PG&E Better Together Resilient Communities and Resilience Hubs

The City of Richmond received two $100,000 grants from PG&E Corporation Foundation’s Better Together Resilient Communities program and PG&E’s Resilience Hubs program. The program supports local initiatives to build community resilience and capacity to withstand climate-related hazards. Richmond is one of four recipients of the Better Together award and one of seven recipients of the Resilience Hubs, with efforts focused on addressing extreme heat events.

The PG&E Better Together Resilient Communities grant award will fund the creation of outdoor shade and cooling structures with misting nozzles to be located in City of Richmond parks during extreme heat events. The PG&E Resilience Hubs grant award will amplify the project by funding storage and backup energy supply. In addition to being adjacent to community centers, these parks are located in areas designated as high priority heat vulnerability areas by Contra Costa County and the state. The structures will offer relief to residents from the adverse effects of extreme heat. Currently, the hubs are anticipated to only be activated during extreme heat events.

The City of Richmond is collaborating with Rebuilding Together East Bay-North for the project. Rebuilding Together East Bay-North will design and construct the hubs. They will also help staff the hubs during extreme heat events through June 2024. The hubs are anticipated to be ready for operation in summer or fall of 2023.