California Air Resources Board

Assembly Bill (AB) 617 (Chapter 136, Statutes of 2017) directed CARB, in conjunction with local air districts, to establish the Community Air Protection (CAP) Program. Specifically, AB 617 directed CARB and the air districts to actively engage with members of heavily impacted communities, follow their guidance, and address local criteria air pollutant and toxic air contaminant sources of concern through a variety of strategies including incentives.On May 23, 2019, the California Air Resources Board (CARB or Board) approved the Community Air Protection Incentives 2019 Guidelines which contain criteria and eligibility for incentives supporting AB 617. In Board Resolution 19-12, the Board delegated authority to the Executive Officer to modify the Guidelines as necessary, and directed that staff provide regular progress updates to members of the Board.

The CAP Program focuses on addressing the concerns of communities that continue to suffer from disproportionate cumulative air exposure burdens through the creation of air monitoring plans and emissions reduction programs for communities selected by CARB to participate. Since 2017, the California Legislature has appropriated money annually from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) for incentives to support AB 617. In advance of initial community selection in 2018, the Legislature directed that CAP incentives appropriated in Fiscal Year (FY) 2017-18 be focused in disadvantaged and low-income communities through the Carl Moyer Memorial Air Quality Standards Attainment Program (Carl Moyer Program) and the Proposition 1B Goods Movement Emission Reduction Program (Proposition 1B Program) to provide immediate air quality benefits in heavily impacted communities. Additionally, the Board directed that at least 70 percent of funds must be spent on projects within and benefiting disadvantaged communities, and that at least 80 percent of funds must be spent on projects within and benefiting a combination of disadvantaged and low-income communities. With subsequent appropriations, the Legislature included specific direction to prioritize spending funds in AB 617 selected communities, on zero-emission technologies wherever feasible, and additional incentive options for stationary and community identified sources.

Below is a list of all currently-published status reports on Community Air Protection incentives.