sustainability News
Top 20 Local Government (Green Power Partnerships)
EPA.com, July 6, 2010
The EPA's Green Power Partnership program supports green power purchasing by providing technical support and resources to "local, state and federal governments, and a growing number of colleges and universities." Green Power Partnership's Top Partner Rankings "highlight the annual green power purchases of leading organizations within the United States and across individual industry sectors."Solar panels may show up on Winooski, VT buildings
The Burlington (VT) Free Press, June 10, 2010
Working with Burlington-based Encore Redevelopment, city officials in Winooski, VT are deciding whether or not to put solar panels on five municipal buildings including Winooski City Hall. The project is projected to lower the city's power bill by up to 10 percent. According the the City Manager, Encore "would install the solar panels," and its "investors would recoup their investment through money made through net metering as the panels add electricity to the power grid."D.C. 2nd on Green Roof List, Baltimore 4th
Chicago Tribune, June 1, 2010
"Green Roofs for Healthy Cities says Chicago led the country last year with more than 500,000 square, feet while Washington was second with about 190,000 square feet of green roofs. Baltimore was fourth with almost 100,000 square feet." A green roof system is an extension of the existing roof and utilizes "plants that reduce stormwater runoff, filter pollutants and cut heating and cooling costs."National League of Cities (NLC) Announces Sustainability 'Call for Models'
National League of Cities, May 3, 2010
"The NLC Sustainability Program, in partnership with The Home Depot Foundation, is starting a new national resource of city practices and policies in sustainability. In order to populate it with the best information, local officials and staff are being asked to submit details on their most successful and innovative initiatives." The online resource will also help to "generate the peer-to-peer network that's critically important to local sustainability efforts."Houston Launches $23 Million Building Efficiency Project
Triple Pundit, April 26, 2010
The City of Houston has contracted with Schneider Electric to "retrofit 19 city buildings to increase energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions" for $23 million. The company guarantees that Houston will "save $1.8 million a year over the 15-year contract, or they'll pay the difference." This contract reinforces "the no-brainer calculations behind energy efficiency." Houston is the first C40 city in the U.S. to announce a comprehensive retrofit program.D.C. Considering Using Plastic Bag Tax For Street Sweeping
The Washington Post, April 2, 2010
The revenue generated by the 5-cent tax on disposable bags was designed to "help pay for new initiatives to clean up the Anacostia River." However, Mayor Fenty indicates in his budget that "$2.6 million disposable bag fee revenue" could be spent "to pay for street sweeping programs to keep litter out of the river." By doing this, "the city would save the money it spent last year on street sweeping in the Department of Public Works budget" and help to "close a $555 million budget shortfall."Launching the Sustainable Communities Partnership
The Dirt / American Society of Landscape Architects, March 4, 2010
"The annual meeting of the Sustainable Urban Forests Coalition featured a discussion on how the new federal Partnership for Sustainable Communities," launched by the DOT, EPA, and HUD, "will be implemented over the next few years." Also discussed were the "organizations' priorities and funding plans." The new Partnership "has already received some 300 recommendations on how to better coordinate policy and investments across the three government organizations."President Obama states home-retrofitting plan would save energy & create jobs
The Washington Post, March 3, 2010
In Savannah, GA, President Obama, "detailed his plan to offer government rebates for home retrofitting, saying the measure would boost employment and save energy...Obama called on Congress to pass an administration proposal dubbed 'Homestar,' which would offer rebates of up to $3,000 for energy-saving home renovations."HUD Announces Sustainable Communties Listening Tour
www.hud.gov/sustainability , February 22, 2010
As part of the Sustainable Communities Partnership (HUD, DOT & EPA), HUD announces a listening tour. "Deputy Secretary Sims and Shelley Poticha, Director of the Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities, will be listening to citizens to learn how the new Sustainable Communities Planning Grant program can best be used to spur local innovations that will help each individual community grow more sustainably."Chandler, Arizona Expected to Seal Deal for Light Rail-Bus Line
East Valley Tribune, February 22, 2010
The Chandler City Council is expected on Monday to consider purchasing a "10,000-square-foot residential property...for $190,000, plus closing costs of about $900" for "a new bus route serving light rail." Last summer, "the City Council voted 4-2 to authorize the use of eminent domain if the negotiations were unsuccessful." Upon finalization of the sale, "the city would be reimbursed with federal stimulus funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration."Lewisboro, NY Establishes Sustainability Group
Lewisboro (NY) Ledger , February 21, 2010
"Lewisboro will soon have a sustainability advisory committee" that will assist the Town Board on "following up on energy and sustainability projects; identifying and suggesting energy and other sustainability measures to benefit municipal operations or the town at large; and collecting and interpreting relevant information to support the Town Board in decision-making." The committee joins "13 other northern Westchester communities in forming the Northern Westchester Energy Action Coalition."California Prepares for Statewide Green Building Codes
Sacramento Business Journal, February 19, 2010
"California is the first state to adopt a mandatory green building code. But even in environment-conscious California, such a notion is somewhat foreign." Green building programs have been implemented in "only about 10 percent of cities and counties in California." However, "Come January, all newly constructed buildings -- with a few exceptions, such as federal buildings -- will have to comply with legislation adopted unanimously last month by the California Building Standards Commission."Partnership for Sustainable Communities Brownfields Pilots
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, February 10, 2010
"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) are working together under the Partnership for Sustainable Communities to ensure that federal investments, policies, and actions do not subsidize sprawl, but instead support development in more efficient and sustainable locations. The Partnership selected five community pilot projects to receive direct technical assistance from EPA."EPA and DOE Join States to Speed Energy Efficiency Progress in the US
USDOE Website, February 2, 2010
From the US DOE press release. "As part of the Obama Administration?s commitment to increasing energy efficiency and reducing costs, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy announced today the creation of the State Energy Efficiency (SEE) Action Network...Strengthening energy efficiency initiatives across the country helps to save money and protect the environment at the same time."Reflection - Bike/Walk Accounts for 9.6% of Trips while Receiving Only 1.2% of Federal Funding
L.A.StreetsBlog.Org, January 28, 2010
From the article, "With the nation still digesting the State of the Union address, the Alliance for Biking & Walking ... bottom-line conclusion: federal transportation funding continues to disproportionately shortchange travelers powered by their own two feet...Overall, the report found that biking and walking account for 9.6 percent of all U.S. trips (0.9 percent of that share from biking, 8.7 percent from walking) but just 1.2 percent of federal transport spending."ULI Outlines Important Features of TOD
Global St.com, January 19, 2010
"Transit-oriented development expert G.B. Arrington explained some of what works and what doesn't in TOD planning, and Urban Land Institute panels offered some analyses of the TOD potential for four Southland cities." Arrington urged to "build a place, not a project"Brownfield Renewable-Energy Projects Gain Support In New Jersey
NJBIZ, January 18, 2010
"Renewable-energy projects are increasingly gaining favor in the reuse of the state's contaminated sites, where real estate development may be difficult or not feasible". However, the state Assembly recently passed a bill that "would allocate funds each year from the Hazardous Discharge Remediation Fund for up to 75 percent of the remediation cost associated with renewable-energy projects on contaminated properties." It currently "awaits the governor's signature.Cap-and-Trade Proceeds for CA Residents?
New York Times - Green Inc., January 18, 2010
The recommendation, adopted by the CA Economic and Allocation Advisory Committee last week, would send money from the state's new cap-and-trade program back to residents to the tune of more than $1000 per year for a California family of four. The proposal will be considered for the Board's draft of the cap-and-trade proposal due in April, said BreAnda Northcutt, spokeswoman for the California Environmental Protection Agency and the program must be adopted by Jan. 1, 2011."Vancouverism" in the Global Sustainability Spotlight
Los Angeles Times, January 15, 2010
Vancouver is preparing to take the global stage when it hosts the Winter Olympic next month. With all the sports-related pomp, the city's unique approach to sustainability will also fall under the spotlight.Solar energy: Inspectors find code books don't address new technology
The Chicago Tribune - West, January 15, 2010
The rapid growth of solar power in Illinois suburbs is leaving local municipalities and governments scrambling to update code books that currently don't address green technology. ComEd, a local energy utility company, last year received 150 applications from residents looking to generate their own solar energy, up from 50 between August and December 2008 (Elizabeth Owens-Schiele, Chicago Tribune, Jan. 15).Local NeighborWorks Organizations are awarded over $548M in Grants to Stabilize their Communitites
NeighborWorks America, January 15, 2010
Today NeighborWorks America (NW) announced that 19 local NW organizations, along with their local, regional, and state partners, were awarded $548,381,663, or 27 percent of the total $1.93 billion awarded in the second round of Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The NW organizations utilize this funding to build on the stabilization efforts already underway in many communities.First in the Nation - CA Statewide Green Building Standards Code
California Office of the Governor, January 12, 2010
The California Building Standards Commission unanimously adopted the first-in-the-nation mandatory Green Building Standards Code (CALGREEN) requiring all new buildings in the state to be more energy efficient and environmentally responsible. Taking effect on January 1, 2011, these comprehensive regulations will achieve major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption and water use to create a greener CA. More info: http://www.bsc.ca.gov/default.htmE.P.A. Announces Strict New Health Standards for Smog
New York Times, January 8, 2010
The AP (1/8) reports "The EPA proposal could affect "counties in Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, the Dakotas, Kansas, Minnesota and Iowa," who would face "government sanctions, most likely the loss of federal highway dollars" if they don't comply. The agency is expected to settle on a figure by August, and "counties and states will then have up to 20 years to meet the new limits, depending on how severely they are out of compliance." Plans for meeting limits would be due "by end of 2013 or early 2014."
