By Kevin McCarty
June 29, 2009

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels and Carmel (IN) Mayor James Brainard, co-chairs of the Mayors Climate Protection Task Force, convened mayors on June 13 for a session that focused largely on city efforts to deploy Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) funds effectively in support of local energy and climate protection initiatives.

During his remarks, Nickels praised the ongoing work of the mayors on climate protection, pointing out that, "This year we will reach a new milestone — we soon expect to have one thousand mayors signed onto the Conference's Mayors Climate Protection Agreement."

"Many of you were here when this agreement was first signed," he told the panel members, adding that, "This mayoral effort has given strength to the nation's efforts to confront this global challenge."

Nickels explained how the work of the mayors has delivered the "powerful message" that climate protection is a priority, indicating the new Administration is "engaged with us on our nation's climate and energy challenges."

Praising the Conference's work to launch the new EECBG program, Nickels also talked about the importance of Congressional action on climate legislation, specifically the American Clean Energy Security Act, stating, "This legislation is a very important first step in developing a federal regulatory framework." He also reminded that mayors about the work that will need to be done to generate support in Congress for final enactment of this legislation. "This will be a big fight, and a long one," he said.

Nickels also told the panel members that the next global climate agreement that takes effect after 2012 will be a "front and center issue," and that mayors must be part of the coalition pressing the U.S. Senate to ratify this new treaty.

During his remarks, Brainard praised Conference leaders for their efforts to enact and fund the new EECBG program, stating, "As mayors, we know that our success as a nation in addressing our climate challenges will have much to do with our success locally." Brainard, joined by other mayors, praised Nickels for his leadership of the Mayors Climate Protection Task Force, a position he will relinquish as he assumes his new role as Conference President.

Noting key resources available to mayors in developing their energy and climate programs, Brainard thanked Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and his staff for preparing a guidebook, "Chicago's Guide to Completing an Energy and Conservation Strategy," to support mayors working in developing their EECBG strategies (www.usmayors.org/ChicagoEnergyGuide).

Brainard reminded the mayors not to overlook opportunities to use EECBG funds to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector, citing his own success in using "roundabouts" or traffic circles to reduce energy use. He also explained how EECBG funds could be used to develop bicycling/pedestrian plans, change development codes and practices to encourage transit-oriented development, initiate expanded carpooling, vanpooling, and carsharing initiatives, and expand the use of commute benefits by private employers, activities that can be shown to reduce energy use in the transportation.

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter joined the panel to make a presentation on his city's plans to deploy EECBG resources to accelerate his ongoing efforts to reduce energy use and climate emissions, praising this new program. "The best money to come out of ARRA was the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant funding," he said. Explaining these funds are "anticipated to be one-time dollars," Nutter added that, "This must be an annual and forever commitment."

Nutter explained how his city will use these funds to support a range of activities, from installing thousands of more efficient lights in traffic signals, moving the city to single stream recycling, developing renewable energy on city buildings, among other strategies. "These funds will help the city reach six of the 15 goals set forth in our Greenworks Philadelphia," he said, adding that, "These resources will help reposition Philadelphia as one of the greenest cities in America."

Task Force members also heard a presentation by John Williams, Senior Vice President and National Director of Sustainable Development for HDR Engineering, Inc., on the firm's Sustainable Rate of Investment (SROI), a new tool that can enable cities to set investment priorities based on long-term sustainability benefits to the community. Williams pointed out that, "This tool can also help position your city to be more competitive in securing additional stimulus and other resources in the future."

During his discussion, Williams explained how SROI can help mayors "quickly and fully account for all of the benefits" of a given project or initiative, and also support mayors "in making choices among various alternatives." (Additional information on HDR's SROI methodology can be found at www.hdrinc.com).

During the session, there was also discussion among the mayors on pending Conference policies on energy and climate issues being presented to the full membership.