Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlan Appendix B 05 Energy and Climate Protection Town  of Ithaca 2014 Comprehensive Plan B‐76  B.5 Energy and climate protection  Climate change is one of the most urgent, pressing issues faced by the global community. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), global GHG emissions resulting from human activities have grown since pre- industrial times, with an increase of 70% between 1970 and 2004. The IPCC is the leading international body for the assessment of climate change. Thousands of scientists from all over the world contribute to the work of the IPCC on a voluntary basis. Since 1750, global atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases have significantly increased as a result of human activities, and now far exceed pre-industrial values. Most of the observed increase in global average temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic (human-made) GHG concentrations. Although the Earth’s climate has changed throughout history, never before have we seen such significant disruptions to the systems that make life on Earth possible. According to the IPCC, human influences have:  “Very likely contributed to sea level rise during the latter half of the 20th century.”  “Likely contributed to changes in wind patterns, affecting extra-tropical storm tracks and temperature patterns.”  “Likely increased temperatures of extreme hot nights, cold nights and cold days.”  “More likely than not increased risk of heat waves, area affected by drought since the 1970s and frequency of heavy precipitation events.” (Source: https://www.ipcc-wg1.unibe.ch/publications/wg1-ar4/faq/wg1_faq-2.1.html) With its April 2009 resolution to participate in the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation “Climate Smart Communities Initiative,” the Ithaca Town Board recognized that climate change is a threat not only globally, but also locally, and likely to affect our water supply, food sources, infrastructure, sensitive ecosystems, economy, and quality of life. The Town Board resolved to promote sustainability, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and adapt to climate change by implementing the following strategies:  Reduce GHG emissions from Town operations and in the community. • Gather data on current GHG emissions from Town operations, as well as throughout the Town at large. • Set GHG emissions reduction goals for Town operations. • Develop and implement an Energy Action Plan to decrease Town government’s energy demand and achieve reduction goals. • Pursue renewable energy sources at Town government facilities.  Reduce solid waste generation and disposal and enhance recycling strategies in Town government facilities as well as throughout the Town.  Implement land use planning that supports Smart Growth principles and GHG emissions reductions.  Assess risks and develop a climate adaptation plan for Town operations and within the Town at large. Concentration of greenhouse gases: 0 AD to 2005 AD    Town  of Ithaca 2014 Comprehensive Plan B‐77 As the first step in the process, the Government Operations GHG Emissions Inventory was initiated to assist the Town in understanding the scope and nature of the challenges we face in reducing our impacts. Completed in April 2011 using 2009 data, the inventory revealed the largest sources of emissions and the most expensive energy consumers within Town buildings, fleet, and infrastructure: GHG emissions and energy costs by sector  Fleet 23% Employee  commute 3%Buildings 6% Streetlights  and signals 3% Water 45% Wastewater 20% GHG emissions  Wastewater 27% Water 45% Streetlights  and signals 3% Buildings 6% Employee  commute 12% Fleet 7%   Energy costs  The above figure illustrates the proportion of GHG emissions resulting from the Town of Ithaca’s government operations, broken down into six sectors.42 Water treatment is by far the largest source of emissions in the Town, comprising nearly half of the total emissions. The vehicle fleet and wastewater treatment facility are also significant contributors to overall emissions in the Town’s operations. The figure also illustrates the costs associated with powering, heating, cooling, and fueling the Town’s operations. This reveals that water treatment, wastewater treatment, employee commute43 and vehicle fleet are the biggest expenses for the Town when it comes to energy. The conclusions drawn from these data inform our next steps and prioritize actions. The biggest opportunities to save money and reduce emissions are clearly within the water treatment, wastewater treatment and vehicle fleet sectors. Efforts focused in these areas will yield the greatest return on any investment, whether through energy efficiency upgrades, alternative fuel usage, renewable energy installation, or energy conservation policies. These data guided the Town Board in setting emissions reduction targets for both the long- and short-terms, and provided the foundation for the Energy Action Plan. The Town Board considered actions already planned, and weighed the impacts of proposed actions before coming to agreement on ambitious, yet achievable emissions reduction targets. Recognizing that all sectors of the community, especially the local government, must accept responsibility for their share of reducing emissions and the risks associated with climate change, the Town Board endorsed the following GHG emissions reduction goals for its government operations:  80% reduction below 2009 levels by 2050  30% reduction below 2009 levels by 2020 The 2020 Energy Action Plan, which is available for download on the Town of Ithaca’s website, was adopted by the Town Board in October 2011 and provides a clear roadmap of the activities and measures that should be 42 The wastewater treatment facility, which is an intermunicipal system, entered into a 20‐year energy performance contract in 2010 and  will undergo significant improvements starting in 2011 to lower energy costs, and emissions over the long term.  43 Employee commute is not considered an expense to the Town, but is included in the inventory because local governments often have  opportunities to reduce emissions associated with employee commuting, such as encouraging and incentivizing alternatives to driving  to work alone.  Town  of Ithaca 2014 Comprehensive Plan B‐78 implemented to achieve GHG emissions reduction goals. A summary of these recommended measures by sector, and their contribution towards the interim reduction target is as follows: Water  treatment   Energy efficiency improvements to water treatment system  Promote water conservation practices amongst residents Wastewater  treatment   Energy efficiency improvements to wastewater treatment facility  Energy efficiency improvements to wastewater pumping stations Vehicle  fleet   Use biodiesel (B20) as fuel source for vehicles  Limit idling of heavy duty trucks and other vehicles  Reduce vehicle fleet mileage  Optimize fleet and vehicle size  Maintain and repair vehicles regularly Buildings and facilities    “Lights out” policy (electricity conservation)  Increase chiller efficiency  Efficient lighting retrofits  Energy efficient computer hardware (computers, printers, monitors)  Reflective roofing  HVAC fan upgrades  Increase boiler efficiency  Municipal green building policy Streetlights and traffic signals   Replace streetlights with efficient lamps  Evaluate lighting districts and remove unnecessary lights  Install LED lamps in town-owned lights Renewables   Purchase 10% of electricity from Renewable Energy Certificates (REC’s)  Solar power purchase agreement Given that government operations constitute only 2% of the Town of Ithaca’s community-wide emissions, the Town of Ithaca determined that it was critical to complete a Community GHG Emissions Inventory. The inventory details emissions: The following chart illustrates the proportion of total town-wide community GHG emissions associated with the various sectors. Transportation is by far the single largest source of emissions within the Town of Ithaca (44% of total emissions). Buildings, however, when combined from the Residential, Commercial, and Industrial sectors are responsible for more than half of total emissions (53%). The Town can use this information to engage the public in an effort similar to the Town’s to develop GHG emissions reduction goals, and to develop and implement an Energy Action Plan. These data also have important implications for the Town’s land use planning and policy development, given the authority the Town has to regulate and guide future development. With 97% of Townwide emissions   Town  of Ithaca 2014 Comprehensive Plan B‐79 coming from transportation and buildings, the Town can adopt policies and implement programs to reduce vehicle miles traveled and automobile dependence, create more walkable, livable neighborhoods, require greener, more efficient buildings, and promote energy conservation amongst residents. GHG emissions by sector | Town  of Ithaca  Waste 2% Transportation 44% Industrial 4% Government 32% Residential 17% Agriculture 1% Robust data, ambitious goals, and well-articulated plans can only go so far in helping the Town achieve its energy and sustainability objectives over the long-term. Without a centralized sustainability department or permanent staff devoted to energy and climate change programs and projects, it is essential that the Town identify who will be responsible for carrying out specific energy and climate change actions to meet the goals, and that the Town devote resources to these areas. In addition to devoted staff time and resources to carry out the energy and climate change goals, actions, and plans, the Town should also take the lead in establishing an Energy Action Committee. This committee should be comprised of local community members and experts, and should guide the implementation of the Town’s energy, climate change, and sustainability plans, goals, and actions. Critical to the success of these stated goals is a commitment to tracking and evaluating the outcomes of various action items and goals to ensure effectiveness and clarify the best path forward. Once the Town has identified responsible departments and individuals for each goal and their related actions, those point people will report annually to the Town Board on their progress. It is anticipated that the goals and actions will evolve continuously over the years, and the annual report can serve as an opportunity to check in, reevaluate, and add or omit focus areas to reflect the needs and interests of the Town.