Cities nationwide were recently evaluated for the Georgetown University Energy Prize based on their success in formulating innovative ways to cut back energy consumption, and Berkeley was among the top 10 cities in the country.
Berkeley’s success in this endeavor was the result of incentives, programs and regulations initiated by the City and independent changes made by individuals, which includes rooftop solar installations. Energy reduction was spread out among the business community, city government, residents, and schools.
Education, via Brochures, goes a long way in getting the public on board for community endeavors such as this.
Among the ways Berkeley was able to significantly reduce its carbon footprint was by passing a Building Energy Saving Ordinance to assist building owners to pinpoint ways they can reduce energy usage. The city saves almost $400,000 in energy costs each year by exchanging its former streetlights for LED bulbs.
A measure of Berkeley’s success is that, despite its 18% growth in its population since 2000, the municipality’s greenhouse gas emissions have gone down by 12%. These results can mostly be attributed to lowering natural gas usage and electricity use for buildings and the increased utilization of wind and solar power in the Bay Area's electric supply.
While the city is off to a good start, there is still more work to be done if Berkeley is to meet its long-term goal, which is an 80% reduction of its 2000 greenhouse gases rate by 2050.
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