Clean Cities Coalition
The Southern California Clean Cities Coalition is a U.S. Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) designated coalition in the Clean Cities and Communities partnership. The mission of the U.S. DOE’s Clean Cities and Communities partnership is to advance the nation’s economic, environmental, and energy security by supporting local decisions to adopt practices that reduce petroleum consumption.
The Southern California Clean Cities Coalition coordinates activities of both private and public sector proponents of alternative fuel vehicles by providing a forum to discover commonalties, collaborate on public policy, investigate opportunities for joint projects, leverage scarce resources, and cooperate on promoting the benefits of alternative fuel vehicles throughout the region.
The Southern California Clean Cities Coalition was first designated by the U.S. DOE on March 1, 1996. In 2010, SCAG resumed direct administrative responsibility for the Southern California Clean Cities Program.
The Southern California Clean Cities Coalition prepares several quarterly and annual reports related to alternative fuels and vehicles pursuant to their cooperative agreement with the U.S. DOE, referred to as the Statement of Project Objectives. The annual progress report acts as an important indicator of the coalition’s impact and includes voluntary data from stakeholders about the volume of alternative fuels used, the number of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs), including electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid EVs, idle reduction initiatives, fuel economy improvements and programs to reduce vehicle miles traveled. The annual vehicle and station cost tracking and reporting collects cost information for AFVs and stations within the SCAG region, while the annual alternative fueling station report assists the U.S. DOE with updating the alternative fueling station database.
Alternative Fuels & Vehicles
SCAG has a history of successful initiatives, collaborations, and achievements related to alternative fuels and vehicles. The promotion of alternative fuel vehicles and their necessary infrastructure is a critical strategy for reducing greenhouse gases in the SCAG region, a key focus outlined in the Connect SoCal 2024 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy. Furthermore, on April 6, 2023, SCAG’s Regional Council passed Resolution No. 23-654-5, which established SCAG’s Clean Transportation Technology Policy. This policy creates a structured approach for SCAG to foster the growth, commercialization, and implementation of a transportation system that is either zero or near zero emission.
California State Budget Reduces Barriers to Housing Production and Extends Deadline for Regional Early Action Planning (REAP 2.0) Program
Earlier this week, the governor signed the 2025-2026 state budget, which includes a suite of reforms to reduce barriers to housing production.
Connect SoCal 2024 Implementation Update: Sustainable Communities Strategy Accepted
On May 7, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) informed SCAG that it had accepted SCAG’s determination that the Connect SoCal 2024 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (RTP/SCS) meets CARB’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets.
General Assembly Elects 2025-26 Board Officers
The General Assembly voted to approve the nominations for the SCAG 2025-26 Regional Council officers as recommended by the Regional Council: Hon. Cindy Allen (City of Long Beach) will serve as 2025-26 Regional Council president; Hon. Ray Marquez (City of Chino Hills) will serve as Regional Council first vice president; and Hon. Jenny Crosswhite (City of Santa Paula) will serve as Regional Council second vice president. Leadership also recognized Hon.
Surface Transportation Block Grant and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program Call for Project Nominations Now Open
The federal fiscal year 2026-27 and federal fiscal year 2027-28 Surface Transportation Block Grant program (STBG) and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement program (CMAQ) SCAG online application opened for all eligible applicants on March 31. This application will be available through May 16 at 5 p.m.
Surface Transportation Block Grant and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program Guidelines Now Available
On March 6, the SCAG Regional Council approved the federal fiscal year 2026-27 and federal fiscal year 2027-28 Surface Transportation Block Grant program (STBG) and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement program (CMAQ) Program Guidelines.
Last Mile Freight Program
SCAG has partnered with the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC) to establish the Last Mile Freight Program (LFMP). The LMFP is a component of a larger effort by MSRC to reduce emissions from goods movement.