Creating a Sustainable City

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As policy makers become more concerned about the effects of climate change on their states, counties, and cities, Sacramento is an interesting place to be. The capital city is home to Governor Schwarzenegger and the California state legislature, who are making some progressive green changes. As I’ve said before, our local municipal utility (SMUD) is one of the leading utility companies in the nation for cutting greenhouse gases (GHG) and implementing renewable energy initiatives. But the City itself will strive to implement sustainability practices and curb pollution in the years to come.

The Sacramento City Council met last Tuesday to discuss a plan to reduce GHG emissions. When asked to share about what impact the City’s Sustainability Master Plan might have, Councilmember Kevin McCarty (District 6) replied, “Sacramentans increasingly recognize that global climate change is a problem that needs to be addressed at all levels of government. We need to take proactive steps, from things like maintaining green fleets, building energy-efficient buildings, and streamlining the permit process for residential solar roof installation.”

The Master Plan that was presented, called Creating a Sustainable City, defines a sustainable process as one that “can be carried out over and over again without negative environmental effects or high costs.” Began in 2005, the Plan serves as a policy framework for a number of issues like energy independence, flood protection, air quality, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification and sustainable building practices, and more. The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), who recently teamed with Lennar Homes to make integrated solar PV a standard feature on their new housing development, also presented an invitation to partner with the City of Sacramento to help it become a leader in solar power development.

Please click here to download the Sustainability Master Plan, which includes a report to the mayor, the recommendations of the team, the Master Plan, PowerPoint presentation of Creating a Sustainable City plan, and SMUD’s PowerPoint presentation. The City Council will revisit the Master Plan in summer 2007 to evaluate feasibility and budget analysis and lay out the first steps of implementing sustainable changes.

The City of Sacramento is also working hard to attract green business. In her State of the City address on March 30, Mayor Heather Fargo stated that Seattle-based developer Dick Fischer of Fischer Properties now plans to transform Sacramento’s old Army depot into an ethanol production plant.

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