Here is how California's Cap-and-Trade program is helping the state

A new report just released by the California Air Resources Board details the benefits from the proceeds of its landmark Cap-and-Trade program, particularly for disadvantaged and low-income communities.

In the last year alone, more than $720 million generated by the program was reinvested in projects located in all 58 California counties. Over 75,000 projects have been completed, resulting in reductions of greenhouse gases, improved energy efficiencies, and nearly tripling the number of trees that have been planted.

Some of the projects include:

A 44-unit affordable housing development in Tulare County with integrated vanpooling service and discount transit passes is among more than 1,600 housing units funded statewide.

The Cecchini Farm in Contra Costa County, whose fifth-generation owners decided not to sell after they were approved for a conversation easement, is among more than 250,000 acres of land statewide that will be preserved, from coastal watersheds and wetlands to mountain meadows.

Los Angeles County’s Foothill Transit is purchasing 15 zero-emission electric buses to advance the agency’s goal to go all-electric by 2030 to reduce GHG emissions and improve air quality in the inland communities it serves.

For all of the details, the full report may be reviewed here: 2018 Annual Report