Energy
Energy and its cost, availability and security are closely tied to the prosperity of a city. The city of Richmond and the Richmond
community are taking steps to increase the city’s energy resilience by reducing overall energy consumption through conservation and
increased efficiency and increasing the use of renewable energy.
Methods used aim to engage the broader community, leverage economic competitive advantage, and respect social equity.
Goal
Enhance Richmond’s energy resilience
Objectives
- Reduce energy consumption in city government operations
- Lower building energy consumption citywide
- Increase the use of alternative energy sources
How are we doing?
Objectives
Government Operations
Reduce energy consumption in city government operations
Initiatives
Adopt a green fleet policy
Adopt a policy that increases use of alternative/electric vehicles in city fleet
Enter into a performance contract for all city buildings
Hire a contractor to bear the upfront capital costs of efficiency improvements
Adopt an energy efficiency procurement policy
Ensure purchases are made with energy efficiency in mind
Adopt an energy efficiency policy or Operations & Maintenance (O&M) standards for all city buildings
Create policy that promotes standards and guidelines for increased efficiency and reduced energy consumption in city buildings
Energy Consumption of Buildings
Lower building energy consumption citywide
Initiatives
Establish tax breaks for energy efficiency
Tax breaks for building owners based on implementation of energy saving measures
Establish a residential weatherization program
Promote community weatherization of buildings through a new program
Establish a fund to assist businesses with energy efficiency improvements
Set up a revolving loan fund to finance the cost of business-related energy efficiency upgrades
Alternative Energy Sources
Increase the use of alternative energy sources
Initiatives
Provide low-interest loans for renewable energy projects
Provide easy financing for renewable energy installations that meet certain standards
Lower permit fees for alternative energy installations
Lower permit fees for renewable energy projects and installations
Promote electric vehicle use and charging stations
Encourage electric vehicle use and incorporate renewable energy at charging stations
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