04/15/24 - 66 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA: http://tinyurl.com/msuwtctm
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Allegheny County Releases Greenhouse Gas Inventory Of County Operations
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Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato this week announced the results of a comprehensive baseline inventory of the annual greenhouse gas emissions resulting from County government operations.
Developing the report required gathering all cost and utilization data related to energy, water consumption, vehicle fleet, waste hauling, and a variety of additional carbon and greenhouse gas-generating items, such as fuel tanks, fire suppression systems and mechanical equipment.
The report, Allegheny County Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Report and Climate Action Plan, also makes recommendations on achieving Onorato’s executive order to decrease County government’s overall carbon emissions, energy consumption and water usage by 20 percent by 2015.
“Allegheny County is committed to operating an efficient and sustainable government, and we’ve been working hard to use less energy, reduce our ecological footprint, and save taxpayers money,” said Onorato. “Now that we have a complete inventory of our carbon emissions, we will be able to adjust our operations, reduce energy consumption and water usage, and track our progress toward meeting our efficiency and environmental goals.”
The Allegheny County Sustainability Office, Pennsylvania Environmental Council, and Student Conservation Association conducted the inventory using the ICLEI Local Government Operations Protocol, which is the official standard for all local governments in the United States wishing to prepare and report greenhouse gas emissions.
The study found that Allegheny County government produced approximately 77,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions in 2008, the baseline year for the inventory. To meet the County Executive’s goals, that baseline will have to be reduced by 20 percent, or 15,000 tons, and reach a level of 62,000 tons or less by 2015.
The largest source of emissions (86 percent) comes from operating the County’s 139 buildings and facilities. The remaining sources of emissions are vehicles, water delivery systems, wastewater treatment, solid waste management, streetlights and other small fugitive sources.
The task force that completed the report acknowledges the cost of meeting some of the goals may be substantial. Subject to the County identifying the necessary funds, the report makes numerous recommendations on how Allegheny County could achieve and even surpass its emissions, energy and water reduction goals, including:
-- Buildings & Facilities – Energy efficiency projects, such as installing energy management systems to control HVAC equipment and retrofitting light fixtures, can eliminate a projected 6,000 tons of eCO2 emissions annually. The initial cost of building-related energy efficiency improvements is estimated at $6.3 million, and projected annual savings are $0.96 million. Thus, the efficiency projects will pay for themselves in approximately six and a half years.
-- Vehicles – The report recommends that the County purchase only four-cylinder vehicles (or vehicles with similar or better fuel efficiency) as its fleet is retired. By replacing 33 vehicles with four-cylinder models, the County can expect to save more than 2,800 gallons of gasoline and 28 tons of eCO2 annually. At gasoline costs of $3 per gallon, this will save the County $8,500 per year. The report also suggests replacing a portion of the County fleet with Zipcars and investing in hybrid vehicles.
-- Water & Wastewater – To reach its goal of a 20-percent improvement in water efficiency, the County needs to reduce its water consumption by more than 260 million gallons per year by 2015. The County has already identified savings of 77.5 million gallons annually through efficiency and other prospective measures, representing a 6-percent reduction in annual water usage. These steps reduce eCO2 emissions by 150 tons and save the County approximately $805,000 annually. To realize the remaining 14-percent reduction, the County will need to implement other measures, such as installing low-flow plumbing devices at the jail and upgrading toilets, urinals, and lavatory fixtures in other buildings. County parks and swimming pools also offer opportunities to improve water efficiency.
-- Solid Waste – The primary recommendation is to establish a comprehensive recycling program for all Allegheny County operations. By recycling glass, paper, metal, plastic and wood, the County could divert up to 31 percent of its solid waste from local landfills and reduce its annual eCO2 emissions by 6,029 tons by 2015.
-- Streetlights – The report recommends replacing all 779 high-pressure sodium streetlights on County-owned roads, tunnels and bridges with LED lights or other technology within the next five years. These changes will realize an annual eCO2 reduction of 155 tons.
-- Renewable Energy Purchases – Allegheny County purchased approximately 10 percent of its electricity from renewable energy sources in 2008 through an auction process led by the County on behalf of a consortium of buyers, including the City of Pittsburgh and some County authorities. That amount increased to 15 percent in 2010. In order to meet the County’s goal of reducing its carbon emissions by 20 percent by 2015, the report recommends that the County continue the trend of buying 5 percent more of its energy from renewable sources each year. Thus, 35 percent of the County’s electricity would be produced by renewable supplies by 2015.
The greenhouse gas inventory was made possible with support from the Pennsylvania Environmental Council through a grant from the Heinz Endowments. The inventory is part of Allegheny Green, Onorato’s comprehensive initiative to promote sustainable practices within County government and through countywide policies and programs.
For more information, visit the Allegheny County website.
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6/14/2010 |
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