Green Empowerment Zone for the Northern Waterfront area of the County of Contra Costa.

Senators Grayson and Cabaldon propose extending and expanding the Green Empowerment Zone in Contra Costa County's Northern Waterfront area through 2040, adding four cities to the existing nine-city partnership focused on renewable energy development and workforce training.

The legislation modifies the zone's governance structure by expanding its board of directors to include seven new representatives from environmental and environmental justice organizations, bringing the total stakeholder groups to eight. The board comprises fourteen local government directors, five large employer representatives, four state agency officials, five small business leaders, three academic experts, five labor representatives, five workforce development specialists, and the newly added environmental advocates. Each director serves a two-year term, with specific nomination and confirmation processes varying by stakeholder category.

The bill adjusts the zone's accountability framework by extending the deadline for developing progress metrics to January 2026. These metrics will track job creation and losses, wage levels, grant acquisition, and workforce training investments. Starting in 2026, the zone must annually publish these metrics online and notify the Legislature of their availability. The legislation includes an urgency clause for immediate implementation upon passage, citing the need to ensure proper board function and community participation in zone decisions.