Resource Library

The Lloyd EcoDistrict is an effort between businesses, residents, government agencies, and nonprofits in Northeast Portland with the goal of establishing the most sustainable living-and-working district in North America, targeting 20,000 new jobs, at least 4,000 housing units, and 20 million new square feet of commercial, retail, institutional and residential development by 2030. The Lloyd EcoDistrict Roadmap provides a background on its activity focus areas and details existing policies and plans as well as implementation strategies for its goals, which will be monitoring on a quarterly basis.

This fact sheet describes a partnership between the Fresno Energy Watch Program and the Economic Development Corporation serving Fresno County. The POWER (Promoting Opportunity With Energy Retrofit) Loan program was designed to address a need for financing energy efficiency upgrades co-pay cost that may have otherwise prevented projects from being completed.

To promote equitable employment opportunities for its residents, the City of Richmond established a local employment ordinance that encourages the hiring and retention of Richmond residents for the work to be performed under Public Works contracts, Service Contracts, and Subsidized Projects. It specifies minimum targets of project work hours to be completed by local residents and gives the city the right to fine companies that are not in compliance with its contracting standards.

Local governments are essential partners in achieving California’s greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals. They have broad influence and, in some cases, exclusive authority over significant emission sources through their planning and permitting processes, local ordinances, outreach and education efforts, and municipal operations. The hyperlink below contains a 2 page table depicting the potential role local government plays in implementing GHG reduction measures. Most of these approaches are from the AB 32 Scoping Plan. Visit the URL in the Source section below to learn more about local government actions for climate change.

Cities and counties are essential partners contributing significantly to California's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The purpose of this Local Government Toolkit is to identify cost saving actions, financial resources, and case studies to assist local governments with achieving GHG emission reductions. The site features an interactive six step toolkit, from GHG inventory through implementation, to help navigate the process. Visit the URL in the Source section below to access the site.

The Local Government Electric Vehicle Fleet Project is a high impact initiative to showcase electric vehicles in multiple government fleets, create substantial direct emission reductions, and serve as a model to scale this clean energy solution nationwide. Project partners, including 14 Bay Area local government agencies, are working to purchase and install 90 all electric vehicles and 90 charging points throughout the Bay Area. Alameda County, a leading partner, provides links to the attached fact sheet as well as the project page at the Bay Area Climate Collaborative website on its own website.

The Energy Aware Planning Guide, developed by the California Energy Commission in 1993 and updated in 2011, is a comprehensive resource for local governments seeking to reduce energy use, improve energy efficiency, and increase usage of renewable energy across all sectors. This 447 page guide provides a wide-ranging survey of ideas and information to assist in planning for energy at the local level. The guide touches on many of the critical energy issues facing planners and provides linkages to additional resources to pursue a greater level of detail on any particular topic.

An overview of California States Renewable Energy Self-Generation Bill Credit Transfer Program

This report reviews the options available to local governments in Shenandoah Valley to regulate wind energy systems. Included are zoning options adopted by some localities and a model ordinance to address the siting and scale of diverse wind energy systems.

In September 2009, the Honolulu City Council unanimously passed Bill 58 to create a real property tax exemption for alternative energy improvements. The alternative energy property installed on a building, property, or land is exempt from property taxes for 25 years. The Click to Download link contains the full text of the bill, or visit the Source link below to read an overview of the program.

The City of Boulder offers residents and businesses that have installed solar a sales and use tax rebate, which is valued at approximately 15 percent of the city sales and use tax paid on materials and permits for the solar installation. The Click to Download link is an FAQs factsheet about the program, or use the Source link below to visit the program webpage directly.

New York City passed Resolution 1121 in August 2005 to exempt residential solar energy systems equipment and services from sales tax. The Click to Download link contains the legislation text and details, or visit the Source link below to read an overview of the program.

The Long Beach Water Department's innovative water conservation campaigns include a team of community "Water Ambassadors" to help the department with education and outreach. The Water Ambassadors are present at community and civic events and at local schools, and the program focuses on volunteers over the age of 55.

The City of Los Angeles passed Ordinance No. 18189 to provide Low Impact Development strategies for projects that need building permits in the City of Los Angeles. The main focus of this code is to manage urban runoff and rainwater while still taking note of and attempting to mitigate the effects of urbanization; however, there is a graywater reuse component as well.

The California Energy Commission accepts applications for low-interest financing for energy upgrades on a first-come, first-served basis and a maximum loan amount of $3 million per application. K-12 schools districts, county education offices, special state schools, and community colleges may receive 0% interest loans, while cities, counties, state agencies, specials districts, and public universities are eligible for 1% interest loans. Eligible projects include any that create proven energy and/or demand cost savings, such as HVAC upgrades, LED streetlights and traffic signals, energy management systems and equipment controls, and energy generation including renewable and combined heat and power projects.

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) Low-rise Residential New Construction Program is designed to encourage the construction of single-family homes and low-rise residential dwelling units which operate more energy efficiently, are more durable, more comfortable, and provide a healthier environment for their occupants than would otherwise be achieved. Higher incentives are now available, with eligibility based on the achievement of increased levels of energy performance, up to and inclusive of homes which are designed to achieve net zero energy performance through on-site production of at least as much energy as will be used in a year, when accounted for at the site.

Valley Metro, the transit agency for Phoenix's greater metropolitan area, is one of a growing number of agencies with a Major Service Change and Service Equity Policy. The policy defines thresholds for determining major service changes and whether potential changes to existing transit services will have a disparate impact based on race, color, or national origin, or whether potential service changes will have a disproportionately high or adverse impact on minority and/or low-income populations. Local governments can adopt similar guidelines to these to evaluate the impact of transit planning on low-income members of the community.

The Colorado legislature enacted H.B. 1037 in 2007, requiring electricity and natural gas investor-owned utilities (IOUs) to engage in demand response and adopt demand-side management (DSM) programs that provide financial incentives for customers to purchase more efficient equipment and use more efficient processes. The law requires these utilities to meet minimum energy and demand savings goals but authorized the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to revise the goals and establish interim savings goals as it deems appropriate.

Throughout California, the Title 24 energy standards address the energy efficiency of new (and altered) homes and commercial buildings. The following web document lists a number of the mandatory measures and standards for roof and ceiling insulation contained in the 2013 edition of California's Building Energy Efficiency Standards.

Due to dire drought conditions, the Lake Don Pedro Community Services District in California's Central Valley has set mandatory 50% water use restrictions in order to maintain a sufficient drinking water supply. These restrict all outside watering, prohibit the installation of new landscaping, as well as other conservation measures. This notice was issued by the water authority in 2015.

Marin Clean Energy is a public, not-for-profit electricity provider that gives customers the choice of having 50% to 100% of their electricity supplied from clean, renewable sources such as solar, wind, bioenergy, geothermal and hydro at competitive rates. MCE is California's first Community Choice Aggregation program and launched service to customers in May 2010. As a community choice aggregator, MCE partners with PG&E to provide billing and electric delivery services while MCE determines the source of energy. MCE serves approximately 125,000 customers in its service area, which includes Marin County and the City of Richmond.

Under Marin County's Green Building program, new commercial buildings over 5,000 square feet in floor area which include hot water heating systems and all new residential dwelling units must include plumbing specifically designed to allow the later installation of a system which utilizes solar energy as a means of heating domestic potable water. No building permits are issued unless the requirements of this section are incorporated into the approved building plans.

In response to concerns over impending impacts resulting from climate change, Marin County engaged in a multi-year process to reorganize and rewrite its General Plan to reflect a commitment to the principles of sustainable development. The 2007 update to the Countywide Plan includes a Built Environment Element that addresses energy, green buildings, and water resources, among others. The plan calls for environmentally friendly building techniques and energy-efficiency standards in excess of state requirements.

General Laws of Massachusetts allow for the creation of voluntary solar easement contracts. Follow the link to review the components of the law.

This memorandum of understanding (MOU) template formalizes coordination by local agencies regarding plan review and inspection services for solar photovoltaic installations.