Focus

At Governor Newsom’s urging, California will sue Huntington Beach over blocked homebuilding

■Los Angeles Times - January 25

In the first move of a promised battle between Governor Gavin Newsom and local governments over California’s housing affordability crisis, the state sued the city of Huntington Beach last Friday in Orange County Superior Court over a state law that requires cities and counties to set aside sufficient land for new residential development. The legal action is part of a push by the governor to flex the state’s muscles over homebuilding, an issue that has long been the domain of local government. In his budget announcement this month, Newsom threatened to withhold state transportation dollars from cities and counties that reject development and proposed allocating $1.3 billion as an incentive for local governments to accommodate growth and homeless services.

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News

Bay Area partnership seeks to raise $540 million to develop affordable housing

■San Francisco Chronicle - January 24

A new partnership of Bay Area businesses and foundations is planning to raise $540 million for two funds to help build and preserve affordable and workforce housing, the latest example of major employers taking dramatic steps to try to solve the region’s housing crisis. Partnership for the Bay says it will raise the money to preserve and produce more than 8,000 Bay Area housing units over the next five to 10 years as well as invest in policy and planning that will protect an additional 175,000 vulnerable households. The partnership is raising money for two funds: the $500 million investment fund and a $40 million policy fund.

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Corporate clean energy PPAs doubled to 13 GW in 2018

■Utility Dive - January 29

Corporations around the world signed deals for 13.4 gigawatts of clean energy last year through power purchase agreements (PPAs), more than doubling the 2017 record of 6.1 gigawatts, according to a Bloomberg New Energy Finance report released Monday. In the United States, companies tripled the amount of clean energy secured in 2018, signing PPAs for 8.5 gigawatts. Facebook was the largest corporate buyer, signing for 2.6 gigawatts of renewables globally.

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350 Mission in S.F. becomes world's largest commercial building to receive zero waste certification

■Bisnow - January 24

Kilroy Realty Corp.'s 350 Mission St. is the first commercial building in San Francisco to receive TRUE Zero Waste certification, and at more than 455,000 square feet, it is the world’s biggest. The U.S. Green Building Council awarded the building gold-level certification, adding to its LEED Platinum, Energy Star, and Fitwel certifications. The TRUE Zero Waste certification recognizes facilities that achieve at least 90 percent waste diversion. 350 Mission St. achieved 91.9 percent diversion and met other performance requirements, according to Kilroy Realty.

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Proposed legislation would help breweries and wineries with water reuse

■San Francisco Examiner - January 28

Breweries and wineries seeking to recycle water onsite will get guidance and support from the state under legislation introduced Monday in San Francisco by state Senator Scott Wiener. Breweries and wineries use water not only for brewing and production but also for cleaning their tanks and other supplies and equipment. Senate Bill 166 would direct the state Water Board and Department of Public Health to develop guidelines for the reuse of that water onsite, including treatment requirements and water quality monitoring.

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