Home > > Blog
Home

Blog: Local Government

June 6, 2011

New Santa Monica Sustainability Videos Released
Alliance News, Local Government - California Sustainability Alliance

Along with the City of Santa Monica, we have released three new videos showcasing the City’s sustainability efforts. The videos were created to highlight some of the leadership qualities that led the City of Santa Monica to win the grand prize award for our 2009 California Sustainability Awards. 

The City of Santa Monica Leadership in Sustainability Videosfeature unique government practices in solar energy, farmers markets and urban forestry and include the following three videos:

  • Net Zero Energy showcases Solar Santa Monica, a city agency serving as a “one-stop shop” for energy efficiency and solar energy information for local residents, businesses and municipal buildings since 2006. The agency provides free technical support to residents and businesses, which has resulted in more than 300 installations generating over 2.5 megawatts (MW) of electricity, moving Santa Monica toward its goal of becoming a net zero energy city.
  • The Value of Trees spotlights the City of Santa Monica’s urban forestry management and explains how their trees are worth $138 million by their replacement value alone. When environmental benefits are also considered, the Santa Monica urban forest is worth $300 million. These benefits include valuable energy savings through shading, air filtration, reduction of stormwater runoff, carbon sequestration, and more.
  • A Tale of Two Carrots features the City of Santa Monica’s Farmers Markets support of sustainable agriculture and local economic development through the voices of local residents, restaurateurs and school children. Eighty-five percent of residents and more than 80 local restaurants patronize the City’s four weekly farmers markets which keeps dollars in the local economy and offers residents an opportunity to obtain produce that uses less fuel for transport than produce from the grocery store.

While the nuances of sustainability efforts are often complex, the videos are presented in simple terms, and are designed to appeal to a wide audience by featuring compelling stories about local residents who are making sustainable choices in Santa Monica. Using a distinctive brand of film-making combining animation with live footage, the videos provide examples that will inspire viewers to make smart sustainable choices in their everyday lives. 

May 4, 2011

California’s Revised Energy Planning Guide for Local Governments
Energy Efficiency, Local Government - California Sustainability Alliance

What is it?

The California Energy Commission has recently released the 2011 Energy Aware Planning Guide, an update to a 1993 version. The guide is geared towards local governments and planning organizations including cities, counties, and regional transportation districts or any other local entity that influences energy usage in buildings, land use, transportation, water delivery and waste processing. The guide’s goal is to provide technical information to local governments seeking to improve energy efficiency, reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, and enhance renewable sources of energy.

Why is it Important?

Recent California legislation – the Global Warming Solutions Act and the Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act 375 – are starting to impact energy usage in California and local governments play a big role in influencing energy demand. Examples include local government’s influence on building code enforcement, land use planning, public transit and sometimes local governments run an electric and/or gas utility. This is in addition to the local governments own energy usage. The Guide provides processes, tools and templates to help local government’s make strategic energy plans and implement them.

How is it Helpful?

The Guide starts with a systematic process for creating an Energy Action Plan to inventory sources and uses of energy and identify opportunities for improvement. The Guide then presents many strategies to reduce energy use. Ideas include parking supply management, ridesharing, planting shade trees, implementing solar energy and water reuse and recycling.  The Guide then ends with metrics and guidelines for quantifying the impact of the recommended strategies. All of these ideas and examples can save a local government time and effort – generally in short supply during this era of budget deficits - in reducing energy usage for its own operations and its residents and businesses. 

July 14, 2010

New local government resources launched
Local Government - green local government - Joanna Gubman
San Francisco City Hall

The California Sustainability Alliance continually develops resources to aid local governments in planning and implementing sustainability initiatives.  Just last week, we released our new Local Government Resources Toolkit, posted the workbook and best practices developed as part of the California Local Energy Efficiency Program (CALeep), and added a new section to our Emerald California toolkit featuring the city of Riverside’s innovative sustainability programs.

The Local Government Resources Toolkit helps cities and counties identify and locate tools to help their communities meet sustainability goals. These tools consist of informational reports and guides, calculators, and funding opportunities available from the state and federal government, utilities, and other organizations. The tools cover topics such as community development, housing, transportation, greenhouse gases, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and water efficiency and sustainability.

The Toolkit is designed for use by local government staff who are looking for a simple portal that identifies select useful sustainability resources. The toolkit is meant to serve as a first stop for such resources when local governments are looking for assistance in achieving their sustainability goals.  Please check it out and let us know what you think!

The Alliance also released new information about the Emerald California Pilot Program. Through the Emerald California program, the California Sustainability Alliance has worked collaboratively with the city of Riverside and the California Department of Conservation to identify opportunities to “stretch” the City’s existing sustainability goals in eight high priority policy areas. Our latest addition to the Emerald California toolkit documents the City of Riverside’s efforts to reach these stretch goals and serves as an example of best practices for other communities in California.

Take a look at Riverside’s cutting edge sustainability initiatives, which include:

  • A sustainable action plan, which provides a framework for implementing Riverside’s policy vision.
  • Innovative sustainability programs that target energy and water efficiency, waste reduction, and green economic development.
  • Innovative technologies such as a “grease to gas” program to generate electricity and a planned recycled water facility to reduce dependency on groundwater and imported water.
  • Unique and sophisticated marketing and communications strategy including websites dedicated to energy and water sustainability as well as a weekly “Green Power” radio show.

Our final release from these past few weeks documents the California Local Energy Efficiency Program (CALeep), which was designed to help local governments plan and implement highly effective energy efficiency initiatives within their communities.  Six pilot projects were conducted throughout the Pacific Gas and Electric and Southern California Edison service areas, assisting local governments in selecting and implementing energy efficiency programs and policies.  These pilot projects are incorporated into the CALeep Workbook, a tool that can be used by local officials and community activists to initiate, plan, organize, implement, and assess energy efficiency activities at the local and regional level, to support greenhouse gas reduction, job creation, water conservation, and green building.

We hope these tools will help those of you in local government to advance sustainability within your jurisdictions as you work to lead by example, positively influence your communities, and leverage local authority.  Use this space to tell us how your community is doing, and what types of resources and programs are working best for you.

Share Your Thoughts