Community Energy Action Plan Update: May ESC Recap and Survey Results
By Jon Ward
At a May 18 Environmental Sustainability Council Meeting (watch video and read related documents) , City contractor ICF summarized about 40 responses from the Community Energy Action Plan (CEAP) Online Community Survey and from the April 20 Town Hall, which also had about 40 participants. ICF has not yet reported how much those sets may overlap.
Broadly, town hall meeting attendees and survey respondents wanted more City support for:
Car-free mobility: better sidewalks and bike lanes, plus shuttle buses to Metro
Green building and weatherization incentives and guidance
Community solar and 100 percent-renewable energy programs
Electric vehicle support: incentives and charging stations
Town hall attendees also added an emphasis on tree canopy and protected bike lanes.
Eighteen percent of online survey respondents (about seven of 40 people) said they own an electric vehicle. A few years ago, EVs accounted for 2 percent of City vehicle registrations and are likely about 3 to 5 percent today.
During the May 18 meeting, ESC members also discussed the City’s past and planned purchases of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) to lay claim to having consumed a higher fraction of electricity from renewable sources than what Dominion provides. The debate centers on the idea that buying certain RECs incentivizes the market to build more renewables, and buying certain other RECs may not.
ICF is tasked with identifying actions that the City can take to support its greenhouse gas emissions goals for 2030. They will continue stakeholder outreach through mid-July.