Supporting Local Energy Committees in their Efforts to Save Energy Costs
How and Why Municipal Governments Support
Local Energy Committees
Local Energy Committee’s Service
• Identify energy cost saving opportunities
• Data collection and legwork that saves municipal staff time
• Share latest information on tools for financing investments in energy saving measures
Benchmarking: Why?
• Identify easiest opportunities to save money on energy budget
• Measure progress and quantify savings
• Communicate with public about successes in saving energy costs
• Attract state and federal monies for energy saving improvements to infrastructure
Benchmarking: How Municipal Government Can Help
• Direct municipal employees to facilitate energy use and cost data to Local Energy Committee
• Help communicate energy cost saving efforts to the wider community
Benchmarking Results
1) Energy Use and Energy Cost comparisons between municipal sectors
2) More in-depth comparative data on municipal buildings, including energy intensity (energy use per square foot)
3) Analysis that identifies short-range/low cost energy saving opportunities and offers recommendations for larger investments
4) Follow-up information and support for municipality to undertake energy saving projects
What Energy Costs?
• MoneyMoney– Rising price of
fossil fuels– Capital leaves
region– Access to
supply can mean expensive conflict
• EnvironmentEnvironment– Fossil fuel
combustion creates carbon and other greenhouse gas imbalance
– Leads to global warming
Image:www.vosibilities.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/soa-and-bpm-software-infrastructures-are-a-waste-of-money-when-imposed-top-down.jpg
Why Act Now
• The cost of some fuels has almost doubled in just a few years.
• Early action on energy efficiency saves fuel as costs continue to rise.
• Money can stay in the local economy and support local development and independence.
• The public is looking for leadership on energy issues.
• Cool Monadnock is here to help.
Image: www.fotosearch.com/comp/SBY/SBY842/truck-passing-sign_~CTR_035.jpg
Cool Monadnock: Community Organizations supporting your LEC• Southwest Region Planning Commission
– Works with member municipalities to promote sound planning and decision-making on local, regional and state levels.
• Clean Air-Cool Planet– Helps constituents understand the impacts of global warming
and its best available solutions and demonstrates the economic opportunities and environmental benefits associated with early actions on climate change.
• Antioch New England Institute– Promotes a vibrant and sustainable environment, economy, and
society by encouraging informed civic engagement.
SWRPC
What Kind of Support?
• Energy use assessment
• Develop LEC network within community, region, and beyond
• Training and resource materials to facilitate LEC’s community outreach
• Research and guidance on funding energy saving projects
Image:www.prbo.org/cms/images/edu/greenfootsteps.jpg
Image:farm4.static.flickr.com/3179/2360875566_d28af75a46.jpg?v=0
Some Data: Where We Are Now
• Cool Monadnock research so far reveals the following about the Monadnock Region…
Regional Energy Use (MMBtu)
Transportation42%
Waste0%
Residential30%
Commercial19%Industrial
9%
Energy Use in Our Region
What we spend as a region on heating our homes,
water and cooking…
• Electricity: $4,208,367
• Heating Oil: $40,072,250
• Propane: $20,897,563
2005
PSNH (kwh): $0.117
Light Fuel Oil (us gal): $2.254
Propane (us gal): $2.155
$68,321,942
70%
If we spent what we spend on home heating oil on other items, we could afford to…
Provide Medicaid to 29,000 people
(or all of Keene + Peterborough)
Provide a university education to 360 students
Hire 2,000 full-time teachers for a year
Build 180,000 low-income Housing Units
Plant 9 billion trees
Brew 9 million gallons of homemade beer
www.cleanair-coolplanet.orgChrista Koehler
Community Program Manager603. 422. 6464 x108