The city of Palmdale was invited to present its innovative energy efficiency program at the fifth annual Statewide Energy Efficiency Best Practices Forum held on June 19 in San Diego.
The Local Government Commission (LGC) hosted the forum through the Statewide Energy Efficiency Collaborative (SEEC), a partnership between LGC, the Institute for Local Government, ICLEI: Local Governments for Sustainability, and California’s four investor owned utilities.
The forum featured updates from key state agencies and highlighted innovative local energy and climate change programs. Palmdale’s Administrative Analyst Ben Lucha spoke on behalf of the city, and he discussed how Palmdale developed its own Palmdale Energy Action Plan (PEAP) to help the city meet the state-mandated greenhouse gas emission (GHG) goals to 1990 levels by 2020, per AB32.
“I was excited to present our programs as an example of how a city can effectively have a positive impact on the environment through efficient energy practices,” Lucha said.
“We received some very nice feedback about what Palmdale is doing in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, while saving money and not creating a negative impact on local residents or businesses,” said Palmdale’s Director of Public Works Mike Mischel.
Palmdale’s PEAP, which was adopted in 2011, utilized a broad spectrum of policies and programs to reduce the output of greenhouse gases including:
• Implementing energy efficiency programs such as retrofitting all indoor fluorescent lights with highly efficient LED lights at the Palmdale Transportation Center, and supplementing two air conditioning units with load shifting Ice Bear Air Conditioning Units at City Hall.
• Installing solar shade structure arrays through a Power Purchase Agreement and retaining all renewable energy credits.
• Performing an extensive traffic signal synchronization project.
• An emphasis on buying local, since transportation comprises approximately 40 percent of the city’s GHG generation.
• Developing the Palmdale Power Plant which the California Energy Commission stated will reduce GHGs statewide and help California reach its goals of lowering GHG.
• Creating a California High Speed Rail (CAHSR) station in the city. By 2030, after the L.A. to San Francisco phase is complete, the CAHSR will eliminate between 4.5 and 8.4 million metric tons of greenhouse gasses.
For more information about Palmdale’s PEAP program, contact Ben Lucha at (661) 267-5308.
