| Local Policy Description: | Strategy: Improve Energy Efficiency
Improvements in energy efficiency are the most cost-effective way to reduce GHG emissions. These include heating and cooling equipment upgrades, replacement of refrigerators, installation of heat pump systems, insulation, replacement of incandescent lights with compact fluorescents, energy management system controls, and many other measures. Additional building insulation, upgrades to more efficient boilers and furnaces, and other measures reduce the use of natural gas and fuel oil
Proposed Actions
Short-term
• Establish a municipal working group on energy management with representatives from the public works, electrical, school, library, community development, and other departments to track energy use in City buildings. Based on the use data, set a municipal goal on reducing energy use.
• Replace incandescent traffic signals with light emitting diode (LED) lights, which are 80 to 90% more efficient and rated to last 100,000 hours compared to 8,000 hours for incandescents. Take advantage of available utility rebates.
• Recruit businesses and organizations into the federal ENERGY STAR program with the goal of reducing energy use. Utilize pledges, peer exchanges, and public recognition programs to sustain involvement.
• Work with local stores to promote products and educate consumers about the ENERGY STAR label.
• Organize “green teams” to promote household practices that reduce GHG emissions.
• Organize “green teams” within City departments to promote more sustainable practices in municipal operations.
• Assess the condition of existing buildings to understand the inefficiencies prevalent in the building stock and design appropriate programs to address them.
• Publicize utility energy efficiency programs.
• Promote the use of ESCOs and performance contracting, where appropriate, to facilitate energy efficiency improvements when initial financial costs are a barrier.
• Implement a City purchasing policy favoring ENERGY STAR products.
• Explore options to increase the efficiency of City street lighting.
Medium-term
• Implement an energy management program for municipal facilities to evaluate use patterns, identify opportunities for energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy installations, pursue utility and other outside funding sources, manage contract work, and evaluate options for the energy supply. Consider establishment of an energy management position.
• Integrate energy efficiency upgrades and renewable energy installations into the City capital planning process.
Strategy: Promote Cleaner and Greener Electricity
While the City does not control how electricity is made, it can have some influence by supporting local renewable energy installations and green power purchasing choices. This strategy assumes that deregulation will bring cleaner gas-fired generation facilities and renewable energy sources will displace generation based on coal and oil. The transition to cleaner fuels appears to be underway with the construction beginning on new gas-fired facilities in Massachusetts. The emission of CO2 per kilowatt-hour of electricity is estimated to
decrease from 1.54 pounds per year in 1990 to 1.23 pounds per year in 2010.
Proposed Actions
Short-term
• Join Solar Boston, a partnership of the U.S. Department of Energy, solar energy businesses, and local community organizations, to promote and facilitate solar energy installations.
• Pursue funding of solar energy installations through the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust.
• Install solar energy systems on City facilities.
Medium-term
• Develop funding sources for solar energy installations in partnership with NSTAR to address distribution system bottlenecks and RPS requirements.
• Develop one or more projects with schools to install solar energy systems and conduct associated classroom activities.
• Support implementation of the Clean Air Act regulations on older power plants. Advocate for a federal renewable portfolio standards.
Long-term
• Support federal action on lowering power plant emissions of CO2 and conventional air pollutants.
Strategy: Increase Use of East Cambridge District Steam
Cogeneration facilities, such as the ones at Kendall Square Station and MIT, increase the efficiency of power plants by recovering the waste heat from the electric generators and using it to heat and cool buildings and provide chilled water for various processes. This prevents GHG emissions by avoiding the use of natural gas and oil to heat and electricity to cool buildings. The Cambridge Action Plan estimates that steam from the new generator at Kendall Square Station will involve 0.15 pounds less CO2 emissions per pound of steam than steam produced by individual boilers typically found in commercial buildings. Existing buildings can be converted to the district system and new buildings can be tied in from the start. Currently AES supplies approximately 400 million pounds of steam annually to its East Cambridge customers from the Kendall Square power plant. AES estimates that there is a reasonable potential to increase the demand with the existing distribution system to 600 million pounds of steam annually.
Proposed Actions
Medium-term
• Add additional customers to the East Cambridge steam system and increase steam use by 200 million pounds annually.
• Extend the steam distribution system to the North Point area, which is slated for development.
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