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The city of Livermore has signed a memorandum of understanding with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory that aims to bolster the climate action in Livermore and build a community-wide resilience to the impacts of climate change.
The Livermore City Council is expected to adopt the Climate Action Plan (CAP) this summer creating a roadmap to achieve carbon neutrality or net zero emissions by 2045. In addition, the CAP will include adaptation and resilience strategies to prepare Livermore for the changing climate.
“The opportunity to apply these initiatives right here at home is really important to us,” LLNL Director Kim Budil said in a statement. “We’re pleased to partner with our local community on projects that will help them adapt and become resilient when it comes to climate change.”
Livermore City Manager Marc Roberts expressed gratitude for the collaboration with LLNL to bolster the city’s effort to achieve carbon neutrality using innovative techniques.
“The city is committed to protecting the health and wellbeing of the Livermore community and with LLNL as a partner, we are confident we will reach our targets and become a model for other cities to follow,” Roberts said.
Many strategies are undertaken by the city to meet the state climate mitigation targets and legislation that requires cities to plan for the impacts of climate change.
Additionally, a state executive order mandates that by 2045 the state should achieve carbon neutrality and maintain net negative emissions thereafter — a measure is part of the ambitious statewide goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In 2020, LLNL published the pivotal report “Getting to Neutral: Options for Negative Carbon Emissions in California,” which outlines strategies and technologies to aid California gain the carbon-neutral and ultimately carbon-negative status by 2045.
The goal of the new MOU with the city is to present opportunities for collaboration toward advancing climate action in the community of Livermore and beyond. Last year, city officials met with LLNL representatives to discuss cooperating to demonstrate climate technologies at various sites and explore other potential collaborations and funding sources, according to officials.
“LLNL’s inclusive approach makes us a go-to resource for carbon neutrality,” said Roger Aines, chief scientist of the energy program. “We’re happy to collaborate with our neighbors in the city of Livermore on a cleaner atmosphere and friendlier climate.”
To reach the target, researchers propose three climate technologies that can be adopted at several locations within the city.
The first is biogas utilization, a method which focuses on carbon removal from biomass that can be set up at the sewage plant on the north side of Livermore.
The second technique is called — carbon farming — and can be achieved by increasing decomposing plant material and microbes in the soil. Improving the quality of soil using this method can improve carbon uptake in urban cities like Livermore, lab officials said.
The third technique involves creating localized and autonomous power microgrids that can provide an uninterrupted supply of electricity during wider outages.