Napa County residents are invited to attend the inaugural Napa Climate Summit, “Moving Forward Faster,” on Wednesday, May 24, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Napa Valley College Performing Arts Center, 2277 Napa-Vallejo Highway (Highway 221), Napa.
This free community event is focused on regional infrastructure projects and government programs that can reduce climate pollutants and generate renewable energy.
“We need a climate summit in Napa County because we must move faster and do more to meet the climate crisis,” said St. Helena City Councilmember Anna Chouteau, who serves on the Napa County Climate Action Committee and is one of the event organizers. “More and more people understand the urgency. Leaders in all levels of government, private industries, nonprofits and schools are setting bigger and bolder goals moving us away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy. We can use this momentum by bringing people together to work on higher impact climate smart infrastructure projects.”
Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, and his staff will participate via video and in person. As Thompson has been quoted saying, “Climate change is one of the gravest threats we face today. We could get everything else right, but if we fail on climate, it’s all for nothing.” Two-thirds of the climate investments embedded in the Inflation Reduction Act — $250 billion worth — are built directly around Thompson’s GREEN Act.
“Our community is a leader on climate action, and the Napa Climate Summit is a big step in the right direction bringing people together who are taking climate action throughout Napa County,” he said.
Davina Hurt, vice chair of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the Bay Area’s representative on the California Air Resources Board, will give the keynote speech highlighting state and regional policies and resources to help local jurisdictions act.
There will also be panel presentations moderated by St. Helena and American Canyon city managers Anil Comelo and Jason Holley featuring projects such as the American Canyon wastewater treatment plant upgrades that will increase Napa County’s water supply, a public-private partnership between the city of Napa and Napa Recycling and Waste Services that will install technology to harvest methane from organic waste for vehicle fuel and electricity, Napa Valley Transportation Authority projects aimed at reducing emissions and congestion, methane capture opportunities Upvalley from Upper Valley Disposal Services, and expanded solar power at the Napa Sanitation District.
In addition, state Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, and representatives for Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, Thompson, and Marin Clean Energy will be on a panel moderated by Julia DeNatale of the Napa Valley Community Foundation on funding from federal, state, regional and local sources.
The event is hosted by Napa Climate NOW! and sponsored by PG&E. Napa Climate NOW! is a 501c3 community-based nonprofit organization formed by concerned citizens to advocate for smart climate solutions based on the latest climate science.
Co-coordinators Chouteau and Napa City Councilmember Beth Painter invite the community to attend.
“This is a pivotal moment if you are interested in climate actions and want to do more,” Painter said. “We have an incredible group of leaders showing up for the Napa Climate Summit. Ideas will be shared, and connections made with people who are going to make a difference.”
Register for this free event at napaclimatesummit.eventbrite.com.