City Council Study Session Agenda and Packet 2017 01 24

Home Browse Search

LOUISVILLE ENERGY ACTION PLAN Where Do We Want To Go? Our Energy Vision In order to establish a vision of energy use for the community, the planning team reviewed examples that other communities have developed alongside relevant examples from City documents to try and identify what elements were most important to incorporate. While the vision is intended to guide the energy related efforts for the community; the final vision statement also fits well within the Sustainability Action Plan and is in keeping with the principles expressed in Louisville's comprehensive plan. After several iterations and discussions, the planning team identified the following vision for Louisville's energy future: The City of Louisville, in collaboration with residents and businesses, encourages energy efficiency and renewable energy, leveraging resources and benefitting our economic vitality, environmental health, and community well-being. Focus Areas Focus areas for Louisville were selected to provide coverage of the primary sectors that influence energy consumption, namely residential, commercial/Industrial, and municipal. In addition to the direct consumption that each of these sectors represent, it was also recognized that the municipal focus area provides a unique opportunity to positively influence the other two sectors. Below we have identified some energy characteristics of each focus area along with specific reasons they were identified for this Plan. Focus Area 1: Commercial/ Industrial Commercial and industrial accounted for 73% of total electricity used (1.49 GWh) and 45% of natural gas used (3.93 million therms) in 2015 Commercial and industrial DSM programs offer the greatest amount of savings per participant Commercial and industrial facilities are one of the fastest growing segments of Louisville The Louisville Green Business Recognition Program, launched in 2016, provides excellent momentum to capitalize on Focus Area 2: Residential Residential energy use accounted for 27% of Louisville's electricity used (0.558 GWh) and 55% of its natural gas used (4.85 million therms) in 2015 The majority of Louisville's housing stock was built between 1980 and 2000, which is coming of age for energy improvements and cost effective Increasing housing costs make saving money spent on utilities more important A gap was identified in reaching Louisville residents whose incomes are above poverty level, but below Area Median Income (AMI) While schools are generally performing well, providing students with the opportunity to learn about energy and share that information with parents can be an effective way to reach the community 14 22