Executive summary Greenprint for Montgomery County: Climate Change Action Plan

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1 Montgomery County Greenhouse Reduction Task Force Executive summary Greenprint for Montgomery County: Climate Change Action Plan

2 Overview The scientific community has now provided broad evidence that global climate change is a reality, and that human activity is very likely (i.e., with a 90% certainty) altering the climate by increasing atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases 1 Serious efforts to address the rise in greenhouse gas emissions need to be undertaken at all levels by government, business, and individuals. The greenhouse gases that are human generated and the subject of this report are: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N20) and various synthetic chemicals including hydroflourocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulfur hexaflouride (SF6). These 6 gases are also those included in the US Greenhouse Gas Inventory. 2 This report presents initial estimates of historical and projected Montgomery County human generated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and sinks from 1990 to 2025, and a recommended set of actions that is intended to reduce the amount of GHG emissions within the county. Actions to minimize greenhouse gas emissions will provide other significant benefits including increased energy independence, traffic congestion reduction, open space protection and farmland preservation, smart growth and the revitalization of our older communities, economic development opportunities and, in many cases, cost savings through energy conservation. Moreover, the expiration of utility rate caps in 2011 will likely result in increased energy bills for residents and businesses. In the recent years of dramatically increasing energy costs, many greenhouse reduction strategies are simply good business decisions from a cost reduction perspective, for example, Merck Pharmaceutical s plant in nearby West Point has reduced its energy costs by 16% by instituting various techniques, saving it over $11M. 3 While the actions of one county may not produce a measurable reduction of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, the cumulative effort of hundreds of municipalities and counties will have a significant impact on the issue. Most people associate climate change and the heating of the earth s atmosphere with melting of polar ice and the rise in sea level. Though sea level change will not directly impact the County, many other aspects of climate change on Montgomery County could dramatically decrease our quality of life in the county. Areas of potential impact on the County s health, safety, and welfare include: decreased agricultural production (currently a $17M per year industry) increased extreme weather conditions such as increased rainfall and flooding and extreme heat (over 2,500 homes and 400 businesses are currently located in 1 IPCC report; Feb EPA 3 Conversation with XXXXXX, Merck Pharmaceutical Executive summary 1

3 flood prone areas in the County 4 and recent flood events in the County have resulted in localized property damage and fatalities) increased threats to public health from waterborne diseases 5 destruction of local habitat and natural conditions respiratory diseases could also increase with elevated temperatures which promotes the formation of ozone. At the same time, addressing climate change can also create economic opportunities through green technology investments. Montgomery County, with its diversified economy and skilled technical labor force, is well positioned to take advantage of these opportunities. In the next several decades, there will be considerable demand worldwide for energy conservation technology and equipment for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A nearby example of the economic development potential of alternative energy technology is in Falls Township, Bucks County where Exelon Corporation, Conergy AG and Waste Management Incorporated are partnering in a $20 million solar array installation. In addition, Wells Fargo is investing $266 M in solar technology (GreenBiz.com, Aug 28, 2007), and one of Silicon Valley s preeminent venture capitalist has stated that going green is the largest economic opportunity of the 21 st Century and is investing $200M in venture capital. (John Doerr, quoted at Ted.com) Additionally, needed changes in buildings to make them more energy efficient will require local skilled labor to improve insulation and heating systems. Montgomery County Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Trends Montgomery County has recognized that greenhouse gas emissions are a serious issue. In 2005, a comprehensive greenhouse gas emissions inventory for the County was prepared, along with a set of broad recommendations for action 6, The inventory showed that the County s overall greenhouse gas emissions increased almost every year from The total emissions grew from about 9.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas emissions (MTCDE) in 1990 to 13.2 million tons MTCDE in This represents a 36% increase, more than twice the rate that population grew and more than 3 times the employment growth rate for this same time period. The complete inventory and its methodology, and the original plan is contained in an appendix in the full Greenprint Plan This 3.7 million ton MTCDE increase is equivalent to nearly 670,000 cars driving 12,000 miles each in a one year period of time 4 Montgomery County Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan, Montgomery County Planning Commission, Climate Change and Public Health, Statement of Julie L. Gerberding, M.D., M.P.H. Director of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before the US Senate October 23, Knuth, Sarah, Executive summary 2

4 Montgomery County Greenhouse Gas Emissions Sources and Sinks (MTCDE) ,000,000 12,000,000 GHG Emissions (MTCDE) 10,000,000 8,000,000 6,000,000 4,000,000 2,000,000 Agriculture Forest Wastewater and Sludge Municipal Solid Waste Transportation On-Site Fuel Electricity 0-2,000, Source: Knuth report The major sources of greenhouse gas emissions in Montgomery County are from fuel energy (generally for heating buildings), electric consumption, and transportation. Loss of forest cover and land use change and solid waste contribute smaller amounts of emissions, while greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and wastewater were nearly insignificant. Greenhouse Reduction Task Force Recognizing the threat to the county from climate change, the County Commissioners formed the Montgomery County Greenhouse Gas Reduction Task Force in January 2007 to create a plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the County, using the inventory and broad recommendations as their basis. In their deliberations they used the following principles: the process must be public and transparent, the recommendations must be feasible, achievable and realistic, calibrated to the County s existing legal authority and the actions should be focused inward towards County businesses, residents, workers and commuters The Task Force comprised of representatives from the business community, clean air advocates, government, transportation, and academic institutions. The recommendations in this report are the culmination of the Task Forces work. The Task Force recognizes that due to uncertainty about greenhouse gas projections, federal and state actions, and the effectiveness of these recommendations, it is likely that there will need to be adjustments made to the reduction targets, and recommendations in the future. Executive summary 3

5 Targets for GHG Emissions The Task Force embraced the idea of a range of targets and chose the following reduction targets to address short range and long range planning concerns: By 2012, reduce 2004 greenhouse gas levels by 4% By 2017, reduce 2004 greenhouse gas levels an additional 15% By 2025, reduce 2004 greenhouse gas levels an additional 32% These target years were chosen to provide both short and mid term (i.e. 5 and 10 year) targets by which to measure progress and also to align with the County s adopted Comprehensive Plan (2025), which recommends many of these same actions. The reduction targets were established based upon the recommended actions and to create a trendline that would, by 2050, reduce 1990 emission levels by 80%. This reduction target has been embraced by many in the scientific community as the target that needs to be met in order to significantly slow global warming. 7 Detailed analysis of the potential reduction from most recommendations is included in the appendix in the full report. County Leadership: Leading by Example, by Education and by Enticements Montgomery County government s own generation of green house gases is small compared to the entire county (e.g. the operations of the government of Montgomery County consume less than 4/10s of 1% (29M kwh vs. 8B kwh) of all the electricity consumed across the county as a whole). Moreover, the County has very limited powers related to the various actions related to GHG emissions. Consequently, the County must lead this effort by a variety of non-mandated means and cannot have a significant impact by sole action of its own. The County is currently helping to reduce greenhouse gases in a number of ways. In October of this year, the County became the first county in the United States to operate completely with wind-generated electricity. The County owns a waste to energy plant that is capable of producing over 169 million kwh of electricity per year. In the last year, the County along with many other partners, planted over 6,600 trees as part of the Commonwealth s Tree Vitalize program. Over the last 10 years, over 6,000 acres of open space and nearly 110 farms with over 7,100 acres of farmland have been preserved. The County has funded over $30 million in revitalization grants and millions of dollars towards SEPTA transit service. The County continually advocates for smart growth and transit-friendly development, However, additional actions are needed. These actions include modifying building 7 Union of Concerned Scientists, How to Avoid Dangerous Climate Change: A Target for U.S. Emissions Reductions:, Executive summary 4

6 and fleet operations, providing more commuting choices for its employees, changing its purchasing methods to buy more recycled goods and providing funding tied to reducing GHG emissions. In addition to effecting greenhouse gas reductions through changes in County operations and through capital improvements, the County has an important leadership role through advocacy, information sharing and technical assistance. For example, the County planning commission has a legislative role in providing comments on all local planning decisions involving land development plans and subdivisions, ordinance changes, and comprehensive plans, as well as consistency determinations for PADEP permit applications. The County also has a significant role in transportation infrastructure decisions through its participation in the Delaware Valley Planning Commission. Moreover, the County Commissioners are respected leaders throughout the County with access to various media for communicating important messages. Lastly, the County can act as an educator and resource center for various local governments, businesses, homeowners, commuters and consumers in their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Recommendations There are a few broad, cross-cutting recommendations that are essential to the successful implementation of any set of actions that the County chooses to undertake. Continuing Oversight: Continuous monitoring and implementation will be required in order to ensure that the County, its residents, businesses, and commuters continue to meet greenhouse gas reduction targets. A permanent committee should be established with the following duties: 1. Prioritize & schedule recommended actions related to County operations. 2. Refine recommendations on Countywide programs, policies, or projects 3. Recommend funding sources. 4. Prepare reports and updates 5. Hold public forums 6. Monitor and evaluate In addition, to provide staff support for this committee and because coordination at the staff level is needed, a Greenhouse Gas Strategy Coordinator should be appointed. State and Regional Coordination and Cooperation: There is growing interest in greenhouse gas reduction among the other counties in the region and the City of Philadelphia, Montgomery County should support these initiatives. At the state level, several initiatives are underway, including legislative action, and a recently released state-wide plan by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) Montgomery County should support a statewide plan which could build from Pac s Climate Change Roadmap. Executive summary 5

7 Advocacy for Action by the State and Federal Government: This report focuses solely upon what actions the County can bring about, nonetheless, it is recognized that the County needs to encourage the state and federal government to act diligently in addressing climate change, perhaps starting with a briefing for the County legislative delegations on this report. Bringing in Expertise: Joining the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), or some other national or international technical support organization will help acquire information and technical assistance and share greenhouse gas reduction strategies as part of the implementation of this report Green Bonds: The County could consider bond funding for municipalities or other partners to use in developing various energy reducing projects. These bond funds could be used as a loan or grant funding source, using general obligation bonds or using bonds from an existing County authority. Further exploration of the types of projects that these bonds could fund and the legal limitations of such a County funding initiative needs to be undertaken. Recommendations There are over 100 actions that are presented in the full report. Below are a summary of them and the top actions that will have the greatest effect on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The recommendations address three broad areas including: energy use (i.e. on site building energy use and electrical consumption), transportation and land use, and agriculture, forestry and waste management However, energy use and transportation account for the vast majority of reductions. Energy Use The largest amount of greenhouse gas produced in the County (over 65%) results from building energy use due to power or electric generation process. In addition to reducing overall energy use, different sources of energy can be used to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The first recommendation is to prepare a greenhouse gas inventory to create a baseline of data. Other recommendations include: Reduce energy consumption in existing and newly constructed buildings Purchase energy efficient products such as Energy Star rated Use renewable energy for fuel and for electricity Adopt a green building zoning ordinance Fund demonstration projects Transportation and Land Use Emissions from transportation activities account for approximately 25% of the total in the county. Land use is inextricably linked to transportation due to our autodependent land development pattern. There are two general types of actions in this sector: increasing fuel efficiency through alternative fuel types and reducing vehicle miles travelled. Recommendations include: Use biofuels Executive summary 6

8 Increase the number of hybrid vehicles Increase telecommuting as well as carpooling, carsharing, transit, walking and biking to work Expand SEPTA service Create more mixed-use, transit-friendly and higher density developments Agriculture, Forestry and Waste Management Although these activities account for the smallest percentage of emissions, several of the recommendations will actually result in an increase in carbon sequestration. These recommendations include: Plant and preserve trees Preserve farmland and open space Install green roofs Increase consumption of locally grown foods Increase no-till farming Increase recycling and reduce packaging Target sewage facilities for emission reduction actions Top Actions In the next 5 years, the following 7 actions will have the most impact on reducing emissions (listed in order of magnitude): Convert 10% of electrical generation to renewable energy sources Divert 15% of trash to recycling 20% of new non-diesel cars purchased to be able to use E85 fuel Convert 5% of building fuel consumed to renewable sources 25% of diesel cars to be able to use B20 fuel Divert 20% of construction and demolition waster to recycling Reduce energy use (i.e. non-building fuel energy) in 10% of existing buildings by 30% By 2017, the following actions will have the most impact (listed in order of magnitude): Convert additional 5% of electrical generation to renewable energy sources Additional 25% of new non-diesel cars purchased to be able to use E85 fuel Divert additional 15% of trash to recycling Divert additional 25% of construction and demolition waster to recycling Convert additional 5% of building fuel consumed to renewable sources Additional 25% of diesel cars to be able to use B20 fuel Reduce energy use (i.e. non-building fuel energy) in additional 15% of existing buildings by 30% By 2025, the following actions will have the most impact (listed in order of magnitude) Convert additional 25% of electrical generation to renewable energy sources Additional 50% of new non-diesel cars purchased to be able to use E85 fuel Divert additional 20% of trash to recycling Divert additional 30% of construction and demolition waster to recycling Executive summary 7

9 Convert additional 5% of building fuel consumed to renewable sources Additional 25% of diesel cars to be able to use B20 fuel 6,100 acres of new tree canopy planted Reduce energy use (i.e. non-building fuel energy) in additional 20% of existing buildings by 30% Implementation The adoption of this plan, the creation of a committee and coordinator, and the creation of a web site that will be a clearinghouse of information and resources for businesses, residents, commuters, consumers, local government and school districts and others are the first steps to be undertaken. The County alone will not be able to have much impact, rather it will be the cumulative actions of individuals, businesses and other governments that will result in reducing our carbon footprint. A new culture intolerant of waste must be created and it will not be an easy task. However, change can occur with collective action. Executive summary 8