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Current ClimateSmart projects involve California coastal redwood forestland and dairy manure and landfill methane capture. To learn more about these projects, please read the descriptions below.

Hay Road Landfill Projects, Recology

Recology, a major recycler serving more than 50 communities in the western United States, will generate more than 137,000 metric tons of verifiable greenhouse gas emission reductions through two landfill methane capture projects—one in Vacaville, California and the other in Marysville, California. Completed at the end of 2009, Recology’s voluntary projects collect and destroy the methane gas produced as the waste in the landfill naturally decomposes. Methane is at least 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a GHG.

Recology has an 89-year heritage as one of the nation's first recyclers, driving resource recovery and composting to higher levels. Recology is a 100% employee-owned company that provides garbage and recycling services to more than 600,000 households and 60,000 commercial customers in the western United States.

For more information about Recology, visit recology.com or read the Hay Road press release (PDF, 27 KB) and Yuba Sutter press release.

Arcata Community Forest, City of Arcata

The City of Arcata’s Community Forest is the first local government project that will be verified under the protocols of the Climate Action Reserve. It will yield 40,000 metric tons of verifiable greenhouse gas emission reductions. By reducing the harvesting done in the 460 acres of redwood and Douglas fir forests comprised of the Jacoby Creek and Sunny Brae tracts, Arcata will allow them to grow larger and capture more greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

Arcata’s progressive forest management serves as a viable stewardship model by sequestering large amounts of carbon while also providing critical benefits such as restoring forest biodiversity, improving water quality and enhancing recreational assets within the community.

The City of Arcata is nestled on the northern coast of California, Humboldt Bay, and the Pacific Ocean; approximately 275 miles north of San Francisco.

For more information about the City of Arcata, visit www.cityofarcata.org or read the press release (PDF, 27 KB).

"By investing in Arcata’s Community Forest, the ClimateSmart program is helping to make real, meaningful progress toward meeting California's aggressive goals for fighting climate change. Healthy, growing, well-managed forests are a key component for addressing greenhouse gases. By investing in our forests, we are truly investing in our future."
- Mark Lovelace, Supervisor, Humboldt County, Third District

Big River and Salmon Creek Forests, The Conservation Fund

The Conservation Fund's Big River and Salmon Creek Forest carbon project consists of more than 16,000 acres of forests on the Mendocino Coast which will generate 600,000 metric tons of verifiable greenhouse gas emission reductions to make customers enrolled in the ClimateSmart program carbon neutral. Through its investment, the ClimateSmart program is also helping permanently protect the redwood and Douglas fir forests surrounding Big River and Salmon Creek from fragmentation, development and conversion to non-forest uses.

By sustainably managing the growth of the Big River and Salmon Creek Forests, The Conservation Fund will allow the redwood and Douglas fir forests to grow larger and capture more greenhouse gases from the atmosphere than under a "business as usual" approach. This project will also provide meaningful employment in the area as workers implement sustainable forest practices and watershed restoration activities. In addition, these practices will protect habitat for species such as northern spotted owl and coho salmon.

For more information about The Conservation Fund please visit The Conservation Fund website or read the press release: PG&E's ClimateSmart™ Program Makes Its Largest Purchase of Greenhouse Gas Emission Reductions (PDF, 85 KB).

"Through the ClimateSmart program, PG&E and The Conservation Fund are demonstrating leadership in the fight against climate change by implementing on-the-ground solutions that will enhance the Big River and Salmon Creek Forests and support local jobs."
- Kendall Smith, Supervisor, Mendocino County, Fourth District

Dairy Manure Methane Capture, California Bioenergy

Just outside Bakersfield, in Kern County, sits the ClimateSmart program's first dairy methane capture project. Once verified, it will become one of the first Climate Action Reserve livestock methane management projects in California and will result in 75,000 metric tons of verifiable greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions. These emissions reductions will be used by the ClimateSmart program to help make its participants' energy use carbon neutral.

The project will process manure from the dairy through an anaerobic digester that traps the methane gas produced as the manure decomposes. With methane being a GHG many times more potent than carbon dioxide, this project will help open up new opportunities for greenhouse gas emission reductions. PG&E is proud to be working with California Bioenergy on this project. California Bioenergy is striving to be the partner of choice for dairy farms as they seek to take action in reducing GHG emissions in a way that can create economic value for the agricultural community and create jobs in the region.

For more information about California Bioenergy, please visit www.calbioenergy.com or read the press release: PG&E's ClimateSmart™ Program Makes Landmark Purchase of Dairy Farm Greenhouse Gas Emission Reductions to Help Fight Climate Change (PDF, 191 KB)

"We are excited to see the ClimateSmart program contract for its first project to capture methane from dairy farms. This program offers opportunities for the agricultural industry to join in efforts to address climate change, while also identifying additional revenue streams in these difficult economic times for our industry."
- Dan Geis, Assistant Executive Director, Agriculture Energy Consumers Association

"This contract with California Bioenergy demonstrates one more way PG&E's ClimateSmart program is helping its customers take action on climate change by encouraging the development of independently verifiable projects that generate measurable results."
- Peter Miller, Senior Scientist, Natural Resources Defense Council

"California Bioenergy is bringing a promising new technology to the San Joaquin Valley that enables high-efficiency generation of electricity from dairy biogas while reducing criteria pollutants to protect air quality in the valley. The technology appears to be very well developed. In addition, California Bioenergy's professional approach to owning and operating digester power plants makes them a strong partner for dairymen, who can stay focused on their farm operations while CalBio brings their expertise in power generation and air quality."
- Dave Warner, Director of Permit Services, San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District

"The ClimateSmart program continues to provide its participants with GHG emissions reductions that represent the highest standard of transparency and accuracy. By contracting to retire offsets from livestock projects, it is recognizing the important role agriculture can play in helping reduce global warming pollution. PG&E's leadership and creativity is to be commended, and its ClimateSmart program is a model for others to follow."
- Gary Gero, President, Climate Action Reserve

"In California, the dairies are plentiful, the technology is here and public-private partnerships can make it work. We commend the Climate Smart program and partners like Pacific Gas & Electric for their commitment to cut global warming emissions, air pollution and dependence on fossil fuels – while supporting California farmers."
- Ashley Boren, Executive Director, Sustainable Conservation

Lompico Headwaters Forest, the Sempervirens Fund

Located on 425 acres of the Santa Cruz Mountains, the Lompico Headwaters Forest Project is an effort led by the Sempervirens Fund, California's first land conservancy.

Founded as a nonprofit in 1900, the Sempervirens Fund is dedicated to the permanent protection of redwoods. Sempervirens will create verified emissions reductions through a permanent conservation easement that will prevent future logging on the property. In the absence of this protection, 202 acres of redwoods and Douglas firs would have been logged. In addition to helping fight climate change, the protected trees provide habitat for rare and endangered species, supply clean and safe drinking water, and deliver valuable aesthetic and recreational benefits.

For more information about Sempervirens Fund and the Lompico Headwaters Forest Project, please visit the Sempervirens Fund website.

"The debate about climate change is past; it's a proven reality. We must work together applying innovative solutions to reduce its impact. By partnering in the Lompico Headwaters Forest Carbon Project, PG&E and Sempervirens Fund are responding creatively to the global warming challenge. I'm proud that their precedent-setting initiative is occurring in Santa Cruz County. It's a model of bringing together forest preservation and emissions reduction."
-Gary Patton, General Counsel of the Planning and Conservation League

Garcia River Forest, The Conservation Fund

In the coastal mountain range of southwestern Mendocino County, the Garcia River Forest spans 23,780 acres of forestland. The Garcia River Forest is owned and managed by The Conservation Fund, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting America’s most vital landscapes and waterways and to preserving and enhancing the vigorous growth of large, older trees.

For the ClimateSmart program, a professional forester will independently verify that all emission reductions are above and beyond the existing conservation easement, ensuring the permanent protection of even more carbon-sequestering trees.

With ClimateSmart support, the Garcia River Forest can sequester 40,000 tons of carbon annually over a period of five years. In addition, preservation of Garcia River Forest protects fragile habitat and river corridors valuable to many threatened or endangered species within the watershed, including Coho salmon, Steelhead trout and other species within the watershed.

For more information about The Conservation Fund and the Garcia River Forest Project, please visit The Conservation Fund website.

"The coastal forests of Mendocino County are an extraordinarily important resource for California. Their natural grandeur, biological richness and economic significance cannot be overstated. Garcia River Forest remarkably demonstrates the balance of preserved natural lands with sustainable forestry."
-James Bernard, Executive Director, Mendocino Land Trust