Dec. 09, 2008

County Executive Andy Spano today joined hundreds of local governments across the nation in a united effort to present to President-Elect Obama and the newly elected Congress a blueprint to deal with global warming that will invest resources into protecting the environment and at the same time, help the economy by creating jobs.

“President-elect Obama has announced his intention to pursue a major economic stimulus package that will include green projects,” Spano said. “We want to make sure our federal officials act to invest resources directly into local communities and infrastructure. We are providing the Obama Transition Team with a list of our projects that are in the planning stages that will help us locally by promoting energy interdependence and will also revitalize our economy.”

Spano teamed up today with Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi for a video-conference, with each official at his respective office. The event was one of the first of many around the country, part of “Local Climate Action Week,” where dozens of city and county officials are showcasing energy and climate innovations. The goal is to send the message to federal leaders that local governments must be a critical partner in addressing climate change, achieving energy security and developing a green economy.

Participants want the federal government to take up the recommendations of Climate Communities and ICLEI USA, made in a report titled Empowering Local Government Climate Action: Blueprint for the New President and 111th Congress. (Read the blueprint at www.climatecommunities.us/endorseblueprint.html or www.icleiusa.org/blueprint.)

Also in attendance with Spano in White Plains were members of his Climate Change Advisory Council, who are working to implement the Westchester Action Plan for Climate Change and Sustainable Development issued in February 2008 to cut greenhouse gases in Westchester for all sectors: governments, businesses, individuals, schools.

Currently there are no federal programs to support local climate and energy initiatives. The blueprint calls for stimulus legislation to include $10 billion for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program and $18 billion for public transit and green vehicles. The blueprint outlines many other opportunities for the federal government to invest in local government innovation, including:

Enactment of a national GHG cap-and-trade program with a portion of the estimated $150 billion carbon trading revenues invested in local government climate action and green jobs initiatives
Investment in public transit, green vehicles and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) reduction through reauthorization of $400 billion federal transportation legislation
$250 million for EPA Local Climate Demonstration Grants that empower local governments to continue creating new solutions to the climate challenge.

Increasingly, economists are promoting green jobs as key to the country’s economic recovery and long-term growth. Local government actions have the potential to dramatically reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. According to the Energy Information Administration, more than 40 percent of energy consumption and carbon emissions come from residential and commercial buildings and one-third are generated by the transportation sector.

Spano cited a number of climate-related projects, already in the planning stages, for which Westchester is seeking federal funding:

Westchester County would increase energy efficiency by installing computerized energy management systems in various county buildings. Cost: $8 million; construction jobs, 25; energy savings, $800,000 annually.
Westchester County would replace existing lights in various county buildings with a new lighting system and install occupant sensors that would turn off lights when nobody is in the room. Cost, $200,000; construction jobs, 10; savings 99,000 kwhr per year.
Westchester County would make energy upgrades to the Westchester County Center, such as replacing oil-fired boilers with new Energy Star-rated dual fuel burners, replacing HVAC units with newer energy efficient models and upgrading temperature control systems. Cost, $1.5 million; construction jobs, 10; energy savings, $162,000 annually.
Westchester County would install solar energy systems in several buildings and use the renewable energy generated to run each office complex. Cost, $3.5 million; construction jobs, 20; energy savings, 989,000 kwhr per year, $150,000 in energy costs and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 415 tons per year.
Westchester County would install a wind generator on Hilltop Hanover Farm to power the some buildings. Cost, $200,000; construction jobs, 10; energy savings, 66,000 kwhr per year and reduction of GHG emissions by 27 tons CO2 per year.
Westchester County would upgrade the thermal ice storage unit in the Michaelian Office Building. Cost, $500,000; construction jobs, 20; energy savings, 330,000 kwhr per year, reduction in GHG emissions by 138 tons CO2 annually.
Westchester County would upgrade lighting at Playland, replacing T-12 fluorescent bulbs with T-5s and replacing the fixtures on the rides with L.E.D. lights. Cost, $500,000; construction jobs, 10; energy savings, 396,000 kwhr per year, reduction of emissions by 166 tons CO2 per year, savings of $60,000 in energy costs annually.
Westchester County would replace all windows in the Michaelian Office Building with thermal pane-double glazed. Cost, $6 million; construction jobs, 20; energy savings, $300,000 annually.
Westchester County would replace 30-40 year old boilers (oil fired) with new Energy Star Rated boilers with computerized temperature control systems at various park facilities. Cost, $300,000; construction jobs, 10; energy savings, 10,000 gallons of fuel oil per year and reductions of emissions by 102 tons of CO2 annually.
Westchester County would replace 20 standard diesel-powered 25-foot buses that carry 18 people with 30-foot hybrid-powered buses that can carry twice as many passengers, consume less fuel and produce significantly lower tailpipe pollution emissions. Cost: $7.2 million.

Climate Communities is a national coalition of cities and counties that is educating federal policymakers about the essential role of local governments in addressing climate change and promoting a strong local-federal partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability USA provides expertise, technical support and innovative tools to help local governments advance their emissions reductions and sustainability goals. More than 500 cities, towns and counties in the U.S. are members of ICLEI.