Agriculture and Forestry Sector
Tree Planting Stategies
Austin’s Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) is currently pursuing an aggressive and highly cost effective tree-planting campaign. In 1989, the City Council set a goal to plant 300,000 trees on public property (street-side, medians, parks, etc.) by the year 2000. In order to meet this goal, 30,000 trees per year would have had to be planted from 1990 to 2000; however, this level of effort was not funded, and far fewer trees have been planted. In order to increase tree planting without extra funding from the city, PARD created the innovative NeighborWoods project, which targets neighborhoods needing trees to mitigate the urban heat-island effect. When streets are shaded, they absorb less heat in the summer, resulting in lower temperatures in the outside area as well as cooler homes for residents with no air conditioning, and lower cooling bills for residents with air conditioners. Currently, PARD is planting 3,000 to 4,000 street trees each year through the NeighborWoods project, at an average cost of less than $25 per tree. There is also a tree program for city-owned parks, which is limited by how many trees the city is able to water.
Possible Future Action:
The NeighborWoods program could be expanded to plant an additional 10,000 trees each year at an estimated cost-per-tree of $35. This very aggressive program would add 14,000 trees annually, and is probably the maximum that PARD could manage. The parks program could be expanded if more watering trucks were purchased, and/or if more private entities will volunteer to water trees. This program could possibly be expanded to plant 1,000 trees per year. Based on the Urban Ecosystem Analysis conducted by American Forests, there are an estimated 140,000 planting sites on Austin residential properties which would yield maximum environmental benefits. A scenario has been analyzed in which two optimally sited trees are planted at 70,000 homes in order to provide maximum shade to south and west-facing windows. The result is nearly 50 million kilowatt-hours of annual energy savings, which equates to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of more than 30,000 tons.
Cross-Sectoral or Other Sector
Power Generation Sector
Improve Electric Utility Efficiency
The city’s Electric Utility Department (EUD) is currently a partner in the Department of Energy’s Climate Challenge Program, a voluntary effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. By signing the accord, EUD has set forth its commitments for mitigating GHG emissions. The Utility participation accord includes initiatives involving demand side management, landfill methane gas recovery, photovoltaic generating capacity, system efficiency, wind power and alternative fueled vehicles. EUD is planning to upgrade many of its systems over the next few years, which will result in significant efficiency enhancements. Converting numerous 69 kV (kilovolt) distribution lines to 138 kV is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 50,000 tons annually. Other improvements in transmission lines, controls, and availability improvements will also improve system efficiency. The possible impact by 2010 remains unquantified, but a rough estimate of the possible emission impact of these improvements
is in the range of 100,000 to 200,000 tons annually.
Improve Use of Renewable Energy Resources
Renewable energy resources and increased energy efficiency could meet all of the additional demand for energy in Texas between now and 2010. Texas has more solar and biomass resources than any other state, and is second nationally in wind resources. This plan proposes that all incremental electric demand above the 1990 base level which is not met by cost-effective efficiency improvements could be met with renewable resources. The carbon dioxide reduction potential is 3.7 million tons. Currently, The City of Austin has made significant investments in renewable energy resources. Using forecast demand growth estimates and information from the plan to close the Holly Power Plant, it is estimated that, even with a current aggressive energy conservation program in place, approximately 1,260 megawatts of new capacity will be needed to meet demand for an additional 5,747 million kilowatt-hours of electricity in the Austin area by 2010. Meeting all of this additional demand with renewable energy resources is technically feasible, and with continuing reductions in the cost of renewables, may even be economically feasible. This could easily occur if federal subsidies were shifted from nuclear and fossil power to renewable resources. Meeting the additional load with renewables could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 3.8 million tons in 2010.
Wind Power:
The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA), the Texas General Land Office and Kenetech Windpower signed an agreement to construct up to 250 megawatts of wind generators in the Delaware Mountains of Culberson County, in West Texas, in 1993. The first 35-megawatt phase of this project is providing 25 megawatts of capacity to the LCRA and 10 megawatts to the City of Austin. The expansion of the project is not currently planned. However, the Texas Wind Power Project site is capable of producing up to 750 megawatts, so a great deal of additional capacity could be placed there. In September 1995, Austin’s Electric Utility began receiving power from its 10-megawatt share of the 35-megawatt wind farm. This wind energy amounts to approximately 39,000 MWh annually, which will result in an annual reduction of carbon dioxide emissions of approximately 23,000 tons in 2010. In North and West Texas, there are approximately 14,000 megawatts of wind power potential.
Biomass:
Energy from biomass (plant and animal matter) accounts for approximately 15% of global primary energy consumption. Texas is a major biomass producer, and the Austin area has substantial potential for producing power from this resource. Waste will remain the most important biomass energy source for the foreseeable future, with those by-products that currently present a disposal problem having the greatest near-term potential. In addition to the urban resources of municipal solid waste, sewage, landfill gas and used cooking oils, the Central Texas region is also rich in agricultural products such as harvest residues and process wastes. There is also some potential for growing energy crops. In 1997, a three-megawatt methane burner was due to come on line at a local landfill. In locations where methane collection is mandated, power production is often cost-effective. The reduction in fuel burned at the other power plants results in an annual reduction in carbon dioxide of approximately 16,000 tons in 2010. Improvements to gas handling facilities at the Hornsby Bend wastewater treatment plant will clean and dehydrate waste methane so that it can be burned in two 400-kilowatt generators, which will provide a substantial amount of the facility’s electricity when operating. The generators are already in place, but are not operating currently. A conservative estimate of the electricity which might be generated annually is 1,500 MWh, which equates to approximately 1,125 tons of carbon dioxide annually. The composting boilers are also fired with methane from the composting process, but this is unquantified.
Solar Photovoltaics (PV):
The 300 kilowatts of PV installed at the City’s Decker Creek Power Station in 1986 generate only a small amount of energy. The project has suffered a steady decline in performance, producing 414 MWh in 1990, but only 240 MWh in 1995. The Utility has installed another 238 kilowatts at various locations throughout the city, for a total of 538 kW. The Electric Utility Department will continue to seek funding to increase its current photovoltaic generating capacity by approximately 250 kilowatts per year through its Solar Explorer program. This program allows residential customers to receive a 100-watt photovoltaic roof installation in return for a $7 per month additional charge on their electric bill. If an additional 250 kilowatts of photovoltaics are installed each year after 1997, this will lead to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of approximately 3,000 tons per year by 2010.
Hydropower:
There are 89 undeveloped potential hydroelectric sites in Texas, 14 on the Lower Colorado River alone, with the potential to generate 2,659 gigawatt-hours annually. This amounts to approximately 30% of the City of Austin Electric Utility Department’s current annual generation. If all of these resources were developed, nearly two million tons of carbon dioxide could be avoided annually.
Distributed Resources Utility:
Advances in energy technology, particularly photovoltaics and hydrogen fuel cells, present the real possibility of a distributed resources utility (DRU). A DRU involves small-scale electricity generation at the level of individual neighborhoods, businesses or even single homes. This strategy may already be cost effective in some instances, such as when upgrading a transformer can be avoided by generating energy where it is needed rather than remotely. On-site generation is often a cost-effective alternative to extending a power line to a location which is not connected to the grid. Implementation of a DRU could take many forms, using many different renewable and/or non-renewable energy resources.
Hydrogen-powered fuel cells emit no carbon dioxide, and could be a breakthrough in the search for a reliable, emission-free source of electricity. Once technology is available for economically producing large amounts of hydrogen from water through biological or chemical means, fuel cells could become quite cost effec
tive.
Encourage Light-Emitting Diode (LED) Lights
Unlike traffic synchronization, there is no debate over the environmental benefits of using light-emitting diode (LED) lights in traffic signals and walk lights. LED lights use much less electricity to operate than conventional lights and as a result, they pollute much less.
Transportation Sector
Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Reduction Strategies
To reduce vehicle miles traveled, Austin proposes transportation demand management and land use transportation strategies. To reach our goal in this category, all working persons in Travis County would commute to and from their jobs by one of the six VMT reduction strategies (walk, bike, carpool, telecommute, van-pool, or ride public transit). This concept, although unlikely, would reduce VMT-induced CO2 emissions by approximately 900,000 tons. The Land Use Transportation strategies are to increase the number of persons who walk to work, increase the number of persons who bicycle to work, and to use compact city and new urbanism development approaches.
Compact City and “New Urbanism” Approach:
The first two land use-transportation strategies (increase the number of persons who walk and bicycle to work) require changes in regional land use approaches. These strategies assume a “compact city” approach to land use decisions, where the bulk of new development is concentrated in close proximity to existing infrastructure. If development is concentrated in these nodes, then more people will live closer to where they work, enabling them to walk and bicycle to work. This strategy of development will help to alleviate the county’s jobs vs. housing imbalance, which has worsened since the 1960s as a result of suburbanization trends. The new urbanism approach to building - which calls for more mixed-use development projects within these compact nodes - goes hand-in-hand with the compact city approach.
Bicycling:
By equipping buses with bicycle racks, Capital Metro has already made it easier for long-distance commuters to combine bicycle and bus transportation. This is a significant step in the direction of multimodal transit, and will also aid in the reduction of CO2 emissions. Capital Metro plans to continue this program. The City of Austin has also taken an important first step in bicycle promotion by employing a Bicycle Coordinator. Efforts in this program include planning a viable dedicated car-free bike lane system for Austin, eliminating barriers to bicyclists along these routes, making the system more comfortable and safe for bicyclists, and responding to bicycle hazards reported on their hotline. If all of these measures are realized, it may be possible that by 2010, 6% (or approximately 28,000) of all Travis County workers could bicycle to work. Note that all these numbers, here and below, for bicycling workers are for full-time workers and exclude most students. If all students were included, these figures would be much higher. If the 6% modal split, above, could be achieved, 35,000 fewer tons of CO2 would be emitted in 2010.
Walking:
8,750 Travis County residents walked to work in 1990. Under base-case conditions, the number of persons who walk to work is expected to reach 13,955 in 2010. The goal scenario could result in 55,771 persons walking to work, for reductions of 123,622 tons of CO2 by the year 2010.
Transportation Demand Management Strategies
Transportation demand strategies attempt to reduce emissions by using demand-side management strategies to stem the tide of single-occupancy vehicle usage.
Increase Carpooling and Working at Home (Telecommuting):
In 1990, 40,485 persons in Travis County carpooled to work, and 8,818 worked at home. Under basecase conditions, the number of people in 2010 who are expected to carpool and work at home is 64,568 and 14,063, respectively. Our goal scenario assumes that 207,936 persons will carpool, and 85,747 persons will telecommute in 2010, for emissions reductions of 193,759 and 169,539 tons of CO2 respectively. One fairly credible study, done by Apogee, concluded that 10% of the workforce can shift to telecommuting. Using this percentage means that nearly 50,000 Travis County workers could be telecommuting in 2010. However, Austin recognizes that technological breakthroughs and workplace paradigm shifts could have profound effects in the future, resulting in many more people working at home. Our aggressive scenario assumes that 100,410 persons will carpool, and 34,374 persons will telecommute in 2010, for emissions reductions of 36,330 and 36,027 tons of CO2 by the year 2010.
Promote Alternative Work Schedules:
Although Austin has not quantified CO2 reductions that could result from the implementation of alternative work schedules (e.g., flex time, compressed work week, and staggered work week), these methods would help decrease pollution by eliminating some automobile trips. Moreover, these strategies are very good congestion management methods, since they greatly reduce peak-hour traffic.
Increase Public Transit Ridership:
Our goal scenario assumes that 260,068 persons will ride Capital Metro buses (and light rail, if available) in the year 2010. This assumption would mean emissions reductions of 378,764 tons of CO2. The aggressive scenario assumes that 110,798 persons will ride Capital Metro buses (and possibly light rail) in the year 2010. This scenario would yield emissions reductions of 92,804 tons of CO2.
Increase Vanpooling:
There are currently 109 Capital Metro vans in operation; 55 additional vans will be added in fiscal year 1997. The goal scenario assumes that Capital Metro will add 44 vans per year from 1998 to 2010, for a total of 736 Capital Metro vanpools by the year 2010. This would yield a CO2 reduction of 11,051 tons. The aggressive scenario assumes that Capital Metro will add 18 vans per year between 1998 and 2010, for a total of 398 Capital Metro vanpools in the year 2010. This scenario would result in 3,857 fewer tons of CO2 emitted.
Promote Use of Intercity Rail:
The use of rail travel between major destination cities like Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio should be encouraged. Austin has not attempted to quantify CO2 emission reductions from this strategy, since it will require statewide policy and planning efforts that reach well beyond the metropolitan region’s influence. However, CO2 emissions can definitely be reduced if Austinites choose to ride the rails to these cities instead of driving by car.
Promote Use of Intracity Light Rail:
Capital Metro has for several years investigated the implementation of a light rail system to serve the citizens of Austin. The clean air qualities of this initiative should also be supported by the City to coordinate planning efforts to provide transit-oriented development and transit-supportive land use planning.
Increase Multi-Modal Transit Efficiency:
A true multi-modal transit network would strongly encourage the use of public transit, van-pooling, and bicycling to work. Multi-modal transit networks make these modal choices easier for people by providing practical linkages between modes. For example, Park-and-Ride facilities and Capital Metro’s Teleride Service make it easier for suburban commuters to ride buses. These facilities and services could be expanded. Similarly, transfer stations - or mini-transfer stations (like at Northcross Mall) - provide opportunities for more extensive use of a transit network, thereby enabling more people to use the system, and allowing some to travel farther on the system. The bike racks on Capital Metro buses make bus/bike connections much easier. Transit- and pedestrian-oriented development makes bus and light rail use more practical by providing transit stations within a half-mile of either job-intense or housing-intense areas. Likewise, if transit supportive land-use planning efforts are used, then housing and mixed
-use projects would be built within a half-mile of transit stations.
Encourage Employee Trip Reduction Programs:
The Austin Transportation Study (ATS) group has taken the initiative in implementing an employee trip reduction program. A Vehicle Trip Reduction (V-TRIP) Coordinator is available to work with large businesses and other entities to help them reduce the number of vehicles driving to their sites each day. This program must be enhanced if carpooling, vanpooling, telecommuting, and other such alternatives to drive-alone travel are to be successful. However, a well-intentioned program is not enough. Large public and private companies and agencies in Austin must be proactive in order for these strategies to work.
Clean Fuel Strategies
The strategies suggest purchasing more cars and trucks that use natural gas and supporting future efforts to develop hydrogen as a cost-competitive fuel source.
Increase Use of Natural Gas:
A natural gas automobile emits approximately 15% to 20% less CO2 than a gasoline-powered car. Gasoline-burning vehicles which are retrofitted to natural gas use have experienced some problems. However, the purchase of new vehicles already equipped for natural gas is a viable strategy. An aggressive plan to purchase natural gas-powered vehicles could cut CO2 emissions in the county by approximately 5,000 tons in 2010. The City of Austin has purchased alternative fuel vehicles for its fleet for many years. In 1994, with help from the Department of Energy, a coalition was formed to help develop an alternative fuel infrastructure in the Austin area. This coalition should be expanded in the future.
Increase Use of Hydrogen:
The future use of hydrogen holds much more promise than natural gas in terms of reducing pollution, since fuel cell engine cars running on hydrogen do not emit any CO2 (water is the only by-product of such a car). There are fuel cell car prototypes currently running on methane (natural gas) and methanol, both of which emit CO2. Fuel cell technology is available now, but probably won’t be cost competitive for another 10 to 20 years. Moreover, hydrogen, which is much cleaner than methane or methanol, will not likely be available economically as the input source for another 15 to 20 years. Nevertheless, the city will support continuing scientific research into this promising technology.
Auto Efficiency Strategies
The City of Austin’s strategies include supporting efforts to increase the federal Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) standards for cars and trucks. Austin also will support future efforts to market and continue research on hybrid vehicles (hypercars).
Support Federal Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) Standards:
According to base case estimates, which assume no legislation or major technological breakthroughs, the County-wide average efficiency is expected to increase from 17.7 to 20.4 mpg by the year 2010. Austin’s goal scenario assumes that, by the year 2010, the average efficiency of all vehicles will be approximately 35 mpg. This scenario assumes that federal legislation regarding the CAFE standards will result in an average fuel efficiency requirement of 45 mpg for all gas cars and light duty trucks.
Support Hybrid Vehicles (Hypercars):
The Rocky Mountain Institute estimates that hypercars could achieve efficiencies of 150 to 400 miles per gallon. Moreover, they can be developed to run on multiple fuel types. Hypercars are currently in the design and prototype stages. If private industry chose to invest more in this development, hypercars could become fairly prevalent in the marketplace within 15 to 20 years. Eventually, hypercars should be less costly, cleaner, and more convenient than electric cars. Therefore, the continued engineering, development, and marketing of hypercars should be supported by the City of Austin.
Traffic Circulation System Strategies
The City of Austin’s strategies include enhancing the traffic light synchronization system at major intersections and considering the future use of Intelligent Vehicle Highway Systems (IVHS).
Promote Traffic Light Synchronization Systems:
An aggressive plan which establishes a more advanced traffic light synchronization system at major intersections, and replaces existing traffic lights with LED-type lights, could further reduce CO2 emissions in the County by approximately 10,000 tons in 2010. A traffic light synchronization system enables cars to circulate more efficiently. In theory, vehicles should move more smoothly, and, as a result, less pollution should ensue.
Encourage Intelligent Vehicle Highway System (IVHS):
Intelligent vehicle highway systems (IVHS) allow “smart” cars to circulate more efficiently, and are a more comprehensive alternative to traffic light synchronization. IVHS have already been tested in the U.S., and are currently being used in selected Japanese and European cities. IVHS is generally used only in very large city centers. However, IVHS may become a realistic possibility for Austin in 10 to 20 years if the cost of new smart cars, and retrofit computers for existing non-“smart” cars, comes down.
Air Travel Strategies
First, advances in technology may make airplane engines cleaner burning. Second, Austinites can choose to vacation and conduct business at locations closer to home. A shorter airplane trip produces less CO2.
Boat Usage Strategies
Boat usage results in a significant amount of CO2 emissions. In fact, all County-wide public transit sources together produce only twice as much CO2 emissions as boat usage. It is hoped that cleaner burning boat engines will help to cut CO2 emission rates in the future. Although recent boat engine technologies do not have a great effect on CO2 emissions, the new engines have been very successful in reducing other pollutants.
Waste Sector
Recycling Strategies
Currently, the total annual amount of municipal solid waste dumped in landfills by the four major Travis County entities which hold permits is approximately 1.5 million tons. The operating landfills in Austin receive 600 tons of residential garbage each day. Additional solid waste comes from private haulers serving multi-family residences and businesses. The City of Austin’s Solid Waste Services Department (SWS) has greatly expanded its recycling efforts in recent years. The recent inclusion of several new types of paper and plastic should substantially increase this rate. The City of Austin’s Curbside Recycling Program serves single-family homes and duplexes. The city picks up materials placed at the curb on a designated day. Newspapers, magazines, catalogs, tin, steel, or aluminum cans, glass containers, plastic milk jugs, and corrugated cardboard are all recyclable. Approximately 115,000 tons of paper, plastics and aluminum are currently recycled annually by local residential and commercial recyclers. Approximately 34,000 tons of this is from Austin’s residential recycling program. Paper accounts for 60% to 70% of the total. Some other local companies recycle only metal products. Austin also has a program to pick up residential yard waste and tree trimmings. These materials are chipped, and then mixed with composted wastewater sludge to produce “Dillo Dirt,” a garden soil enhancer. The city is now producing 15,000 cubic yards of Dillo Dirt annually. It is sold to garden stores and nurseries and offered for sale to the public.
Possible Future Action:
Apartment-dwellers and other multi-family residents in Austin will receive recycling service. The city will continue to focus on promotion of residential backyard composting. Source reduction is also a priority, but remains unquantified. In addition, expansion of construction and demolition waste recycling could potentially have a large impact, since construction of a new house generates 5 to 7 tons of waste. In order to formulate a rough estimate of recycling potential, it is assumed that 50% of all waste could be recycled. With a projection of approximately two million tons of waste in 2010, the goal of recycling 50% of all waste, or one million tons, would result in 500,000 tons of CO2 reductions. This estimate is approximately equal to Portland’s estimate on a per-capita basis.