Newsroom
For Immediate Release
Friday, January 01, 2010
Arlington to Create Community Energy Plan
- New County Board Chairman Jay Fisette announces “green ribbon” panel
- Community Energy & Sustainability Task Force will recommend goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions
ARLINGTON, Va. -- Arlington County Board Chairman Jay Fisette today announced the appointment of a broad-based task force to develop a Community Energy Plan aimed at identifying specific goals, actions and strategies for reducing Arlington’s countywide greenhouse gas emissions.
“Just as we have plans for land use and transportation, we need a plan for energy use,” Fisette said in his New Year’s Day inaugural speech. “It is the ‘Arlington Way’ to involve the whole community in the important decisions on our County’s future, and I hope this sets a blueprint for Arlington’s long-term sustainability and competitiveness.“
Fisette names task force
Minutes after his County Board colleagues unanimously elected him their chairman for 2010, Fisette announced the appointment of a 28-member task force that he will chair throughout his year-long term. The Community Energy and Sustainability (CES) Task Force will make recommendations in early 2011 to the County Board for specific long-term, mid-term and short-term goals for reducing Arlington’s total greenhouse gas emissions, and recommend the strategies and actions to meet those goals.
- Learn more about the Community Energy and Sustainability Task Force and the community energy plan.
- CES Task Force Members
Expanding Fresh AIRE
The task force will expand and broaden the work the County began in 2007 with its Fresh AIRE (Arlington Initiative to Reduce Emissions) initiative to lower greenhouse gas emissions produced by County government buildings and activities. That effort set a specific goal of lowering County government greenhouse gas emissions 10% from 2000 to 2012.
The task force will help develop a plan for the entire community that will set clear goals for further reducing greenhouse gas emissions and transforming Arlington’s energy infrastructure. Few jurisdictions in the United States have taken such a step, Fisette noted. He said the County expects to work closely with leaders of the business community and residents to devise a plan that will benefit everyone who works and lives in Arlington and serve as a model for other communities.
“The Community Energy Plan will lay the foundation for an Energy Master Plan for the County,” Fisette said. The plan will steer Arlington’s energy policy for decades to come, he said.
At a time when County government is looking for ways to reduce costs, Fisette said, a community energy plan is “an investment that we are making in our community to generate future energy and cost savings, many times over.” The initiative is expected to cost about $350,000 in 2010, and will be funded through a combination of reallocation of funds from the County’s Fresh AIRE program and one-time carryover funds.
Saving energy saves dollars, planet
Through its energy efficiency investments, Arlington County has achieved returns on investment (ROI) of about 20 percent per year in reduced costs in government operations. “Arlington has learned that reducing energy consumption makes economic and environmental sense,” Fisette said. “We hope to become a model for other communities that are looking for ways to work together to find energy efficiencies and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
The County hopes to create a more sustainable Arlington through its community energy plan. “A thoughtful, progressive energy plan will make Arlington more affordable in the future by providing different systems of providing energy to our homes and businesses,” Fisette said.
Broad-based task force
Task force members include residents, prominent members of the business community, major property owners, energy and technology industry experts, educational institutions, federal and state government officials, and regional authorities. The task force will hold its first meeting in January and will meet every two months until the plan is completed in early 2011. Three community energy town hall meetings will be held as part of the process.
A technical working group and advisors, composed of County staff, outside consultants, and a number of local subject-matter experts, will provide technical expertise and assistance to the task force on topics including climate science, community planning, clean energy technologies, and energy management and green buildings.
“Together, we will put in place a plan for Arlington to ensure that our community is healthy and sustainable for generations to come,” Fisette said.
Press contact: Diana Sun, 703-228-3247
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Arlington, Va., is a world-class residential, business and tourist location that was originally part of the "10 miles square" parcel of land surveyed in 1791 to be the Nation's Capital. It is the geographically smallest self-governing county in the United States, occupying slightly less than 26 square miles. Arlington maintains a rich variety of stable neighborhoods, quality schools and enlightened land use, and received the Environmental Protection Agency's highest award for "Smart Growth" in 2002. Home to some of the most influential organizations in the world - including the Pentagon - Arlington stands out as one of America's preeminent places to live, visit and do business.
