Moving from Paper to Reality Next Steps for the Montgomery County Climate Protection Plan/Inventory...

Moving from “Paper” to RealityNext Steps for the Montgomery

County Climate Protection Plan/Inventory

Cool CitiesJune 2, 2009

2Montgomery County Sustainability Working Group

Sustainability Working Group

• Established in County Bill 32-07

• 26 members – 15 from County government & regional organizations, 11 from the private sector

• Representation from the business community, land development or building interests, energy distribution or supply firms, science and academia, communications and media, and civic organizations

• SWG’s first task was to develop a Climate Protection Plan


Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reduction Goals

• Stop increasing Countywide GHG emissions by 2010

• Achieve a 10% reduction in GHG emissions every 5 years through 2050

• By 2050, reduce Countywide GHG emissions to 80% below the base year identified in the inventory (2005)

• Long term reductions expected through:– Federal and state actions– Technological breakthroughs– Infrastructure development– Cultural changes


GHG Emissions Forecast and Reduction Target

Reduction Target = 14 MMTCO2e

MMTCO2e

“Business as Usual” Emissions

Projected Emissions to Meet County Goals

0.000

2.000

4.000

6.000

8.000

10.000

12.000

14.000

16.000

18.000

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050 2055


2005 Montgomery County GHG Emissions

Commercial Building Energy32%

3.987 MMTCO2e

Residential Building Energy33%

4.101 MMTCO2eTransportation

34%4.339 MMTCO2e

Solid Waste Management1%

0.165 MMTCO2e

Montgomery County Sustainability Working Group

Getting Started – Identifying Actions

• Developed “catalog” of potential strategies and actions by reviewing climate action plans across the US and assessing current County programs.

• Established seven committees chaired by SWG member(s) and comprised of interested community members and department/agency staff.

– Renewable Energy– Residential Building Energy Efficiency– Commercial/Multi Family/Public Building Energy Efficiency– Forestry and Agriculture – Transportation– Education and Outreach– Long Term Planning (including land use)


How it Came Together

• Given the enormous talent and energy in this community, let’s engage those who are willing and able.– About 90 additional individuals participated in the

committee process– The recommendations proposed in this Plan were

formulated, debated, and initially drafted at the committee level before being brought to the SWG for review and incorporation into the final Plan


Renewable Energy Recommendations

Summary Progress

RE-1 Maintain the commitment of County Government to purchase renewable energy. Establish value based criteria.

• County purchase increased to 30% from national sources.• Joining University of Maryland Purchasing Group to facilitate regional projects and long term projects.

RE-2 Adopt building design guidelines for Government agencies requiring the use of geoexchange systems.

• MCPS extensively specifies geothermal.• Montgomery County reviewing design guidelines.

RE-3 Support the installation of solar photovoltaic systems through power purchase agreements for County facilities.

• MCPS has signed a contract for 1.4 MW of solar and is increasing to 5 MW.• Montgomery County Division of Solid Waste Services is signing a contract for 500kW on the transfer station. • EECBG strategy includes $800,000 for PPA buy downs.

RE-4 Provide revolving and low-interest loans for on-site solar (and other renewables).

• Montgomery County Home Energy Loan Program.

RE-6 Establish a public-private entity to promote, facilitate, develop and invest in renewable energy.

• State established the Maryland Clean Energy Center.• Montgomery County and the City of Annapolis partnered to attract and fund the Center.

RE-7 Investigate the feasibility of adding sustainable energy biogas to WSSC facilities.

• WSSC received an earmark in the federal budget to study this.

Efforts moving on six out of seven recommendations


Energy-Efficiency Recommendations

Summary Progress

EER1 Develop promotional give-aways of energy-efficient products.

• Montgomery County was awarded $70,000 for a pilot programmable thermostat giveaway program.

EER2 Develop energy-efficiency programs, in coordination with State and utility based programs to assist low-income households and address their energy needs.

• Montgomery County supported Utility/State low-income programs and federal weatherization funding.• County will (with ARRA money) weatherize 900 homes over the next three years.• Housing Opportunity Commission (HOC) received an award for $250,000 to upgrade 25 agency owned townhouses. County has proposed the same process for 50 more properties with $515,000 of EECBG funding.

EER4 Develop a low-cost loan program to facilitate residential energy-efficiency improvements.

• Bill 6-09 created the Home Energy Loan Program, County is implementing this program at “best speed”. Allocating $1.5+ in EECBG money to this effort.

EER5 Create an education and outreach campaign with the goal that 50% of homeowners will reduce energy consumption by at least 25%

• County EECBG application proposes funding for the “residential green guide” a innovative tool to motivate consumer action and connect them to programs.

EER6 Promote the deployment of smart grid technologies by utilities serving Montgomery County.

• County has advocated for cost-effective AMI and smart grid deployment at the pilot and full deployment levels.

Efforts moving on five out of six recommendations


Commercial/Multi-Family Energy-Efficiency Recommendations

Summary Progress

EEC-2 Improve the energy performance of public facilities through enhanced data acquision and energy-efficiency measures.

• Baseline energy study of County Government facilities complete.• EECBG proposed strategy includes $800,000 for measurement and verification of energy conservation and RE projects, $300,000 for scoping studies, and $2,000,000 for buydowns of energy-efficiency and renewable energy projects alternatively financed.

EEC3 Establish specific energy performance requirements and timelines for all commercial buildings. Recommend a 25% reduction by 2020.

• EECBG proposed strategy includes $400,000 for a comprehensive analysis of the County’s commercial sector.• EECBG strategy includes $1,500,000 for a commercial grant program.

EEC5 Advocate for cost-effective utility based energy-efficiency and demand reduction programs.

• All electricity utilities serving the County have approval and BG&E will be rolling out programs this summer, Pepco and Allegheny will follow.

EEC7 Develop and implement programs to support energy-efficiency improvements by residents, managers and owners of multi-family and low-income properties.

• EECBG strategy includes funding for facility manager energy training.

Efforts moving on four out of seven recommendations


Land-Use, Forestry and Agriculture, Transportation, and Education

• Less progress in these areas.

• Many elements being discussed and approaches developed.

• Most importantly we have not (and will not) given up.

• Action will be taken, but elements are often more “long term focus” in program design.


Process Moving Forward

“Reactivate” the Sustainability Working Group and subcommittees.

• Begin preparing the FY2010 climate action plan. • Updating inventory with FY07 and FY08 data.• Hope to update FY05 through FY08 inventories with

new sectors (e.g. forest)• Procured a consultant to analyze the 58

recommendations to estimate CO2, economic, social and other environmental benefits.

• Use data from consultant study to fine tune and allocate resources to recommendations.


Influencing the Processes

• Participate in local government working groups, meetings and other efforts.

• Bring your time to the table, the recommendations that stick are the ones community members were thorough, clear, and effective in presenting.

• Prepare for mid-course corrections, in the acquisition of resources sometimes scopes need to be adjusted to fit the plan.

• Stick with it, persistence pays and just because a recommendation isn’t implemented first doesn’t mean it wont happen.

Moving from Paper to Reality Next Steps for the Montgomery County Climate Protection Plan/Inventory...

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