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4 Environmental Analysis 4.8 Greenhouse Gas Emissions keep the state on track to meet its AB 32 goals. While AB 32 aimed to reduce emissions to 1990 levels by year 2020, SB 32 was later passed and aimed to .further reduce emissions to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. A new threshold has not been determined but is expected to decrease over time in order to reduce project GHG emissions to meet SB 32 targets beyond 2020. The SJVAPCD supports the use of the interim threshold established by CAPCOA when adopted thresholds are not applicable (SJVAPCD 2009b). San Joaquin Council of Governments SB 375 requires metropolitan planning organizations to prepare a Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS) in their Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). The types and quantity of emissions produced in the San Joaquin Council of Governments (SJCOG) region vary among jurisdictional boundaries. However, for most jurisdictions, transportation and energy consumption are responsible for the majority of GHG emissions. The SJCOG adopted the 2018 RTP/SCS (SJCOG 2018) in June 2018. The RTP/SCS is a long-range comprehensive plan for the region's multimodal transportation system. CARB provided GHG reduction targets for the 2018 RTP/SCS, setting the targets at a 5 percent per capita reduction by 2020 and 10 percent per capita reduction by 2035 from year 2005 levels.According to the Programmatic Draft Environmental Impact Report (SJCOG 2022), the 2018 RTP/SCS met those targets. On March 22, 2018, CARB adopted updated regional targets for reducing GHG emissions from 2005 levels by 2020 and 2035. SJCOG was assigned a 16 percent reduction of GHG emissions from per capita passenger vehicles by 2035, relative to 2005 emission levels. The SJCOG Board voted to adopt the 2022 RTP/SCS at their meeting on August 25, 2022. (SJCOG 2022). The 2022 RTP/SCS will be implemented to result in a net decrease in overall transportation-related GHG emissions in the SJCOG region. Bay Area Air Quality Management District The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) provides direction and recommendations for the analysis of GHG impacts of a project and approach to mitigation measures in its CEQA Guidelines (BAAQMD 2017). The guidance provided in the handbook was used to prepare this analysis. In addition, the 2017 Clean Air Plan, Spare the Air Cool the Climate defines a control strategy that the BAAQMD and its partners will implement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to protect the climate (BAAQMD 2017). In April 2022, BAAQMD proposed CEQA thresholds of significance for climate impacts from land use projects and plans and published a justification report (BAAQMD 2022). CEQA requires agencies in California to analyze such impacts by evaluating whether a proposed project would make a "cumulatively considerable" contribution to the significant cumulative impact on climate change. The new thresholds were developed in response to new state GHG targets and BAAQMD scoping targets. These thresholds are intended to assist public agencies in determining whether proposed projects would make a cumulatively considerable contribution to global climate change, as required under CEQA. The proposed thresholds focus on design elements for land use and transportation aspects of development projects. If a project meets these elements, it is considered to contribute to what is necessary to contribute its portion of what is necessary to achieve California's long-term climate goals The Project will be required to be consistent with a local GHG reduction strategy that meets the criteria under CEQA guidelines Section 15183.5(b). The Almeda Griffith Energy Storage Project 4.8-7 Tetra Tech/SCH 2022120675 Draft Environmental Impact Report August 2023