It is based on the number of bus routes and train stations within walking distance for households scaled by frequency of service. The City of Long Beach's Transit Connectivity Index value is 8, scoring 1.5 points in the City Scorecard.
Last Updated: November 2021
Efficient VehiclesList All
Vehicle Purchase Incentives
Southern California Edison has a Clean Fuel Rewards Program. The State of California also has a Clean Vehicle Rebate Project.
Vehicle Infrastructure Incentives
The City of Long Beach has an Electric Charger Giveaway Program, an expedited permitting process for electric vehicle charger installation in single-family homes and owner-occupied units of multi-family residential projects with 4 units or less and promotes Southern California Edison’s Charge Ready Home Installation Rebate.
EV Charging
The City has 401 charging ports available for public use, equivalent to 86.7 ports per 100,000 people.
Electric School Bus Goal
Long Beach does not have an electric school bus goal.
EV Transit Bus Goal
The city has developed a plan to substantially lower its environmental impact over the next 10 years. 89% of the city fleet is currently alternatively-fueled including battery-electric buses (BEB), near-zero emission compressed natural gas buses, and gasoline-hybrid electric buses. The city's goal is to have a 100% alternatively-fueled fleet by the end of 2021.
Last Updated: November 2021
Freight System EfficiencyList All
Long Beach does not yet have a sustainable freight transportation plan in place. However, the City has done a lot to address freight efficiency. The Port of Long Beach has a comprehensive Clean Air Action Plan with strategies that address ships, trucks, trains, cargo-handling equipment, and harbor craft. The Port’s Transportation Planning Division uses several resources to increase freight efficiency, including the Transportation Master Plan Summary, Rail Study Update (RSU), Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Elasticity Study Phase II, SCAG Inland Port Report, Multi-County Goods Movement Action Plan (MCGMAP), and SCAG Comprehensive Regional Goods Movement Plan and Implementation Strategy. The City has also completed several projects to improve freight efficiency:
- Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement – New Bridge to span main channel (TCIF/SHOPP, $960 million)
- Ports Rail Realignment and Expansion Project – Project will enable Port to move 35 percent of goods via on-dock rail by 2035 (TCIF/TIGER III)
- Middle Harbor Redevelopment Project – Modernize two aging shipping terminals into one (Port Project, $1 billion)
- Eagle Rock Aggregate Terminal Project – POLB and Army Corps of Engineers lead agencies for proposed construction aggregate, sand, gravel, and granite import facility
- I-710 Corridor Improvement Study – Funding partner to analyze potential alternatives and/or improvements for this major freight corridor
Last Updated: November 2021
Clean, Efficient Transportation for Low-Income CommunitiesList All
Affordable New TOD Housing Policy
The City of Long Beach does incentivize and subsidize affordable housing in these areas through several incentives:
- Codified State Density Bonus Law
- Reduced parking requirements (AB744), allowing developers to request reduced minimum parking requirements within affordable housing projects near transit, and amends the parking ratio near affordable and senior housing to require no more than 0.5 parking spaces per unit (0.3 for public housing)
- Developer Impact Fee Waiver that the City imposes on new development throughout the City which are waived for affordable housing developments
- 2018 General Plan Land Use Element Update, as well as the Downtown and Midtown Specific Plans allow for additional compact, mixed-use development
The City subsidizes the creation and preservation of affordable housing in transit-served areas through both the Long Beach Community Investment Company (LBCIC) and through the Housing Authority.
Connecting Existing Affordable Housing Stock to Efficient Transportation Options
The City will roll out a reduced fare bike share program for income-sensitive riders in conjunction with the expansion of the bike share network in 2019. Eligibility criteria will include existing membership in any of the following 3 programs: CalFresh, Long Beach Housing Assistance, and Long Beach Gas and Oil Utility Assistance. A cash payment option will be added as well. Additionally, Long Beach Transit provides a discount fare for students, seniors, disabled patrons, and Medicare recipients. Additionally, if City Council chooses to extend the current e-scooter pilot program, it is expected that requirements will be established requiring vendors to offer options to low-income users. Lastly, the City does not have an EV car sharing program. Long Beach is working on it’s own income-sensitive program for its bike share program. Some of the e-scooter operators currently operating in Long Beach offer their own income-sensitive programs and the information can be found on their websites.
Last Updated: November 2021
Energy & Water Utilities
Score: 7 out of 15 points
Energy & Water Utilities Summary List All
Southern California Edison (SCE), an investor-owned utility (IOU), is the primary electric utility for the City of Long Beach. The primary natural gas supplier for Long Beach is Long Beach Energy Resources, a municipally-owned utility. The State of California requires spending and savings targets for its IOUs through an EERS and requires local government-utility partnerships through mandate by the California PUC. The municipally-run utilities are not required to meet the state EERS targets and report through the California Energy Commission. In 2021, California regulators updated state energy efficiency policies to focus on reducing carbon emissions. The state’s new rule rules value efficiency as a grid and decarbonization resource, encourage utilities to offer more programs that primarily serve communities of color and low-income residents, and encourage workforce development programs. To learn more about the state requirements for electric and gas efficiency, please visit the California page of the State Database.
The Long Beach Water Department (LBWD) is the municipal utility that provides the City of Long Beach with drinking water services, wastewater treatment, and stormwater management.
Last Updated: July 2021
Electricity and Natural Gas Efficiency SavingsList All
In 2019, Southern California Edison reported 395,423 MWh of net electric savings at the meter, which represents 0.47% of its retail sales across the utility’s entire service jurisdiction, not only Long Beach. In 2019, SCE spent $239,597,000 on energy efficiency programs, which represents 2.22% of its retail revenue.
In 2019, Long Beach Energy Resources reported no savings from natural gas efficiency programs. These savings figures cover the utility’s entire service jurisdiction, not just Long Beach.
SCE offers electric efficiency incentives and technical assistance to residential and business customers. Long Beach Energy Resources similarly offers natural gas efficiency tips to customers.
Through the Energy Leader Partnerships Program, SCE provides support to the City of Long Beach to identify and address energy efficiency opportunities in city-owned facilities, take actions supporting the California Long-Term Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan, and increase community awareness of demand side management (DSM) opportunities. Through this Partnership, SCE has supported the City in meeting long term sustainability goals in climate action planning, code compliance, reach codes, and other strategic plan initiatives.
The City has also leveraged the full range of demand side management programs and services, including energy efficiency rebates for residential and business customers, demand response programs, and information provided to their community for Income Qualified programs and services. Through the Partnership, the City has co-branded messaging with SCE to distribute through local communication channels. Long Beach also participated in the Southern California Regional Energy Network (SoCalREN) through which it works with other municipalities and utilities to achieve energy savings throughout Southern California.
Last Updated: July 2021
Low-Income & Multifamily EE Programs List All
Low-Income Programs
SCE offers the Energy Savings Assistance (ESA) Program to income-qualified customers, which provides appliance replacements. SCE partners with other utilities, community services and development organizations, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and local governments on their low-income efficiency program. SCE leverages funds from the California Community Services and Development Department, including Low Income Home Energy Assistance Funding and Low Income Weatherization Program funding.
In 2019, according to SCE, it achieved 47,430 MWh in savings, while spending $75,627,717 on its low-income program and served 95,406 households.
At this time, Long Beach Energy Resources does not offer energy efficiency programs targeted at low-income customers.
Multifamily Programs
The SCE Multifamily Energy Efficiency Rebate (MFEER) Program offers a variety of incentives for energy-saving products and services to motivate the multifamily property owners and managers to install energy efficient equipment in both common and dwelling areas of multifamily properties. The program integrates a direct install approach and offers select energy efficient measures at no-cost which can facilitate onsite assessments and encourage property owners to take advantage of rebates for more extensive improvements over time. The program targets all levels of multifamily buildings (i.e., low-income, affordable-to-moderate income, market-rate) include those located in Disadvantaged Communities.
In 2019, according to SCE, its multifamily program achieved 17,642 MWh savings, while spending $4,017,417 and serving 17,642 housing units in 81 multifamily properties.
At this time, Long Beach Energy Resources does not offer energy efficiency programs targeted at multifamily customers.
Last Updated: July 2021
Provision of Energy Data by UtilitiesList All
SCE provides building managers, contractors, and tenants with automated benchmarking data through ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. SCE provides energy usage data to the city who uses the data in their planning processes, yet this data is not made available to the public. SCE provides non-confidential, aggregated energy usage data to the local government and customers through its Energy Data reports. SCE releases certain high level aggregated data to the public for use in planning and evaluation. This data is aggregated by zip code for different rate classes (i.e., residential, commercial, industrial, and agriculture), and updated on a quarterly basis. Natural gas data is not available at the city-level.
The City of Long Beach does not advocate for better access to utility data for ratepayers or the establishment of data-sharing agreements between the city and its utilities.
Last Updated: August 2021
Decarbonization and Climate Change Mitigation Efforts of Energy UtilitiesList All
Utility Climate Mitigation Goal
In 2018, Southern California Edison’s Pathway 2045 set a goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045. To achieve this goal, SCE will need to reduce emissions by 3.7% annually from 2018 levels.
City-Led Efforts to Decarbonize the Electric Grid
In August 2020, the City of Long Beach decided to not move forward with establishing Community Choice Aggregation for the city. At this time, we cannot confirm if Long Beach participates in other activities or strategies to help spur or encourage more utility-scale or distributed renewable energy generation from its local electric utility.
Last Updated: July 2021
Efficiency Efforts in Water ServicesList All
Citywide Water Efficiency and Goals
Long Beach Water Department (LBWD) has partnered with Southern California Edison to cross-promote rebates offered by both entities, including promoting the Energy Star Rates Laundry Machine rebate program.
LBWD met its 2020 target of 107 gallons per capita per day and now aligns its water efficiency goals with the State of California legislation (SB 606 and AB 1668).
Water Plant Efficiency and Self-Generation
LBWD current efficiency initiatives include energy assessments, lighting retrofit, and EV-charging station installation. The department has a long-term goal to create an energy master plan. LBWD is also in the process of obtaining a green business certification through the Green Business Network of California.
The City of Long Beach only collects sewage and then sends it to Los Angeles County sewer mains. The Los Angeles County Sanitation District is the wastewater treatment agency. Some of their facilities have co-generation capability.
Last Updated: July 2021
Local Government Score:
4 out of 10 points
Local Government Climate and Energy Goals List All
The City of Long Beach is currently in the process of developing its first Climate Action and Adaptation Plan.
Climate Mitigation Goal
The proposed Climate Action and Adaptation Plan includes a goal of 5% emissions reduction annually.
Energy Reduction Goal
The proposed Climate Action and Adaptation Plan includes a goal to reduce natural gas use 5% below 2015 base year levels by 2030.
Renewable Energy Goal
The Plan also includes a goal to increase on-site solar energy capacity on municipal facilities to 2 megawatts. The City has also committed to purchasing 100% renewable electricity for all municipal accounts by 2030.
Last updated: June 2021
Procurement and Construction Policies List All
Fleet Policies and Composition
The City approved its Battery Electric Vehicle and Infrastructure Policy in May 2018. The policy states that conventionally fueled light-duty vehicles will be replaces by battery electric vehicles whenever possible for all departments and offices. City of Long Beach Fleet Services is currently developing a Sustainable Fleet Policy, which will be approved through Long Beach City Council. As part of the effort to develop the Sustainable Fleet Policy, the City will track the entire Fleet's emissions and fuel efficiency. Long Beach’s fleet is composed of 20% efficient vehicles, including hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery electric vehicles.
Public Lighting
The City of Long Beach has not currently formally adopted the lighting controls provisions of the Model Lighting Ordinance for outdoor and street lighting, or a similar policy requiring lights to be dimmed or completely extinguished when sufficient daylight is available. Sensor installation is ongoing. Long Beach has upgraded all 26,000 streetlights to LEDs.
Onsite and offsite renewable systems
Long Beach has installed 2.5 MW of solar on city facilities.
Inclusive procurement
We could not verify if the city has inclusive procurement and contracting processes used in energy projects.
Last updated: June 2021
Asset Management List All
Building Benchmarking
Long Beach benchmarks all municipal buildings through ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager.
Comprehensive Retrofit Strategy
The City of Long Beach is currently finalizing its Facilities Conditions Assessment which identifies the overall capital renewal, building integrity, deferred maintenance, code compliance and life safety deficiencies in each facility while providing cost estimates. The City of Long Beach Public Works Department is currently under construction for a comprehensive efficiency retrofit of one of the City’s major health facilities. The scope of work will include upgrades to major systems (i.e. lighting, HVAC, windows, doors, roof, etc). Since 2006, the City of Long Beach has participated in Southern California Edison’s Energy Leader Partnership. The program helps identify and address energy efficiency and Demand Response (DR) opportunities in municipal facilities, develop long-term energy and sustainability plans, and increase community awareness of Integrated Demand-Side Management (IDSM) opportunities. In addition, ELP supports cities in strategic initiatives and policy development in climate action planning, reach codes, benchmarking, and other longer-term objectives. While the program has sunset, the City continues to lead this initiative with partners to achieve the same goals of the program.
Last updated: June 2021