Madison’s Climate Protection Plan focuses on City, County, and State facilities and programs, as well as local utility and commercial sector energy efficiency measures. There is less emphasis on residential and industrial energy use, transportation, and waste as these sectors constitute a smaller proportion of our emissions. Following is a summary of the proposed measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Madison and their respective emissions reductions.
The greatest contribution to reducing emissions in Madison is the continuation of three existing programs which require state government and private sector support:
- Madison Pride and other recycling programs: 56,578 tons CO2
- MG&E energy efficiency programs: 35,098 tons CO2
- Utilization of methane gas for electricity generation at County landfills and Madison Metropolitan Sewerage Plant: 20,163 tons CO2
Other significant proposed new measures are:
- Energy efficiency retrofits of City buildings:4,108 tons CO2
- Curbside recycling of box board and mixed household paper: 9,990 tons CO2
- Commercial green building program: 7,281 tons CO2
- Green Fleet program
- Clean Cities program with new fueling facilities
- Traffic signal red bulb conversion to LEDs: 1,400 tons CO2
Agriculture and Forestry Sector
Madison hopes to sequester greater amounts of carbon by planting more trees.
Tree Planting
Most of the tree planting on city property is done by the city Forester. Approximately 2,300 trees are planted each year. One-half of these are generally replacements for dead, dying, or vandalized trees - the rest are new plantings. The Parks Division plants approximately 125 trees per year in the parks and greenways. MG&E currently provides 100 trees annually for planting in right-of-ways. They plan to increase this number to 120 trees per year. Therefore, a total of approximately 2,600 trees will be planted each year in Madison by the city and MG&E.
Cross-Sectoral or Other Sector
Industrial Sector
Madison's Local Action Plan proposes encouraging industry to join EPA's ClimateWise program, in which industries voluntarily reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Climate Wise Membership
The city proposes to work with the State to increase the number of industry members in the USEPA Climate Wise program. Climate Wise is an innovative partnership between government and industry that offers companies a non-regulatory approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The program works with industries to develop flexible, comprehensive strategies for achieving energy efficiency and pollution prevention. To date, there are only 3 Climate Wise members in Dane County.
Power Generation Sector
Madison's suggested policies for reducing energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions focus primarily on the demand side, by encouraging energy efficiency. However, the policies do also address supply-side actions, mainly through the encouragement of using renewable energy sources to generate electricity.
Energy Efficiency Savings Fund
Savings from energy efficiency measures implemented throughout city departments currently go back into the general fund. Therefore, there is no incentive for departments to save energy and no long-term funds to implement additional efficiency measures. A fund should be created to capture the energy efficiency savings for on-going efficiency measures. The Common Council chose not to implement this program yet but could do so in the near future.
Building Retrofits
The top 10 energy-using buildings were audited by MG&E in 1998 and an engineering firm was hired by the city to implement the audit recommendations. In 1999, the city signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the USEPA for the ENERGY STAR Buildings partnership. This MOU commits the city to upgrading one of its buildings to ENERGY STAR requirements within two years and 60% of feasible city buildings to ENERGY STAR requirements within 7 years. Some retrofits were finished in 2000 and 2001. Work remains and ten more buildings are being audited. There is $100,000 budgeted for 2002.
Green Buildings
The city occasionally adds new buildings or expands existing ones. The designs shall take into account energy efficiency and other green building measures. Not all green building measures are usually implemented in every building though due to limited initial capital funding. The city has no program to take the energy savings and put them back into the capital accounts.
Energy Efficiency
A concerted effort will be made to educate employees about saving energy and other resources. This would include shutting computers off at night, making double-sided copies, purchasing efficient equipment (including soda machines), etc.
ENERGY STAR
The School District and Dane County have signed the ENERGY STAR MOU, which commits them to the same requirements as the city. The school district plans to spend approximately $270,000 in building retrofits.
TIF Funds
The city will include a green building requirement for developers that receive tax-increment financing (TIF) from the city. Possible language for the TIF will be drafted and reviewed by staff.
Building Code
The city does not require any additional energy efficiency measures over what is required in the state code. The city will review the state code, as well as Dane County and other city green building ordinances (such as Austin, TX), to see if it would be beneficial to strengthen the requirements locally.
The Sustainable Lifestyle Campaign
Eco-Teams reduced energy consumption by 13% (gas and electric) between March and December 1999. The program is expected to continue for at least the next three years, after which it is hoped that the critical mass of Eco-Teams will disseminate the ideas informally to other neighbors and new teams.
Commercial Green Building Program
Commercial and institutional energy use is the single largest source of CO2 emissions in Madison. Building heating, cooling, and lighting comprise the majority of electricity and other fuel use. The city has a grant proposal written for a commercial green building program. This proposal could be submitted to various funding agencies.
Small Engines
The city shall attempt to identify and quantify the emissions from the most commonly used small engines such as lawnmowers, snow blowers, and leaf blowers. The city shall review ways to lessen the emissions from the community's use of this equipment, including information dissemination and a possible ordinance regulating usage. In addition, the city of Madison government shall review and improve its own usage of this type of equipment.
LED Traffic Signals
The city has only converted 6% of its red bulbs to LED fixtures. The remaining 3,133 bulbs will be converted to LEDs, for a savings of 1,578,092 kWh/year. The payback period for the LEDs would be approximately 4 years.
Heat Island Effect
Black asphalt on roads and roofs cause buildings and cities to gain heat from the sun during hot summer months. Since Madison is summer peaking for electricity (air conditioning load), it would be advantageous to explore more reflective materials and colors as we continue to add impervious surface. Creating green spaces with plantings on existing large commercial building roofs can also help absorb heat and decrease the cooling load.
Renewable Energy
The city will add at least one renewable energy source to a new or existing city building. This would likely be solar, but other options will be considered as well.
Wind Power Purchase
Metro Transit has agreed to consider increasing their purchase of wind power from 25% to 100% over the next few years.
Transportation Sector
Madison's suggested policies for reducing transportation-related greenhouse gas (GHG) encourage alternative fuels, fuel-efficient vehicles, and a reduction in the amount of driving.
Ethanol Use
The city does not have funds to buy ethanol so flex-fuel vehicles currently use gasoline. The State DOA has an ethanol pumping station in Madison but at this time cannot accommodate the city's vehicles. The only other alternative to installing an additional ethanol pump for the city fleet is one private ethanol station on University Avenue. A petroleum distributor is considering locating a private ethanol pump on the east side of Madison for the postal service's new flex-fuel fleet. Fueling cards would be needed to allow employees to use these non-city fuel pumps. The city hopes to promote AFV fueling facilities in 2002 and fund the fuels in 2003.
Alternative Fuel Bus
Madison's Local Action Plan propose that Metro Transit explore purchasing a hybrid or alternative fuel bus to pilot test.
Alternative Fuel Fleet Vehicles
The Governors Alternative Fuel Task Force has set a goal of 2000 alternative fuel vehicles by the end of 2000. Although delayed, they hope to reach the goal by 2001.
Fuel Efficient Vehicles
Fuel efficiency is not one of the three main criteria (safety and performance, cost and uniformity) used when selecting a new vehicle for city purchase. With some modifications in the purchasing specifications or training, fuel efficiency could be added to vehicle selection criteria with little or no cost. This would increase overall fuel efficiency of the fleet and save the city money in fuels costs.
Efficient Driving
Vehicle fuel efficiency is also affected by how the vehicle is driven. One way to improve vehicle performance and reduce fuel and maintenance costs is to train fleet drivers on efficient driving.
Fleet Inventory, Options to Reduce Driving, and Alternative-Fuel Vehicles
The city is currently reviewing ways to improve fleet performance and reduce fuel costs and air emissions. A Green Fleet resolution is before Council and would include establishing fleet goals and conducting a fleet inventory and yearly monitoring. The city has already purchased two Ford Focus vehicles, which are more fuel-efficient, in order to test their performance and maintenance needs. Likewise, the city will seek out hybrid or alternative fuel vehicles to test under normal fleet use.
Rail
The city, Dane County, and Wisconsin DOT have been studying various transit-rail options under the Transport 2020 Alternatives Analysis project. WDOT has also considered inter-city high-speed rail with Amtrak service. These studies reviewed past studies, such as the 1992 Madison Transit Corridor Study, and also looked at land use policies and incentives and controls which would be needed to realize the reallocation of employment and population growth included in analysis scenarios. Many of these are the same measures needed to reduce reliance on single-occupant vehicles and should be explored further.
Parking Policies and Requirements
These policies should be examined to ensure they are not unintentionally encouraging automobile use.
Flextime
The city will review its policies on flextime in order to avoid traffic congestion and idling, which cause increased air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Currently, large numbers of employees begin and end work at the same time.
Transportation Demand Management (TDM)
14 fleet vehicles are used at night by city employees who carpool. Programs such as these should be encouraged.
Sustainable Lifestyle Campaign
Eco-teams reduced gasoline use by 157 gallons per household (HH) per year, a 22% reduction in driving between March and December 1999. The program is expected to continue for at least the next three years, after which it is hoped that the critical mass of Eco-Teams will disseminate the ideas informally to other neighbors and new teams.
Private Sector TDM
Large companies and institutions should locate near transportation corridors or encourage alternative forms of transportation for employees.
Pedestrian and Bicycle Mode Share
There has not been a mode split study conducted in Madison to determine the percent of our population utilizing various modes of transportation (approximately 6-9% of all Wisconsin work trips are made by walking and bicycling). Measures to increase the use of bicycles and walking, such as densification and bike racks, lanes, and lockers, should be encouraged. Madison's current policy is to add bike lanes whenever road improvements are made.
Parking and Smart Growth
Dane County can influence driving patterns through Smart Growth planning as well as parking policies. These would reduce urban sprawl and vehicle use. An example of an opportunity to discourage driving would be to offer transportation alternatives for the airport rather than increasing airport parking ramps. Dane County provides subsidized parking and is planning to implement a parking cash-out program.
Parking Ramps and Cash-Out Program
UW faculty and staff, as well as employees of some other state agencies, receive subsidized parking. In addition, the University is planning to build several new parking ramps on campus. A parking cash-out program would pay all employees a monthly sum for transportation and the market cost for parking would be charged. This money can then be applied to parking and Metro or kept by employees as an incentive to bike or walk. In this way a transportation benefit is given to all employees, not only those who drive. The current system of parking subsidies encourages driving and discourages other modes of transportation.
Driver Education
The rights of pedestrians and bicyclists could be emphasized during driver training and state tests. Often drivers believe that streets belong to cars and pedestrians and bicyclists should stay off them, or at least out of their way. Enforcement of failure to yield by drivers would improve safety and make residents and their children more comfortable walking and biking to school or work.
Yellow Bike Program
200 yellow bikes are currently available and the program is expected to double in the near future.
Bike-to-Work Week
In the summertime, it is estimated that over 11% of residents bike to work and Madison has a successful Bike-to-Work Week program run by the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin. 1,704 bikers participated in the May 1999 program; 216 or 13% of these were first time bicycle commuters.
Waste Sector
Madison's suggested policies for reducing waste-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions address making environmentally-friendly purchasing decisions (i.e., buying products with a lesser impact on the environment) and reducing waste sent to landfills.
Green Procurement
The city will review its purchasing practices and see where it can improve on the products purchased by various departments. In addition to initial purchase price, life-cycle energy costs will be considered as part of the procurement process.
Reduced Waste and Consumption
The city will participate in the annual Buy-Nothing and Use-Less Stuff Days by increasing education of residents on the impacts of waste generation. This will include support of local efforts on how to simplify your life, such as Sustain Dane. In addition, increased education of employees regarding waste in the workplace will be conducted.
Expanded Curbside Recycling
The city will add mixed paper and box board to its curbside recycling pick-up. This will reduce household waste considerably.