THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS EMBARKING ON ONE OF THE MOST AMBITIOUS GREEN CAMPAIGNS IN THE UNITED STATES. We believe that combating climate change starts with a local effort. We will help residents and visitors reduce their carbon footprint, and we will improve the energy efficiency of our homes and work places.

Municipally owned Austin Energy (Austin, Texas, U.S.) is helping lead the campaign, known as the Austin Climate Protection Plan. Many elements of the plan require buy-in from stakeholders across the community, but our environmentally aware residents and civic-minded companies make success achievable. There are concurrent efforts under way by Austin Energy to meet a goal of 700 MW of peak demand savings through energy efficiency.

Our Green Building program, for example, is working with a task force representing a cross-section of interests to recommend amendments to the city's building code to make all new single-family homes “zero-energy capable” by 2015. Possible amendments, such as requiring radiant barrier and duct testing, would make new homes 65% more efficient than current code. By adding a clean electric-generating component, such as solar photovoltaic panels, homes would have a net-zero energy capability.

Under the Climate Protection Plan, new commercial buildings would be required to be 75% more efficient. Any business receiving City of Austin economic-development incentives would have to seek Green Building certification.

The City of Austin municipal government is making major changes to reduce its carbon footprint. All municipal government's buildings, which use 351 million kWh of electricity annually, will be 100% renewable energy powered by 2012. Austin Energy is dedicating all new wind power sources to this effort and will absorb the revenue implications by not charging a premium to city departments for the green power.

A more ambitious municipal government goal is to make its entire fleet carbon-neutral by 2020 by using electric power and non-petroleum fuels. Some heavier equipment vehicles would need to be offset by other means such as planting trees.

The municipal government also will develop Climate Protection Plans for each department, including reporting and mitigation of emissions, and like Austin Energy, may join the California Action Climate Registry, which tracks and certifies greenhouse gas emissions. The municipal government will develop a climate education campaign to train its 10,000-plus employees to reduce their footprint at work and home, and to engage in community outreach for climate protection.

Austin Energy is committing to achieve carbon neutrality on new generation through lowest-emission technologies, carbon sequestration and offsets. Although achieving this goal will be difficult, our 2004 Strategic Plan committed to first meet all new generation needs with energy efficiency and renewable energy before building a new plant. With the Climate Protection Plan, Austin Energy also commits to increase its 20% renewable energy goal by 2020 to 30%. This goal, which also commits to 100 MW of solar power, will be challenging.

We cannot achieve this renewable energy goal through subscriptions of our popular GreenChoice program alone. We may have to feed some renewable energy directly into the grid without subscribers as part of our generation mix. For example, we are considering building a large solar-powerstation in West Texas, because our solar rebate program for homes and businesses in Austin cannot generate the amount of solar power needed to meet our goals.

There will be tough choices to make. To reach the renewable energy goals, we may have to increase our rates. To reach carbon neutrality in generation, we may have to expand our interest in the South Texas Nuclear Project, where we own a 16% share. These decisions will be made with input of the Austin community that has always been able to balance environment protection and economy promotion, making Austin one of America's most desirable cities in which to live and work.

We will develop a “go neutral” plan for residents, businesses, visitors and others, so that they can calculate their own carbon footprints and voluntarily help fund greenhouse gas-reduction strategies through the purchase of carbon-offset credits. We believe these are strategies our community will wholeheartedly support, especially if credits go to funding local initiatives, such as non-profit tree-planting organizations, free weatherization programs for the elderly and solar installations for the poor.

Some of our strategies to reduce energy use and carbon emissions require only increased awareness of how our daily lives contribute to climate change. Other strategies will require money. We believe our community considers climate change a serious matter. With their support and desire for action, we can achieve our goals. Together, we can make it possible.

Fred Yebra is director of Demand Side Management at Austin Energy. fred.yebra@austinenergy.com