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HomeMy WebLinkAboutagenda.council.worksession.20080902To: Mayor Ireland and Aspen City Council members From: Alice Laird (cofounder of CORE) and Heather McGregor, staff for CLEER, Clean Energy Economy for the Region Date: August 29, 2008 Re: Update on Regional Energy Partnership effort and DOLA/GEO New Energy Communities Initiative Thank you all for your support last fall for a grant to create a regional energy partnership To date, the major outcome of this grant is a coalition of jurisdictionssnd organizations based in Garfield County joining together for the recently announced statewide New Energy Communities Initiative. Out of 36 letters of interest submitted by July 18, our region's proposal is one of 16 approved to move on to the next level. We have the potential of securing up to $2 million through this initiative. The coalition working group has been meeting regularly to develop this proposal -more information on the effort can be found at http://www.cleanenerRVec__onomv.net/proiects/NEC-app/auide.html Other outcomes include two events held in June. The first was a luncheon presentation by Urban Land Institute senior fellow Robert Dunphy to a packed crowd of architects, planners and developers on June 4 in Carbondale. The second was a morning workshop, "Advancing the Clean Energy Economy;' featuring local clean energy experts, top GEO staff and a keynote presentation by Craig Perkins of The Energy Coalition, held June 13 in Glenwood Springs. CLEER is also publishing a free electronic newsletter, The Clean Energy Economy News, every three weeks, to a subscriber list of over 500 public officials, business leaders and clean energy advocates from Aspen to Parachute. Archives of the eight issues published to date are among the contents of a small website hosted by CLEER at www.CleanEnergyEconomy.net. At your Sept. 2nd board meeting, we plan to provide a short update on this effort, outline the programs that will be submitted to DOLA and GEO for the New Energy Communities Initiative, answer any questions you may have, and discuss how City of Aspen may want to be involved. We would also like to ask for a letter of support for the Initiative proposal so we can acknowledge the City of Aspen and Pitkin County's investment to date in this effort and the existing rebates which residents of Carbondale and Glenwood Springs can tap through the Renewable Energy Mitigation Program. Attached is a list of projects and services currently proposed in each program area. Although this proposal is being submitted by Garfield County and Garfield County communities to the Department of Local Affairs and the Governors Energy Office, many of the proposed projects and programs will be advancing energy efficiency, renewable energy, climate protection, and greater energy independence for our entire region. The grant application deadline is September 19. Between now and then we are presenting to local boards to gather final comments on the proposal and secure local match. We are required to secure a minimum 25 percent local match, but a larger match will strengthen the proposal. Again, thank you very much for your support of this effort to date. The current coalition, increased regional collaboration on this topic from Parachute to Aspen, and proposed programs are the direct result of your investment to date. r DRAFT Overview of New Energy Communities Initiative Proposed Projects Aug. 27, 2008 Jurisdictions and organizations currently participating in the proposal are Parachute, Rifle, Silt, New Castle, Glenwood Springs, Carbondale, Garfield County, Garfield Library District, Roaring Fork School District, Garfield Re-2 School District, Solar Energy International, Energy Partners Inc., and the Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association. A working group of representatives from these groups has been meeting since July to develop the proposal. Not all partners have been able to attend meetings but are offering ongoing ideas. Below are the main areas the Governor's Energy Office (GEO) has suggested for NECI proposals, with brief descriptions of projects the working group has proposed to date. We are working with GEO and DOLA staff to fine-tune the proposed projects. Another working group meeting will beheld August 29, after this summary was written, and the project list or descriptions may change. The overall grant application is due September 19. More on the application process can be found at htto://www.cleanenerayeconomy.net/oroiects/NEC- app/auide.html Greenini: Public Facilities. Existing buildings: All participating jurisdictionstyill be signing MOU's with the Governor's Energy Office to conduct audits in all public facilities likely to produce energy savings, and commit to entering into financing agreements to make energy improvements, if they have not already done so. Grant funding could help cover the cost of energy improvements along with local government orthird-party financing. New green buildings: As part of the initiative, Garfield County staff have suggested that the new county office building in downtown Glenwood Springs be LEED certified. The Garfield Library District is committing to making all six of its library expansions or new buildings highly energy efficient, employing different renewable technologies at each site. Grant funding and local match will help cover the "green gap" and provide technical assistance in making these buildings models of smart energy design. Renewable Enerev Demonstration Proiects Solar photovoltaic: The initiative will use third-party financing to install solar PV systems of up to 50 kW on public facilities in every participating jurisdiction, where feasible. These highly visible installations will replicate the approach used to finance and install solar PV at the Carbondale Recreation Center. In New Castle, this project may be applied to light a pathway connecting new neighborhoods with the historic downtown. Through third-party financing and maximizing renewable energy credits and utility incentives, the participating jurisdictions will be able to own their PV systems after seven years and reap the ongoing utility bill savings. Grant funds will be used to cover the development costs, manage vendors and installers, arrange for third-party financing, and cover the upfront "green gap" for local governments. Deerfield Park: The City of Rifle will provide local cash and in-kind match and secure other grant funds to add sustainable features to this popular city park. The features include off-grid solar PV-powered parking lot lighting, a demonstration xeriscape garden, a sustainable living education and park information center in partnership with Powerhouse Industries, and a new parks maintenance facility using LEED design principles, including a cooling tower and condensing boiler to heat and cool the facility. All renewable demonstration projects will be accompanied by maximum education, outreach and publicity LED (lieht emittine diodes) Communities The initiative will work with the City of Rifle to launch a pilot demonstration program of an LED retrofit of pedestrian-level streetlights (not traffic signals) on Railroad Avenue and in the downtown core. Streetlight fixtures owned by the city and/or Rifle Downtown Development Authority would be retrofitted with LED bulbs and with new globes to maximize the LED retrofit. Rifle's documented retrofit costs, technical challenges and energy savings will inform decision-making for other jurisdictions, and subsequent grant money may be sought for similar public lighting retrofits in each jurisdiction. This component will be matched with funding from the City of Rifle, Rifle DDA and the Rifle Lodging Tax Board and staff time from the City of Rifle. Small Commercial Audit and Retrofit Proeram In Year 1, the initiative will develop aone-stop source of information for small commercial property owners on existing financial resources, such as utility and GEO incentives and tax credits, and service providers in order to simplify and help offset the costs of energy efficiency upgrades. Extensive marketing and outreach, in partnership with the county's chambers of commerce and DDAs, will deliver the value proposition of energy efficiency to all businesses and commercial property owners. Outreach programs may also focus on specific topics, such as lighting, refrigeration or heating. The initiative will seek out neighboring building owners in one or more downtown areas to participate in a demonstration audit and retrofit project. In Year 2, with a clean energy investment fund or opt-in energy financing district in place (see No. 3 under Other, below), the downtown audit and retrofit demonstration projects could be carried out. This work would be publicized in an ongoing media campaign. Residential Solar Electric and Solar Hot Water In Year 1, the initiative will develop aone-stop source of information for home owners on existing financial resources, such as utility and GEO incentives and tax credits, and service providers in order to simplify and help offset the costs of installing residential-scale solar PV and solar hot water systems. Demonstration projects for energy efficiency upgrades and installation of renewable energy systems would be carried out at senior housing facilities. A partner organization, Solar Energy International, will offer evening or weekend workshops for homeowners on household energy efficiency and renewable energy systems. In Year 2, with a clean energy investment fund or opt-in energy financing district in place (see No. 3 under Other, below), home owners would have an affordable source of financing to pursue upgrades with longer payback periods. The initiative will set a target of 30 residential solar installations in Garfield County. Insulate Colorado Proeram All participating jurisdictions, with the exception of the Library District and school districts, will apply for Insulate & Seal funding from GEO and commit to providing local match money. Combined funds will be used to offer rebates for home insulation upgrades. An additional amount of funding from the DOLA grant will cover the costs of a county-wide marketing and earned media campaign. The Insulate Colorado program will be integrated with the residential solar electric and solar hot water program. f ENERGY STAR New Homes Proeram All participating jurisdictions, with the exception of the Library District and school districts, will apply for Energy Star New Homes funding from GEO and commit to providing local match money. The 2009 program, planned in cooperation with entities in Pitkin County, would provide training for builders and developers on energy efficient building techniques, build market demand and realtor understanding of Home Energy Rating Systems (HERS), create incentives for builders to use HERS for code compliance, set goals for HERS scores in new developments, establish a regional tracking system, and continue marketing and earned media campaign. Small Wind No proposal is planned for this category. Greenine Government The initiative will conduct a regional energy and climate emissions inventory for Garfield County as a whole and for each local government that has not done its own inventory. A baseline inventory is essential for measuring progress. As part of the inventory process, the initiative will work with the partnerjurisdictions to establish goals and targets for increased energy efficiency, energy savings, renewable energy and other measures of a clean energy economy. The initiative will provide model greening government policies and templates, such as Green Fleets and climate emissions policies, for each participating local government to consider adopting, Model Codes The initiative will gather available best practice templates of model codes for green building and smart growth on aneasy-to-access web page. Model codes could include green building codes that surpass current requirements; codes that encourage or reward locating mixed use developments around transit stops, and codes that maximize transportation choices using street design and smart growth. The initiative will provide technical assistance to elected officials and staff in jurisdictions interested in adopting model codes, including help in tailoring template documents to meet local condition, and provide ongoing training, workshops and public outreach. Sustainability Coordinator DOLA and GEO recognize the need for local capacity to ensure success of the initiative, so they include funding for what they refer to as a Sustainability coordinator. The initiative proposes a Sustainability team to serve the entire county, based on a partnership ofnon-profits, government agencies, utilities and the private sector to provide the variety of skills and technical expertise needed to make the initiative a success. Other The GEO application offers one page to describe other proposed projects and programs to be included in the New Energy Communities Initiative that do not fit the above categories. We will propose the following three measures: 1. Education and training for a new energy economy for children, teens and adults. The initiative will partner with Solar Energy International to expand its renewable energy training for K-12 teachers, provide scholarships for county residents to attend SEI's renewable energy courses in order to build skills in our community for the clean energy economy, and launch a Solar Olympics inventor's competition for teens and young adults. 2. Clean energy transportation options. The initiative will expand the Safe Routes to School program throughout the county, promote acounty-wide Bike to Work Day and facilitate a biodiesel-powered school bus demonstration project. The initiative may help fund the purchase of demonstration vehicles. Information on clean energy transportation options will be included in the initiative's outreach and education. 3. Clean energy financing. The initiative will work on the policy and legal fronts to develop a robust long- term financing mechanism to help private property owners (residential and commercial) overcome the upfront cost barriers to making energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements. This concept is evolving, but will be based on authorization established by HB 08-1350 to create a Garfield County Clean Energy Financing District. Boulder County is testing this model by placing a $40 million clean energy bonds question on its November 2008 ballot. Learning from Boulder's experience, the initiative would aim for acounty-wide ballot question in November 2009 and opt-in financing availability by Q2 2010.