Going Green in a Blue Economy… NC Sustainability Lessons Learned 24 October 2011 – NCLM, Raleigh Maggie Ullman, Asheville Richard Douglas, Selma Rob Phocas, Charlotte David Spector, CDM

ALL CONTENT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION Session Objectives Provide perspective from successful sustainability initiatives in large, medium, and smaller cities Provide case studies on strategic planning for green programs Provide lessons learned for implementing green initiatives and the funding/financing strategies used in a down economy Going Green in a Blue Economy: NC Lessons Learned

PLANNING TO BE GREEN Getting Started

ALL CONTENT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION Presentation Objectives Profile the “birth” of, and strategic planning for, city-wide programmatic green initiatives Identify lessons learned for getting started Lay the groundwork for the panel discussion on implementation Getting Started: Planning to be Green

ALL CONTENT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION Similarities: Charlotte and Asheville Approaches Predicated on energy/$$ savings Community and municipal GHG emissions baselines Flexible implementation approaches Sustainability Manager and Green Teams to implement Monitoring and reporting protocols Getting Started: Planning to be Green

ALL CONTENT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION Charlotte: Emissions Inventory Getting Started: Planning to be Green

ALL CONTENT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION Charlotte: Energy Strategy Planning Context EECBG Funding City applies for initial $250,000 to develop DOE-required Energy Strategy & conduct energy audits for City facilities Once Energy Strategy approved by DOE, City can apply for ½ of remaining EECBG ($3.2M) to implement components of the Energy Strategy Remaining $3.2M given after reporting on initial results Getting Started: Planning to be Green

ALL CONTENT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION Charlotte: Energy Strategy Development Getting Started: Planning to be Green Potential Projects City & Community Ranking High Priority Low Priority DOE Requirements DOE Requirements Compatible Not Compatible Energy Strategy Action Plan

ALL CONTENT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION Charlotte: Project Prioritization Air Quality and GHG Emissions Community Catalyst Return on Investment Job Creation Potential Getting Started: Planning to be Green Innovation and Leadership Implementability Leveraging Programs and Partnerships

ALL CONTENT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION Charlotte: Monitoring & Communication Getting Started: Planning to be Green

ALL CONTENT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION Asheville: Emissions Inventory GHG Assessment completed in 2001 and GHG Emissions in 2007 were 36,216 MTCO2e, similar to energy needed for 1 year to power 3,295 homes or 6,633 vehicles Getting Started: Planning to be Green

ALL CONTENT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION Asheville: Sustainability Plan Context Getting Started: Planning to be Green Created Sustainability Advisory Committee and Office of Sustainability in 2006 Resolution passed in 2007 committing to a reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2% per year until 80% reduction. Resolution identifies the need for a management plan

ALL CONTENT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION Asheville: Sustainability Plan Development Getting Started: Planning to be Green

ALL CONTENT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION Asheville: Project Prioritization Getting Started: Planning to be Green Recommendations ranked according to: Existence of current program or activity Environmental benefit Economic benefit Social benefit Financial incentive Personnel availability and capacity Organizational leadership Technical feasibility Stakeholder concerns Regulatory requirement Contribution to established goals Timeframe to realize benefits

ALL CONTENT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION Asheville: Monitoring and Reporting Getting Started: Planning to be Green

ALL CONTENT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION Selma Green Initiatives Environmental leadership and commitment LEED building renovations for police, fire, and library facilities Energy audits for utility customers/grants for efficiency improvements Electric and water conservation programs Curbside recycling program Getting Started: Planning to be Green

ALL CONTENT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION Getting Started Getting Started: Planning to be Green

ALL CONTENT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION Thoughts on Sustainable/Energy Planning Spend the extra time at the front end to clearly align planning expectations among diverse stakeholders. Focus on continuous and flexible approaches to securing stakeholder buy-in during the process so that the initial ideas themselves are “sustainable” and the desired outcomes are achievable. Emphasize flexible implementation approaches, performance management, tracking and communications Consider the “scale” of the plan (municipal operations vs. community) Getting Started: Planning to be Green