Posts about Energy

For example, in Massachusetts, utilities work with local banks to provide 0% interest loans for homeowners and businesses for energy efficiency. This addresses a common and fundamental impediment to efficiency investments at scale: poor access to capital. The public sector's upfront incentives to the banks make the 0% loans possible, which then leverages significant investment capital from the private sector.

Virginia offers basic and straightforward rebates for commercial building energy audits. These audits identify where a building is inefficient (from HVAC to lighting to operations) and catalyze efficiency investments. Once a commercial building owner sees a facility's inefficiencies, and has information about what investments could pay for themselves in savings, they often make sustainable improvements without further incentives.

SEU isn't meeting its goals

DC residents and businesses pay a small percentage of their electric and gas bills to support DC SEU. As a result, DC SEU raised $17.5 million this year and will raise $20 million next year.

The Vermont Energy Investment Cooperation, or VEIC, won a competitive bid from the District to operate DC SEU. Their contract has been renewed each year, but so far, VEIC is struggling.

In fiscal year 2012, DC SEU met just 2 of 6 performance benchmarks the District set for things like reducing energy or increasing renewable energy generation. Their goal was to reduce citywide electricity use by 45,000 megawatt-hours, but they only saved 21,000.

DC SEU even fell behind on creating green jobs, which is one of its main goals. The organization hired just 41 people in 2012, well below their goal of 53.

DC SEU claims that it saved DC residents and businesses $2.8 million in annualized energy costs, but it received $14 million in funding last year. For a group intended to be a "market catalyst," this return on investment is disappointing.

It also counts spillover effects from its work, like customers who don't participate in their programs but are still working to reduce their energy use. This method of measurement may be an industry standard, but it doesn't really reflect DC SEU's effectiveness.

Is the SEU trying to do what it takes?

Nor does the organization's FY 2013 First Quarter report acknowledge any of DC SEU's past shortcomings or the need for any improvements. While the report calls for "strategic enhancements to [their] programming," there's little description of anything other DC SEU's existing efforts, like their programs to replace light bulbs and seal heating ducts.

If this is all the District wanted to do to improve energy efficiency, there was no need to create a new organization. It could have given the job to PEPCO and Washington Gas, which are perfectly capable of doing this kind of work. Meanwhile, DC SEU admits that natural gas consumption has actually increased due to their focus on replacing incandescent light bulbs with high-efficiency bulbs. The new bulbs give off less heat, which means that in the colder months, customers actually use more heating gas to hear their homes and businesses (but save energy in the summer on cooling.)

DC SEU wasn't even trying to balance the modest impact of the lighting upgrades with other programs to reduce heating loads. They spent just $700,000 of the $2 million allocated for natural gas-related programs. Whether this is simply poor management, misplaced priorities, or both, this is clearly not a good sign.

What can be done?

DC SEU needs help. They aren't meeting their goals and they aren't fulfilling their legal obligation to District ratepayers. Meanwhile, the District Department of the Environment (DDOE), which manages the organization, has done little oversight. A lot of the relevant staff has turned over at DDOE. Plus, that agency's main expertise is not in "big data" or the economics of financial leverage in the ways necessary to push the SEU toward bolder thinking and better results.

There's already a strong market for compact fluorescents (and an emerging one for the the even newer LED bulbs). The amount of savings from bulbs is small compared to commercial space, which uses a vastly disproportionate share of energy. With incentives to focus on the greatest possible value, the SEU could do more with, for instance, energy audits for commercial space.

Mayor Gray's sustainability plan puts forward an exciting and laudable vision for the District. It would be a shame if DC SEU doesn't play a key role in making it a reality.

While states like Vermont, Ohio, and Delaware have sustainable energy utilities, DC SEU is the only one that measures success in terms of both energy savings and economic development. In 2012, DC SEU served 18,795 households in 2012, 60% of which are low-income, and spent $5.2 million with locally-owned Certified Business Enterprises, or CBEs. DC SEU claims that its customers save almost $3 million annually in energy costs, while its efficiency measures produce lifetime economic benefits of almost $24 million.

However, not everyone is convinced of DC SEU's effectiveness. Employees of the utility's vaunted green jobs program, which was supposed to create 100 new jobs every year, say their work was unproductive and "meaningless." Perhaps more can be done to strengthen the training and future job placement aspects of the jobs offered through DC SEU, but one lone program can't be expected to squelch the District's persistent plague of unemployment.

Meanwhile, critics argue that DC SEU has accomplished little other than self-promotion. There certainly seems to be room for better cooperation between DC SEU and pre-existing community organizations promoting solar power installation. But there's always a learning curve when government takes over tasks previously in the purview of the private sector, no matter how poorly Pepco did at promoting efficiency, especially when Pepco owns the power lines and metering systems.

We'll be able to get a better understanding of what DC SEU has accomplished with newly available data on how much electricity, water, and gas buildings in the District consume. DC has assessed the energy and water use and carbon emissions of every District-owned building every year since 2009, but this is the first year that private owners of commercial buildings larger than 100,000 square feet are required to report their energy and water use to DDOE in compliance with new benchmarking regulation. Next year, the requirement will extend to all commercial and multifamily residential buildings larger than 50,000 square feet.

For the past two years, the DC SEU has provided a Benchmarking Help Center assist owners of large buildings assess and report energy and water use. They have fielded more questions about medical offices and small retail outlets in multifamily apartment buildings and condominiums than expected.

"We walk by these buildings every day, but we don't think about how they operate, how much energy or water they use or what's inside," says Help Center spokesperson John Andreoni. "Through the release of benchmarked and reported data, we'll gain access to this information."

This wealth of public data will increase transparency in the market and provide a more complete picture of DC buildings' energy, water, and carbon footprints than has ever been produced. As more efficiency measures are implemented, we'll be able to see how effective DC SEU actually is.

In most industries, it costs less per unit to produce greater quantities of a product. But with energy, the reverse is true. That's why investing in conservation at the consumer level is the most prudent way for governments to reduce energy use and save users money. Not only is efficiency more effective for ratepayers and taxpayers than building new power plants, even ones using renewable sources, it's also better for the environment.

Armed with more public data, DC SEU will have more information at hand to shrink the District's resource consumption and encourage building owners and managers to embrace energy efficiency. If it achieves measurable success, it will not only trim the city's environmental footprint, but keep costs low for all District ratepayers.

Q: You're the new head of a new division of a new agency. What exactly do you do?

The Department of General Services constructs, modernizes, and manages the District's government facilities. I've heard people refer to DGS as DC's GSA. That's part of it. When Mayor Gray created DGS, he charged us with overseeing one of the largest commitments to public school modernization in the United States and we're doing it with a steadfast commitment to sustainability. Our portfolio includes 30 million square feet of real estate that encompasses schools, office buildings, fire houses, police stations, recreation centers, and more.

DGS's Sustainability & Energy Division specifically deals with supply of and demand for the government's energy. We acquire the energy commodities for DC government facilities, from electricity to natural gas to water, and we pay the bills—all of which is no small task. In many respects, we quite literally keep the lights on.

But the supply of energy is just one component. A core mission for the Sustainability & Energy Division is to create a portfolio of government facilities that run at optimal efficiency in both energy consumption and cost. From efficient buildings with minimum energy consumption, to first-class stormwater and waste management, to maximizing the District's tree canopy, to even looking at the potential for urban agriculture. My team and I have our hands in all of these initiatives."

Q: What kind of impact do you think DGS can really make in the city with respect to sustainability?

Our agency will have a tremendous impact on the city's sustainability. We are already building from a strong foundation. For instance, all of our new construction projects are LEED certified, and we recently won a national Green Ribbon Schools award from the Obama administration. But there's no doubt we want to go even further. Much further.

Mayor Gray has laid out an inspired vision for the city. The SustainableDC initiative has put forward goals such as reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 50% in the next 20 years. So, it definitely feels like we have the wind in our sails. In my opinion, the Mayor has not gotten enough credit for his bold vision for sustainability. It's a vision that is going to make real change in the District.

Our director, Brian Hanlon, has a goal to lead by example with regard to sustainability and green features in our portfolio. Our goal is nothing less than to become a beacon for sustainability efforts around the world."

Q: Any plans to make some of these goals actionable, to actually get some specific initiatives underway?

DGS has an ambitious agenda over the short- and mid-term and we're moving aggressively to execute this game plan. Here are some examples:

The Mayor delivered on his commitment to energy efficiency with his FY13 budget: DGS has roughly $10 million for retrofits next fiscal year (starting October 1, 2012). A retrofit is a project that removes older, less energy efficient equipment and replaces it with new, more energy efficient systems. We've already mapped out a specific road map for those funds, and anticipate at least $2.5 million in annual energy savings as a result of this investment.

Also, we've recently launched a composting pilot program in 10 schools (including one in each of the District's 8 wards) that's seen an amazing response to from students, teachers, and community members. We're very bullish about this program's prospects and we're looking to make significant progress to reduce DCPS's waste diversion rate this upcoming school year.

Finally, I can only say so much at this juncture, but by next winter DGS will have a building energy monitoring program that I candidly believe other jurisdictions will be lining up to replicate.

Q: What are the department's plans where solar or other renewable sources of energy are concerned?

In just the past few months, we've made considerable headway with respect to renewable energy installations at our government facilities. One of the most exciting developments in this space might be the progress we've made with respect to third-party financing for solar installations.

In the not-so-distant future, we hope to dramatically increase the percentage of the city's energy supply from onsite renewable sources and to do so with minimal upfront capital costs to District taxpayers.

Q: You came on during a turbulent time for the District government and you've had a front row view of a government that's come under scrutiny in the past year. Is this DC government position meeting your expectations?

The job has definitely exceeded what were already high expectations. There's no hiding that it's been a tough PR year for the DC government, but I must say that I've encountered so many people in our government that are just extraordinarily talented and dedicated to this city. I work with some really amazing people at DGS. We have strong leadership in the agency and throughout the District government as a whole, and we have the support of the council for our initiatives. I believe we're doing some amazing things to make DC a leader in sustainability.

It's a new take on the argument, and it forces us to think somewhat differently about the debate.

Normally, we talk about reducing the number of things that pollute (or reducing the amount that each pollutes). And while most people agree that a cleaner Earth is a better Earth, not everyone agrees that the cost is worth it.

But if we were suddenly faced with a world where everything had a tailpipe, we might feel differently.

Of course, the point of this ad is actually to make us wonder what would happen if everything didn't run on gas. (And also to sell their new electric car.)

Preparing will mean that we're ready to transition into an economy not utterly dependent on finite fossil fuel deposits. Not preparing will mean a bleak future as the economy is disrupted by empty gas tanks and dead power plants.

"One way or the other, we're in for the ride of a lifetime."

One of our biggest victories in recent years came when we saved Metro rail and bus service. Working with hundreds of you, we emailed and petitioned Metro's decision makers and our elected officials on behalf of Metro.

The District saw several pedestrian safety victories, and DC and Arlington launched Capital Bikeshare, the new (yet already wildly popular) bikesharing service. If you'd like to read more about what happened last year, take a look at our Top five Smart Growth moments of 2010.

Photo by Jon Reaves.

Today, our region is at a crossroads. There are several directions our region could take as we envision our future. But there is one path we simply can't afford to take: the direction toward more traffic and mounting infrastructure bills. For too long the government and private sectors have made decisions that snarl our commutes and cost us billions.

Highlighted in the Washington Post story Five things that keep Stewart Schwartz up at night, these decisions include where we're choosing to put our jobs—decisions like BRAC and Science City, hospitals and museums locations, and corporate headquarters.

We're not the first to say it, but it's time for fundamental change, and there's never been a better time for it. We live in our nation's capital, and it's time we become an example of innovation, problem solving, fiscal and environmental sustainability and prosperity for the rest of the country.

With limited available funds, we can't afford a continued business-as-usual approach where tax dollars are spread around like peanut butter. Throwing money at transportation without focus, whether it's through massive borrowing and debt in Virginia or a gas tax increase in Maryland, is inefficient and irresponsible.

Instead, we must target our infrastructure investments and prioritize a fix-it-first policy that will repair and replace aging bridges, pavement, and transit. We need to tie our investments to supporting transit-oriented, mixed-use walkable/bikeable communities, which can mean more money spent on local "complete streets" networks as well as transit, pedestrian and bicycle facilities. We can also invest in operational improvements, such as better traffic incident response and coordination, expanded HOV, and bus priority lanes.

Looking ahead, there are five key opportunities we must take advantage of in order to secure a sustainable, competitive future for our communities. We call on our region's residents, decision makers, and our elected officials to join us as we move our region forward:

1. Metro: The fight for Metro is not over, but we've won every battle so far. This year, we can and should find the means to fully fund Metro's operating and capital investment needs in order to avoid further fare increases and service cuts. Increased ridership over the past several years proves that investment in this critical transportation system is well worth it, especially in bus priority services that improve on-time service and carry more passengers at less cost.

2. Transit-oriented development: 2010 was the year for great TOD plan approvals, but there's more work to be done. Prince George's County has 15 Metro stations that are ripe for development, and Montgomery's eastern stations and Shady Grove have all the right ingredients for successful TOD communities. Now we have to get the details right on plans that have already been approved, and work with elected officials to get started on areas that don't yet have plans in place.

3. Mixed-use commercial corridors: Demand is visibly increasing for revitalizing our commercial corridors throughout the region, including Route 1 in Fairfax County, Route 234 and 28 in Manassas, Rockville Pike in Montgomery County, and the Central Avenue Corridor in Prince George's County. Let's channel this demand by working with elected officials and communities to help suburbs focus their growth and reduce traffic through more interconnected, mixed-use communities.

4. Housing options: A wide variety of housing options is essential for healthy, balanced communities, access to jobs, and reduced traffic. In 2011, we must ensure every community throughout the region has a full range of affordable housing choices through mixed-use revitalization, housing trust funds, affordable housing preservation strategies, and inclusionary zoning policies. There are even tools like the Housing + Transportation Cost Calculator and Walk Score to help find and create more convenient and affordable communities.

5. Transportation: One-sided proposals for transportation that throw money at the problems don't make sense. It's time for a summit of civic, conservation, housing, business, and government leaders to come together and work on a more sustainable transportation (and land use!) plan and appropriate funding strategies that benefit everyone.

Photo from NBC Washington.

The problems in the Washington region are no different than those across the country. Aging infrastructure, huge federal debt, climate change, energy inefficiency, oil dependency, and severe strains on household budgets are all challenges that we must face in 2011, no matter where we live. Smart growth solutions will help us address these challenges.

1. Aging infrastructure: Aging infrastructure makes us less efficient and less safe. Right now, we're facing the task of fixing exploding 50-year-old water mains, $3.5 billion in structurally deficient bridges in Virginia, old schools, and a 35-year old Metrorail system.

   Before we make new investments, we must remember our old ones and use a fix-it-first policy to improve infrastructure.

2. Federal febt: Federal debt means less money available for infrastructure. In fact, many would agree that our nation is broke. Therefore, we cannot afford to subsidize inefficient sprawling development with new infrastructure while trying to maintain the old. We must instead make redevelopment and revitalization in existing communities a top priority, allowing public and private sectors to share the cost of replacing and upgrading old infrastructure.

   By focusing public resources for water and sewer, transportation, housing, stormwater and other infrastructure on redevelopment and economic development incentive programs in a coordinated way, our tax dollars will be used more efficiently.

3. Energy consumption: The US comprises just 5% of the world's population but consumes 25% of the world's oil and generates the largest share of CO2 emissions from automobiles. 65% of our oil is imported.

   Reducing our energy consumption seems like a daunting task, but already communities across the country are reducing their emissions by creating green, mixed-use, mixed-income, walkable/bikeable and transit-oriented communities. Part of that is making investment in transit, intercity rail, and local street networks a top national, state, and regional priority.

4. Strained household budgets: Household budgets are strained and the combined high cost of housing and transportation is a top contributing factor.

   Like reducing energy consumption, we can reduce our budget burdens by creating walkable, mixed-income, mixed-use, transit accessible communities that offer the opportunity for shorter commutes, fewer daily car trips, less traffic, and greater energy efficiency. In Washington specifically, we must continue to address the east-west jobs/housing divide, create more housing options closer to jobs, and make residential and commercial building energy efficiency a top priority.

Let's lead!

We can't say it enough: 2010 was a great smart growth year. But as we begin to choose our path for 2011, let's take what didn't work last year and create new opportunities.

Adopting a range of smart growth policies—from transit-oriented development to a range of housing options—will set us firmly on a course to become the most energy efficient, and environmentally and fiscally sustainable region in the nation. In the process we will help address some of the great challenges we face nationally and become a model for the rest of the country.

Laura DeSantis is the Online Advocacy and Outreach Specialist for the Coalition for Smarter Growth.

The park's story, is still being written. It serves as a reminder of the tremendous impact that can be achieved by, in anthropologist Margaret Mead's words, "a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens."

Nestled in the alleyway behind the rowhouses bounded by North Capitol Street on the east, 1st Street NW on the west, U Street on the south and V Street on the north, the park is both a source of neighborhood pride and one of the city's best-kept secrets. It provides hope that so many similar spaces in our city can be similarly beautified.

Addressing our society's disconnectedness, as well as our ever-present energy and environmental challenges, will require making cities (and compact suburban and rural villages) more attractive places to live than sprawling outer-ring subdivisions. A key aspect of this is demonstrating that living in an urban environment doesn't mean giving up access to the kinds of safe, welcoming green spaces that suburbanites take for granted.

In addition, research is beginning to demonstrate a link between the presence of greenery and reduced levels of violent crime.

A 2008 aerial view of the park. Image from Google Maps via Facebook.

Some complain that creating such spaces only hastens gentrification. But the amount of common green space available for all to enjoy shouldn't be dictated by a neighborhood's median income level.

Many of the Bloomingdale residents who worked to create Crispus Attucks Park were not wealthy newcomers wanting to change the neighborhood's character; they were middle-class residents who knew they had just as much right to quality greenspace as people in leafier areas. People with limited time and means, by pooling their resources, can accomplish a lot, and by creating places for neighbors to socialize, may help to bridge the class divide that plagues the city.

The neighbor-run nonprofit that owns and manages the park is planning significant improvements.

The organization will soon present a grant proposal to the TKF Foundation to fund improvements. The grant would fund the installation of solar-paneled arbors (i.e. gazebos) in the park, and would also create additional lawn space at the eastern end. An earlier grant from TKF funded the creation of the Memory Garden in the park.

Funding from the DC government and other foundations and individuals is also being sought. Eventually, the nonprofit hopes the solar panels will power landscape lighting, an irrigation system, and a fountain while providing power back to the grid. The solar project could become a great way to educate the community about renewable energy.

As we continue to advocate policy-driven improvements to make our region a better place to live, we can't forget the smaller parcels which can have such a large impact. It is important that we find ways to build the spaces that bring people together and allow people to find respite from life's bustle within blocks of home.

For, as John Muir put it, "[Humanity] needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in where nature can heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike."