Albuquerque, NM Renewable Energy Initiative

Albuquerque, NM, US

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Type: Resolution

Status: Adopted in 2005

Source File: http://www.cabq.gov/energy/documents/Resolution329.doc

Text:

COUNCIL BILL NO. FS-R-329
ADOPTING POLICIES TO ESTABLISH AND IMPLEMENT A CITY RENEWABLE ENERGY INITIATIVE; CALLING FOR PROGRESS REPORTS BY CITY DEPARTMENTS AND THE ENERGY CONSERVATION COUNCIL.

WHEREAS, the development and use of renewable energy sources and investments in energy efficiency will enhance energy productivity and security; offer clean, reliable and affordable energy technologies; and increase choices available to Albuquerque’s residents; and

WHEREAS, the City should participate with the State in advancing the development of hydrogen, fuel cell, renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies to protect the public health of its citizens and its economic future and energy stability; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature has found that New Mexico is ideally positioned to stimulate advanced energy technology economic development due in part to its abundance of natural and renewable energy sources, the presence of national laboratories and research universities that are leaders in energy research; and

WHEREAS, the State is providing funds to stimulate the market for and promote the statewide use of advanced energy technologies; and

WHEREAS, the City has initiated a number of energy initiatives including, using methane gas generated at the liquid waste plant to provide electricity to the plant, designing CIP Projects for energy conservation, converting traffic warning signals to photovotaic cells, setting aside 1% of the CIP for the purposes of energy conservation, designing a LEEDS certified Police Substation, working with the Private Sector to Develop the New Mexico LEEDS Chapter and the State’s first LEEDS Training Program, funding the development of a New Mexico Green Building Council, and beginning planning and engineering to convert closed landfills into methane gas fields and to construct digesters that will convert the City’s current solid waste stream into electricity.; and

WHEREAS, 14-8-5-4 ROA 1994 of the City Code of Ordinance authorizes the Energy Conservation Council to study energy use and loss and methods of reducing consumption, work with businesses, citizens, city employees, community organizations, educators and elected officials, to develop and implement energy conservation goals, programs and educational efforts and promote cooperation and coordination amongst these groups and provide for evaluation of energy conservation programs which have been implemented; and

WHEREAS, 14-8-5-4 ROA 1994 Paragraph (F) states that Energy Conservation Council shall advise the Mayor and Council on legislation, programs and policies which would contribute to energy conservation; and

WHEREAS, the City of Albuquerque should continue and expand upon these efforts and adopt a renewable energy policy that offers incentives and rebates to developers and users of renewable energy and that demonstrates to public and private entities how to build new or retrofit existing facilities with the technologies to use renewable energy; and

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL, THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE:

Section 1. Renewable Energy - Any energy resource that is naturally regenerated over a short time scale and is:

A. Generated by use of low- or zero-emissions generation technology with substantial long-term production potential; and

B. Generated by use of renewable energy resources that may include:

1. Solar, wind, hydropower and geothermal resources;
2. Fuel cells that are not fossil fueled; and
3. Biomass resources, such as agriculture or animal waste, small diameter timber, salt cedar and other phreatophyte or woody vegetation removed from river basins or watersheds in New Mexico, landfill gas and anaerobically digested waste biomass; but

C. Does not include electric energy generated by use of fossil fuel, waste products from fossil sources, waste products from inorganic sources or nuclear energy.

Section 2. A renewable energy policy is hereby adopted for the City and shall include the following elements:

A. Solar Energy Incentives. The City Office of Economic Development and the Energy Conservation Council shall develop within 9 months from the effective date of this Resolution a program for providing incentives and tax credits for entities located within the city that manufacture solar energy products or that create solar energy technology. Upon approval of the program, the Council’s intent is that up to $1,000,000 will initially be appropriated to fund the program from the City’s CIP Decade Plan and Energy Conservation Grants.

B. City-Owned Buildings. The City, Department of Municipal Development in consultation with the Energy Conservation Council shall begin a process to equip or retrofit all City-owned buildings and facilities with the capability to use renewable energy, solar energy in particular, to achieve the goal of securing 15% of the power for City-owned facilities from renewable sources within 7 years from the effective date of this Resolution.

All new City-owned facilities over 100,000 square feet shall be equipped with renewable energy technologies sufficient to generate at least 25% of the facility’s estimated energy requirements.

C. Energy Efficiency Upgrades. The Department of Municipal Development and the Energy Conservation Council to increase energy efficiency and add investment in renewable technologies, pursuant to subsection B of this Section shall report back within 6 months of the enactment of this legislation on the progress of the 1% for Energy Conservation” bond program. The report shall also make recommendations for expansion of the program to include bonding capacity authorized under the New Mexico Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Bonding Act.

D. Rebate Program. The City, through the Finance Department, the Municipal Development and the Energy Conservation Council, shall develop a rebate program, similar to that of the City’s water conservation program, to encourage the use of renewable energy, including solar panels, by city residents. The program should be developed, including the identification of funding sources, and presented to the Council within 6 months from the effective date of this Resolution.

E. IRB Scoring for Renewable Energy. The City shall amend the scoring criteria for approving Industrial Revenue Bond applications to provide added points for creating, producing or using renewable energy and renewable energy technology.

F. Development Standards and Incentives. The City, Planning Department and the Energy Conservation Council in cooperation with the New Mexico Green Building Council shall propose to the Council within 9 months of the enactment of this legislation revised development standards or incentives for new residential developments based on energy efficiency.

G. Application for State Funds. The City, through the Department of Municipal Development and the Energy Conservation Council, shall apply for a “Clean Energy Grant” pursuant to the Advanced Energy Technologies Economic Development Act, Sections 71-7-1 et seq. NMSA 1978, to obtain funding to develop efficiency technology for the City.

H. Purchase of Environmentally Safe Products. The City, through the Department of Finance and Administration, in consultation with the Energy Conservation Council shall propose to the Council within one year of the enactment date of this Resolution amendments to the Purchasing Ordinance which develop specifications for City purchases that reduce exposure of city residents and visitors to potentially toxic chemicals, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants, protect the ground and surface waters, maximize water and energy efficiency, favor renewable energy sources, maximize post consumer recycled content and readily recyclable or compostable materials, favor long-term use through product durability, repairability, and reuse, and consider life cycle economics of a product including its manufacture, transportation, use and disposal.

I. Net Metering. The City, as part of its legislative priorities for the 2006 state legislature, shall lobby for passage of a net-metering measure that will provide the City with opportunities to sell back to utility companies any excess renewable energy produced by installations on City-owned facilities.

Section 3. The Administration shall provide a report to the Council within 6 months of the effective date of this Resolution regarding the status of the development of the policies and programs set forth herein.