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Pleasanton’s Energy Plan
The City of Pleasanton’s Energy Plan was adopted in December 2002. The comprehensive plan was formulated by a voluntary Energy Advisory Group (EAG) reflective of the diversity of this East Bay community of 65,000. A pool of highly motivated business leaders, environmentalists, academics, scientists, planners and others were immersed in a consensus approach suggested by the Rocky Mountain Institute’s Community Energy Work Book: A Guide to Building a Sustainable Economy. Pleasanton created its EAG in response to local opposition to a power plant proposed within the city limits. Local government leaders recognized an opportunity to contribute to reducing the chaos in the state’s power markets by taking a closer look at building and community designs as well as other local demand reduction and supply-side opportunities. The effort started at the Planning Commission in 1999. The first step taken by Pleasanton was to integrate green building measures into new project approvals, relying upon the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) standards developed by the US Green Building Council. The LEED green building design guidelines evaluate environmental performance from a “whole building” perspective over the entire life-cycle of a building structure. Credits are earned for satisfying a list of criteria. Pleasanton decided conditioning project approvals on the green building standards would help mitigate the impacts on the local and global environment of all of its new development. One condition of approval for both commercial and residential projects is that rooftops be “solar ready,” that is, the rooftops must be designed to handle the extra weight of a solar photovoltaic system and the building must be oriented to take advantage of solar exposure. The Plan truly is comprehensive with recommendations in the areas of education; demand reduction; policies, programs, ordinances and legislation; financing; building alliances; and improving supply. It looks at energy issues in an integrated context including air, waste, transportation and other environmental impacts. And it addresses energy use not just building by building, although it strongly supports increasing efficiency and on-site generation in public and private new and existing structures, but also on a community scale. It includes recommendations addressing drainage and runoff, shading, surfacing and auto dependence. The Plan recommends exploring all manner of financing including public/private partnerships, bulk purchases, power cooperatives, revenue bonds and third parties. It suggests adopting an Energy Element in the General Plan, a green building ordinance, and a generator facility siting ordinance, work on which is already underway. And it designates staff to monitor state and federal legislation, programs and funding opportunities. For more information on Pleasanton’s Energy Plan, contact Scott Baker at (925) 931-5506, or e-mail at sbaker@ci.pleasanton.ca.us. |
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