Type of initiative: Green Buildings
Population: 40,000 city / 210,000 metropolitan area
Burlington's economy is centered on light industry, services, and retail.
Burlington's home and business energy efficiency program, overseen by the local energy utility, has yielded a reduction of 52,500 tons of CO2 emissions per year in 2006, exceeding the 20,000-ton target set in 2000 by 62%.
In 2000,Burlington City Council adopted a Climate Action Plan, which included a five-point strategy to address climate change through initiatives both within the municipal corporation and in the community at large. The goal was to implement a 1998 City Council resolution to reduce community GHG emissions to 10% below 1990 levels by 2005.
The plan's five strategies include: (1) energy efficiency measures in municipal buildings and throughout municipal operations; (2) energy efficiency programs for homes and businesses; (3) a public education campaign to raise awareness and encourage public participation; (4) biomass district energy and other clean energy alternatives for electricity generation; and (5) transportation demand management (TDM) programs to work in cooperation with local, state and federal agencies.
Results have been mixed. Although the City failed to meet its 2005 emission reduction targets, energy saving measures undertaken by the municipal electrical utility have been successful. Electricity consumption has been reduced and remains stable at 1989 levels. The Burlington Electric Department has also invested heavily in renewable energy development, which now makes up over two thirds of Burlington's energy mix. Unfortunately, emissions reductions from electricity saving measures and clean energy have been outstripped by increased emissions from the transportation sector, preventing the City from reaching its emissions reduction target.
The involvement of community stakeholders through other municipal programs (such as the Legacy Project, launched in 1999 to engage citizens in developing a long-term plan for the City) has been critical to the success of the Climate Action Plan. Community partners such as the Institute for Sustainable Communities, the University of Vermont, the Fletcher Allen Hospital Complex, and the local Chamber of Commerce have also played supportive roles in advancing emission reduction strategies.
While municipal initiatives have had a significant impact on improving local sustainability, adequate reporting mechanisms and administrative structures have been slow to emerge. As a result, there has been a lack of enforcement and limited accountability for investments related to the Climate Action Plan.
City officials are currently in the process of updating the plan with a new energy consumption and emissions inventory to help establish feasible targets for future reductions. They are also working on improving coordination between municipalities in the Burlington region to better address the problem of emissions from the transportation sector.
Located on the western shore of Lake Champlain, at the foot of the Green Mountains, Burlington is the largest city in Vermont, with a population of just under 40,000. The metropolitan area, comprised of the Chittenden, Franklin, and Grand Isle counties has a population of 206,007, according to the 2005 US census. Local municipalities are responsible for electricity, water and wastewater services while regional entities are responsible for solid waste and transportation management across the greater Burlington area. The local economy is centered on light industry, services, and retail. There is also considerable employment in several post-secondary educational institutions, including the University of Vermont, Burlington College, Champlain College, and the local Community College of Vermont campus.
Burlington enjoys a strong tradition of community action and public participation in policymaking related to protection of the environment. Over the past two decades, the City of Burlington has worked with local organizations, businesses, and individual citizens to implement projects that have promoted sustainable community development, economic self-sufficiency, social equity, and environmental protection (ICLEI, 2002).
City Council began to address climate change in 1996, when it voted to support a resolution to participate in the “Cities for Climate Protection” campaign organized by the International Council For Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI). In 1998, the City adopted a resolution to reduce GHG emissions by 10% below 1990 levels by 2005 and used a portion of two small federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grants to begin investigating emission reduction strategies. This new priority prompted Mayor Peter Clavelle to launch the Burlington Climate Protection Task Force to draft a plan. The task force was composed of employees from the Burlington Electric Department and energy experts from the community.
City Council adopted the resulting five-point Climate Action Plan in May 2000 and directed the Burlington Electric Department to integrate the plan's targets into municipal operations. A public outreach program, called the 10% Challenge, was designed to develop public awareness and encourage residents and businesses to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. In 2002, the Burlington Climate Protection Task Force was renamed the Alliance for Climate Action (ACA) and assumed responsibility for the 10% Challenge. According to City officials, strong public turnout throughout the Climate Action Plan's consultation process and participation in the 10% Challenge is a testament to the public's interest in curbing emissions.
In 1999, at the same as it was developing the Climate Action Plan, the City initiated the Legacy Project, a public consultation process with the aim of developing a comprehensive action plan to promote economic, environmental and social well-being. The project is managed by the Community Economic Development Office (CEDO), which benefits from the input of leaders from business, low-income, environment, academic, youth and social service groups. Since 2000, the Legacy Project has become an important vehicle for implementing elements of the Climate Action Plan by facilitating energy audits performed by the Burlington Electric Department. Moving forward, CEDO staff were recently delegated the responsibility of updating the Climate Action Plan with new targets and action strategies beginning in 2008.
The rationale behind the Climate Action Plan was to create a comprehensive program to help reduce Burlington's GHG emissions from industrial, commercial, residential and institutional sources, including municipal operations. Burlington's estimated emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuel combustion were 509,000 metric tons in 1990 and 624,000 tons in 1997 (Burlington Electric, 2000). In 2001, an estimated 732,000 tons of CO2 were emitted from fossil fuel combustion, a 5.9% increase above 1997 levels, and a 34% increase above 1990 levels. (Burlington Electric, 2003). Reaching the goal of reducing GHG emissions by 10% below 1990 levels by 2005 would have required annual emissions reductions of 257,000 tons. However, after assessing emission levels and opportunities for reductions, the Burlington Climate Protection Task Force recommended the City adjust the reduction goal to 156,000 tons per year. (Burlington Electric, 2000).
The plan consists of five strategies to achieve the City's annual emissions reduction target of 156,000 tons. The strategies are detailed under the five headings below. A breakdown of the emissions reductions expected from each strategy is provided in Table 1.
Table 1 - Burlington's Climate Action Plan Strategies
| Strategy | Annual CO2 Reductions Goals |
1. Energy efficiency in municipal buildings and operations |
6,000 tons (Efficiency: 4,000 tons; Solid Waste: 2,000 tons) |
2. Residential and business energy efficiency programs |
20,000 tons (Residential 6,000 tons; Commercial & Industrial: 14,000 tons) |
3. Public education and outreach |
70,000 tons (Transportation: 20,000+ tons; Buildings: 50,000+ tons) |
4. Biomass district energy and alternative fuel development |
35,000 tons (50,000 tons at full cogeneration build-out) |
5. Transportation |
25,000 tons (TDM Projects: 9,000-15,000 tons, Policies: 10,000 tons) |
TOTAL |
156,000 tons |
Source: http://www.burlingtonelectric.com/SpecialTopics/climate.htm
Energy Efficiency in Municipal Buildings and Operations
Under the supervision of the Burlington Electric Department and with the help of the Legacy Project, all departments were directed to assess heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC), water heating, lighting, appliances and equipment for energy saving opportunities. Departments were also encouraged to investigate the potential for heat recovery and the use of alternative fuels, and to implement either one or both wherever it was found to be cost effective. The Climate Action Plan also called for the creation of a revolving energy fund, dedicated to improving the efficiency of municipal buildings and operations through retrofits and new construction; no such fund has been created to date.
Following the Climate Action Plan's adoption, Burlington immediately updated its energy codes to meet the standards of the 2000 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC 2000).1 All construction projects and newly procured equipment are now required to comply with the City's IECC 2000 standard (Burlington Electric, 2000a).
The Legacy Project has also facilitated retrofits on buildings in the community, including a program called ‘Solar on Schools' to develop solar energy on schools in the Burlington area. The Burlington Electric Department has also conducted energy efficiency audits and retrofits in municipal buildings, including City Hall, and institutional buildings, such as the Fletcher Allen Hospital Center. After its City-sponsored energy audit, the latter procured energy efficient lighting and fans.
Residential and Business Energy Efficiency
The second strategy, overseen by the Burlington Electric Department, is to reduce GHG emissions from electricity and fossil fuel usage in homes and businesses by implementing energy-efficiency programs and constructing new, high-performance buildings. Programs focused on capturing energy savings in homes and businesses include: lighting installations; motor efficiency measures; air conditioning upgrades; switching electric hot water and electric space heating systems to the use of other fuels; and improving production process efficiency, ventilation and refrigeration (in the industrial sector). Specific programs include Residential Smartlight, consisting of a leasing mechanism to promote the use of compact ?uorescent light (CFL) bulbs ($.20/bulb per month for 60 months); the Commercial Smartlight program, which consists of leasing CFL bulbs at $0.35/lamp per month for 36 months to businesses; and Neighbor$ave, consisting of the installation of energy and water saving devices as well as compactt ?uorescent light bulbs, using the Smartlight lease mechanism.
Public Education and Outreach
The third strategy resulted in a public education campaign called the 10% Challenge, initiated in 2002. The campaign was intended to help citizens and businesses make sustainable consumption decisions with regards to heating, electricity, and transportation while implementing quantifiable actions to reduce emissions. An interactive website, initiated with the 10% Challenge and still in operation, allows citizens and businesses to estimate their GHG emissions and provides information about what people can do to reduce emissions (see www.10percentchallenge.org).
Biomass District Energy and Alternative Fuels
The fourth strategy reflects the Burlington Electric Department's commitment to supporting biomass district energy and other alternative energy sources. One of the initiatives proposed under this strategy was to implement cogeneration at Burlington's wood burning facility, the McNeil Generating Station; the project has not been implemented. Another initiative of this strategy was financial support for the development of other renewable energy projects, including wind power, residential solar-power projects and new practices in landfill methane capture and processing. These renewable energy projects are still under development and do not yet contribute to Burlington's energy supply. 2
Reducing Emissions in the Transportation Sector
The fifth strategy was a plan to implement the following climate-friendly transportation policies through the Department of Public Works, in cooperation with the Chittenden County Transportation Authority (CCTA). It includes: (1) developing a more balanced and efficient use of existing transportation facilities; (2) coordinating land use and transportation decisions; (3) enhancing pedestrian, bicycle and public transit opportunities and experiences as alternatives to the single occupant vehicle; (4) sharing transportation resources and facilities between and among land uses; and (5) strengthening connections among various modes of transportation.
The Climate Action Plan benefits from the involvement of several partners within the municipal corporation. The Burlington Electric Department plays the primary role in overseeing the implementation of energy efficiency measures and overseeing sustainable building design and construction. The Department of Public Works is tasked with implementing climate-friendly municipal transportation measures and supporting state and regional actions. The Community and Economic Development Office (CEDO) is increasingly responsible for managing the overall direction of the plan through the Legacy Project.
The City has also formed important linkages with partners outside the municipal corporation to implement joint programs, including the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission, the Chittenden Solid Waste District, and the Chittenden County Transportation Authority. The University of Vermont, the Fletcher Allan Hospital Complex, the Institute for Sustainable Communities, and the local Chamber of Commerce have also played supportive roles by making small grants to the Community and Economic Development Office, which is responsible for administering the Legacy Project.
1http://www.iccsafe.org/e/prodshow.html?prodid=3800S00&stateInfo=fiajldbfdhmjbpVa6792133
2 Note, however, that 67% of Burlington's power is already generated by renewable sources (biomass and hydro) compared with 10% in the rest of New England. (Burlington Electric, 2006a).
The Climate Action Plan is supported by the 2006 Municipal Development Plan, which commits the City to energy conservation and efficiency measures, investment in renewable energy production, solid waste diversion, and clean building design and construction.
In response to inadequate transit funding and higher fuel prices, the regional planning commission is considering options for a regionally funded transit strategy. Meanwhile, the state of Vermont has revamped its rideshare program and is working to pass tougher vehicle emission standards.
Where energy efficiency measures are concerned, the Burlington Electric Department works in cooperation with a statewide non-profit organization called Efficiency Vermont (EVt) to manage the implementation of measures sponsored by the State of Vermont. Vermont offers rebates tailored for homes and businesses to encourage investment in renewable energy equipment and high-efficiency HVAC equipment and controls (EESI, 2006). The local utility also partners with the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO) to deliver comprehensive energy services to qualified low-income households.3
3 see http://www.cvoeo.org/htm/Weatherization/weatherization_home.html
In 1997 and 1998, the City of Burlington received two Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grants of $35,000 and $28,000 to help local businesses improve energy efficiency. The City decided to use a portion of these grants to begin research on the municipal buildings component of the Climate Action Plan. The City also received a small Environmental Protection Agency grant to launch the Legacy Project. Funding for municipal building construction and energy efficiency renovation projects has been allocated through the City's operating funds and through cost-sharing programs with other institutions.
In addition, voter-approved bonds have been employed by the Burlington Electric Department to cover energy efficiency improvements to utility operations, including minor upgrades to the McNeil Generating Facility. A total of $6 million has been allocated to programs for increasing energy efficiency in homes and businesses since the 2000 plan was adopted. Funding for these programs increased from $318,810 in 1999 to $956,459 in 2006. In 2008, a voter-approved bond worth $11 million will fund a major upgrade to the McNeil Generating Facility to reduce nitrous oxide emissions.
Since receiving its initial grant in 1998, the Legacy Project has been funded by small grants and donations from local businesses and institutions. Local entities including the United Way, the Fletcher Allan Hospital Complex, the University of Vermont and the local Chamber of Commerce each donate between four and ten thousand dollars annually to the Legacy Project, while the City contributes an additional $30,000 to fund Legacy Project staff and operations. The Burlington Electric Department has made a one-time donation of $2,000 to the Legacy Project for rewriting the Climate Action Plan in 2008. Staffing expenses for the Legacy Project are partly covered by the University of Vermont in the form of research support from students and faculty.
As in the case of the Burlington Electric Department and the Legacy Project, officials from the Solid Waste and Public Works Departments say that emission reduction measures have become part of normal operating procedures and are therefore integrated into routine program funding. Thus, there are no estimates available on the total staff time is allocated to climate change measures by the City of Burlington. Funding for the 10% Challenge has been secured through the Alliance for Climate Action (ACA), which has successfully attracted a number of small grants, amounting to an average total between $20,000 and $30,000 per year.
As mentioned above, an inventory carried out in 2001 showed GHG emissions had by that time increased to 34% above 1990 levels. The City has not produced a GHG inventory report since 2001. Despite the absence of a monitoring mechanism, the Burlington Electric Department has been able to estimate reductions in greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy efficiency programs for homes and businesses during the program period. The available estimates for outcomes from other strategies in the 2000 plan are detailed below.
Several important measures have been taken to reduce GHG emissions from municipal buildings and operations following the implementation of the 2000 International Energy Conservation Code. The City has also undertaken retrofits to maximize energy efficiency among institutional partners in the community including the Fletcher Allan Hospital Center and the University of Vermont. These measures are believed to have had a positive impact on reducing GHG emissions although the City has no record of associated energy savings or GHG reductions. The City is presently in the process of creating a full inventory of initiatives to reduce emissions from municipal buildings retrofits facilitated by City-sponsored energy audits. Further, the Community and Economic Development Office (CEDO) plans to expand the small revolving fund it developed to support efficiency retrofits and the development of renewable energy technology for businesses to support municipal and institutional retrofits, as outlined in the
Climate Action Plan.
According to the Burlington Electric Department, energy-efficiency measures aimed to reduce electricity consumption in homes and businesses mitigated 52,500 tons of annual GHG emissions in 2006, exceeding the 20,000-ton target set in 2000 by 62%. On the whole, Burlington was using the same amount of electricity in 2006 as it was in 1990, in spite of a small increase in population. Annual energy savings from business and residential energy efficiency programs that existed prior to the Climate Action Plan jumped from 1,303 MW in 1999 to 3,132 MW in 2000 with the adoption of the plan and have risen steadily to 6,767 MW in 2006. The utility estimates that more efficient lighting yielded 64% of the savings, while another 19% resulted from motor efficiency measures, 4% from air conditioning savings, and 3% from residents and businesses switching from electric water and space heating to other fuels. The remainder of the savings was yielded by efficiency improvements in industrial processes, ventilation and refrigeration.
The first year of the 10% Challenge campaign saw some initial success with the registration of 200 residential and 50 business participants. Numbers have grown such that there are currently 1,600 residential and 160 business participants involved in the challenge. Self-reported data recorded on the 10% Challenge website indicate a total of 3,526 tons in reduced emissions from more responsible heating and electricity choices among residents and businesses. This is a mere fraction (7%) of the 50,000-ton target for this measure. However, the City suspects that participation is much higher than indicated on the 10% Challenge website; officials believe that many households have undertaken measures without registering them on the website (Burlington Electric, 2003).
As mentioned above, Burlington has failed to move forward with its commitment to developing cogeneration capacity at the McNeil Generating Station, although a project to provide district energy for local greenhouses may get off the ground in the near future. In 2002, the Burlington Electric Department signed a contract to purchase 9 MW of wind power from Little Mount Equinox in Manchester, Vermont. The project is expected to provide 7% of Burlington's future energy needs although no power has yet been distributed. Despite these failures, the Burlington Electric Department estimates that combined energy efficiency efforts save local consumers $7.2 million annually. Furthermore, the City has expanded electricity generation from renewable sources to an impressive 67%.
Although no formal assessment has been conducted, City officials estimate that few gains in the transportation sector have been made, citing obstacles at the regional level. Inadequate funding has inhibited the adoption of transportation demand management projects and the improvement of public transportation infrastructure and services through the Chittenden County Transportation Authority. However, there seems to have been some progress in attracting ridership to public transportation. Data collected from the Campus Area Transportation Management Association (CATMA) and the CCTA indicate an increase in ridership of 37% between 2000 and 2007 while the local population grew by roughly 3.5%.
Despite an incomplete picture of the Climate Action Plan's outcomes in terms of emissions, the available figures suggest that Burlington approached but probably did not meet its target of reducing emissions by 10% based on 1997 levels by 2005. That being said, there was evidence of large emission reductions including significant efficiency gains for homes and businesses.The commitment of local politicians, City officials, representatives of community organizations, local institutions, businesses and citizens to sustainability goals is an essential component of Burlington's emissions reduction strategy. Strong community partnerships and institutional cooperation has enabled local officials and organizations to pool their human resources and coordinate efforts to attract investment to support the implementation of community goals.
Public outreach programs, such as the 10% Challenge, have played an important role in channeling environmental awareness and concern towards action among businesses and residents. The Burlington Electric Department has also played an important role in raising public awareness about climate action through regular communication with citizens via bill messages, newsletters, phone messages, community events and Web-updates.
Burlington's participation in wider networks of knowledge sharing and policy analysis is another important factor behind the City's success in reducing emissions. For instance Burlington's participation in ICLEI's “Cities for Climate Protection” campaign and "New England Cities" project facilitates information sharing and the development and implementation of new GHG reduction practices and programs.
Other important factors include Burlington's small size and the collaborative spirit that pervades local institutions. However, as an ICLEI report indicated in 2002, there is no structure in place to coordinate community involvement and ensure accountability throughout municipal operations. More progress might have been made if the City had a formal monitoring and reporting mechanism in place to evaluate the effectiveness of various climate protection measures implemented since 2000. The Burlington Electric Department regularly reports on electricity savings, but there is no citywide mechanism for tracking total energy use, GHG emissions and cost savings.
Inadequate inter-municipal coordination in the greater Burlington area has also posed significant barriers to reversing energy inefficient sprawl, expanding public transportation infrastructure and services, and increasing ridership. According to Burlington officials, imbalances in representation at the regional level further prevent the prioritization of Burlington's climate objectives in regional solid waste and transportation planning.4
Small cities with a similarly strong commitment to protecting the environment both within the municipal corporation and across community organizations may benefit from emulating Burlington's approach to climate change. The City's ability to control energy production and invest in local energy efficiency programs through the Burlington Electric Department has proven to be invaluable to pursuing the goals of the Climate Action Plan. Burlington's case demonstrates the potential advantages of local, public ownership of energy utilities.
4 According to officials, the City of Burlington contributes two thirds of transit ridership and property tax revenue with only one fifth of the regional council vote.
Beginning in 2008, the Legacy Project will be leading the update of the Climate Action Plan with new targets and action strategies. Officials involved in the update anticipate that the monitoring component of the new plan will be strengthened through the use of municipal building monitoring software available from the EPA and emissions calculating software available from ICLEI. The use of these tools is expected to reduce the costs of regular monitoring although their effectiveness in tracking progress will depend on whether they are integrated into a formal reporting structure.
Furthermore, the Community and Economic Development Office (CEDO) plans to expand the small revolving fund it created for efficiency retrofits for local businesses. Through its membership in ICLEI's “Cities from Climate Protection” the City of Burlington plans to benefit from insight from other municipalities on how to implement a revolving energy fund for municipal buildings and those of institutional community partners.
Significant progress is expected in the transportation sector. City officials indicate a willingness to work with other levels of government, including the regional transportation planning authority, to improve public transportation infrastructure and regional funding mechanisms. The City has also expressed a willingness to engage with the State of Vermont to expand climate-friendly transportation programs (such as ridesharing), pass vehicle fuel efficiency legislation, and to obtain increased public transit funding.
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