Thank you to everyone who attended the California Jobs First: Orange County Regional Investment Initiative Forum on September 24, 2024 at Santa Ana College. The event was a great success, drawing nearly 200 attendees and fostering meaningful connections among community members and leaders.

The program opened by emphasizing California Jobs First as an initiative to build a community-led economy that balances energy needs with environmental protection. The Regional Investment Initiative allows Orange County to develop tailored economic plans focused on equity, inclusion, and sustainability. Over a year and a half of work has gone into this process, and the forum was an opportunity to reflect on this progress.

The next steps for the Regional Investment Initiative are the deployment of Implementation and Catalyst Funding, emphasizing continued collaboration to achieve the initiative’s goals. Implementation and Catalyst Funding are two key funding sources that will support Orange County’s projects moving forward:

• Implementation Funding: A total of $150 million will be distributed over three years, with $50 million available each year for completing projects. This funding is competitive across California, and projects will need approval from the regional collaborative to be considered by the state.
• Catalyst Funding: This funding supports projects that aren’t quite ready for full implementation. $1.5 million has been allocated to Sector Investment Coordinators, who will guide projects and align them with additional funding sources. An additional $9 million will fund exploratory projects in the early stages of development and last-mile projects that need final steps like site selection or permitting before they’re ready to go. The collaborative has until September 2026 to decide how to allocate these funds.

In the coming months, further guidance will be provided on which activities and projects will receive Implementation and Catalyst Funding, with an informal request for project submissions expected soon. To learn more about California Jobs First, visit here. For questions or more information, contact [email protected].