Water & Climate Resilience Committee
Between wildfires, floods, drought, and extreme heat events, the Bay Area has broken virtually every climate-related record over the past decade. The Bay Area Council’s Water & Climate Resilience Committee advocates for innovative policy solutions to make the Bay Area the most climate-resilient coastal region in the world.
Key Priorities
- Complete Sites Reservoir. Sites Reservoir is critical to the long-term water security of the Bay Area and other regions in California, especially following the collapse of the Los Vaqueros Reservoir Expansion project. The project is currently in the rebuttal phase of its water rights proceeding, which was delayed by two months. Further delays could threaten key elements of the projects financing. Lawmakers should continue urging the State Water Board to keep the rights proceeding on schedule.
- Allow watershed scale-permitting for drought/flood resilience projects. Drought and flood resilience projects often require mitigation from multiple local, state, and federal agencies for different species occupying the same habitat. Rather than individualized mitigation plans for individual species at each department, state and regional water boards should instead allow projects to use conservation and habitat management plans as watershed-scale plans for permitting purposes.
- Provide Expedited Judicial Review for Proposition 4 Projects: State leaders have already extended the Governor’s Leadership Act fast-tracking to Proposition 1 storage projects and recycled water projects. This exemption pathway should be extended to all drought and shoreline resilience projects receiving Proposition 4 support.
- Strengthen State-Water Board Requirements to Analyze Impacts of Flow Objectives on Housing Supply. Current law requires the State Water Board to analyze the impact of the flow objectives it establishes on rivers and streams on water available for building housing, among other criteria. However, the current language provides insufficient directive. For example, the State Water Board analysis on the Bay Delta Water Quality Control Plan Phase I Flow Objectives for the San Joaquin River dedicated just four sentences to impacts on water available for housing. These objectives have directly resulted in a loss of water available for housing in at least one Bay Area jurisdiction, with possibly more on the way.
- Support Water Data Improvements: Proposition 4 includes $15 million for improving the state’s water data systems, including via existing partnerships with the California Water Data Consortium. The state should continue supporting the Consortium’s programmatic work to improve water data reporting and transparency for urban and agricultural users.
Water & Climate Resilience Committee Chair
Sal Coniglio, CEO, Recology
California Resilience Challenge
A philanthropic initiative of the Bay Area Council Foundation, the California Resilience Challenge was launched in 2019 to develop a pipeline of early-stage climate adaptation planning projects to strengthen local resilience in under-resourced communities across California against floods, drought, wildfires, and extreme heat. Working in partnership with major employers, utilities and nonprofit organizations, the Resilience Challenge enjoyed remarkable success over its six years of operation, providing 38 innovative projects with $6 million in grants that were leveraged to raise an additional $73 million (and counting), including $40 million for implementation. Learn more about the California Resilience Challenge.
Climate Mitigation Task Force
The Climate Change Mitigation Task Force develops pro-growth policy recommendations to cut green tape and speed corporate decarbonization efforts. We help leading Bay Area companies achieve their emissions reductions goals to ensure the Bay Area leads the emerging post-carbon economy.
Key Priorities
- Make California a Leader in Advanced Manufacturing. The Bay Area Council is working to position California as a competitive destination for advanced manufacturing by building a coalition of businesses and industry groups advocating policies that support reshoring and modern production. The effort focuses on regulatory reforms and streamlined permitting to help next-generation manufacturing industries grow in California. The Council played a central role in shaping SB 131, securing a CEQA exemption critical to advancing modern manufacturing projects. Despite strong opposition from environmental groups, the Council led the coalition defending the exemption and defeated a last-minute effort to overturn it. With opponents continuing to challenge the policy, the Council is strengthening its coalition and engaging legislators and the Governor’s office to protect and reinforce the law ahead of the 2026 legislative session.
- Facilitate the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). California has set an ambitious goal for Sustainable Aviation Fuel to reach 85 percent of aviation fuel use by 2045, up from roughly 1 percent today. The Bay Area Council is working with partners to create a judicial streamlining and regulatory framework that reduces permitting time and costs for SAF refining projects while advocating for strong incentives and policy certainty within the Low Carbon Fuel Standard. In partnership with Airlines for America, the Council recruited Blanca Rubio to author AB 839 to provide judicial streamlining for SAF production facilities. The bill passed the Assembly but was held in the Senate amid broader tensions over CEQA policy. The Council is now working with coalition partners to position AB 839 as a successful two-year bill for passage in 2026.
- Facilitate bridge technologies to support the clean energy transition. The Bay Area Council supports the deployment of pragmatic “bridge technologies” that reduce emissions while maintaining energy reliability and affordability during California’s transition to a fully decarbonized economy. This includes advancing solutions such as Biomethane and other lower-carbon fuels that can leverage existing infrastructure while delivering near-term emissions reductions. The Council will work with policymakers, regulators, and industry partners to remove regulatory barriers, create stable market signals, and ensure that bridge technologies can scale as part of California’s broader climate strategy.
Climate Mitigation Task Force Co-Chairs
Regina Donaldson, Site Engineering/Sustainability VACC & Energy Management, Bayer
Nathan Fleischer, Energy Operations Manager, Apple
Energy Committee
California’s energy grid is threatened by climate-driven wildfires and increasing demand due to economic growth and warmer temperatures. The Bay Area Council Energy Committee advances policies to ensure California has a reliable, affordable, and clean energy future to achieve the state’s 2045 clean energy goals.
Key Priorities
- Maintain the operation of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant and advance next-generation nuclear energy. The Bay Area Council supports extending the life of Diablo Canyon as a vital source of reliable, carbon-free electricity that strengthens grid stability during California’s clean energy transition. The Council will also advocate for policies that allow innovation in nuclear technology, including exempting Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) from California’s nuclear moratorium so the state can explore safe, scalable, zero-carbon power options.
- Accelerate Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) to meet California’s climate goals. State climate analyses make clear that widespread deployment of Carbon Capture and Storage will be necessary to achieve California’s emissions targets. The Bay Area Council will work to educate policymakers, reduce regulatory and permitting barriers, and support implementation of SB 905 by Anna Caballero, helping establish a clear framework for carbon capture, utilization, and storage projects across the state.
- Promote emerging energy solutions to meet growing electricity demand. As electrification accelerates across California’s economy, the state must expand reliable sources of clean power. The Bay Area Council will convene local and state leaders to explore emerging sectors—including nuclear energy, quantum computing, advanced data centers, and artificial intelligence—and the infrastructure needed to support California’s energy and economic future.
Energy Committee Co-Chairs
Alex Makler, Senior Vice President, West Region, Calpine
Carla Peterman, Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer, PG&E
Get Involved
All our climate-focused committees are open to Bay Area Council members. To find our committee meetings and other events check out our upcoming events calendar. For more information, please contact Senior Vice President Adrian Covert.
