Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District Board Meeting - October 1, 2026

The Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (Sac Metro Air District) Board convened on October 1, 2026, for an informational meeting covering the Clean Cars for All program, air quality considerations for data centers, and the Air Pollution Control Officer's report. Note: the provided meeting timestamp is October 1, 2026, although the transcript's roll call states 'September 24th, 2026.' At roll call, Chair Aquino said the board did not have a quorum, and later in the meeting the chair said the board was still one short of a quorum; presentations and public testimony proceeded, but no formal votes were recorded.

Consent Calendar

• The consent calendar was skipped at the start and returned to later for a grant item. The District plans to apply as lead applicant for a $5 million planning grant from the California Strategic Growth Council to transform Stockton Boulevard, in partnership with Sacramento County and an entity transcribed as 'Valuation.' The state requires a board resolution before applying, and the application is due at the end of the month.
• APCO Dr. Ayala confirmed it is a planning grant. Director Dickinson noted the City of Sacramento has already signed on to one planning and two implementation grant applications and asked whether multiple applications could conflict. Because the board lacked a quorum, no action was taken; staff plan to call a special meeting to obtain approval in time.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Greg Dobbins, general sales manager at Folsom Lake Kia and Folsom Lake Ford, said his dealerships have participated since the program's inception and helped more than 85 individuals. He expressed strong support for Clean Cars for All, saying it removes older, unreliable cars, gives low-income residents access to safer electrified vehicles, generates dealership tax revenue, and helps educate buyers about clean air.
• Cynthia Burrows, a Clean Cars for All participant, thanked the District and the program. She said she could not otherwise afford a safe, reliable vehicle; she acquired a Volkswagen ID.4 through a dealer in Elk Grove and praised the low-pressure, easy process. She said she is a senior on a limited budget and would have been without transportation without the program.
• Bethel Beas (transcribed in the meeting as 'Beth Lovez'), president of Electric Auto Group and Bia's Auto Sales, said his businesses specialize only in plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles and have partnered with Clean Cars for All since 2020. He supported the program, stressed the importance of education and transparency, and said the program helps people obtain clean vehicles they otherwise could not have imagined.

Discussion Items

Clean Cars for All Program Update

• Paul Philly, program manager in the Transportation and Climate Change Division, presented the update. He said the program launched during the pandemic, expanded countywide in 2024, and has brought about $28 million in funding to Sacramento County. Participants retire an eligible vehicle and receive assistance toward a hybrid, plug-in hybrid, battery-electric, fuel-cell vehicle, e-bike, or transit option.
• Program changes include phasing out conventional hybrids (all four-wheel vehicles must now have a plug), lowering the income cap to focus on the highest-need residents, increasing grant awards, and offering accessibility add-ons. There are 74 participating dealers, and SMUD partnerships provide home-charging installation help or off-site charging credits.
• Challenges staff have worked to address include retired-vehicle eligibility paperwork, past contractor delays, home-charging installation delays, and messaging about program requirements. The former EVgo/ChargePoint charging card is being replaced by a USIO card usable at a wider range of chargers. Participants who move out of state must repay part of the grant on a prorated basis, and totaled vehicles reduce cost effectiveness.
• Statistics presented: about 2,500 grants issued and just over 2,000 vehicles acquired; 46% battery-electric and 44% plug-in hybrid; 538 EV charging cards; nearly three-quarters of a million gallons of gasoline not burned; and the highest-participation zip codes in an AB 617 community. Participant satisfaction on a 0-10 scale was very high.
• Funding has been volatile, from a $12 million allocation in 2024 to about $1.5 million for the next year; the Legislature plans to continue $1-1.5 million per year for five years. In response, staff will focus on the oldest and dirtiest vehicles (2004 and older turn-ins) and recommend returning to 2020 pilot-style eligibility targeting disadvantaged, low-income communities. Chair Aquino asked about a solar-powered scooter; Philly said adding pedals to qualify as an e-bike would be the easiest current path.
• Director Dickinson asked about Del Paso Heights and North Sacramento outreach. Philly said Del Paso Heights is eligible as a disadvantaged community and has had participation; Dr. Ayala added that the region had identified about ten AB 617 candidate neighborhoods, but state rules require spending within the designated community. Director Jennings asked about including more community-based organizations; staff said they work with trusted partners, attended a Stockton Boulevard Partnership event the prior evening, and will have to pull back broader promotion because the program may soon be oversubscribed.

Air Quality Considerations for Data Centers

• Steve Masumek, program manager in engineering and compliance, gave a receive-and-file presentation on data centers. He described federal action (White House AI Action Plan, executive orders) accelerating data centers, and both benefits (tax revenue, jobs, digital infrastructure) and concerns (electricity demand, utility rates, noise, water use, diesel backup generators). A 2026 Ugov survey found 69% of residents concerned about fast-tracking data centers without safeguards; Monterey Park, Coachella, and Fresno have banned or limited large data centers.
• Locally, 13 data center facilities hold 100 air district permits; there have been no complaints in the past 10 years and generally good compliance. Facilities are mostly in Rancho Cordova, McClellan, and parts of Sacramento, with none in the AB 617 community. Total backup generation capacity is about 180 megawatts, similar to the 160-megawatt SMUD Campbell power plant. Data centers use about 5% of U.S. grid energy, expected to double by 2030.
• District permitting requires best available control technology, health risk assessment, public notice for larger projects, inspections, and ongoing oversight. Modern low-emission backup engines cut pollution by 85% compared with older emergency engines; emerging options include linear generators already in commercial use in Sacramento, solar-plus-storage, sodium-ion battery assembly, and hydrogen fuel cells.
• Director Kennedy called for a consolidated countywide policy involving SMUD, the Air District, and cities. Dr. Ayala supported a possible countywide data center task force and challenged staff to go beyond baseline clean technology. Director Rodriguez raised the potential for using harvest water and the need for legislative changes because harvest water is currently limited to agricultural use. APCO responded that the District will stay in its air quality lane and provide future updates. Director Dickinson said the Mayor of Sacramento has already convened a task force and city staff would reach out.

Air Pollution Control Officer Report and Board Comments

• APCO Dr. Ayala reported on the agency's 30th anniversary celebration, an international air quality conference in China, and an upcoming visit from Beijing's environmental protection department. He also described a presentation to SMUD's board comparing emissions per unit of energy from older cars, 2026 cars, and gas turbines; gas turbines were cleaner on NOx, particulate, methane, and CO2 emissions. He said he supports SMUD's zero-carbon plan even if the transition away from gas power plants takes longer.
• Director Rodriguez thanked staff and described her personal connection to air quality because of childhood bronchial asthma. No public comments were made on non-agenda items.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes were recorded; the board lacked a quorum at the start and later remained one short.
• Clean Cars for All and data center presentations were informational. Staff will adjust Clean Cars program eligibility and targeting as funding shrinks and will return later with further data center updates.
• Staff will schedule a special board meeting to consider the Stockton Boulevard planning grant resolution before the state application deadline.
• The board discussed but did not adopt a countywide data center task force; coordination conversations with SMUD, cities, and the county will continue.