By Brett Rosenberg
June 27, 2005

Augusta (GA) Mayor Bob Young, led his last session as chair of the Energy Committee during the June 11 meeting at the Conference's 73rd Annual Meeting in Chicago. In his opening remarks, Young reaffirmed many of the challenges facing mayors as they continue to provide their communities with dependable power. Energy efficiency, reliability and security topped the Mayor's remarks as he opened the meeting.

Scott Bernstein, President of the Center for Neighborhood Technology, presented emerging local approaches to productive energy strategies. Bernstein tied together the relationship between high-density development and household transportation costs. Noting that transportation costs are often the greatest expense after housing, Bernstein cited statistics whereby communities with dense, transit-oriented development allows family income savings of 10-12 percent per year over those in areas with relatively lower density development, or sprawl, or that lack safe, reliable public transit. In citing programs like location-efficient home mortgages, car'sharing programs like Flexcar or "HMOs for riders," and energy'smart pricing plans. Bernstein said that, "Cities are bundles of hidden assets" that can save money initially and reap energy and environmental benefits as well.

In building upon Bernstein's presentation, Austin Mayor Will Wynn introduced Roger Duncan of Austin Energy, a publicly-owned utility in the Austin area. Duncan discussed plans to electrify the transportation system in the community and alternatives to petroleum-based fuels. As a city on the verge of non-attainment with EPA air quality rules, Austin is seeking ways to curb air pollution through a variety of programs in addition to energy efficiency programs.

The city and Austin Energy have implemented a program that encourages the use of plug-in hybrids; that is, vehicles with an added battery that can be recharged through a standard electrical outlet. Although running plug-in hybrids on traditional gasoline is always an option, operating such a vehicle on stored electricity, even within limited ranges, offers fuel economy of 56 cents per gallon, according to Duncan. Through over a million dollars in rebates, Austin will realize substantial emissions reductions and energy savings through using conventional electrical power in vehicles once automakers adopt this technology in the community.

Wrapping up the session before the Committee discussed policy resolutions, Sadhu Johnston, acting Commissioner of Chicago's Department of Environment, spoke of Chicago's Environmental Action Agenda. Like the previous speakers, Johnston's presentation sought to illustrate many of the energy and environmental goals and programs cities are adopting. In Chicago, Johnston described how green activities on the street can also be implemented in buildings. In addition to planting trees and bushes in medians, the city is planting roof-top gardens on many of its municipal buildings, which help reduce heating and cooling costs and reduce stormwater runoff. The city also requires green operations in all of its municipal buildings, including retrofitting to maximize energy efficiency and procurement policies that encourage clean, non'toxic and recyclable products and services.

Through Mayor Richard M. Daley's leadership, Johnston said that the Chicago Environmental Action Agenda will also lead to renewable energy providing 20 percent of the city's power needs by the end of this year. The mayor is also working with the private sector to address barriers to green building and development. At the business session of the meeting, members adopted the following Energy Committee Resolutions: #51: Endorsing The U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement; #52: Distributed Generation And Decentralized Energy Creation/Distribution; #53: Federal Funding For Fixed Critical Energy Infrastructure Protection; #54: Comprehensive Solid Waste Disposal Management; #16: Increased Funding For Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP); #55: Supporting Local Energy Efficiency Energy Conservation, Renewable Energy And Green Building Programs; #94: Promotion Of Renewable Energy; and #95: Supporting The Chicago Climate Exchange.