New City Budget Again Falls Short on Energy & Climate
On May 11, City Council adopted a new budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1, 2026. It continues to underinvest in the staff and resources needed to pursue the City's 2030 climate goals.
Since adopting its Government Operations Energy Action Plan almost three years ago, the City has taken some positive steps. The City has replaced some light-duty vehicles with hybrid and electric versions, often with the help of federal grants. It took advantage of a federal rebate to reduce the net emissions from the Community Center’s heating by switching to a geothermal heat pump. And it will soon begin supporting home energy audits with Biden-era grant funding.
But the City and schools have been slow to reduce energy use and to install rooftop solar on public buildings. The City is now playing catch-up to mitigate the effects of rising energy costs while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. At the bare minimum, the government and schools should be making climate investments that will pay for themselves over time through reduced operating expenses.
Reducing electricity use at public buildings is especially important because higher power costs are on the way. By next month, we’ll find out how much more Falls Church government and schools will be paying for electricity come July 1st. VEPGA, the association that negotiates electricity contracts with Dominion Energy on behalf of government members, said rates are likely to increase by6% to 30%.
Here’s how the new budget addresses these two key areas that have been lagging:
SOLAR
The Good News:
Members of City Council have said that putting solar panels on the Community Center is a top priority. Thanks to all of you who told the Council that this was an important opportunity you wanted funded.
The Bad News:
Rather than funding solar in the FY2027 budget starting July 1, Council plans to consider funding it in November with unspent FY2026 funds. Installation would start in 2027. If the project is designed to qualify for the 30 percent federal incentive worth roughly $40,000, this delay will tend to increase costs because the restrictions on foreign-made components become more stringent in 2027. It also ignores the City’s stated goal of leading by example. And there’s no sign that the city is moving fast enough to put more solar on schools before the federal incentive expires.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY ASSESSMENTS
The Good News:
After years of not spending funds that were allotted to evaluate excess energy use by City buildings, staff has identified the buildings to be assessed in FY2027: Meridian High School and Mary Riley Styles Public Library. Despite being designed for efficiency, the high school is the government’s biggest energy user and may be underperforming, so even modest improvements can yield big cost and emissions savings.
The (Potential For) Bad News:
All large City school and government buildings are undergoing comprehensive Facility Condition Assessments between now and this fall. These assessments will identify deficiencies unrelated to energy that require substantial investment, just in time for Council to decide in the fall what to do with unspent FY26 funds (remember the Community Center solar panels?).
WHAT’S NEXT AND WHAT YOU CAN DO
For years, cost-effective energy efficiency and solar investments laid out in the Government Operations Energy Action Plan have taken a back seat to non-essential projects and tax rate cuts. It seems that this summer and fall will bring another chance for climate advocates to remind Council of its commitments and of the community’s desire for serious climate action.
In the meantime, there are many things you can do to reduce your own greenhouse gas emissions:
You can replace end-of-life fossil fuel devices with clean, efficient electric versions, such as heat pumps, induction ranges, and lawn equipment.
Concerned about gas prices? Look for deals on hundreds of thousands of pre-owned electric vehicles that are coming off of leases.
Schedule a home energy audit before the summer heat to see how you can make your home more comfortable and reduce energy costs.
Consider a no-money-down lease of rooftop solar panels. The City is delaying, but you shouldn’t. In a lease, the installer takes the federal tax credit and passes the savings to you. Also, check out Solarize Virginia, an annual regional initiative that "reduces the cost and complexity of going solar by providing a one-stop-shop for education and installation;" it runs through July 15.