Climate Technology

RIVERSIDE COUNTY SECTOR SUMMARY

At 402,000 square feet, the new CARB Center is designed to be the largest zero net energy building in the United States

Producing as much energy as it uses, aided by solar arrays throughout the campus that generate 3.5 Megawatts of electricity, and a chilled beam temperature management system that provides increased energy efficiency and occupant comfort.

The California Air Resources Board  (CARB) has designed, developed and built one of the world’s leading technology, research & development centers for clean tech. Located in the heart of Riverside, in partnership with the University of California, Riverside. The state-of-the-art Southern California Headquarters is designed to carry CARB’s acclaimed research and vehicle emissions testing into the future. The new structure, designed to house research and testing of next-generation vehicles, continues a more than 50-year legacy of CARB’s previous labs where CARB set groundbreaking pollution standards for cars and trucks. 

“Every element of the new Southern California Headquarters – Mary D. Nichols Campus, from the laboratory and vehicle test cells to the stunning architecture, reflects the high standards and notable achievements CARB is recognized for around the world,” said CARB Chair Liane Randolph. “This new headquarters will be the incubator of innovative regulatory thinking and research, playing a pivotal role in the transition of transportation in California to zero-emission technologies. That will ensure that we accelerate our actions to protect those communities hardest hit by emissions from heavy truck traffic and freight transport.”The campus is named in honor of CARB’s former Chair Mary D. Nichols whose career at CARB spanned four decades under three different California governors. Nichols is known worldwide for her unwavering commitment to air quality and public health and spearheaded much of California’s progress towards those goals.

Inside the testing facility at California Air Resources Board's state-of-the-art Headquarters, built in 2021.
The 19-acre campus is located on land donated by UCR and encompasses a cutting-edge laboratory and advanced chemistry area, as well as administrative space for approximately 460 employees.