Mission Statement for the Energy Efficiency & Municipal Operations Working Group
(Short, Official Version -- April 16, 2008)
The Energy Group will work with ICLEI (www.iclei.org) and City of Helena staff to 1) assess the City of Helena's municipal energy use and associated greenhouse gas emissions, 2) investigate opportunities for the City to reduce its energy usage through conservation practices and efficient technologies, and 3) investigate opportunities for the City to incorporate increasing amounts of renewable energy into its mix of resources.
Mission Statement for the Energy Efficiency & Municipal Operations Working Group
(Long Version -- March 26, 2008)
1) Inventory & Forecast -- The EWG will work with ICLEI to assess the City of Helena’s municipal energy use and associated greenhouse gas emissions, with a look at how those emissions have evolved through time (starting with a baseline year of 1990 or 2000, and extending into the future). The group may also extend this work to include the emissions for the city as a whole.
2) Energy Efficiency -- The EWG will investigate opportunities for the city to reduce its energy usage (compared to the business-as-usual forecast) through the adoption of energy conservation practices and energy efficient technologies. Energy usage includes electricity, heating fuels (such as natural gas), and transportation fuels. The first step will be to catalog the measures that have already been taken. Recommendations will likely involve the continuation and improvement of existing practices, as well as new ideas for saving energy. The EWG will collaborate with the Public-Private Working Group in developing recommendations for encouraging the efficient use of energy by Helena’s citizens.
3) Renewable Energy -- The EWG will also investigate the opportunities for the City to incorporate additional quantities of renewable energy into its mix of resources. (Note that the City currently receives electricity from NorthWestern Energy, which has a statutory requirement to obtain a portion of its power from renewable sources.) Renewable energy refers to energy for electricity (solar, wind, etc.), space heating (solar thermal), and transportation (biofuels). Here again, the EWG will collaborate with the Public-Private Working Group to develop recommendations for how to encourage Helena citizens to obtain a greater percentage of their energy usage from renewable sources.
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