city of fort collins 2001/2002 climate …...city of fort collins 2002 climate protection status...

August 2003

Prepared by

The City of Fort Collins Energy Management Team P.O. Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580

City of Fort Collins 2001/2002 CLIMATE PROTECTION

STATUS REPORT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary……………………………………………………………....i I. Status of Climate Change Science…………………………………………1 II. Fort Collins Greenhouse Gas Emissions for 2001/2002 ...............………..3 III. City of Fort Collins Municipal GHG Emissions...........................………..5 IV. Status of Climate Protection Actions ...........................................................7 Transportation ..............................................................................................9 VMT Goal ........................................................................................9 Mason Street Project .....................................................................10 TDM Program................................................................................10 Alternative Fueled City Fleet Vehicles…………………………..11 ULEV/ZEV Vehicles for City Fleets .............................................11 Clean Cities Program .....................................................................11 Fort Collins – Denver Commuter Rail...........................................12 Parks Satellite Shops......................................................................12 Hydrogen Task Force.....................................................................12 Energy........................................................................................................13 Fort Collins Electricity Distribution System Improvements .........13 1996 City Energy Code..................................................................13 Climate Wise for Local Businesses ...............................................13 CSU’s Industrial Assessment Center .............................................15 Fort Collins Utilities Wind Power Program...................................15 Wind Power for City Facilities ......................................................16 Zero Interest Loans for Conservation Help (ZILCH) ....................16 Replace Incandescent Traffic Signals with LED’s ........................16 Lighting Upgrades in City Buildings (‘93-’01) .............................16 City Buildings Use Variable Frequency Drives.............................16 City Government Chillers ..............................................................17

Energy Efficiency in the Commercial Sector ................................17 Cooling Rebate Program................................................................17

Reduce City Building Energy Use 15% per s.f..............................18 Energy Efficiency at Wastewater Treatment Plant ........................19 Energy Efficiency at Waste Treatment Facility.............................19 Green Building Program ................................................................20 Increase Energy Efficiency Training for Builders .........................20 Lobby for Mandatory Renewables in Deregulation.......................20

Solid Waste ................................................................................................21 50% Waste Reduction Goal ...........................................................21 Business Recycling ........................................................................21

Residential Recycling ....................................................................21 Rivendell Second Centralized Recycling Drop-off Site ................22

Methane Flaring and Heat Recovery .............................................22 Larimer County Wood Waste Diversion Project ...........................22 Construction Debris Recycling Pilot .............................................22 Landfill Gas to Energy...................................................................23 Municipal Recycling Program .......................................................23

Vegetation ..................................................................................................23 Increase Tree-planting citywide.....................................................23

Purchasing..................................................................................................24 Electronic Document Distribution and Archive ............................24 Climate Change Education and Outreach ..................................................24 Summary of Priority Action Recommended for 2001/2002......................27 V. Future Actions ..........................................................................................28

APPENDIX A – Data Sources LIST OF ACRONYMS CO2 carbon dioxide CO2e carbon dioxide equivalent (methane

is converted to CO2e) CCP Cities for Climate Protection CH4 methane CIP capitol improvement projects CMAQ Congestion Mitigation & Air Quality CNG compressed natural gas CSU Colorado State University DSM demand side management (energy conservation) EPA Environmental Protection Agency F degrees Fahrenheit GGE gallon of gas equivalent GHG greenhouse gases HVAC heating ventilation air conditioning

system IAC Industrial Assessment Center ICLEI International Council for Local

Environmental Initiatives ICMA International City/County

Management Association IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate

Change

kWh kilowatt hour LAP Fort Collins Local Action Plan to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions LED light emitting diode LUTRAQ Land Use, Transportation, and Air Quality MSW Municipal Solid Waste NRD City of Fort Collins Natural Resources department NSR New Source Review (part of the

City’s Development Review process)

P2 Pollution Prevention PRPA Platte River Power Authority PSD Poudre School District RFP request for proposal TAFS Transportation Alternatives

Feasibility Study TDM Transportation Demand

Management ULEV ultra low emission vehicles VMT vehicle miles traveled ZEV zero emission vehicles ZILCH Zero Interest Loans for Conservation

Help

City of Fort Collins 2002 Climate Protection Status Report i

Executive Summary Background In 1997, Fort Collins joined over 300 cities (now 500) in the international Cities for Climate Protection Campaign. In doing so, the City made a commitment to conduct a greenhouse gas inventory for the baseline year of 1990, set a greenhouse gas reduction target, and develop a plan for meeting the target. A Staff Technical Team and a Citizen Advisory Committee spent over 18 months developing a climate protection plan for the city. In 1999, Fort Collins City Council adopted the Fort Collins Local Action Plan to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions (LAP). The City’s greenhouse gas reduction target was established as “30 percent reduction below predicted worst-case 2010 levels”. The City Council also called for formation of an Energy Management Team to facilitate implementation of the LAP, and preparation of a biennial report to evaluate the City’s progress on greenhouse gas reduction efforts and to recommend future climate protection actions. The first biennial report was completed in April 2001. It showed that Fort Collins’ residents, businesses and the City government together avoided an estimated 190,000 tons CO2e in the year 2000 alone. The Energy Management Team then completed Fort Collins Municipal Climate Protection Plan in June of 2001. This plan documents the municipal climate protection program structure, (then) current initiatives, and future plans for the City to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with municipal operations. A municipal greenhouse gas reduction target was not set, but individual targets such as “Reduce City Building Energy Consumption 15% per square foot” were established. This report is the second biennial “Climate Protection Status Report” that the Energy Management Team has prepared for the City Manager. It covers the years 2001 and 2002, and it addresses municipal as well as citywide greenhouse gas mitigation activities and provides recommendations for future actions. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Level In the last decade, greenhouse gas emissions across the city rose from 1.36 million tons of CO2e in 1990 to 2.21 million tons in 2002, a 62 % increase. During the same time, population increased by 45%. Between 1997 and 2001, there was a slight (1.7%) decrease in per capita emissions. Per capita emissions rose again slightly between 2001 and 2002.

1366

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Fort Collins Greenhouse Gas Emissions (x 1000 Tons CO2e)

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Fort Collins Per Capita Emissions(Tons CO2e)

City of Fort Collins 2002 Climate Protection Status Report ii

The Good News….. It is estimated that nearly 237,000 tons of CO2e were avoided in Fort Collins in 2001, based on all measures that could be quantified in that year. These quantifiable climate protection activities have reduced citywide emissions by 10% in the year 2001! Citywide emissions would have been 2.35 million tons instead of 2.11 tons in the absence of actions to reduce emissions. This is a one percent increase over the 9% reduction measured in 2000. In 2002, it is estimated that 221,000 tons of CO2e were reduced, excluding complete benefits from Climate Wise partners that have not been quantified yet. The tables below summarizes GHG reduction efforts of resident and businesses (Citywide) and of the City government (Municipal). Recycling activities continue to account for the largest share of measurable GHG reductions. This is partly because benefits are estimated not only from emissions avoided by not land-filling materials, but also from avoided upstream emissions associated with manufacturing new products. GHG Reduction Summary Tons CO2 reduced in 2001 Tons CO2 reduced in 2002

Citywide 206,698 191,307

Municipal 36,665 32,134

Total 236,854 221,430 Citywide GHG Reduction Measures (June 2003)

Citywide Quantifiable Measures Tons CO2 reduced in

2001

Tons CO2 reduced in

2002 TRANSPORTATION TDM Programs, including VAN GO 1,387 1,369

Transportation Total 1,387 1,369 SOLID WASTE Business Recycling 81,428 86,928 Residential Recycling 22,366 20,517 Larimer County Wood Waste Diversion 1,621 841 C&D Pilot - Phase II 127 0

Solid Waste Total 105,542 108,286 ENERGY Climate Wise for businesses3 50,882 29,464 1997 City Energy Code 12,357 13,317 Wind Power Program 10,407 12,510 CSU's Industrial Assessment Center 4,505 4,505

GHG Reductions(Actual and Target)

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City of Fort Collins 2002 Climate Protection Status Report iii

ZILCH ('90 - '00) 472 570 Cooling Rebate 0 195 Energy Total 78,623 60,561 VEGETATION CO2 Sequestration by trees 21,071 21,071 Increase citywide tree planting 76 20 Vegetation Total 21,147 21,091

CITYWIDE TOTAL 206,698 191,307 3 Quantification of the Climate Wise business partner activities is not complete for 2002. Municipal Government GHG Reduction Measures (June 2003)

Municipal Quantifiable Measures Tons CO2 reduced in

2001

Tons CO2 reduced in

2002 TRANSPORTATION City Employee Alt Modes 197 Alternative Fuels - City Fleet vehicles 236 174 Hybrid Vehicles - City Fleet vehicles 2 3 Parks Satellite Shop 0 2

Transportation Total 238 376 SOLID WASTE Methane Flaring and Heat Recovery 4,725 7,673 City gov recycling 553 602

Solid Waste Total 5,278 8,274 ENERGY FC Electricity Distribution 27,542 18,839 City Gov Wind Turbine 1,898 2,241 Replace Traffic Signals with LEDs 1,087 1,551 Design Assistance for 215/Harmony Lib 262 383 Lighting Upgrades in City Buildings 313 313 Converting to Variable Freq. Drives (thru ’98)

45 45

Chillers 109 Energy Total 31,147 23,480 PURCHASING Electronic Document Archive & Distribution

1 3

Purchasing Total 1 3

MUNICIPAL TOTAL 36,665 32,134

City of Fort Collins 2002 Climate Protection Status Report iv

2001/ 2002 Highlights March 2001

• The top-rate GHG reduction measure was implemented with the major retrofit of traffic signals to energy efficient LED’s.

January 2002

• A seven minute video outlining the basic principles behind global warming and the importance of actions individuals can take to help reduce greenhouse gases was aired on Channel 27 throughout the month.

February 2002

• Fort Collins received the 5th star (top) award from ICLEI for efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

• Fort Collins Utilities and Platte River Power Authority won the Utility Leadership Award from the American Wind Energy Association.

March 2002

• The Rivendell Recycling Center opened, providing a centralized location for citizens to drop off their recyclables. Use of the center has grown steadily since its opening.

• A resolution supporting Fort Collins’ becoming a “Hydrogen Ready City” was adopted. June 2002

• The report “Evaluation of New Home Energy Efficiency” was released, providing an assessment of Fort Collins 1996 Residential Energy Code.

• The Parks Division opened the first satellite maintenance operation at a rented facility north of City Hall, allowing maintenance crews close proximity to the many maintenance responsibilities in the Civic Center area of town.

September 2002

• A highly successful workshop on sustainable building design, “Building G.R.E.E.N.: Gaining Resources to meet Environmental and Economic Needs”, was attended by over 175 architects, builders, engineers, and others.

2002

• SmartTrips received the coveted Association for Commuter Transportation’s Creative Excellence Award for the high school Drive Less Contest.

City of Fort Collins 2002 Climate Protection Status Report v

Future Actions The Energy Management Team recommends implementation of the following actions between 2003 – 2005 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with the City’s Local Action Plan to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions (LAP) and with existing City policies and priorities. Climate Protection Measures recommended for priority implementation in 2003-2005.

Measure Name Future Action

GENERAL Sustainability

Management System Develop and Implement a Sustainability Management System for the City. Climate Wise Seek more partners, grant funding; develop tiered participation levels.

Hydrogen Pilot Develop regional partnerships and promote pilot production of fueling infrastructure and prototype fleet vehicles.

Residential Green Building Program

Evaluate the potential for a residential green building program following completion of the 2003 city building code update.

TRANSPORTATION VMT Goal Continue LUTRAQ programs; Fund and implement TDM programs.

Mason Street Construct 3.5 mile bike/ped segment from Prospect to Fossil Creek. CNG Fueling Station Construct a compressed natural gas fueling station for City CNG vehicles.

ENERGY Electric Energy Supply Policy

Develop and implement Demand Side Management and Renewable Energy Strategic Plans.

Financing Options for City Energy Efficiency

Explore alternatives such as lease-purchase, performance contractor, etc. to achieve increased energy efficiency in City facilities.

City Energy Manager Investigate advantages of establishing a City Energy Manager position.

City Gov. Sustainable Design and Operation

Implement the Sustainable Design Guidelines developed by Operation Services. Adopt standards for sustainable construction and operation of all City facilities.

Residential Building Code Update

Incorporate specific recommendations to improve new home energy efficiency that resulted from the 2002 New Home Study into the 2003 update of Fort Collins Residential Building Code.

Pedestrian Traffic Signal Retrofit

Provide matching funding for PRPA "Kash for Kilowatts” program to retrofit ped signals with LEDs.

New Home Task Force Implement recommendations of Task Force.

ENERGY STAR® Continue the City and Utilities coordination with ENERGY STAR® initiatives.

WASTE Expand Recycling Drop-off Options

Continue to work with the County to increase citizens recycling opportunities at both County and City drop-off locations.

Recycling Regulations Require haulers to collect #7 paper mix; Fix loopholes in the Pay-As-You -Throw ordinance.

Multifamily Recycling Increase recycling opportunities for multifamily residences.

Expand Organics Recycling

Evaluate feasibility of new local measures for composting. Explore opportunities for pilot projects (biomass fueling for hydrogen generation, incorporation of brewery sludge into compost) .

City of Fort Collins 2002 Climate Protection Status Report vi

Data Collection Conduct waste diversion survey of businesses and residents; dumpster dive to characterize municipal waste.

VEGETATION Urban Forest

Cost:Benefit Analysis Complete study

Increase lifespan of City-owned trees Focus resources on the care and maintenance of existing City-owned trees.

PURCHASING Promote

Environmentally Preferable Products

Research and promote environmentally preferable products for City purchasing.

Electronic Documents Expand the number and types of documents that are archived electronically.

EDUCATION

Climate Change staffing Obtain secure funding for climate education and technical assessment staffing

Climate Change Education and

Outreach Focus general outreach on energy efficient appliances

Energy Training for City Employees Conduct "Energy for Everyone" training for all City employees

Environmental Business Outreach

Continue to deliver information about City environmental programs to new and targeted businesses

City of Fort Collins 2002 Climate Protection Status Report 1

I. Status of Climate Change Science……the need for climate protection continues

May 2003 A study published in the journal "Science" reported that satellite measured temperatures in the troposphere have risen since 1979, in contradiction to earlier findings that they had not. Critics who denied the warming trend because of the discrepancy between the temperatures as measured on earth and those measured from satellites had used the controversial satellite data. The study concluded that the new data mean that humans are having a "pronounced influence" on earth's climate. March 2003 According to a new study reported in the journal “Nature”, greenhouse-gas increases may be shifting wind and rainfall patterns in the Northern Hemisphere by changing the atmospheric pressure. The research suggests that pressure changes have caused increased rainfall in the Pacific Northwest and Britain, warmer winters in France and drier weather in Spain. February 2003 Britain's climate is set to heat up faster than at any time in the past 10,000 years, thanks to record global temperatures and increasing emissions of greenhouse gases. Global climate data analyzed by the Hadley Center, a climate research center in Great Britain, shows it will become harder to stabilize the levels of harmful carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, further increasing global warming. The report found that that atmospheric concentration of many greenhouse gases reached their highest levels ever in 2001 and that global temperatures continued to rise, with 2002, 2001, and 1998 being the hottest years on record. January 2003 Hundreds of plant and animal species around the world are being impacted by the impacts of global warming, although the most dramatic effects may not be felt for decades, according to new research in the journal “Nature”. The research team predicts that a rapid temperature rise, together with other environmental pressures, "could easily disrupt the connectedness among species" and lead to numerous extinctions. December 2002 The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a United Nations agency, said 1998 remained the hottest year on record, with 2002 surpassing 1999 as the next warmest. The 10 warmest years had all occurred since 1987, nine since 1990. "Clearly for the past 25 or 26 years, the warming is accelerating.... The rate of increase is unprecedented in the last 1,000 years," reported the director of WMO's world climate program. September 2002 Researchers report that black carbon soot from coal burning, diesel engines, open fires and other sources is contributing to global warming and climate change in China and India. A study appearing in “Science” magazine is based on computer modeling at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies. “If our interpretation is correct, then reducing the amount of black carbon or soot may help diminish the intensity of floods in the south and droughts in the northern areas of


China, in addition to having human health benefits,'' researchers said. Unlike carbon dioxide emissions, which add to global warming by trapping heat in the atmosphere, soot emissions may contribute to global warming and climate change by absorbing sunlight, heating the air and making the atmosphere unstable. The study shows there are very strong reasons for China to take action to reduce soot emissions from cook stoves and coal-burning furnaces. February 2002 President Bush announced a new management structure to integrate and provide direction to the US Global Change research Program (USGCRP) and the Climate Change Research Initiative (CCRI), which had been announced in June 2001. The CCRI focuses primarily on areas of significant remaining uncertainty and on enhancing the global climate observation system to reduce those uncertainties. The CCRI also develops decision-support products for policymaking and resource management. The Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) will provide direct oversight and ensure that the USGCRP and CCRI coordinate their activities and accelerate progress on substantial uncertainties regarding the Earth’s climate system. May 2001 The pollen count across the Northeast and Upper Midwest USA was more than 2,000 grains per cubic meter, more than ten times what doctors would normally consider high. The government claimed that increased amounts of carbon dioxide in the air had made plants grow faster and produce more pollen. 2001 2001 was a record year for natural disasters. Munich Re, the world's largest re-insurer, announced that natural disasters in 2001 killed at least 25,000 people worldwide, more than double the previous year. Storms and floods accounted for more than two thirds to the 700 major disasters. Munich Re said, "Forest fires in Australia, floods in Brazil and in Turkey, snow chaos in central and southern Europe and a typhoon in Singapore, which was meteorologically seen as impossible, are all indications for a link between climate changes and a rise in weather catastrophes".


II. Fort Collins Greenhouse Gas Emissions for 2001 and 2002 In 2002, Fort Collins generated approximately 2,182,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e1). By comparison, 1,366,000 tons of CO2e were generated in 1990, the baseline year against which Fort Collins climate protection efforts are measured.2 Data sources are discussed in Appendix A. Figure 1. Fort Collins GHG Emissions, 1990 - 2002 Table 1. Fort Collins GHG Emissions (Tons CO2e) 1990 1995 1997 2000 2001 2002

Electricity 565,690 692,623 768,889 882,196 919,073 950,992 Natural Gas 344,267 374,859 403,110 431,454 452,144 481,900 Transport 423,277 530,287 667,082 711,971 714,090 749,463 Waste 32,391 24,800 22,500 25,697 23,414 25,139 TOTAL 1,365,625 1,622,569 1,861,581 2,051,318 2,108,721 2,207,494 Population 87,758 99,726 106,223 118,652 122,377 126,848 Per Capita 15.56 16.27 17.53 17.29 17.23 17.40

Figures 2 and 3 on the next page compare 1990 and 2002 greenhouse gas emissions, by source. The transportation sector shows a 3% increase in its emission share between 1990 and 2002 and the electricity sector grew by 1%, while the natural gas share dropped by 3 % and the waste sector dropped by 1 %.

1 CO2e = Carbon dioxide equivalent. Since methane is 21 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, the relative global warming potential of CO2 = 1 and of methane = 21. When methane and carbon dioxide emissions are summed, they are referred to CO2e, indicating methane has been converted to CO2 equivalent. 2 In May 2003, the Fort Collins greenhouse gas (GHG) emission analyses for 1990, 1995, 1997, and 2000 were updated to reflect new EPA emission factors for municipal solid waste (MSW) incorporated in the CCP software in Fall 2002. Revised MSW emission factors reduce the MSW GHG emissions to practically zero because they took account of carbon sequestered in landfills. See Appendix A for more detail.

Fort Collins Greenhouse Gas Emissions

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Figure 2. 1990 GHG Emissions Figure 3. 2002 GHG Emissions Figure 4 below illustrates that 2002 per capita emissions show an increase when compared to 1997 emissions, reversing the improvements in per capita emissions seen in 2000 and 2001. Figure 5 shows a comparison of actual emissions in 2002 versus projected emissions estimated in 1998. Electricity and natural gas usage exceeded projections, while transportation did not grow as rapidly as the worst-case 7% annual VMT growth rate used to forecast 2002 transportation emissions. Emissions associated with MSW also did not grow at projected rates.

Figure 4. Per Capita Emissions Figure 5. Actual vs. Estimated 2000 Emissions

Fort Collins 2002 Greenhouse Gas Emissions2.207 million tons CO2e

Electricity43%

Natural Gas22%

Transport34%

Waste1%

15.56

16.27

17.53 17.29 17.23 17.40

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2002 Fort Collins Emissions

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Fort Collins 1990 Greenhouse Gas Emissions1.366 million tons CO2e

Electricity42%

Natural Gas25%

Transport31%

Waste2%


III. City of Fort Collins Municipal Greenhouse Gas Emissions The emissions inventory for the City of Fort Collins municipal activities includes buildings, streetlights, water treatment processes, fleet fuel consumption, and waste generation.

Buildings

Information on natural gas and electricity consumption from major City buildings (representing ~ 75% of total electricity use by all City buildings) was provided by Utilities and Operations Services. Table 2. Building Energy Use

Year Electricity (kWh) Natural Gas (ccf) Total Square Foot MMBTU/Sq Ft Tons CO2 1990 7,396,196 541,920 510,592 0.1577 8,806 2002 11,988,603 626,658 744,144 0.1415 12,691

Lighting (Streetlights and Traffic Signals) Table 3. Lighting Energy Use (Data provided by Fort Collins Utility )

What Year kWh Streetlights 1990 5,920,661 Streetlights 1995 6,598,489

Streetlights 1999 7,251,946



Traffic Signals 1990 1,577,714 Traffic Signals 1995 2,117,602 Traffic Signals 1999 2,406,112 Traffic Signals 2001 2,191,000 Traffic Signals 2002 206,000* * Reflects benefit of conversion to LED traffic signals Water and Wastewater Treatment Table 4. Water and Wastewater Treatment Energy Use (Data from Fort Collins Utility)

What Year Electricity (kWh) Natural Gas (ccf) Water Treatment 1990 2,414,990 82,188 Water Treatment 1995 3,404,585 85,156 Water Treatment 1999 3,538,852 67,684 Water Treatment 2002 4,409,000 200,120 Wastewater 1990 9,523,280 105,067 Wastewater 1995* 13,604,848 54,752 Wastewater 1999 13,444,800 63,158 Wastewater 2002 14,366,000 64,070 * Wastewater plant #1 was down for 1995 due to construction; 1994 numbers were used.


Fleets Table 5. Fleets Energy Use (Data provided by Fleet Services)

Year Unleaded Gasoline (gal) Diesel (gal) Propane (GGE) CNG (GGE) 1990 201,488 97,181 13,035 1995 187,544 80,115 45,875 1999 446,106 419,834 113,768 1,192 2001 495,767 458,778 80,018 1,235 2002 651,933 564,589 59,007 1,446 Solid Waste CO2e emissions from municipal waste were estimated with the new CACP software. Table 6. Municipal Waste Estimates 1990 1995 1999 2002

Waste removed (full) yd3 21,416 24,540 Waste removed (3/4 full) yd3 12,950 16,062 18,405 23,209 # City employees 1,003 1,244 1,308 Per capita yd3 12.9 12.9 18.8 Tons (If ¾ full) @ 300#/yd3 1,943 2,409 2,761 3,481 Tons CO2 232 287 329 415

Figures 6 and 7 below show municipal GHG emissions in 1990 and 2002. Municipal GHG emissions have increased 74 % over the past 12 years. In 1990, municipal GHG emissions represented 2.03% of citywide emissions. By 2002, the municipal proportion rose slightly to 2.18%.

Figure 6. 1990 Municipal GHG Emissions Figure 7. 2002 Municipal GHG Emissions Table 7. Municipal GHG Emission Comparisons (Tons CO2e)

Year Buildings Water Lighting Fleets Waste TOTAL

1990 8,806 9,894 5,475 3,323 232 27,730 2002 12,691 15,369 5,890 13,860 415 48,225

1990 Municipal Greenhouse Gas Emissions27,729 tons CO2e

Buildings32%

Water35%

Lighting20%

Fleets12%

Waste1%

2002 Municipal Greenhouse Gas Emissions48,225 tons CO2e

Buildings26%

Water32%

Lighting12%

Fleets29%

Waste1%


IV. Status of Climate Protection Efforts Tables 8, 9 and 10 summarize the greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction benefit of all measures that could be quantified for the years 2001 and 2002. In total, 237,000 tons of CO2e were reduced during the year 2001. 3 Total 2001 emissions would have been 2.3 million tons instead of 2.1 million tons in the absence of actions to reduce emissions. Quantifiable climate protection activities have reduced citywide emissions by 9% in the year 2001. Table 8. GHG Reduction Summary Tons CO2 avoided in 2001 Tons CO2 avoided in 2002

Citywide 206,698 191,307

Municipal 36,665 32,134

Total 236,854 221,430 Table 9. Citywide GHG Reduction Measures (June 2003)

Citywide Quantifiable Measures Tons CO2 avoided in

2001

Tons CO2 avoided in

2002 TRANSPORTATION TDM Programs, including VAN GO 1,387 1,369

Transportation Total 1,387 1,369 SOLID WASTE Business Recycling 81,428 86,928 Residential Recycling 22,366 20,517 Larimer County Wood Waste Diversion 1,621 841 C&D Pilot - Phase II 127 0

Solid Waste Total 105,542 108,286 ENERGY Climate Wise for businesses3 50,882 29,464 1997 City Energy Code 12,357 13,317 Wind Power Program 10,407 12,510 CSU's Industrial Assessment Center 4,505 4,505 ZILCH ('90 - '00) 472 570 Cooling Rebate 0 195 Energy Total 78,623 60,561 VEGETATION CO2 Sequestration by trees 21,071 21,071 Increase citywide tree planting 76 20 Vegetation Total 21,147 21,091

CITYWIDE TOTAL 206,698 191,307 3 Quantification of the Climate Wise business partner activities is not complete for 2002.


Table 10. Municipal Government GHG Reduction Measures (June 2003) Municipal Quantifiable Measures Tons CO2

avoided in 2001

Tons CO2 avoided in

2002 TRANSPORTATION City Employee Alt Modes 197 Alternative Fuels - City Fleet vehicles 236 174 Hybrid Vehicles - City Fleet vehicles 2 3 Parks Satellite Shop 0 2

Transportation Total 238 376 SOLID WASTE Methane Flaring and Heat Recovery 4,725 7,673 City gov recycling 553 602

Solid Waste Total 5,278 8,274 ENERGY FC Electricity Distribution 27,542 18,839 City Gov Wind Turbine 1,898 2,241 Replace Traffic Signals with LEDs 1,087 1,551 Design Assistance for 215/Harmony Lib 262 383 Lighting Upgrades – City Buildings: 90-01

313 313

Converting to Variable Freq. Drives (thru ’98)

45 45

Chillers 109 Energy Total 31,147 23,480 PURCHASING Electronic Document Archive & Distribution

1 3

Purchasing Total 1 3

MUNICIPAL TOTAL 36,665 32,134 These measures are described in varying levels of detail in the rest of this report. There are numerous other municipal and private activities and programs that have not been quantified that also contribute to reducing the citywide carbon dioxide emissions. Some of these non-quantified measures are also mentioned in subsequent sections of the report.


♦ VMT Goal: not to exceed population growth rates Status The City Plan Monitoring Project: 2001 Indicators Report found that between 1995 and 2000, vehicle mile traveled (VMT) growth rates (4.9%/year) did exceed population growth rates (3.4%/year). Exceedance of this trigger initiated a review process, which is currently being undertaken a part of the full City Plan update. The City’s LUTRAQ (Land Use, Transportation, and Air Quality) Team was formed in 2000 with the mission to develop a comprehensive program to reduce the growth of VMT. LUTRAQ is comprised of members from eight City departments in two service areas. In 2001 and 2002, the Team continued work on several of the projects listed below. Table 11. LUTRAQ Summary

PROJECT OBJECTIVE STATUS Transportation Funding

Secure the needed long-term funding for all travel modes, especially transit, cycling, and walking, which are farther behind than streets.

Capital projects list has been prioritized from a VMT-reduction perspective.

Staff Awareness Conduct an information campaign to re-ground City staff and Board & Commission members on City Plan and Transportation Plan philosophy, and how the plans are supposed to work, etc.

Outreach materials are were developed and numerous City departments have received the training.

Community Readiness

Pilot test CSU’s "community readiness" model, in an information and marketing campaign to increase awareness, understanding, and support for VMT-reduction programs.

Not implemented.

Internal Policy Conflicts

Identify policy conflicts that interfere with VMT reduction efforts and bring them forward for resolution by the appropriate authorities.

Monitoring and Forecasting

Provide for good, consistent data and forecasts of both population and VMT, on a regular basis, to assist in land use and transportation policy, plans and programs.

In June 2001, LUTRAQ prepared a report “Estimation of VMT and VMT Growth Rate”, establishing a methodology for projecting VMT growth through 2005 at 4.9% compounded annually.

Regional VMT-reduction Strategy

Work with other communities to place the City’s VMT reduction efforts in a regional context.

Jobs/Housing Balance

Implement the City Plan policy that calls for development of objectives and programs for a jobs-housing balance.

Travel Pricing Study and develop travel-pricing measures (such as eliminating free parking) that could be used in the 2010 – 2015 timeframe in order to meet the TDM goal of 10% reduction in drive-alone trips.

Future: The LUTRAQ has reformed to become an integral part of the City’s Growth Management Lead Team. One staff liaison has been assigned from each program area

TRANSPORTATION


(transportation, land use, and air quality) to bring forward agenda items for the full Team to consider. ♦ Mason Street Project Status In October 2000, the Fort Collins City Council approved the overall Master Plan for the Mason Street Transportation Corridor (MSTC). The MSTC was envisioned as a five mile, N-S multi-modal corridor that would provide Bus Rapid Transit service and bike and pedestrian facilities, enhance citizen mobility, and implement a critical component of the City’s Structure and Transportation plans. During 2001, the City submitted the initial application for Federal Transit Administration (FTA) “New Starts Program” to fund the costs associated with the Bus Rapid Transit component of the project. In 2002, work began on the Preliminary Engineering and Environmental Assessment Phases of the FTA New Starts application process. However, a citizen tax to secure matching funding for this project was defeated at the ballot in November 2002 and again in April 2003. Consequently, the Bus Rapid Transit component and MSTC improvements north of Horsetooth Road will not be constructed in the near future. Future The City plans to move ahead with the construction of the bike and pedestrian trail portion along a 3.5 mile segment between Prospect Road and Fossil Creek Trail, south of Harmony. This segment of the corridor is funded through the Colorado Department of Transportation and the 1997 “Building Community Choices” tax initiative. It is anticipated that construction of this segment will be completed in 2004/2005, offering a convenient N-S route for cyclists and pedestrians. ♦ Transportation Demand Management Program Status Both 2001 and 2002 proved to be successful, award-winning years for the City of Fort Collins Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program. TDM’s SmartTrips program assists employees, students, and citizens in finding and using alternative forms of transportation such as bicycling, bus riding, walking, teleworking, carpooling, and vanpooling. Participation in SmartTrips has been growing steadily. The SmartTrips program saw a 22% increase in miles traveled by alternative mode in 2001. In 2002, this number jumped to 30%, with a total of 2 million miles of travel reduced in 2002 through these programs. 2001 saw a strong focus on connecting with businesses and providing commuter programs such as the DriveLess Challenge, PassFort, and the Freewheels bike loan program to their employees. Materials touting the benefits of using alternative modes during the working day - whether commuting to and from work, going to meetings or to lunch – were used to reach this market. These outreach efforts have been successful as the number of participating local businesses grew from 50 in 2001 to 329 in 2002, reducing over 928,000 miles in 2002. Smart Trips Youth programs such as SchoolPool, the Youth Drive Less Contest, Walk a Child to School Day, and the Library Clean Air Campaign have been successful, as well. In 2001, TransFort received the Colorado Department of Transportation’s “Best of Category” award in Urban Transit Systems. SmartTrips won three awards in 2002. First, the 3CMA (City/County Communications and Marketing Association) SAVVY Award of Excellence was


received for the Best Marketing Plans/Campaigns for “I ride, therefore……” Transit Campaign. SmartTrips also received the coveted Association for Commuter Transportation’s Creative Excellence Award for the high school Drive Less Contest. Finally, SmartTrips received a certificate of recognition from U.S. EPA’s Commuter Choice Leadership Initiative for the promotion of alternative modes to City of Fort Collins employees. Collectively, TDM programs resulted in reduced CO2e emission of over 1,300 tons in 2001 and in 2002. Future Actions The City of Fort Collins TDM program has several areas identified for new program introduction and/or expansion in 2003. Transfort is introducing new electronic fare boxes and bus passes, making bus use more convenient and easy. PassFort users will be able to “swipe” their card and usage will tracked electronically. In addition, the Colorado State University (CSU) Transit Center will be expanding with more user amenities and the City will also be working with CSU Parking Services on a variety of projects to increase use of alternative modes by faculty and staff. The youth programs will be promoting the Cars, Cultures and Cures curriculum for junior high school students, as well as the Clean Air Trunks which will be circulated to the elementary schools. Bike to Work Day will be expanding to Bike To Work Week, allowing more people to participate and track their bicycling miles, and a new on-line registration option will be tested. The Drive Less Challenge will also expand by adding several new businesses, including 5,000 employees at CSU, and new requirements will be added for those joining in the future, in order to show a stronger organizational commitment to TDM. ♦ Alternative Fueled City Fleet Vehicles Status In 2002, the City’s alternative fueled vehicles used 59,000 gallons of gas equivalent (GGE) of propane and 1,446 GGE of compressed natural gas (CNG). This emitted 174 fewer tons of CO2 than if the same number of gallons of gasoline were used. Future Actions The City Fleets Department was awarded Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality funding in 2001 to construct a CNG fueling station with 2 time-fill CNG fuel makers. Plans are underway to add fueling capacity for ethanol as well. ♦ ULEV/ZEV Vehicles for City Fleet Status The City has adopted a goal that by 2008, 75% of all City light-duty vehicles will meet 1998 Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) standards. By 2002, the City had 13 ULEV vehicles, up from 2 in 1999, and 20 LEV vehicles. These included four hybrid/electric Toyota Prius. Two tons of CO2e were avoided in 2001, based on the increased fuel efficiency of the Prius when compared to a comparable non-hybrid fleet vehicle. ♦ Clean Cities Program Status In May 1996 Weld and Larimer counties and Rocky Mountain National Park (W/L/RMNP) received the nation's 47th Clean Cities designation. Rocky Mountain National Park is the first designated national park. W/L/RMNP is part of one of the nations longest clean-fuels corridors and extends from Colorado Springs to the Wyoming border. Colorado Springs and Denver/Boulder are also members of the Clean Cities program.


The W/L/RMNP Clean Cities coalition has 33 members, or "stakeholders" who represent a variety of interests that include national and local companies, government, and community groups.

In the past, two fleet manager breakfasts were held and one corridor workshop, with a total attendance of 110 people. In addition, a $50,000 grant was received from DOE. The money was shared by the corridor to do six projects: a corridor newsletter, a fleet manager survey, AFV signage on I-25 and I-70, a map of AFV fueling stations in Colorado, a recruitment package, and several fleet manager breakfasts. We have also worked with the corridor to promote two pieces of AFV legislation: (1) an AFV incentives bill, and (2) an AFV tracking bill to track numbers of AFVs in Colorado.

♦ Fort Collins-Denver Commuter Rail The North Front Range Transportation Alternatives Feasibility Study was a Major Investment Study sponsored by four public agencies. In April 2000, a Vision Plan was released, identifying a strong need for transportation improvements. By 2020, area population is predicted to increase 43% and employment by 36%. Violations of federal carbon monoxide and PM10 standards are predicted to occur in several communities. One of the five key recommendations of the vision plan is a rail alignment focused in the I-25 right-of-way. This is envisioned as a single-track alignment with passing tracks where needed, using self-propelled Diesel Multiple Unit “regional rail” commuter rail technology, having branches to Greeley and Fort Collins. Total cost is estimated at $652 million. The passenger rail alignment and potential station stops have been incorporated in several regional planning efforts that are currently underway in the north front range. ♦ Parks Satellite Shops Status: The City Parks Division has developed a long-range plan. One segment addresses satellite maintenance shops which have the potential to substantially reduce both personnel hours and vehicle miles in driving to work sites. In 2002, the Division opened the first satellite maintenance operation at a rented facility north of City Hall. This site allows maintenance crews close proximity to the many maintenance responsibilities in the Civic Center area of town. The second location will be a larger shop and storage area in Fossil Creek Park, due to open in August 2003. A third shop will be located at Southwest Park, to be developed about 2006. Further projections include a community park development in the northern part of the city somewhere around 2012. About three years ago, City Council approved an increase in the parkland fee, a portion of which will go toward funding these future maintenance buildings. ♦ Hydrogen Task Force Status In early 2001, the City Manager convened a Hydrogen Task Force with representatives from relevant City advisory boards and staff departments to evaluate the City's potential role in promoting the use of hydrogen energy. The Task Force submitted a report with recommendations in August 2001. As a result of recommendations, City Council passed a resolution in March 2002 establishing a policy to implement hydrogen-related projects within the


city. Since that time, staff has been working at establishing partnerships and has been researching grant opportunities for the purpose of implementing projects. ♦ Fort Collins Electricity Distribution System Improvements Status: Fort Collins has made substantial investments to keep its distribution losses low, even as population growth necessitates system expansion. Fort Collins' entire system uses oversized conductors to reduce normal operating losses and to provide enough system capacity to allow backfeeds in the event of system failures. The methodology used here compares Fort Collins' distribution system losses against a national average of 5.0%, taking credit for "reductions" when losses are lower than the national average. The cumulative effects of these improvements since 1990 accounted for savings of 24,992 MWh in 2001 and 35,925 MWh in 2002. The corresponding CO2 reduction was 26,231 tons and 187,942 tons respectively. Since 1990, these activities have saved over 184,000 tons of CO2. ♦ 1996 City Energy Code Status. A comprehensive study was conducted by the City to evaluate the City’s 1996 residential energy code (implementation experience, compliance rates and energy-saving results), provide benchmark data about new home design, construction and performance, and to learn more about residential air conditioning practices and impacts. Results were published in 2002. The study yielded a wealth of information about both problems and opportunities in new housing. City staff has presented study findings to many audiences and, in conjunction with other organizations, is developing consumer information materials about new home choices. GHG benefit from the City energy code is based on study results indicating that homes built under the code realize a 16% reduction in natural gas consumption, on average, when compared with homes built prior to the code change. Future: Fort Collins is in many ways poised in the limelight statewide and perhaps nationally, with respect to aggressive code development to create new homes that are healthier, more efficient, more comfortable, higher performing and provide greater long-term ownership value. The core of the approach largely comes from the now-nationally recognized New Home Energy Efficiency Study by Fort Collins Utilities. One of the fundamental lessons learned is that most homes have been and are being built in separate construction stages based on individual trade schedules. The new building code revisions are aimed at changing that concept to building homes more like a single complex system of many highly interrelated components. ♦ Climate Wise for Businesses Status In 2000, the City of Fort Collins initiated a voluntary greenhouse gas reduction program targeting businesses in the industrial and commercial sectors. The program is a local adaptation of the former federal Climate Wise program and works directly with the Fort Collins business community to achieve a number of important environmental quality goals: air and water

ENERGY


pollution prevention, solid waste reduction, energy conservation, and travel demand reduction. Supported by grant funding from the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, and the Colorado Pollution Prevention Advisory Board, the Climate Wise program now includes 21 local business partners.

The basic goals of the Climate Wise program for the City are:

• Encourage local business to reduce their GHG emissions and their impact on the environment.

• Create a strong (friendly) relationship between local business community and the City. • Assist in the implementation of a variety of City environmental programs for local

businesses. • Educate partners’ employees about climate change. • Encourage community responsibility. • Help achieve the GHG reduction goal in in Fort Collins’ Local Action Plan.

During 2001 and 2002, the Climate Wise project team conducted assessments at five new partner facilities: Poudre Valley Hospital, Advanced Energy, the Fort Collins Club, the RETEC Group and Dakocytomation. The team continued to work with existing partners to quantify GHG reduction projects and fine-tune partners’ action plans. An energy training course, “Energy for Everyone”, was developed, and train-the-trainer sessions were held for partners. The Climate Wise program continues to surpass expectations, both in the number of businesses participating and the amount of greenhouse gas emission reductions. In addition the City has provided recognition, partner networking meetings, partner trainings, and educational materials. The following is a list of the 21 Fort Collins Climate Wise partners:

• Austin’s and Moot House Restaurants • Advanced Energy • Agilent Technologies • Anheuser Busch • Ben and Jerry’s • Celestica Colorado • Colorado State University • Coloradoan Newspaper • Dakocytomation • Foothills Fashion Mall • Fort Collins Health Club • Hewlett Packard • Lafarge Corporation • New Belgium Brewing Inc. • Odell Brewing Company • Platte River Power Authority • Poudre School District R-1 • Poudre Valley Hospital • RETEC Group • US Post Office • Xcel Energy


2001 actions have been quantified for 10 of the original partners, resulting in avoidance of over 50,000 tons of CO2e. Quantification of 2002 partner actions is not yet complete. Future Actions In 2003, the program goal is to recruit five additional businesses. Several companies have already expressed interest, including Value Plastics and Teledyne Water Pik. In addition the Climate Wise team is planning to lead the Climate Wise program in a new direction by establishing various levels of participation for participating businesses. Establishing the different participation levels will allow the Climate Wise program to recognize the business partners that are doing the most to reduce Fort Collins’ GHG emissions as well as give the businesses goals to achieve. The annual recognition event will be used as the forum to highlight business progress and present the new “star” achieved throughout the year. Natural Resources Department recently applied for and received a $22,000 grant from the Air Pollution Control Division to help fund a half-time environmental planner to continue the technical aspects of the Climate Wise Program. Permanent funding for the Climate Wise program is being sought. ♦ CSU’s Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) Status Since inception, the IAC has performed assessments at 25 Fort Collins businesses. It is estimated that approximately 145 energy efficiency projects have been implemented in Fort Collins between 1990 and 2000. These projects have resulted in the avoidance of 4,505 tons of CO2/year in 2001 and 2002. No new assessments were conducted at local businesses in 2001 or 2002. ♦ Fort Collins Utilities Wind Power Program Status: In May 1998, Fort Collins Utilities was the first utility in Colorado and among the first in the nation to deliver clean, renewable wind energy for residents and businesses. In 2002, Fort Collins Utilities expanded the award-winning program and collaborated with the local Sierra Club to recruit wind subscribers. The Sierra Club presented a plaque to the City listing the commercial wind subscribers. As of December 31, 2002, there were 862 residential and 54 commercial wind power subscribers, and more than 36 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity has been produced since the program’s inception. The wind turbines dedicated to Fort Collins generated a total of 11,903,761 kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 2002, which is equivalent to the annual electricity use of 1,400 Fort Collins homes. The turbines also prevented 7,439 tons of coal from being burned and reduced emissions of carbon dioxide by more than 12,500 tons. Besides carbon dioxide, every kWh of wind energy offsets emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, particulates, air toxics, and other pollutants associated with coal burning. Future: The future of the Wind Power Program will be addressed as the City develops implementation plans for the newly adopted Electric Energy Supply Policy.


♦ Wind Power for City Facilities Status: Since July 2000, the City of Fort Collins has purchased wind energy from one 660 kW turbine to cover a portion of its own municipal electricity needs. The energy costs are prorated among the City’s electric accounts based on energy usage. ♦ Zero Interest Loans for Conservation Help (ZILCH) Status In 2001, twenty residential energy efficiency projects were completed using Utilities’ ZILCH loans, and in 2002, eight more homes made efficiency improvements under the loan program. This brings the total annual CO2 reductions resulting from ZILCH projects to 570 tons CO2 in 2002. ♦ Replace Incandescent Traffic Signals with LEDs Status Retrofitting traffic signals to light-emitting diodes (LEDs) was rated as the City’s highest priority greenhouse gas reduction measure, receiving the # 1 rating from both the Staff Technical Team and the Citizen Advisory Committee who developed the City’s Local Action Plan (LAP). The major retrofit effort occurred in 2001, when 160 intersections were retrofitted, except for Yellows and the Walk and Don’t Walk signals. In 2002, Traffic Operations took the initiative to meter the savings at each intersection. By early 2003, the LED retrofit project reduced traffic signal electricity consumption by nearly 1.5 million kWh/year, resulting in 1,551 tons CO2e not released into the air each year. Future Actions The City hopes to receive incentive funding from Platte River Power Authority to complete the retrofit of Walk and Don’t Walk pedestrian signals. In addition, all new intersections installed will use LEDs, including the yellow lights. ♦ Lighting Upgrades in City Buildings (’93 – ’01) Status Twenty-three lighting retrofit projects were implemented between 1993 and 1998 at a number of City buildings. In March 2001, induction lighting was installed in the City parking garage at Mountain Avenue and Remington Street. In addition to using lower wattage induction lighting, placement of the light was optimized, the interior of the garage was painted white, and daylighting controls were installed. These efforts increased the light levels by a factor of 3 to 5 while keeping energy use the same and improving visibility. By 2002, total annual savings for all lighting projects 313 tons of CO2e. Many more lighting upgrades have been implemented since 1990, such as replacement of EXIT signs with LEDs in buildings, but the installations have not been documented well enough to calculate CO2 benefits. ♦ City Government Converting to Variable Frequency Drives (‘90 – ’98) Status The City recognizes the benefit of replacing variable frequency drives with more energy efficient models once they burn out. Since 1990, variable frequency drives have been upgraded at Police Services, the public library, and at Mulberry Pool, for a total annual energy savings of 42,526 kWh and an annual avoidance of 45 tons of CO2e.


♦ City Government Chillers Status Two new chillers were installed in City buildings; one at the main library and one at City Hall. The new City Hall chiller uses over 100,000 kWh/yr less energy than the old one, resulting in reduction of over 109 tons CO2e. The library chiller is more energy efficiency, but these savings are offset by the addition of heating elements on the chiller. ♦ Energy Efficiency in the Commercial Sector Utilities Design Assistance Fort Collins Utilities has assisted several clients who want to construct buildings that are better places for people to work and visit, while costing much less to operate and maintain, and that have reduced environmental impact. Through the Design Assistance program, Utilities helps to fund incremental increases in design costs related to energy analysis, daylighting, and commissioning. Completed projects include Value Plastics, Harmony Library, the new city office building at 215 N. Mason, and two new elementary schools for Poudre School District (PSD). Recent projects include the Community Horticultural Center (to be completed in 2004), the new 2004 PSD high school, and Pioneer School -- a new charter school. In the future, at least one more elementary school will be built using the same energy efficient design and construction. In addition to funding assistance for these projects, Energy Services staff typically play advocacy and education roles, provide technical support, and review plans at several stages. Electric Load Profiles for Large Commercial and Industrial Customers Hourly electric demand profiles are provided upon request to customers in the GS-50 and GS-750 rate classes. The Utilities' goals for these key accounts are to provide customer service, customer education, identification of costly energy use patterns and control problems, and identification of energy-saving and peak-demand-limiting opportunities. Data are collected from the meters on a nightly basis, providing updated energy use information the next day. Non-residential Building Energy Assessments Utilities staff periodically conduct building assessments to identify energy problems and opportunities. Some assessments are performed in conjunction with other programs; others are related to customer requests. This assessment activity varies widely from year to year. Customer-driven audits over the past couple of years include local churches, restaurants, apartment buildings and offices. ♦ Cooling Rebate Program Status Platte River Power Authority introduced the Cooling Rebate program in 2002 to reduce the growth of summer peak energy demand. The Cooling Rebate Pilot Program rewards customers who upgrade to high efficiency central air conditioners and heat pumps. Residential air conditioners and heat pumps with a 12 SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) rating or higher receive $200 and those with a 13 SEER rating or higher receive $250. Commercial


customers receive a rebate of $90 per ton of cooling capacity for air conditioner and heat pumps exceeding minimum efficiency levels. In Fort Collins, 582 air conditioning units were installed with an average SEER of 12.22 and an average capacity of 3.00 tons. This resulted in the reduction of 160,164 kWh, and 195 tons of CO2e avoided in 2002. Future Platte River Power Authority intends to offer this rebate program at least in 2003, and perhaps beyond. ♦ Reduce City Building Energy Use 15% per Sq. ft. below 1990 levels Status The City has made significant progress toward meeting its goal to reduce City building energy consumption by 15% per square foot, below 1990 levels. In 2002, City building energy consumption per square foot was 10% lower than 1990 consumption levels. This analysis considers only the major City buildings (representing approximately 75% of all electricity use), and it considers both electricity and natural gas consumption. It does not consider water treatment or waste water treatment facilities. This improvement is probably due to the combined benefit of constructing new buildings with a focus on energy conservation, as well as the on-going energy efficiency upgrades implemented by Operations Services. Table 12. Comparison of City Building Energy Use, per Square Foot.

Year MMBTU Square Footage MMBTU/Sq Foot Percent Improvement

1990 80,512 510,592 0.1577 Na 2002 105,326 744,144 0.1415 10.27 % Several actions were identified in the City’s Local Action Plan to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions (LAP) that will continue to help achieve this goal. Status of these actions is discussed below. Create a focal point for municipal energy management by hiring an Energy Manger or creating an interdepartmental Energy Management Team. The Energy Management Team has continued to meet approximately quarterly since its inception in 2000. Deliverables include the first climate protection status report in April 2001 and the City’s Municipal Climate Protection Plan in June 2001. The Team has provided a useful forum for networking and discussing issues such as purchasing, municipal fuel consumption, and municipal green building. Conduct energy audits of City government buildings In 2001, ReBuild Colorado, a program of the Governor’s Office of Energy Management and Conservation, completed a Pre-Feasibility Study on Energy Savings and Performance Contacting for the City. This report identified a total of 17 projects at six City facilities. The estimated total cost for the projects was $380,000, with an average payback of five years, and an estimated emissions reduction of 1,100 tons of CO2/year.


Ensure that City buildings constructed by Facility Services use the City’s Green Building Criteria The Facilities Division of Operations Services has made significant progress in preparing and using “Sustainable Design Guidelines” based closely on LEED criteria. These design guidelines are being used to develop RFPs for several new City buildings including Operations Services’ Maintenance and Vehicle Wash Facility, and the upcoming Azatlan Center, among others. The goal has been established for every new City Building to be able to attain LEED Silver certification. Consider joining ENERGY STAR Buildings The City’s Operations Services is currently not planning to join the Energy Star Buildings program. Fund new position for an HVAC Control Technician Facility Services created a new staff position, HVAC Control Technician, which was filled in July 2000. Future Actions The City will make efforts to implement the sustainable design guidelines developed by Operations Services for construction and renovation of City facilities. The guidelines call for all new City facilities to achieve a silver level rating from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) guidelines. The City will explore alternatives such as lease-purchase, performance contractor, etc. to achieve increased energy efficiency in City facilities. The City will also explore the advantages of establishing a City Energy Manager position for all municipal facilities. ♦ Energy Efficiency and Power Shaving at the Wastewater Treatment Plant Status: The Wastewater Treatment Plant requires that high efficiency motors and pumps be installed whenever a pump or motor is added or replaced. Variable frequency drives are required on every motor 5 HP or above in size, which also saves energy. These purchasing requirements have been in place since the late 1980’s. The Wastewater Treatment plant has also been “power-shaving” for the several years. Operators track the coincident peak demand on PRPA’s website and manually shut down high-energy equipment when peaks are predicted to occur. This reduces total electric demand during the most critical periods, and also saves the plant thousands of dollars each month in demand charges. In 2003, a system is being installed to automatically shut off equipment (by computer) during predicted peak periods. ♦ Energy Efficiency at the Water Treatment Facility

Status: A Water Treatment Facility Electrical Master Plan was recently completed. Elements include audits of electrical facilities, investigation and development of lighting and possible energy management systems for the facility, investigation and development of possible load management systems, and evaluation of redundant transformers.


Energy efficiency improvements included:

• Replacement of all across the line starters for large motors with variable frequency drive motors, resulting in lower current demand.

• Installation of motion detectors on facility lighting in many places throughout the plant. • Installation of 277 volt lighting controlled by computer aided lighting panels for the new

Treatment Trains T5 and T6. ♦ Residential Green Building Program Status: In March, 2001, the City Council approved an update to the City's Air Quality Action Plan that adds an action to "Explore adoption of a Green Building Program during the regular review of the Municipal Building Code." Preliminary work was done to evaluate green building program models used in other communities to determine which hold the most promise for Fort Collins. However, the 2003 update to the residential energy code will not consider a broad residential green building program. Instead, it will focus on developing and codifying specific changes in the energy code needed to address issues revealed in the New Home Study. ♦ Increase Energy Efficiency Training for Builders Status: In addition to completing an energy code assessment report, the Building and Zoning Department hired an additional building inspector in 2000, allowing for an increased focus on energy code compliance inspections and training. Staff held numerous job site training for builders and insulation companies to educate them about energy code installation standards. A new plans review position was also added in2002. Future Actions: The Building and Zoning Department will continue to enhance energy code compliance by implementing greater energy-efficient construction measures as part of the of the new residential building code adoption targeted for late 2003. Although City funding has been eliminated to bring in a building science technology consultant to conduct technical training, other opportunities for builder training still exist. These include in-house training by City staff, outside training sources such as E-Star of Colorado, as well as builder-paid training workshops offered by the City. These trainings will be coordinated with the implementation of the new code. ♦ Lobby for Mandatory Renewable Energy in Utility Deregulation Status In June 2001, the City submitted comments to DOE on their Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy programs. The City urged DOE to retain the REPI (Renewable Energy Production Incentive) credits, to continue funding that supports the Industrial Assessment Centers , and to increase funding levels for renewable energy programs in general. Since deregulation is not imminent in Colorado, no efforts were undertaken by the City to promote mandatory renewables at the state level.


♦ 50% Waste Reduction Goal Status In November, 1999 the City Council adopted a policy for diverting solid waste from landfill disposal with a goal of 35% by the year 2004, and 50% by the year 2010. Community-wide surveys of recycling in Fort Collins were conducted for the years 1998 and 2000. Results indicate that the community’s waste stream was diverted from landfill disposal through conventional recycling, composting, and other waste reduction activities at a rate of 24.6% and 22.3% in those two years. The data do not include asphalt and cement recycling, a large amount of which occurs in Fort Collins (over 100,000 tons in 2002). A variety of special collection activities were held by the City to promote recycling and waste diversion. The annual leaf collection program and Christmas tree recycling continued to be popular. In 2001, the City sponsored its first computer round up for obsolete electronic equipment, and 50,000 pounds of e-waste were collected. A second event in 2002 resulted in 100,000 pounds of electronics being collected, to be sent to federal prison facilities, through a contractor called Unicorps, for recycling. Future Actions In 2003, the City plans to conduct another telephone survey to estimate the amount of waste diversion that was accomplished in 2002 through the efforts of residents and industries in Fort Collins. Several new recycling initiatives were budgeted by the City Council in 2002, which will be implemented in 2003-04. They include a project to increase recycling opportunities to the multi-family residents of Fort Collins, an audit of the City’s pay-as-you-throw ordinance to close loopholes, and analysis of ways to enhance local composting. ♦ Business Recycling Status GHG reductions from recycling activities carried out by independent businesses is estimated at nearly 87,000 tons of CO2e for the year 2002. Future Actions Another detailed evaluation of business recycling quantities will be conducted in 2003 for the year 2002.

o Residential Recycling Status In 2002, Fort Collins’ residential curbside recycling system collected 7,677 tons of materials to be recycled, including more than 4,360 tons of newspaper according to information reported to the City by trash haulers as a condition of their Fort Collins business license. In addition, citizens participated in the City’s leaf drop off, Christmas tree round up, and computer recycling events. Collectively, citizens’ recycling activities equate to 20,517 tons CO2e reduced in the year 2002.

SOLID WASTE


• Rivendell - Second Centralized Recycling Drop-off Site Status In March, 2002, the City opened a new, expanded recycling drop-off facility for use by residents. The location, on the grounds of a the private Rivendell school, has proved to be convenient and as more and more people learn about it, the volumes have grown. Fort Collins now collects between 100 and 120 tons per month of material for recycling. Future Actions The City will continue to operate the Rivendell facility, collecting “#7” paper mix (which combines magazines, office paper, newspaper, and other grades), cardboard and paperboard, and commingled bottles and cans. Additional commodities may be considered for collection and recycling in the future, based on citizens’ demands. ♦ Methane Flaring and Heat Recovery at the Wastewater Treatment Plant Status: The City's main wastewater treatment plant currently uses a significant amount of the methane(CH4) produced from wastewater treatment processes to power boilers located at the facility. The boilers are used to keep the digesters at the proper temperature and to heat more than 20 buildings on the wastewater treatment site. Unused gas is flared off, emitting carbon dioxide but eliminating potent methane emissions. In 2001, a fourth anaerobic digester was built at the Drake Water Reclamation facility and a third boiler was added to the system. The total system now includes four digesters with gas storage lids and three boilers. Total gas production has not increased, but methane consumption has dropped, due to the higher efficiency of the new boiler. This process of using the heat energy generated by methane combustion for power generation and flaring off the remaining gas is estimated to avoid nearly 10,000 tons of CO2e/year in 2002. ♦ Larimer County Wood Waste Diversion Status In 2000, Larimer County implemented a pilot Wood Waste Diversion Project to explore the feasibility of collecting of wood for possible fuel at the nearby cement plant. During this project, the County segregated wood waste loads brought to the landfill. Sources included wood from forest thinning, downed branches from the urban forest caused by early season snowstorms, and some construction and demolition debris. Even though it was determined that wood would not be burned as fuel at the cement plant, the County continued this program in 2001 and 2002. In 2002, 992,700 pounds of wood waste were segregated from the landfill, ground up, and recycled. This avoided an estimated 840 tons of CO2e emissions from the landfill in 2002. ♦ Construction Debris Recycling Pilot Project Status Phase II of the construction debris recycling pilot was implemented in 2001. The City solicited participation from local construction companies, and provided them with a subsidy for all clean and segregated loads of construction wood debris. A total of 500 cubic yards (150,000 pounds) of wood was diverted from landfill disposal during the pilot project, translating into 127 tons of CO2e emissions avoided in 2001.


♦ Landfill Gas to Energy Status Emissions from the Larimer County landfill are not expected to exceed the EPA’s threshold level of 50 MG (megagrams) of non-methane organic compounds (NMOC) until 2006. When that occurs, a gas collection system will have to be installed. As phases of the landfill fill and close between now and then, the County will install some of the collection infrastructure. In the early summer of 2003, some horizontal gas collection piping will be installed in the Phase 3 area, and the first two or three vertical gas wells will be installed later in 2003. ♦ Municipal Recycling Program Status: The City has operated a successful internal recycling program since the early 1980’s. Employees are encouraged to recycle catalogues, magazines, blueprints, phone books, junk mail, office paper, cardboard, and aluminum, steel, glass, and plastic containers. Each employee is responsible for depositing recycled material into special collection containers centrally located in each building. The City contracts with a private vendor for recycling collection pick-up. Each department or building is charged a monthly fee based on the frequency of pick-up service. Table 13 shows recent greenhouse gas benefits from the internal City recycling program. Table 13. Internal City Recycling Program 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Tons Recycled Materials 70 75 90 115 210 Tons CO2 reduced 342 366 433 553 602 ♦ Increase Tree Planting Citywide Status Tree Plantings In 2001, the City planted 757 trees on City property. In 2002, the number of new trees planted dropped to about 200, in response to the extreme drought. It is estimated that there are ten times more trees planted citywide than are planted by the City government in Fort Collins. Therefore, in 2002, it is estimated that 2000 trees were planted citywide, and 20 tons of CO2e were sequestered as a result. Research In 2002, the City of Fort Collins joined in partnership with the Colorado State Forest Service, the USDA Forest Service, and the Colorado Tree Coalition to undertake two projects investigating urban forest benefits. The first study, “Community Carbon Credits” intends to determine the viability of including community trees in established carbon trading markets (i.e. is a community forest a cost-effective method for sequestering and storing carbon, and is it a practical investment?). So far, results suggest that “it depends”!

VEGETATION


The second project is to complete a comprehensive cost:benefit analysis of Fort Collins’ municipal trees. Some of the benefits to be quantified are air pollution uptake, carbon sequestration and storage, and avoided CO2 emissions through reduced building heating and cooling needs. Future Actions In addition to continuing to promote citizen involvement in urban tree planting, City Forestry staff is interested in compiling and distributing technical information to the public on the environmental aspects of tree planting, including optimal placement, environmental benefits, etc. ♦ Electronic Document Archive and Distribution Status During 2001 and 2002, more City departments began using Procurement cards, rather than the paper-intensive “Mini-Order” system. Also in 2002, Purchasing began to scan in copies of RFPs and contracts for archive, instead of requesting three printed copies. These efforts collectively prevented using 193 reams of office paper, which equates to avoiding 3.1 tons of CO2 emissions in 2002. Future Actions Purchasing will research and promote environmentally preferable products for City purchasing. If resources are available, this could involve surveying the extent to which City departments are currently implementing the Administrative Policy Guidelines for purchasing such as using recycled content paper, then developing and implementing an education campaign for City employees. ♦ Climate Education and Outreach Efforts Climate Staffing In May 2001, a half-time contractual Environmental Planner to support the greenhouse gas reduction activities of the Energy Management Team and the Climate Wise business program was hired. This position was funded by Utilities in 2001 (June 2001 – May 2002) and by Community Planning and Environmental Services (June 2002 – December 2003). In addition, Fort Collins Utilities provided funding to support 0.5 FTE to work on business outreach and climate protection activities for two years (mid 2002 to mid 2004).

PURCHASING

CLIMATE CHANGE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH


Public Education and Outreach In 2001, staff participated in the Race for Global Warming a 5k race held in downtown Denver. Efforts were made to explore the possibility of bringing the race to the Fort Collins area in 2001. However, after further examination, staff determined that a walk or “volksmarch” might be a better educational opportunity for the Fort Collins community. A Climate Change educational display was assembled and placed in City offices and the downtown public library throughout 2000 –2001. In addition, the Climate Change educational materials and display were used at a variety of outdoor local events (Earth Day, Bike Fest, New West Fest and the Sustainability Fair). Environmental Business Outreach In mid-2002 a new program, Environmental Business Outreach, was developed to provide broad environmental and climate education to the business community. A brochure was developed highlighting the various existing City environmental programs that are available to the business community. The environmental programs highlighted, if implemented, may assist in the reduction of GHG emissions. Climate Video The Energy Management Team developed a short video to better education the public about global warming and climate change. The video outlines the basic principles behind global warming and identifies important actions individuals can take to help reduce greenhouse gases. It highlights some of the actions the City is taking to reduce its own greenhouse gas emissions, including the City's Climate Wise program. The 7-minute video was shown on Cable 27 throughout the months of January and February 2002 and was played at the March 5, 2002 City Council meeting. Building G.R.E.E.N. Workshop The City of Fort Collins received a grant from the Colorado Pollution Prevention Advisory Board to hold a Sustainable Design Workshop in 2002. Architects, engineers and builders were invited to attend the one-day event, titled Building G.R.E.E.N.: Gaining Resources to meet Environmental and Economic Needs, which was held September 19 at the University Park Holiday Inn in Fort Collins. Attendance far exceeded expectations (more than 175 people attended) and speakers and break-out sessions focused on the specifics of using sustainable design principles. Experts shared their first-hand experiences with sustainable materials, construction practices, and design and implementation. The conference included lectures, vendor displays, technical and business breakout sessions and an open question and answer forum. Using an interactive keypad technology, the Building G.R.E.E.N. committee was able to get immediate feedback from the audience and share it with them. 35% of seminar participants felt that the seminar “lived up to their expectations” with 27% saying it “exceeded their expectations.” Over 60% of the participants said they “will use something” they learned during the seminar in one of their future projects and another 15% said they will develop something to incorporate what they learned. The audience expressed that the biggest barrier to using sustainable design elements was lack of curtomer demand. The second barrier mentioned was


that features are too costly. Benefits gained by those who had used sustainable elements in past projects included long-term cost savings and good public relations. Climate Wise Partner Recognition Five new Climate Wise partners in 2001 and 2002 were recognized for their efforts by the City Council during a Fall 2002 Council meeting. The City Manager and Mayor presented all new partners with a certificate and thanked them for their voluntary participation in the program. In early 2003, the Climate Wise annual recognition event was combined with the recruitment event to use resources more efficiently. The event included the current Wind Program participants. The event was held at the Northern Hotel, a new Wind Program participant, and catered by Fiona's catering, a new Climate Wise Partner. The annual recognition and recruitment event was also televised and featured on Showcase Fort Collins for a month on Cable 27. Triple I Series The 2001 Triple I public information series included a presentation by City Utilities, “Cool It! Guide to Smart Air Conditioning Choices". This presentation informed citizens about how to make cost-effective choices for cooling their homes. Residential air conditioning is a rapidly growing electrical energy end-use in Fort Collins. 5th Star ICLEI Award In February 2002, the City of Fort Collins was awarded a five-star rating from the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) for efforts to prevent global warming. The five-star rating is the highest possible honor from ICLEI, indicating progress on all five CCP milestones. Fort Collins was one of only 9 cities in the Cities for Climate Protection Campaign to receive the 5th milestone out of 117 US cities, and 515 cities globally. Mayor Ray Martinez accepted the "Local Climate Protection" Award in Seattle, WA at the 9th annual ICLEI conference in February.


The status of the fourteen measures specifically recommended for priority implementation in 2001/2002 is provided in Table 14 below. Table 14. Climate Protection Measures recommended for priority implementation in 2001-2002.

Measure Name Status VMT Goal

2001 Indicators report shows VMT growth continues to outpace population growth rates. LUTRAQ reforms. TDM programs continue.

Fuel Consumption by City Departments

Fleets database on vehicle fuel use completed. Sub-Committee met to begin planning.

Hydrogen Task Force Council Resolution supporting hydrogen passed, 3/02 Climate Wise for businesses Five new partners added. Grant funding obtained from ICLEI Wind Program Number of residential and business subscribers grows.

Optimization of Waste Water Treatment Pumps and Motors

High efficiency pumps and motors are installed whenever a pump or motor is replaced.

Reduce City Government Building Energy Use 15%/s.f.

City building energy consumption had dropped 10% (per sq foot) since 1990. Operations Services developed “Sustainable Design Guidelines” for City buildings and established a goal for all new City building to meet the LEED Silver standard.

Energy Code Training for builders

Staff held numerous job site trainings for builders and insulation companies to educate them about energy code installation standards.

Green-Building Program for residences

The 2002 new Home Study resulted in specific recommendations for energy code update that took priority over the consideration of a general residential green building program.

35% Waste Diversion Goal by 2004

Rivendell centralized recycling facility drop-off opened and use has grown steadily. Recycling events for leaves, Christmas tress, and computer equipment were held.

Landfill Gas to Energy No Action Increase Tree Planting Citywide

Drought conditions shifted the focus from expanding new tree-planting to protecting and preserving existing trees.

Pilot Environmentally Preferable Products

ENERGY STAR office equipment has become the standard for Fort Collins’ municipal purchasing.

Climate Change Education and Outreach

Obtained contractual staffing for climate protection activities. Developed Environmental Business Outreach brochure. Created and aired a global warming video. Recognized Climate Wise partners. Help “Building GREN” Workshop.

SUMMARY OF 2001/2002 PRIORITY MEASURES


V. FUTURE ACTIONS The Energy Management Team recommends implementation of the following actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with the City’s Local Action Plan to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions (LAP) and with existing City policies and priorities. When developing these recommendations, the Energy Management Team qualitatively considered the following factors: • progress to date on implementation of measures identified in the LAP and 2000 Status

Report, • greenhouse gas reduction potential of measures, • current understanding of department, service area, and City objectives and priorities. Table 15 lists measures recommended by the Energy Management Team for priority implementation in 2003- through 2005. Table 15. Climate Protection Measures recommended for priority implementation in 2002-2003.

Measure Name

In Original

LAP? Current Status Recommended Future Action

GENERAL Sustainability Management

System N Inventory Completed

Develop and Implement a Sustainability Management System for the City.

Climate Wise Y On-going Seek more partners, grant funding; develop tiered participation levels.

Hydrogen Pilot N On-going

Develop regional partnerships and promote pilot production of fueling infrastructure and prototype fleet vehicles.

Residential Green Building Program Y Not Started

Evaluate the potential for a residential green building program following completion of the 2003 city building code update.

TRANSPORTATION

VMT Goal Y On-going Continue LUTRAQ programs; Fund and implement TDM programs.

Mason Street N Started Construct 3.5 mile bike/ped segment from Prospect to Fossil Creek.

CNG Fueling Station N Started Construct a compressed natural gas fueling station for City CNG vehicles.

ENERGY Electric Energy Supply

Policy N Started Develop and implement DSM and Renewable Energy Strategic Plans

Financing Options for City Energy Efficiency N Not started

Explore alternatives such as lease-purchase, performance contractor, etc. to achieve increased energy efficiency in City facilities.

City Energy Manager Y Not started

Investigate advantages of establishing a City Energy Manager position.

City Gov. Sustainable Design and Operation

Y Started

Implement the Sustainable Design Guidelines developed by Operation Services. Adopt standards for sustainable construction and operation of all City facilities.


Residential Building Code Update N Started

Incorporate specific recommendations to improve new home energy efficiency that resulted from the 2002 New Home Study.

Ped Traffic Signal Retrofit Y

Request started

Provide matching funding for PRPA "Kash for Kilowatts” program

New Home Task Force N

Committee is meeting Implement recommendations of Task Force

ENERGY STAR N Started

Continue the City and Utilities coordination with ENERGY STAR initiatives.

Waste

Expand Recycling Drop-off Options Y Started

Continue to work with the County to increase citizens recycling opportunities at both County and City drop-off locations.

Recycling Regulations N Started

Require haulers to collect #7 paper mix; Fix loopholes in the Pay-As-You -Throw ordinance.

Multifamily Recycling N Started

Increase recycling opportunities for multifamily residences.

Expand Organics Recycling

N Started

Evaluate feasibility of new local measures for composting. Explore opportunities for pilot projects (biomass fueling for hydrogen generation, incorporation of brewery sludge into compost)

Data Collection N Started

Waste diversion survey of businesses and residents; dumpster dive to characterize municipal waste.

Vegetation Urban Forest Cost:Benefit

Analysis N Underway Complete study

Increase lifespan of City-owned trees Y On-going

Plant appropriate species in appropriate locations. Focus resources on the care and maintenance of existing City-owned trees.

Purchasing Promote Environmentally

Preferable Products Y On-going Research and promote environmentally preferable products for City purchasing.

Electronic Documents N Started

Expand the number and types of documents that are archived electronically.

Education

Climate Change staffing Y

Contractual position ends 2004

Obtain permanent funding for climate education and technical assessment staffing.

Climate Change Education and Outreach Y On-going

Focus general outreach on energy efficient appliances.

Energy Training for City Employees Y

Training Exists

Conduct "Energy for Everyone" training for all City employees.

Environmental Business Outreach N On-Going

Continue to deliver information about City environmental programs to new and targeted businesses.


General • Sustainability Management System - In 2002, a Sustainability Inventory was conducted for

the City of Fort Collins to establish a profile of the quality of the City's social, economic and environmental sustainability and to describe current management practices developed to enhance or maintain those resources. The findings provide a snapshot view of the current sustainability of the community’s resources, identify positive strides being made towards sustainability as well as highlight potential barriers to further advancement. In 2003, staff recommendations for advancing closer to sustainability were submitted to the City Manager. The next step involves hiring a consultant to design and implement a Sustainability Management System (SMS). The SMS will incorporate recommendations from the Sustainability Inventory, information from the City’s Environmental Management System, and input from City departments to create a plan to guide the City to incorporate sustainable principles into policies and programs.

• Climate Wise – Continue outreach efforts to secure more Climate Wise business partners

and maintain close relationships with existing partners to ensure implementation, monitoring, and reporting of actions identified in their Action Plans. Implement a new tiered participation format that will recognize partners achieving the greatest reductions and raise the incentive for other partners to increase their participation levels. Seek funding to sustain the program.

• Hydrogen Pilot – Develop regional partnerships and promote pilot production of fueling

infrastructure and prototype fleet vehicles. • Residential Green Building Program – Evaluate green building program models that are

employed in other communities and determine which model holds the most promise for Fort Collins, following completion of Fort Collins’ 2003 building code update. If feasible, develop an implementation plan for adopting a green building program in Fort Collins.

Transportation Emissions

• VMT Goal - LUTRAQ - Recognizing that greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector are predicted to rise more quickly than emissions in any other sector, and that VMT reduction is a high priority for the City, the Energy Management Team strongly recommends that projects and programs proposed by the interdepartmental LUTRAQ Team be funded and implemented.

• VMT Goal - Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Activities – Recognizing that

on-the-ground efforts to promote use of alternative modes and reduce citizen and employee VMT play a critical role in achieving citywide VMT reduction, and recognizing that the TDM program has just undergone a thorough evaluation and revision, staff strongly recommends that City TDM activities receive needed funding in 2004-2005. In order to demonstrate the City’s commitment to VMT reduction efforts, staff recommends that the TDM program be funded from the City’s general fund, rather than relying on federal dollars (i.e., CMAQ) to sustain the program.


• Mason Street – The City plans to move ahead with the construction of the bike and

pedestrian trail portion along a 3.5 mile segment between Prospect Road and Fossil Creek Trail, south of Harmony. This segment of the corridor is funded through the Colorado Department of Transportation and the 1997 “Building Community Choices” tax initiative. It is anticipated that construction of this segment will be completed in 2004/2005, offering a convenient N-S route for cyclists and pedestrians.

• CNG Fueling Station – Construct a compressed natural gas fueling station having two

time-fill CNG fuel makers, for use by the City fleet. Energy Emissions Recognizing that greenhouse gas emissions from electricity and natural gas use in the residential and commercial sectors collectively account for 65% of the city’s greenhouse gas emissions, energy conservation remains an on-going priority. The Energy Management Team recommends focusing on the following measures in 2003-2005: • Implement the new City Electric Energy Supply Policy – Fort Collins’ City Council adopted

a new Electric Energy Supply Policy in March 2003. One of the primary objectives of the policy is to reduce the environmental impact of electricity generation through conservation, energy efficiency, load management and the increased use of renewable energy. The policy includes the following specific targets for energy conservation and renewable energy:

o Reduce per capita electric consumption 10% from the baseline of 2002, by the year

2012. The10% per capita consumption reduction target will reduce overall electric consumption approximately 16% by 2012.

o Work with Platte River Power Authority to increase the City's percentage of renewable energy to 2% by the end of 2004 and to 15% by the year 2017.

Both targets support the LAP efforts to reduce Citywide carbon dioxide emissions. The per capita energy efficiency and conservation efforts are expected to avoid 175,000 tons of CO2 emissions in 2010. The increase in renewable energy use is expected to avoid 80,000 tons of CO2 emissions in 2010. The combined impact of these two measures could account for 23% of the 1.1 million tons CO2 reduction goal in 2010. An implementation plan for the Electric Energy Supply Policy is under development in 2003, and an annual status report on the objectives of the policy will be provided to City Council.

• Financing Options for City Energy Efficiency – Explore alternatives such as lease-

purchase, performance contractor, etc. to achieve increased energy efficiency in City facilities.

• Investigate the Advantages of Establishing a City Energy Manager Position – Investigate

the advantages of establishing a City Energy Manager position for all municipal facilities.


This is one of the Energy Management Team’s top recommendations to help achieve the goal of reducing City government building energy use by 15% per square foot.

• City Government Sustainable Design and Operation - Implement the sustainable design

guidelines developed by Operations Services for construction and renovation of City facilities. The guidelines call for all new City facilities to achieve a silver level rating from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) guidelines created by the US Green Building Council. Encourage the development and adoption of sustainable operational guidelines for all City facilities.

• Residential Building Code Update – Incorporate specific recommendations to improve

new home energy efficiency that resulted from the 2002 New Home Study into the 2003 update of Fort Collins Residential Building Code.

• Pedestrian Signal Retrofit – Apply for PRPA’s “Kash for Kilowatts” incentive program

to reduce the cost of retrofitting all the City pedestrian Walk and Don’t Walk signals with energy efficient LEDs. Possibly collaborate with regional partners on bulk purchasing.

• Implement the Recommendations of New Home Stakeholder Group – In 2003, the City

of Fort Collins and E-Star Colorado convened a housing market stakeholder group that will recommend action plans regarding changes in new home design, construction and performance. The goal is to make recommendations to improve the "whole-house" performance of new homes - potentially improving occupant comfort, health and safety and energy efficiency while reducing maintenance needs. Implement the recommendations of the Stakeholder group.

• ENERGY STAR – Continue the City and Utilities coordination with ENERGY STAR

initiatives. The strategic plan for implementation of the Electric Energy Supply Policy calls for expanding involvement with national ENERGY STAR initiatives as they apply to Fort Collins.

Solid Waste Reduction • Expand recycling drop-off options – Continue to work with the County to increase citizens

recycling opportunities at both County and City drop-off locations. • Recycling Regulations - Amend the designated list of materials for curbside recycling to

require that trash haulers begin collecting magazine/catalogues and junk mail (the “# 7” paper mix), along with existing newspaper and co-mingled bottle/can recycling. Also, analyze the City’s Pay-As-You-Throw ordinance to close the loopholes.

• Multifamily recycling – Increase opportunities for multifamily recycling. • Expand Organics Recycling - Evaluate feasibility of new local measures to increase

composting. Explore opportunities for pilot projects including biomass fueling for hydrogen generation, and incorporation of brewery sludge into compost. Develop budget


recommendations for 2006-2007 to contribute municipal funds to help pay the costs for expanding Larimer County Recycling Center.

• Data Collection – Conduct a waste diversion survey of businesses and residents and conduct

a dumpster dive to characterize municipal waste. Vegetation • Urban Forest Cost-Benefit – Complete the community carbon credits study and the

comprehensive analysis of Fort Collins’ urban forest. • Increase Lifespan of City-owned Trees – Focus resources on the care and maintenance of

existing City-owned trees. Purchasing • Environmentally Preferable Products - Research and promote environmentally preferable

products for City purchasing. Consider hiring an intern to assist with this effort. • Electronic Documents - Expand the number and types of documents that are electronically

archived, thus reducing paper use. Education • Climate Change Staffing - Seek permanent funding to continue the climate work (education

and technical) currently funded with one-time money. • Climate Change Education and Outreach – In 2002, Fort Collins joined DOE’s ENERGY

STAR as a “Regional Program Implementer”. This provides the City with free access to DOE’s educational materials and Web site. Initially, focus will be on promoting the purchase of energy efficient home and office appliances to citizens.

• “Energy for Everyone” Training – Conduct the “Energy for Everyone” training for all City

departments to educate and motivate employees to reduce energy while on the job and at home.

• Environmental Business Outreach - Continue to deliver the brochure that describes City

environmental programs to new and targeted businesses. Programs described in the brochure include Utilities Design Assistance, Solid Waste Reduction, Wind Power Program, Climate Wise, Smart Trips, and Landscaping with Native Plants.

Additional Ideas

Car-Sharing - About 75% of North Americans live in cities. Many of them simply don't drive enough to justify the expense and hassles of owning a car - yet can't give up the freedom of driving a car when they want to. Car Sharing provides instant-access to a network of cars


throughout a city, 24 hours-a-day, paying-per-trip. It avoids the commitment, inconvenience, and expense associated with owning a car. Car Sharing networks are catching on in cities around the globe. This approach may hold merit as a VMT reduction strategy for Fort Collins.

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APPENDIX A

GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS ANALYSIS

EMISSIONS FACTORS and

DATA SOURCES

2

Background Over time, emission factors used to calculate both Fort Collins’ emissions inventory and the CO2

benefit of measures have evolved. Given the number of changes that have occurred, and resulting inconsistencies, ALL emissions inventories were updated in 2003 to use the best emissions factors currently available. The factors used are presented below. Electricity kWh x .003412 = MMBTU MMBTU x 0.214 = Tons CO2 for citywide emission inventory MMBTU x 0.308** = Tons CO2 for electricity reduction measures **NOTE: Measures that reduce electricity typically result in a reduction of the most costly source of electricity, or the marginal generating source. In this region, that is typically coal-generated electricity, not hydro or renewables. The conversion factor of 2,100 lbs. CO2/MWh (0.308 tons CO2, MMBTU) is used to calculate the GHG reduction benefit of electricity-reducing actions. This factor is considered by PRPA to be reasonably aggressive, yet defensible, and is used in PRPA’s 1605(b) reports to the Energy information Administration. It would have been possible to select a more aggressive conversion factor of 2,400 lbs./MWH, but this more moderate conversion factor was chosen in to be compatible with 16095 (b) reporting. Natural Gas MMBTU x 0.0616 = Tons CO2 for citywide emission inventory and natural gas reduction measures Transportation Gasoline gallon x 0.125 = MMBTU x 0.79 = Tons CO2 Diesel gallon x 0.139 = MMBTU x 0.81 = Tons CO2 Propane gallon x 0.093 = MMBTU x 0.75 = Tons CO2

CNG gallon x 0.1256 = MMBTU x 0.63 = Tons CO2 Solid Waste Emissions Inventory (Tons MSX x factor = Tons CO2e) Coeff Paper & paper products 1.21035 Food waste 1.12964 Plant debris (0.16136) Wood, furniture, textiles (0.24207) All other waste 0.0

Source: CACP Software, June 2003 Recycling

Material Factor

Cardboard 3.873 Glass 0.322 Aluminum 17.752 Steel 2.017 Plastic (avg HDPE/PET) 2.078 HDPE Plastic 1.977

3

PET plastic 2.179 Newspaper 3.428 Office Paper 6.779 Mixed Office Paper 5.084 Mixed General paper 3.711 Household Paper 3.51 Magazines 2.829 Phone Books 3.476 Text books 7.267 Fiberboard 1.698 General mixed paper 3.711 Wood 1.694 Mixed Recyclables 3.817

Source: CACP Software, June 2003

2001/2002 EMISSION AUDIT

ELECTRICITY Data Source: Fort Collins Utilities, Ellen Switzer, Fort Collins Utilities, (970) 221-6714 (These data are not weather normalized.) 2001 2002 Residential kWh 402,468,000 422,425,000 Commercial kWh 454,210,000 458,585,000 Industrial kWh 402,036,000 421,419,000 When calculating tons CO2, the coefficient of 0.214 tons CO2/ MMBtu was used, as requested by Platte River Power Authority. This emission factor takes into account the mix of sources for local electricity (Rawhide, hydro, and a small amount of wind energy.) NATURAL GAS Data Source: Xcel Energy, Glenn Monroe, Xcel Energy, (303)294-2392; [email protected]

2002 WEATHER

WEATHER ADJ

ACTUAL NORMAL ACTUAL NORMAL BASE HEATING HEATING NORMAL

CUST SALES HDD HDD FACTOR LOAD LOAD LOAD SALES

RESIDENTIAL 37,415 3,320,103 6238 6062 1.02903 863,227 2,456,876 2,528,199 3,391,426

COMMERCIAL 3,528 1,405,172 463,707 941,465 968,796 1,432,503

IND & TRANSPORT 226 2,999,131 2,999,131

TOTAL 41,169 7,724,406 7,823,060

4

2001 WEATHER

WEATHER ADJ

ACTUAL NORMAL ACTUAL NORMAL BASE HEATING HEATING NORMAL

CUST SALES HDD HDD FACTOR LOAD LOAD LOAD SALES

RESIDENTIAL 36,174 3,121,150 6238 5434 1.14796 811,499 2,309,651 2,651,387 3,462,886

COMMERCIAL 3,472 1,333,105 439,925 893,180 1,025,335 1,465,260

IND & TRANSPORT 222 2,411,852 2,411,852

TOTAL 39,868 6,866,107 7,339,998

TRANSPORTATION Fuel consumption, by fuel type, was calculated using the following steps: 1) Identify total Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT).

Annual VMT for 2001 = 1,065,900,000 Annual VMT for 2002 = 1,118,700,000 VMT estimates were prepared by the City’s LUTRAQ Team, and are based on a 4.9^% annual VMT growth rate from the year 1995.

2) Apportion total VMT among the percentage of vehicle types in Fort Collins estimated by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) for emissions modeling purposes. 3) Multiply the annual number of miles driven (by fuel type) by an estimated MPG to yield

gallons fuel consumed 4) Apply emissions coefficients to convert from gallons of fuel to BTU’s to CO2. Vehicle type VMT percent Avg

MPG Conversion factor Conversion factor

Gasoline car 63.3 19.7 0.125 MMBtu/gallon 0.079 tons Co2/MMBtu Gasoline light truck 28.9 14.3 0.125 MMBtu/gallon 0.079 tons Co2/MMBtu Gasoline other truck 2.3 8.0 0.125 MMBtu/gallon 0.079 tons Co2/MMBtu Diesel car 0.9 30.0 0.139 MMBtu/gallon 0.081 tons Co2/MMBtu Diesel light truck 0.4 17.0 0.139 MMBtu/gallon 0.081 tons Co2/MMBtu Diesel heavy duty 3.9 5.0 0.139 MMBtu/gallon 0.081 tons Co2/MMBtu

5

SOLID WASTE Data Source: Steve Harem, Larimer County Natural Resources (970) 498-5761 2001 LCL Summary of Waste Received CY Conversion # Tons Min load 16,489 Car 3,561 Small PU 75,286 Large PU 25,548 Yard Waste 2,445 C&D 170,570 Comm Loose 306,370 Tires (ea) 11,172 25 279300 139.65 Total Loose MSW 600,269 200 120,053,800 60,027 Compact MSW 293,295 750 219,971,250 109,986 Tree Limbs 14,792 300 4,437,600 2,219 TOTAL 171,414

Fort Collins 2000 Population: 251,494 Larimer County 2000 Population: 118,652 Fort Collins Proportion: 47 % Larimer County Tons MSW: 171,414 Fort Collins proportion (Tons MSW): 80,871 2002 Larimer County landfill Data Category CY Conversion # Tons Min load 14,556 Car 3,982 Small PU 76,646 Large PU 29,877 Yard Waste 2,557 C&D 174,267 Comm Loose 309,811 Tires (ea) 9,146 25 228650 114.325 Total Loose MSW 611,696 200 122,339,200 61,170 Compact MSW 324,746 750 243,559,500 121,780 Tree Limbs 6,530 300 1,959,000 980 TOTAL 184,043

Fort Collins 2000 Population: 251,494 Larimer County 2000 Population: 118,652 Fort Collins Proportion: 47 % Larimer County Tons MSW: 184,043 Fort Collins proportion (Tons MSW): 86,892

6

The conversion from tons MSW to tons CO2 was calculated by the CACP software (June 2003) using the following characterization of landfill waste.

Percent of Waste Material 1997**

Paper 23.6 Food Waste 7.1 Plant Debris 13.4 Wood/Textiles 22.6 All Other 33.3 Total 100.0

** 1998 Larimer County Landfill Waste Characterization _____________________________________________________________________________________ Please contact Lucinda Smith at the City of Fort Collins, Natural Resources Department (970)224-6085 with any comments or questions about information contained in this Appendix.