Napa could get greenhouse gas emissions-sensing towers - Napa Valley Register

Napa could get greenhouse gas emissions-sensing towers

Napa County is drawing national and international interest as being an ideal place to measure greenhouse gas emissions and gauge local carbon-cutting efforts in real time.

Under a new proposal, sensors mounted on metal towers at up to 10 locations would measure greenhouse gas emissions. Scientists would use the data to estimate where emissions are coming from and where they are being stored naturally, such as in forests.

Setting up 10 towers and providing support would cost $6 million, and the money has yet to be found. But the United Nations World Meteorological Organization and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory are interested in the effort.

A local partner is the Napa County Resource Conservation District.

“We’re kind of drawing a little circle around Napa County and going, ‘This is our little terrarium; we’re going to be watching and studying what happens to these greenhouse gas emissions over time,’” the district's executive director Lucas Patzek said.

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Napa County and its cities did a greenhouse gas inventory last year that estimated 1.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents were emitted in 2019. That was calculated with modeling using various assumptions, data sources and emission factors.

The sensors would provide actual measurements in real time and show how amounts rise or fall over time in response to local carbon-cutting actions.

"If we don't measure, we can't quantify," said Sebastien Biraud, a staff scientist with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

A paper from the Berkeley Lab Foundation — a charitable group supporting the national laboratory — describes the proposal. It talks of the Napa County effort as helping to develop a “global blueprint,” should the $6 million be found.

The county and its cities are ready to create a regional climate action plan that will be a menu of carbon-cutting steps. That caught the attention of the Lawrence Berkeley laboratory.

“Napa County is an ideal pilot site because strong climate commitments are present already,” the Berkeley Lab Foundation paper said.

In addition, the county has urban corridors, farmlands and natural lands. That will provide an understanding of greenhouse gas emission sources and storage resulting from various types of land management, the paper said.

“We’re surrounded by hills essentially on all sides,” Patzek said. “We’re relatively small. We have a diversity of land uses. … Then it was just an added bonus we’re so close to Berkeley.”

The goal is to seek the needed $6 million through a combination of public funding and philanthropy, the Berkeley Lab Foundation letter said.

All of this landed on Friday before the county Climate Action Committee, composed of local elected officials. The item was informational, with no vote taken.

"It would be an incredible win for this county," American Canyon City Councilmember Mark Joseph said.

No one disagreed. The Climate Action Committee is to vote at its next meeting to formally declare its support, a move that could help in landing grants.

Chris Benz of Napa Climate NOW! praised the endeavor.

"This is absolutely critical that we have this information so our (regional climate action plan) can be effective," she told the Climate Action Committee.

The question arose to how quickly the sensors and support staff can be put in place, if and when the $6 million is found.

"We're ready," Biraud said. "As soon as we have funding secured, we can start building and implementing."

Once permits are secured, a tower can be put up in seven days, he said.

Patzek said the partnership for this project had roots in a March 2022 think-tank gathering on climate change held at Tom Gamble's local Gamble Family Vineyards. The World Meteorological Organization participated in the meeting.

Also Friday, the Climate Action Committee approved a template building code addition that would discourage the use of natural gas in new homes. The county Board of Supervisors and the five local city councils could decide whether to adopt this template as law for their jurisdictions.

"I think this is a great first step," Calistoga City Councilmember Kevin Eisenberg said, adding the move "can do something real" to reduce the harms of climate change.
Sterling Vineyards in Napa Valley suffered damage during the 2020 Glass Fire. On Monday Oct. 23, 2023, it held a ceremony to mark its rebirth, including the installation of a new gondola system up a 300-foot-tall hill.

PHOTOS: Sterling Vineyards winery set to open

Invited guests are seen mingling on the terrace during a media event previewing the reopening of Sterling Vineyards near Calistoga following damage from the 2020 Glass Fire on Monday, six days before the winery's reopening.

People are seen touring Sterling Vineyards near Calistoga during a media event previewing the reopening of the Winery following damage from the 2020 Glass Fire on Monday, Oct. 23.

Caleb Delarocha cleans one of the new gondola cars at Sterling Vineyards during a media event previewing the reopening of the Winery following damage from the 2020 Glass Fire on Monday, Oct. 23.

Invited guests are seen mingling on the terrace during a media event previewing the reopening of Sterling Vineyards near Calistoga following damage from the 2020 Glass Fire on Monday, Oct. 23.

Paul Schneider Director of Engineering and Maintenance at Sterling Vineyards receives a defensible space inspection certificate from Cal Fire during a media event previewing the reopening of the winery near Calistoga following damage from the 2020 Glass Fire on Monday, Oct. 23.

Invited guests are given a tour of Sterling Vineyards during a media event previewing the reopening of the winery near Calistoga following damage from the 2020 Glass Fire on Monday, Oct. 23.

Invited guests are given a tour of Sterling Vineyards during a media event previewing the reopening of the winery near Calistoga following damage from the 2020 Glass Fire on Monday, Oct. 23.

Local dignitaries and Sterling Vineyards staff cut a ribbon during a media event previewing the reopening of the winery near Calistoga following damage from the 2020 Glass Fire on Monday, Oct. 23.

People are seen riding the new Gondola system at Sterling Vineyards during a media event previewing the reopening of the winery near Calistoga following damage from the 2020 Glass Fire on Monday, Oct. 23.

An invited guest walks on the grounds of Sterling Vineyards during a media event previewing the reopening of the winery near Calistoga following damage from the 2020 Glass Fire on Monday, October 23.

A scene from Sterling Vineyards which held a media event previewing the reopening of the winery near Calistoga following damage from the 2020 Glass Fire on Monday, October 23.

A scene from Sterling Vineyards which held a media event previewing the reopening of the winery near Calistoga following damage from the 2020 Glass Fire on Monday, October 23.

A scene from Sterling Vineyards which held a media event previewing the reopening of the winery near Calistoga following damage from the 2020 Glass Fire on Monday, October 23.

A scene from Sterling Vineyards which held a media event previewing the reopening of the winery near Calistoga following damage from the 2020 Glass Fire on Monday, October 23.

A scene from Sterling Vineyards which held a media event previewing the reopening of the winery near Calistoga following damage from the 2020 Glass Fire on Monday, October 23.

A scene from Sterling Vineyards which held a media event previewing the reopening of the winery near Calistoga following damage from the 2020 Glass Fire on Monday, October 23.

A scene from Sterling Vineyards which held a media event previewing the reopening of the winery near Calistoga following damage from the 2020 Glass Fire on Monday, October 23.

A scene from Sterling Vineyards which held a media event previewing the reopening of the winery near Calistoga following damage from the 2020 Glass Fire on Monday, October 23.

A scene from Sterling Vineyards which held a media event previewing the reopening of the winery near Calistoga following damage from the 2020 Glass Fire on Monday, October 23.

A scene from Sterling Vineyards which held a media event previewing the reopening of the winery near Calistoga following damage from the 2020 Glass Fire on Monday, October 23.

You can reach Barry Eberling at 707-256-2253 or beberling@napanews.com