HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-20-2009 Stimulus will help South Bend cut energy consumption
Office of the Mayor
NEWS RELEASE
July 20, 2009
4 p.m.
Stimulus will help South Bend cut energy consumption
Contact:
Mikki Dobski, Director of Communications & Special Projects, 235-5855 or 876-1564
or Gary Gilot, Director of Public Works, 235-9251
With anticipated support from a federal stimulus grant, the City of South Bend plans to
establish a new high-level Office of Energy, seeking to reduce energy consumption costs
citywide from $7 million to $5 million annually.
The impact will cut greenhouse gases by 2 percent annually over next decade, reducing
the carbon footprint of City government by 8,000 tons – a “triple bottom line” that
improves energy efficiency, helps the environment and saves taxpayers money.
Mayor Stephen J. Luecke and Gary Gilot, director of public works, today announced the
City’s application for a $1,046,800 Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant at
today’s quarterly meeting of South Bend’s Green Ribbon Commission, which will help
the City develop an Energy Efficiency Conservation Strategy. According to the terms of
the grant, South Bend anticipates receiving $250,000 in initial funds and will have 120
days to develop a strategy to qualify for the balance of the resources, about $800,000, for
implementation in the following three years.
“These stimulus dollars will enable South Bend to implement green strategies, save
energy and help the environment – all within the context of shrinking budget resources,”
Luecke said. “This is yet another way the City of South Bend uses innovation and
technology to improve efficiencies, cut our costs and reduce our carbon footprint.”
It will cost $200,000 to support the first two years of operation for the Office of Energy,
which will be self-funded from energy savings after that period. A full-time Director of
Energy will report directly to the mayor with initial staffing including six college interns.
“The local energy office will serve as the focal point for forming public-private
partnerships and communicating with surrounding communities, and the state energy
office, to leverage funding and implement wider-range policies and programs,” Gilot
said. “Once it is developed, we hope to compete for additional stimulus dollars geared
toward green energy. They could include a hydroelectric dam at Century Center,
expanded tree planting to increase the City’s urban forest canopy for potential carbon
cap-and-trade credits or converting City-owned street lights to energy-saving LEDs.”
The City of South Bend now spends nearly $7 million per year on natural gas and
electricity for municipal buildings as well as for fuel for its vehicular fleet. Based on
experiences from other communities, it is expected the office could cut energy expenses
by $2 million, or more than 25 percent.
A public-private task force, the Green Ribbon Commission advises South Bend on the
Mayor’s 2008 “Cool Cities” commitment, which includes a pledge to reduce the causes
of global warming in line with the international Kyoto Protocol on climate change. The
Green Ribbon Commission also will propose policies to reduce energy costs and
consumption, and recommend sustainable operating practices for adoption by city
government, private businesses and local citizens. Objectives include:
?Creating an inventory of South Bend’s local carbon footprint.
?Recommending emissions-reduction goals and timetables.
?Finding best practices that will improve efficiency and quality of life.
The Green Ribbon Commission will help City officials evaluate approaches, prioritize
outcomes and choose the most cost-effective solutions. The City of South Bend already
has taken steps to reduce global warming and improve the environment through its efforts
for greater efficiency in government services, such as:
?Converting traffic signals citywide from incandescent bulbs to energy-saving
light-emitting diodes (LEDs), reaping nearly $2 million in energy savings over the
next decade. The 85 percent reduction in energy demand is the equivalent of
planting 5,600 trees in the impact of reducing nitrous oxide and sulfur dioxide
emissions. This was the first project on this scale or scope statewide.
?Working with the Notre Dame Center for Research Computing to heat the city’s
greenhouses with exhaust from high-performance computers.
?Conserving fuel through the use of Global Positioning Satellite systems and
Automatic Vehicle Location software to optimize routes for city crews.
?Collecting yard waste at the Organic Resource Facility, turning them into compost
for use by residents and saving $284,000 in landfill costs.
?Re-using biosolids generated in the Wastewater Treatment Plant by applying them
on area farmland as fertilizer.
?Saving energy costs at the Wastewater Treatment Plant by burning the methane
gas (produced as a by-product of the sewage treatment process) for power.
?Incorporating green solutions, such as rain gardens and bioswales, its long-term
control plan to reduce combined sewer overflows.
In addition to the Cool Cities commitment, South Bend has been a Tree City USA for the
past 11 years and was named a recipient in 2008 of the Green City Award from the
Indiana Association of Cities and Towns. The Green Ribbon Commission is chaired by
Jim Mazurek, director of sustainability at the University of Notre Dame, and Mike Keen,
director of sustainability at Indiana University South Bend.
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