Loading...
(a) Created. There is an Office of Energy and Sustainability in the Department of General Services.
(b) Duties. The Office must:
(1) develop an energy baseline, energy unit savings plan, and energy cost savings plan for the County’s building portfolio;
(2) develop a comprehensive plan to reduce the energy consumption and impact of fleet operations, which may include the use of alternative fuels, reductions vehicle miles traveled, improvements in vehicle efficiency, or vehicle electrification strategy;
(3) execute plans to use Energy Performance Contracting to improve the efficiency of County buildings, as authorized by the Director of General Services;
(4) develop and execute the County’s renewable energy plans, including the purchase of renewable energy and deployment of solar and other clean energy sources across County facilities,
(5) coordinate with the Office of Procurement to develop green and environmentally preferable purchasing plans;
(6) develop initiatives, plans, and projects to reduce the environmental impact of County operations and foster a culture of sustainability within the County Government; and
(7) prepare and submit data summarizing efforts to reduce the environmental impact of County operations to any annual Sustainability report prepared by the County Executive in collaboration with other Departments and Agencies.
(c) Annual report. By February 1 each year, the Office must submit to the County Council an annual report on:
(1) its activities, accomplishments, plans, and objectives;
(2) actions taken to reduce the energy consumption and impact of fleet operations;
(3) the use of biodiesel fuels in County vehicles, results of the sport utility vehicle inventory, and the average fuel economy for passenger vehicles and light trucks in the County fleet as required under Section 18A-23; and
(4) steps taken in the preceding year to implement the energy unit savings plan and energy cost savings plan for the County’s portfolio of buildings as required under Section 8-14B. (2014 L.M.C., ch. 15, § 1.)
(a) Inventory. The Office of Sustainability in the Department of Environmental Protection may update the greenhouse gas emissions inventory to determine the amount of greenhouse gases emitted in the County and submit a written report on the inventory to the County Executive and County Council.
(b) Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The Office may update the County Climate Protection Plan. Any update should report the County’s progress on reducing Countywide greenhouse gas emissions to 80% below the amount of greenhouse gas emissions in the base year identified in the inventory prepared under subsection (a) by January 1, 2050, including any recommendations that would ensure a 10% reduction every 5 years through 2050.
(c) Climate Protection Plan. The Climate Protection Plan must:
(1) identify a strategy, including short-, mid-, and long-term goals to reduce Countywide greenhouse gas emissions to the levels required in subsection (b);
(2) explain how the Climate Protection Plan relates to the Energy Policy approved by the Council under Section 18A-3 and identify any recommended changes to the Energy Policy that are needed to implement the Climate Protection Plan;
(3) identify existing cap and trade programs and recommend whether the County should join a cap and trade program;
(4) identify ways to increase sequestration of greenhouse gases, including a Tree Canopy Initiative that contains a plan for increasing the County’s tree canopy;
(5) include an education and outreach plan designed to educate County residents and businesses about:
(A) global climate change;
(B) County efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions;
(C) sequestration of carbon; and
(D) best practices for reducing greenhouse gas emissions;
(6) include a strategy to achieve a significant improvement in the average County fleet fuel economy standards as required under Section 18A-20;
(7) identify a strategy to reduce vehicle miles traveled in the County; and
(8) estimate the time and resources necessary to implement the Climate Protection Plan.
(d) Preparation. In preparing any update to the Climate Protection Plan, the Office must:
(1) consider greenhouse gas emissions reduction programs in other jurisdictions;
(2) evaluate the potential costs and benefits of different options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to the County’s economy, environment, health, safety, and welfare; and
(3) use the best available economic models, emissions estimating techniques, and other scientific methods.
(e) Annual report. The Office of Sustainability must submit a report to the County Executive and County Council by February 1 of each year that specifies:
(1) the actions taken to implement the Climate Protection Plan in the preceding fiscal year; and
(2) whether the County is meeting the goals identified in the Climate Protection Plan. (2008 L.M.C., ch. 9, § 2; 2014 L.M.C., ch. 15, § 1.)
Editor’s note—Section 18A-15, formerly § 18A-14, was renumbered, amended and retitled pursuant to 2014 L.M.C., ch. 15, § 1.
Editor’s note—Former Section 18A-15, Carbon tax, derived from 2008 L.M.C., ch. 9, § 2, was repealed by 2014 L.M.C., ch. 15, § 1.
Editor’s note—Former Section 18A-16, Renewable Energy Action Plan, derived from 2008 L.M.C., ch. 10, § 1, was repealed by 2014 L.M.C., ch. 15, § 1.
(a) Definitions. In this Section, the following words have the meanings indicated:
Department means the Department of General Services.
Director means the Director of the Department or the Director’s designee.
Energy Project means an energy efficiency or renewable energy improvement to a building or facility that is expected to reduce the onsite consumption of electricity, natural gas, or other fuels.
Return on Investment means a performance measure used to evaluate the financial return of an energy project, including reasonable forecasts of energy costs and other factors.
Social cost of carbon means an estimate of the economic damages or damages avoided associated with the increase or reduction of one metric ton of carbon dioxide emissions.
(b) When evaluating a building to determine whether to improve the building’s energy efficiency, the Department must include the social cost of carbon as a factor in determining the return on investment of the proposed energy efficiency improvements.
(c) In performing its analysis, the Department must use the standard developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency or a standard the Director finds equivalent.
(d) In performing its analysis, the Department should consult the Department of Environmental Protection and any other County department or agency with expertise in environmental sustainability. (2014 L.M.C., ch. 8, § 1.)
Loading...