Walnut Creek's Sustainability Accomplishments

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Climate change has significant impacts on our health, our economy, and our environment. Innovative sustainability initiatives are helping to lower our city's environmental impact.

In 2018, the City of Walnut Creek was honored with the Beacon Award from the Institute for Local Government (ILG). The Beacon Program recognizes local governments for their achievements in environmental stewardship and sustainability. It highlights cities and counties that have made significant strides in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving energy efficiency, and promoting sustainable practices.

Walnut Creek received Gold Level awards for both Community Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Sustainability Best Practices, demonstrating our dedication to making our community greener and more sustainable. We also earned a Silver Level award for Agency Energy Savings, which shows our commitment to using energy more efficiently.

The City of Walnut Creek is proud to be a leader in sustainability and is committed to taking action to preserve the quality of life for future generations. One important step that the City has taken is upgrading all City-owned buildings and facilities to MCE’s Deep Green 100% renewable electricity service. By using MCE’s Deep Green electricity, which comes from California solar and wind power, the City has eliminated all greenhouse gas emissions (an estimated 900 metric tons each year) from its facilities' electricity use.

Join us in protecting human health and addressing climate change by choosing MCE Deep Green electricity!

The City of Walnut Creek has prioritized programs to make our operations and facilities more efficient and effective. Read our 2020 Climate Action Plan Accomplishments report to see the awards that the City received for its environmental work and the climate-related projects that were recently completed.

Learn More about Sustainability Action Plan Implementation

Sustainability History:

Sustainability has been a priority for Walnut Creek’s City Council for over a decade, beginning with efforts in 2007 when the Council directed staff to conduct the City’s first greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory. This initiative led to the adoption of the City’s first Climate Action Plan (CAP) in 2012, marking a key milestone in the City's sustainability journey. In 2020, the City Council directed staff to update the CAP, expanding its focus to include actions addressing community-wide resilience.

These efforts culminated in the current Sustainability Action Plan (SAP), adopted in July 2023. The SAP builds upon the 2012 CAP and aligns with the latest state regulations and guidance, ensuring Walnut Creek remains a leader in sustainability efforts.

Recognizing continuous support from both the City Council and the community, Walnut Creek adopted a Climate Emergency Resolution in July 2023. This resolution acknowledges the urgent threat of climate change and reinforces the City’s commitment to addressing it proactively.

In September 2023, the Sustainability Division was formally established to lead the implementation of the SAP’s actions, further solidifying Walnut Creek’s commitment to sustainability and resilience as a long-standing City Council priority.

Transportation

Transportation is the City's largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, so the City is focused on building out more public and private electric vehicle (EV) chargers.

Five new electric vehicle chargers were installed in the City's downtown library garage in 2016.

In 2019, the City passed its first local building reach code requiring private developers to install EV chargers during certain types of new construction.
In 2020 and 2021, the City added 8 new chargers serving 15 parking spots at the Shadelands Art Center and 5 new EV chargers serving 9 additional parking spots at the downtown Broadway Garage. The City leveraged about $41,000 in rebates from both MCE and PG&E, and PG&E's EV Charge Network program covered the cost of additional infrastructure upgrades.
As of 2024, the City installed 39 EV chargers for the public in City-owned parking lots and garages.
Walnut Creek purchased four all-electric GO-4's for parking enforcement.
Walnut Creek's street sweepers, dump trucks, backhoes, and other large Public Works vehicles now run on biodiesel.
New, solar-powered BigBelly recycling and trash containers were installed downtown. The solar cells power internal compactors, which help keep recycling and trash from overflowing and reduce the number of trips that trucks need to make to pick up waste. Fewer truck trips helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The City released a downtown biking map to encourage and facilitate cycling as a sustainable transportation option, promoting healthier lifestyles and reducing carbon emissions within the urban environment.
Walnut Creek's downtown parking project, funded by a Metropolitan Transportation Commission grant since 2015, has installed over 1,200 sensors to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by minimizing circling for parking. This initiative also includes optimizing signage, supporting curbside pickup zones, and promoting sustainable transportation options like mapped bike parking infrastructure.

Solar Projects

Heather Farm Park and Boundary Oaks Golf Course Solar Panels

The City of Walnut Creek has installed solar panels in parking lots at Heather Farm Park (left) and Boundary Oaks Golf Course (right). The panels began producing electricity in January 2018. All City-owned facilities are supplied with 100% renewable energy through MCE's Deep Green program. However, these solar panels will lessen the costs associated with municipal electricity use considerably; they are expected to save the City about $2.8 million over 20 years.

The solar projects were part of an innovative Regional Renewable Energy Procurement (R-REP) program led by Alameda County which allowed participating public agencies to pool their purchasing power and significantly reduce the administrative, technical, and installation costs of new renewable energy projects. Walnut Creek joined the collaborative procurement process in 2012.

Solar Heather Farm 1 Solar Boundary Oak 2 side

City Hall Rooftop Solar

In 2012, the City installed 45kW of solar panels on the roof of City Hall.

Solar Panels on City Hall roof

Waste, Energy, and Water Efficiency

Walnut Creek's Polystyrene Ordinance was approved on May 20, 2014. The law takes aim at at pervasive and persistent type of litter by restricting the distribution of food containers made from polystyrene foam, commonly referred to as Styrofoam. The ordinance applies to all food vendors in Walnut Creek, including restaurants, cafes, delicatessens, and food trucks.

Walnut Creek's Plastic Bag Ordinance was approved on September 18, 2014. Single-use plastic checkout bags have been eliminated from all retailers, though paper bags made of post-consumer recycled materials may be sold at a minimum of 10 cents per bag. To avoid the bag fee, shoppers are encouraged to bring their own reusable bags.

An energy audit of major facilities was conducted in 2017 to identify the best efficiency and HVAC improvements that the City can make. Lighting and HVAC energy efficiency improvements to the City's three garages, Shadelands Art Center, the Gardens at Heather Farm, City Hall, and Lindsay Wildlife Center were identified. When complete, these upgrades will save $126,973 annually and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 355 metric tons per year.

Swapping out existing lighting in the library garage with motion sensor-equipped LED lights. When the garage is empty, the lights power down from 55 to 15 watts, with overall energy costs reduced by 65 percent.
Planting drought-tolerant Bermuda grass at the El Divisadero Park soccer field, reducing summer water consumption by 50 percent.
Replacing failing conventional roofs on City facilities with "cool roofs" that absorb less heat, reducing the amount of energy needed to cool the buildings on hot days.
The City partnered with RecycleSmart to pilot a compost hub in Heather Farms Park for residents. This initiative contributes directly to environmental sustainability by reducing landfill waste and enhancing soil health.
The City Council voted in 2024 to design the new Aquatic and Community Center at Heather Farm Park to LEED equivalent standards.
The City converted over 96 percent of 1,650 City-owned streetlights to energy-efficient LEDs.
The City of Walnut Creek is the first city to join MCE’s Strategic Energy Management Program, which is designed to help participants reduce annual energy usage by up to 15% through the implementation of no-cost and low-cost savings opportunities.
The city approved the Lesher Center’s Building Automation Systems Improvements project, which will replace the original pneumatic system from 1990 with a new solid-state system that optimizes the HVAC system to run more efficiently.

LEED Gold-Certified Library

The Walnut Creek library includes a number of sustainability-minded design features and was certified as LEED Gold in 2010. LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is an internationally-recognized standard for sustainable buildings. LEED buildings save money, are better for people's health, and have a lower impact on the planet.

Libraryphoto_2

The sustainable features of the library include the following:

Stormwater management
Energy Star-rated roof high-performance glazing
Energy efficient heating, cooling, and lighting
Daylight controls to automatically dim un-needed light
Construction waste management
Use of materials with recycled content and regionally manufactured materials