REPORT OF THE COOK COUNTY SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY COUNCIL
Executive Summary June 5, 2013
A Sustainable Cook County 2
Cook County Board President Preckwinkle established the Cook County Sustainability Advisory Council to help the County become
Environmentally, Socially and Economically Sustainable.
The Council recommends an overall Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Reduction Goal of 80% by 2050, as a way to focus efforts on areas that need action
both within County government and in the Community.
Building Energy is the largest source of GHG emissions, accounting for 67% of the emissions in the County and so the Council began its work by focusing on the County’s building energy use. Savings already achieved, and near-term actions recommended by the Council, can put Cook County well
ahead of schedule on meeting the goal.
As the County begins to address Transportation, Waste, Water and other sources of GHG emission, the template of data collection, analysis and decision making used for building energy should be applied. Cook County should roll out a series of projects to address these areas, to save money,
boost the economy, and help create healthier, more livable communities.
Cook County’s Role in Sustainability 3
The County has many spheres of influence:
5 million residents
130 municipalities
Half of the state’s economic activity
22,000 employees
150 government buildings
45,000 clean economy jobs in the region
Millions of taxpayers, patients, court attendees, licensees
Community Programs
Supply Chain
Employees
Buildings, Fleet, Waste, Water
Use & Operations
Cook County Sustainability Spheres of Influence
Sustainability Should be a Part of Everything the County Does, Leverages and Communicates.
Cook County – A Sustainability Leader
GHG emissions are key to sustainability because of effects of climate change (extreme weather, health impacts, and more). GHGs come from many sectors.
Additional environmental benefits from efficiencies in these sectors: conservation of water, land and other natural resources, and reduction of particulates, toxic metals and other pollutants.
GOAL: Reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by 80% by 2050 from 2010 baseline
Energy Transportation Waste Water Other
(Refrigerants, IT, Purchasing, etc.)
Building Energy 67%
Transportation 27%
Solid Waste 4%
Stationary, Industrial and Product Use
1%
Wastewater 0%
Water 1%
Cook County Community GHG Emissions by Sector Total Annual Emissions = 72MMTCO2e
Data from Chicago 2010 Regional Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Report, March 2012
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Cook County Sustainability Advisory Council Recommendations
The Council’s Recommendations set a framework for the County to achieve significant progress on Sustainability for Cook County facilities and the County Community as a whole. As the most significant GHG contributor, energy was the first area to be addressed, but the same process should be applied to Water, Waste, Transportation, and other areas.
•Commit to 80% GHG reduction by 2050, for County operations and for the community •Put energy management staff/IT framework in place to make energy analysis an ongoing effort •Commit to an aggressive range of energy efficiency measures from no cost to capital investment
1. Reduce GHG emissions from
County Operations, starting with Energy
•For each GHG source, quantify the base, set goals, analyze ROI, and integrate into budget process •Transportation: Undertake a detailed analysis of County fleet and fuel use •Waste: Centralize waste and recycling responsibilities to identify diversion and cost savings •Water: Use currently available means to reduce water consumption by an average of 30% •Add other projects such as green purchasing and Information Technology, reduced use of coolants etc.
2. Create a central reporting
framework including waste,
water, transportation, etc.
•Track overall GHG reduction goal •Report annually on energy consumption and energy reduction efforts •Build sustainability measures into performance measures of individual departments, and budget process •Coordinate building energy and other sustainability projects through a Sustainability Cabinet
3. Be Accountable to Residents and
Taxpayers
•Aggregate grants and financing for municipal sustainability initiatives • Identify sustainability projects in unincorporated areas •Serve as a center for information sharing on sustainability •Create “green employee” outreach program for workers to share sustainability messages in their communities •Target economic development assistance and job training to transit and freight nodes, green jobs
4. Lead Community Sustainability in Suburban Cook
County
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Energy Goal: Reduce GHG Emissions from Building Energy 80% by 2050
Cook County Government: • Operates 150
structures. • Used 247 million
kwhs of Electricity and 13 million therms of Natural Gas last year.
• Annual Energy Budget in 2010 was $34.1 M.
11 County government facilities use 90% of energy. Focusing on these facilities will give the most results.
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Dept. of Corrections Campus
35%
Juvenile Complex5%
Stroger Hospital Campus
26%
Courthouses(2-6 Districts)
5%
Oak Forest Hospital Campus
9%
County Building4%
Provident Hospital Campus
5%
Remaining Buildings11%
Annual County Owned Facilities Energy Use
Energy Streams = Electricity, Natural Gas & Steam Graph based on 2010 Utility Data, kBTU’s Results may change once all utility data is collected
Set 2010 baseline to measure progress
Goal for County Owned Facilities’ Energy Use is Ambitious – and Achievable
The goal is ambitious but known solutions can get the County quite far on the path. GHG benefits, as well as savings, are cumulative.
Electricity has higher GHG impact than natural gas, but both can represent dollar savings.
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270,110
10,732 11,754 7,357 2,43620,097 15,581 1,275 4,069 8,337 5,402
129,049
54,022
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,00020
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2050
Goa
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Cook County Facilities 2050 GHG Reduction Strategy- Estimated Reductions of Different Initiatives -
Low Cost/No Cost & O&M CapitalSpace Consolidation
& Othermetric tons of GHG
E = Energy, EE = Energy Efficiency, PC = Performance Contract
Actual GHG Emissions Reduction in GHG Achieved Estimated Reduction in GHG
Ahead of target on 2050 Energy Goal for County Buildings Immediate Action Means More Savings
The reductions in GHG are cumulative – earlier reductions mean more total savings over time. Aggressive implementation of known projects will result in reaching the 2026 target early.
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50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
2010
2015
2020
2025
2030
2035
2040
2045
2050
metric tons of CO2eGHG Abatement Initiatives and the 2050 GHG Goal
2010 GHG Baseline, 270,110
E= Energy, EE = Energy Efficiency, PC = Performance Contract
GHG Reduction-from meeting the target-
GHG Reduction Achieved thru 201222,486 (8% Reduction from 2010)
Additional GHG Reductions Achieved
Additional GHG Reductions
Planned(Aggresive )
Investment in County Buildings – Energy Efficiency Saves Taxpayer Dollars
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Costs for many of the building energy reduction strategies are known, and most have dollar savings over time that are greater than the investments.
*Performance Contract (Operational/maintenance cost savings not included in $ savings) ** Savings and implementation cost estimated as a potential performance contract. Savings estimate based on Stroger Hospital performance contract savings and cost *** A portion of projects already implemented and the savings realized Based on 2010 Utility Cost Obtained from Cook County Energy Analysis – Major Facilities (2003 – 2011) Electricity = $0.09/kWh, Natural Gas = $0.66/therm, Steam = $13.35/klbs
How to Address Waste, Water and Transportation: Develop a Baseline and Establish a Plan to Achieve Goals
Waste • Goal: Increase waste diversion
from landfills: 50% by 2025, 60% by 2035, 80% by 2050. • Analysis: Cook County
residents create more waste per capita/day than the US average and recycle less (29% vs. 33%).
Water • Goal: Reduce water
consumption at County facilities by 30% by 2025, 40% by 2035. • Analysis: Chicago water rates
are rising, and exemptions are being phased out. Total cost could more than double to almost $6M by 2015.
Transportation • Goal: Reduce GHG emissions
from vehicles 80% by 2050. • Analysis: Cook County needs
to right size its own fleet and reduce fuel consumption. Bureau of Economic Development can push further to embrace transit and freight oriented development.
0
200,000
400,000
600,000
800,000
1,000,000
1,200,000
SouthernCook
NorthernCook
WesternCook
Tons ofWasteGenerated
Tons ofWasteRecycled
Courts and Corrections 48% Health and
Hospitals 44%
Administration 8%
2012 Annual Water Usage – 772 Million Gallons
Health and
Hospitals 3%
Offices Under the President
27% Offices Under Other County Elected Officials
70%
2013 County Government Fleet - 1,700 Vehicles
By User Agency
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How County Government can lead community sustainability Roles Aggregate grants, resources Share best practices,
provide technical assistance, make the business case
Boost sustainable markets/jobs
Initiate Green Cook County employees community outreach
Summit (series) Green purchasing programs
Examples Energy ambassador
program Work with utilities to
improve data for all Advocate for transit
investments; target Transit Oriented Development
Coordinate grants to spur curbside recycling
Target federal funds for water/stormwater
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Recommendations from the Sustainability Advisory Council Support the 4 Goals of Cook County
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1. Fiscal Responsibility
Sustainability creates jobs and cost savings for
taxpayers, residents, and
businesses.
2. Transparency &Accountability
Benchmarking focus areas provides
priorities for investment and ability to track and disclose
impacts.
3. Innovative Leadership
Taking sustainable
action today generates dollar
savings and provides
resources for the needs of future
generations
4. Improved Services
Efficiency allows for spending on direct services
and means healthier, more
livable communities.
20 direct and indirect jobs are
created for every $1 Million spent on Energy
Efficiency.
http://aceee.org/blog/2011/11/how-does-energy-efficiency-
create-job
Money saved on utility bills can be used for
direct services. $3M has
already been saved on
building energy.
Tracking energy use led to
identifying 11 buildings where the County uses
90% of its energy –
investments will be focused there
first.
By recognizing water rates are rising and acting now, the County can save almost $2M a year and help to preserve
the region’s water supply for
the future.
Cook County Sustainability Advisory Council
Co- Chairs Christopher G. Kennedy Anne R. Pramaggiore Chairman, President & CEO Joseph P. Kennedy Enterprises, Inc. ComEd
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Gerald Bennett Jean Pogge David Anderson Mayor Chief Executive Officer Consultant to Housing Authority of Cook County City of Palos Hills Delta Institute Jack Darin David Pope Alesia Hushaw Director President Senior Financial Analyst Sierra Club, Illinois Chapter Village of Oak Park Housing Authority of Cook County Sandra Frum Kelly Shelton Tom McKone President President Principal Village of Northbrook Shelton Solutions, Inc. Civic Consulting Alliance David Hackett Kathy Tholin Kate Tomford Partner Chief Executive Officer Chief Sustainability Policy Advisor Baker McKenzie Center For Neighborhood Illinois Dept. of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Technology Ed Miller Program Manager, Environment Eugene Williams Karen Weigert The Joyce Foundation Mayor Chief Sustainability Officer Village of Lynwood City of Chicago Ken Ortiz Regional Manager Staffed by Cook County Sustainability Office The Reuse People and Department of Environmental Control
Members Ex-officio Members
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