By Debra DeHaney-Howard
June 29, 2009

Austin Mayor Will Wynn chaired his last session of the Energy Committee on June 13 during the Conference of Mayors 77th Annual Meeting in Providence (RI). In his opening remarks, Wynn affirmed many of the opportunities and challenges facing mayors as they continue to make their communities more energy efficient. Wynn said, "Through this committee's work, specifically on the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program, we now have an opportunity to implement the many energy efficiency and climate programs that mayors are working on to support reducing our ongoing local climate protection efforts." He further noted that, "Funding of the energy block grant will help all of us in our efforts to reduce energy use, increase energy efficiency and curb greenhouse gas emissions."

During the policy resolution discussion, Wynn led members of the Conference's Energy Policy Standing Committee through a vigorous debate on a number of energy-related issues. Among those policy issues covered were cap and trade, energy block grant and renewable energy. Committee members recommended fourteen new resolutions to the full membership for consideration at its June 15 Business Session. After a spirited debate, the Conference of Mayors full membership unanimously approved the Energy Committees' recommendations.

Following debate on the proposed policy resolutions, members heard from Sadhu Johnston, Chief Environmental Officer for Chicago. Johnston presented Chicago's Guide to Completing an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy (EECS). He reported that the guide builds upon the Chicago Climate Action Plan, which was launched in 2008. Johnston told panel members that the EECS guide outlines what cities and counties can do to develop a long-term and sustainable energy efficiency and conservation plan. Johnston said, "A strong strategy can provide not only a roadmap for reducing energy, but also for lowering government, business, and resident energy costs, and promoting economic development and green job creation."

Johnston also highlighted a number of activities Chicago will be implementing through the EECBG program. They include: installing energy efficient traffic lights at nearly 800 intersections, converting more than 200 city blocks to energy efficient street lamps, and making energy efficient improvements in city buildings to reduce the cost to government by approximately $3.5 million per year. Chicago also plans to expand assistance for energy retrofitting in 1,000 units of housing.

The Energy Committee adopted the following resolutions:

• Energy — adopts legislation to promote "decoupling" by utilities (i.e., changes that ensure utilities are indifferent to sales; volatility and removing the disincentives to energy efficiency); the nation's electric transmission grid to support the introduction of new renewable energy supplies; establish a national renewable portfolio standard to accelerate the development of alternative energy sources; modernize and streamline the Department of Energy to reflect the importance of today's city in the nation's energy priorities.

• Federal Policy and Local Energy Efficiency, Conservation and Renewable Energy — at the Conference supports federal commitments to community-based energy conservation and efficiency initiatives, demand management and localized renewable energy production have been more fully developed and supported with stronger federal funding commitments as well as legislation addressing the nation's broader climate protection challenges through a "cap and trade" and other legislation is enacted.

• Urge Congress to Create an Independent Federal "GREEN ENERGY BANK" to Further Incentivize the Deployment of Low-Carbon Technologies to Address Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Create Green Jobs — calls for Congress to pass legislation that would establish an independent federal "Green Energy Bank" or a federal clean energy financing program that will help speed the deployment of low-carbon technologies so as to mitigate against the worst impacts of greenhouse gas emissions and provide new economic opportunities and job creation in the United States.

• Federal Investment Tools to Promote Deployment of Clean Energy Technologies and Catalyze Private Sector Financing — urges Congress to pass legislation establishing an independent federal Green Energy Bank or comparable federal clean energy financing program, in order to promote private sector investment and speed deployment of low-carbon technologies; and to continue to advocate for other federal energy-related policies that support energy efficiency, renewable energy and deployment of new energy technology.

• Importance of Greening Affordable Housing Developments — urges Congress and the Administration to support continuing funding for federal programs that assist local governments implement and expand green building production in their communities, such as those included in ARRA, including the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant, the Green Retrofit for Multifamily Housing program as well as the extension of the tax credits for energy-efficient improvements to existing homes.

• Energy and Infrastructure — adopts as its policy the investments called for by the mayors in the National Action Agenda on Infrastructure to renew and strengthen the federal commitment to the nation's Energy and Infrastructure needs: Reduce America's dependency on oil in the transportation sector through the broader utilization of electricity in the transportation sector; Adopt national portfolio standards requiring utilities to use wind power, solar, geothermal and other renewable power supplies for a share of their generating capacity; Diversify America's energy supplies to promote a broad range of energy sources, including but not limited to wind, solar, biomass, nuclear, landfill gas and waste-to-energy; Revamp existing federal rules to expedite the development of a new corridor designation process that supports the transmission of renewable energy supplies; Promote the development of new transmission lines and other facilities to provide access to renewable energy supplies, including strategies that promote the use of wind and other renewable energy supplies in powering city and metropolitan infrastructure systems; Fund research and enact incentives to increase energy storage and production facilities at the user level, promote smart grid policies, and incentivize through pricing the use of renewable energy supplies; Renew and extend for longer time federal tax credits for wind power and other renewable power supplies.

• "Greening" the Tax Code and Promoting Coordinated Federal Investment in Cities — Administration and Congress to reform and "green" the tax code by eliminating or significantly reducing tax preferences to entities emitting large quantities of greenhouse gases; to create a Green Zone Investment Tax Credit and a Green Housing Tax Credit that will encourage transit-oriented development and other development that can help reduce per capita carbon emissions; and to create a demonstration program in a select number of cities wherein key federal agencies can work with cities and their metropolitan partners to negotiate local "sustainable development" investment strategies that coordinate multiple federal agency actions and funding.

• Calling on Congress to Allocate an Impactful Share of Greenhouse Gas Auction Revenues Directly to Cities — calls on Congress to shape a cap and trade system in such a way where no less than ten percent of greenhouse gas allowance auction proceeds can be directed to cities for the purposes of 1) workforce training initiatives in the renewable and sustainable fields; 2) implement projects and programs to reduce carbon emissions associated with transportation; and 3) energy efficiency, renewable energy and carbon reduction activities, projects and policies.

• Calling for Congress to Amend Federal Legislation that Is Impeding the Creation and Implementation of Innovative Performance-Based Green Building Codes — calls on the Congress of the United States to amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), 42 U.S.C §§ 6201, et seq. (2006) (as amended by the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act (NAECA), Pub. L. No 100-102 (1987), so as to remove preemption barriers in order to allow local governments broader authority in establishing performance-based building codes; and supports comprehensive reform of federals laws so as to promote the creation, implementation and enforcement of innovative energy efficient green building codes by local governments and municipalities.

• American Investments to Solve Environmental and Energy Challenges and Create New Jobs in America — adopts as its policy on American Investments called for by the mayors in the National Action Agenda on Environment and Energy to urge the President and Congress to accelerate improvements to the nation through: Fully fund the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program at the authorized level and move toward a $4 billion annual funding level; Increase federal funding commitments to public transit and non-motorized travel options and allocate available transportation resources directly to metropolitan areas; and Green the U.S. Tax Code (e.g., incentivize energy efficiency and conservation, renewable energy supplies, and transit-oriented development as well as commercial and residential development resulting in lower carbon emissions.

• Climate Change — adopts as its policy on Climate Change called for by the mayors in the National Action Agenda on Environment and Energy to urge the President and Congress to do the following: Establish a national emissions target of 80 percent by 2050; enact cap and trade legislation that supports local government initiatives and reduces greenhouse emissions; and participate and ratify the United States' commitment to the next Climate Change Accord in Copenhagen 2009.

• Support for U.S. Engagement in COP 15 UNFCCC In Copenhagen — urges the United States Government to fully engage in international climate protection negotiations beginning with participation in the 15th Conference of Parties United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009; that the U.S. delegation to Copenhagen recognize the key role of cities in the global effort against climate change by engaging, empowering, and providing resources to cities throughout the world so that we may continue to deliver effective climate protection initiatives; and that the U.S. delegation encourage that any agreement that seeks to cap emissions on the U.S. also seek individual caps on other large industrialized or developing nations, including, but not limited to, those in the EU, China, India, Russia and Brazil.

• Supporting Full and Dedicated Funding of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant — calls on Congress and the Administration to appropriate full funding for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program, while supporting higher authorization levels in future years; and to establish a dedicated funding mechanism such as revenues realized by the establishment of a cap and trade program for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program to ensure that cities have the necessary funds to promote energy saving strategies, promote alternative energy sources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the environment.

• Calling on Congress to Pass Meaningful Climate Protection Legislation — urges the United States Congress to pass the American Energy and Security Act of 2009 in advance of the COP15 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009; calls for Congress to amend the ACES Act in consideration for the role of cities to include 1) support for and adoption of local energy and land use codes; 2) the elimination of federal and state barriers to local financing programs that use property tax mechanisms; 3) federal transportation dollars directly allocated to local governments to support increased transit investment including bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure; 4) direct allocation of credits or auction revenues to cities for investment in climate mitigation through such initiatives as the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program; 5) some funding achieved through a cap and trade system directed toward assisting high greenhouse gas emitting generators of electricity and research development firms dedicated toward finding cleaner energy solutions; 6) tax exempt financing for investor owned utilities to finance utility plant retrofits for clean energy.