Green Empowerment Zone For The Northern Waterfront Area Of The County Of Contra Costa - - CA Government

Section § 7599.100

This law allows for the creation of a Green Empowerment Zone in the Northern Waterfront area of Contra Costa County. The zone aims to boost the renewable energy sector by giving businesses access to tax breaks, grants, and workforce training. The zone can be made up of various cities like Antioch, Benicia, and Richmond, as well as unincorporated parts of the county. A board of directors can modify the geographic boundaries and include more areas in the zone.

Each city or the county itself can decide to join or leave the zone. If a city or county opts out, they must set a withdrawal date within 60 days, but they will still benefit from incentives issued prior to leaving for at least two years.

(a) A Green Empowerment Zone for the Northern Waterfront area of the County of Contra Costa may be established. The geography of the zone shall extend to the territories of the cities listed in subdivision (c) and the unincorporated areas of the County of Contra Costa north of State Highway 4. The board of directors may, by majority vote, change the geography of the Green Empowerment Zone.

(b) The purpose of the Green Empowerment Zone is to build upon the comparative advantage provided by the regional concentration of highly skilled energy industry workers by prioritizing access to tax incentives, grants, loan programs, workforce training programs, and private sector investment in the renewable energy sector.

(c) The Green Empowerment Zone may include all of the following cities and the county upon the adoption of a resolution by the legislative body of each city and county that states the intent of the city or county to participate in the Green Empowerment Zone:

(1) The City of Antioch.

(2) The City of Benicia.

(3) The City of Brentwood.

(4) The City of Concord.

(5) The City of El Cerrito.

(6) The City of Hercules.

(7) The City of Martinez.

(8) The City of Oakley.

(9) The City of Pinole.

(10) The City of Pittsburg.

(11) The City of Richmond.

(12) The City of San Pablo.

(13) The City of Vallejo.

(14) The County of Contra Costa.

(d) The board of directors may vote to include additional jurisdictions in the membership of the Green Empowerment Zone.

(e)

(1) The legislative body of a city or county listed in subdivision (c) may remove the land within its jurisdiction from the empowerment zone by adopting a resolution stating that it no longer wishes to participate.

(2) The resolution ending participation in the empowerment zone shall identify a final date for inclusion in the empowerment zone, which shall be no later than 60 days from the adoption of the resolution.

(3) Any benefits or incentives awarded before the adoption of a resolution removing the jurisdiction from the empowerment zone shall continue under the same terms and conditions as would have been applied if the jurisdiction were still in the empowerment zone for not fewer than two years.

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(Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 213, Sec. 1. (SB 227) Effective October 1, 2025. Repealed as of January 1, 2040, pursuant to Section 7599.105.)

Section § 7599.101

This law sets up the structure and rules for the Green Empowerment Zone's board of directors. The board includes a variety of stakeholders such as local government officials, large and small business leaders, educational and workforce development representatives, union members, and environmental organizations. Board members serve two-year terms and can be reappointed three times. They meet at least four times a year without compensation and are governed by rules for attendance and conflict of interest reporting. This law ensures diverse representation and accountability within the board to promote green initiatives effectively.

(a) The Green Empowerment Zone shall be governed by a board of directors composed of representatives from eight stakeholder groups who shall serve as voting directors and who shall participate in meetings and serve as liaisons with their appointing entities and related organizations, as follows:

(1) Fourteen local government directors, one from each of the cities and the county set forth in subdivision (c) of Section 7599.100 that have adopted a resolution expressing its intent to participate in the Green Empowerment Zone. Each city and county shall select one representative.

(2)

(A) Five employer directors that represent large private employers in the fields of energy or manufacturing within the area of the Green Empowerment Zone or vested in the success of the Green Empowerment Zone, who are selected by the board.

(B) Employer size shall be based on data from the local workforce board and the boundaries of the empowerment zone at the time the director is selected.

(3)

(A) Three state and regional directors, one from each of the following state or regional boards, commissions, or entities:

(i) The California Transportation Commission.

(ii) The California Workforce Development Board or a regional workforce development entity, as selected by the board of directors of the Green Empowerment Zone, that serves the Green Empowerment Zone.

(iii) The California Energy Commission.

(B) Each board, commission, or entity shall select a representative to the Green Empowerment Zone.

(4) Five small business and economic development directors who shall represent existing economic and business development organizations that serve the cities or the county listed in subdivision (c) of Section 7599.100. These small business and economic development representatives shall be nominated by the Association of Bay Area Governments and confirmed by the board.

(5) Three directors from universities, laboratories, foundations, or nonprofit entities with specialized expertise and knowledge of green energy. These university, laboratory, foundation, and nonprofit representatives shall be selected by the board.

(6) Five directors representing the largest private sector organized labor organizations whose membership works in the cities and the county listed in subdivision (c) of Section 7599.100. Each union shall select its own representative to the Green Empowerment Zone board.

(7) Five directors representing workforce development and public and private educational entities that serve cities or the county listed in subdivision (c) of Section 7599.100, at least one of whom shall be a representative from the California State University and at least one of whom shall be a representative from the California Community Colleges. These workforce development and education representatives shall be nominated by the Association of Bay Area Governments and confirmed by the board.

(8) Seven directors who live or work in the Green Empowerment Zone representing environmental or environmental justice organizations or interests, who shall be selected by the board.

(b) Confirmation of a nominee for membership on the board of directors shall be by majority vote of the sitting members of the board.

(d) All stakeholder group representatives on the board of directors shall serve a two-year term and may be reappointed by their appointing body for up to three additional terms.

(e)

(1) No representative for a public stakeholder entity shall retain their seat on the board of directors after ceasing to hold the position that qualifies them to be an eligible representative for the board.

(2)

(A) The board member’s eligibility from a private entity shall be determined by the board in consultation with the appointing entity if there is one.

(B) The board shall have an approved policy for making the determination before taking any action to determine the eligibility of a board member pursuant to this subparagraph.

(f) A vacancy on the board shall be filled for the unexpired term by the selection and appointment process used to appoint the director whose position has become vacant.

(g)

(1) A director who fails to attend at least 50 percent of the board meetings in any 12-month period is subject to removal from the board.

(2) The board shall have an approved policy for making the determination before taking any action to determine the eligibility of a board member pursuant to this paragraph.

(h) Every Member of the Legislature and of the United States Congress that represents a city listed in subdivision (c) of Section 7599.100, or their appointed representative, shall be an ex officio voting member of the board of directors.

(i) A board chair and two deputy chairs shall be selected by a majority vote of the board. The chair and deputy chairs shall serve two-year terms and may be re-selected by a majority vote of the board for up to three additional terms. The chair and deputy chairs shall be chosen from among the following:

(1) One member shall be a Member of the Legislature who represents one or more of the cities or the county listed in subdivision (c) of Section 7599.100.

(2) One member shall be a representative from a local agency in a city or county listed in subdivision (c) of Section 7599.100.

(3) One member shall be a representative whose residence and place of employment is within one or more of the cities or the county listed in subdivision (c) of Section 7599.100.

(j)

(1) The board shall meet at least four times per year.

(2) Additional meetings may be called at the discretion of the chair or of a majority of the executive committee.

(k) The members of the board of directors shall serve without compensation.

(l) The board shall be subject to the Ralph M. Brown Act (Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 54950) of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5).

(m) A member of the board of directors, including the chair, shall, upon identifying a conflict of interest, or a potential conflict of interest, regarding a matter before the board of directors of the Green Empowerment Zone, immediately and before consideration of the matter, do all of the following:

(1) Provide written notice to the chair regarding the interest that gives rise to the conflict of interest or potential conflict of interest. In the case of the chair, written notice shall be given to one of the deputy chairs.

(2) Recuse themselves from discussing or voting on the matter.

(3) Leave the meeting room until after discussion, vote, and any other consideration of disposition of the matter is concluded.

(n) A member of the board of directors shall not use the name of the Green Empowerment Zone on any letterhead, business code, or identification badge unless the person has been authorized to do so by the board of directors.

Green Empowerment Zone board of directors stakeholder groups local government representation private employer directors energy and manufacturing workforce development environmental organizations conflict of interest meeting attendance rules governance policy Ralph M. Brown Act education sector representation economic development board chair selection

(Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 213, Sec. 2. (SB 227) Effective October 1, 2025. Repealed as of January 1, 2040, pursuant to Section 7599.105.)

Section § 7599.102

The Green Empowerment Zone is responsible for boosting the economy of the Northern Waterfront area in Contra Costa County by identifying and supporting projects that effectively use public and private resources. It aims to enhance the clean energy economy by collaborating with federal officials to secure funding, partnering with educational institutions for energy-related research, and assessing state policies to ensure fairness and cost-effectiveness. Additionally, the Zone advises the Governor on improving regional economic conditions and is required to maintain an informative website.

The Green Empowerment Zone shall have the following duties:

(a) Identification of projects and programs that will best utilize public dollars and most quickly improve the economic vitality of the Northern Waterfront area of the County of Contra Costa, especially those that leverage federal, state, local, and private sector resources in a coordinated effort to support the development of the clean energy economy.

(b) Work with members of the state’s congressional delegation and federal official, including any relevant federal interagency task force, to gain federal support for projects identified by the zone as critical to the region‘s energy economy.

(c) Partner with the University of California, the California State University, community colleges, and the state’s other research and educational institutions, as well as private foundations, to provide guidance, advice, and encouragement in support of studies of particular interest and importance to the energy industry in the Northern Waterfront area of the County of Contra Costa.

(d) Review state policies and regulations to ensure they are fair and appropriate for the state’s diverse geographic regions, including the Northern Waterfront area of the County of Contra Costa, and determine whether alternative approaches can accomplish goals in less costly ways.

(e) Make recommendations to the Governor that would improve the economic well-being of the region and the quality of life of its residents.

(f) Create and maintain an internet website that is managed and updated by an entity designated by the board of directors.

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(Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 377, Sec. 1. (AB 844) Effective January 1, 2022. Repealed as of January 1, 2040, pursuant to Section 7599.105.)

Section § 7599.103

By January 1, 2026, a board will appoint an executive committee that includes the chair, deputy chairs, and up to seven board members. This committee will create metrics to track economic progress within a certain zone, covering job changes, wages, grant activities, workforce training, and investments. Starting July 1, 2026, and annually after, the Green Empowerment Zone must post this progress report online and notify the Legislature.

(a)

(1) The board shall appoint an executive committee, on or before January 1, 2026, that shall be composed of the chair, deputy chairs, and up to seven members of the board of directors approved by a majority vote.

(2) The committee shall develop metrics that shall be reported to the Legislature and state departments and agencies gauging the progress of the zone that shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:

(A) The number of jobs gained and lost in each sector of the economy.

(B) The average wage of the jobs gained in each sector of the economy.

(D) The type and amount of workforce training conducted in the zone, by whom it was provided, and the amount of capital investment attached to provision of that training.

(b) Commencing on July 1, 2026, and on or before January 1 of each year thereafter, the Green Empowerment Zone shall post the report described in subdivision (a) on its internet website and submit a letter to the Legislature informing the Legislature that the report has been posted.

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(Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 213, Sec. 3. (SB 227) Effective October 1, 2025. Repealed as of January 1, 2040, pursuant to Section 7599.105.)

Section § 7599.104

This section defines key terms used in a specific chapter. "Board" refers to the board of directors outlined in another section. The term "Green Empowerment Zone for the Northern Waterfront area of the County of Contra Costa," or simply "Green Empowerment Zone" or "zone," refers to a specific zone that is created under another section of the law.

For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply:

(a) “Board” means the board of directors as described in Section 7599.101.

(b) “Green Empowerment Zone for the Northern Waterfront area of the County of Contra Costa,” “Green Empowerment Zone,” “empowerment zone,” or “zone” means a zone authorized and established pursuant to Section 7599.100.

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(Added by Stats. 2025, Ch. 213, Sec. 5. (SB 227) Effective October 1, 2025. Repealed as of January 1, 2040, pursuant to Section 7599.105.)

Section § 7599.105

This law is scheduled to be in effect until January 1, 2040, after which it will no longer be valid and is considered repealed.

This chapter shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2040, and as of that date is repealed.

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(Added by renumbering Section 7599.104 by Stats. 2025, Ch. 213, Sec. 4. (SB 227) Effective October 1, 2025. Repealed as of January 1, 2040, by its own provisions. Note: Repeal affects Chapter 34, commencing with Section 7599.100.)