ProGov21 Policy Library

Lean, Energy-Efficient Buildings: Seven Principles

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2021

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source The Project For Lean Urbanism

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Energy, Community Development, Housing

The built environment accounts for approximately half the energy use and carbon footprint of the United States. Lean Buildings reduce energy flows by tapping basic natural heating and cooling techniques and renewable energy sources in ways that are region-specific and climate-sensitive....

Building Energy Performance Standards Policy Considerations

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year -

Level City or Town, State

State(s) All States

Source Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships

Policy Areas Data & Technology, Energy

Building energy performance standards, or BEPS, are policies which require building owners to meet certain energy targets in order to reach city-wide emissions goals and to disclose their building data publicly. Before developing these standards, it is critical to have quality data,...

A Guide for Public-Sector Resilience Bond Sponsorship

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2017

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Re:Focus Partners

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Community Development

Governments are typically “insurers of last resort.” When disaster strikes, vulnerable communities turn to government agencies for support and recovery assistance. More recently, as the frequency and severity of different types of disasters have grown, the gap between insured losses...

Actionable Solutions for Public Water Systems

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2019

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source Mayors Innovation Project

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Health, Finance & Procurement, Data & Technology

Cities face a host of challenges in maintaining their water systems and supplying their communities with clean drinking water, and protecting environmental and human health through effective wastewater and stormwater management. This report is is a comprehensive guide outlining best...

2009 New York City Local Law 84 Benchmarking Energy and Water Usage

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2009

Level City or Town

State(s) New York

Source New York City Council

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Energy

This local law establishes the New York City building energy benchmarking program. Each city-owned building and covered building shall be benchmarked annually. Such information shall be made available to the public, including summary statistics on the energy utilization index, water...

2015 Energy Benchmarking Report: San Francisco Municipal Buildings

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2016

Level City or Town

State(s) California

Source San Francisco Water Power Sewer

Policy Areas Energy, Community Development, Public Spaces, Environment & Natural Resources

This fifth annual report details the energy performance of 468 San Francisco municipal facilities encompassing nearly 49 million square feet of building area during calendar year 2015. San Francisco began to benchmark its properties in 2011, when the San Francisco Existing Commercial...

2012 Seattle Ordinance 123993 Benchmarking Energy Efficiency

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2012

Level City or Town

State(s) Washington

Source Seattle City Council

Policy Areas Energy, Housing

This ordinance requires building owners to measure, report, and disclose their buildings' energy efficiency performance ratings....

2004 Matanuska-Susitna Borough Ordinance 04-175 Regulating Use of Coal Bed Methane

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2004

Level County

State(s) Alaska

Source Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources

This ordinance establishes an areawide conditional use permit for coal bed methane exploration and development. An entity that wants to install and operate coal bed methane facilities must have its permit application approved. This ordinance outlines the permit application process...

Montpelier Home Energy Information Ordinance & Vermont Home Energy Profile

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2021

Level City or Town

State(s) Vermont

Source Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships

Policy Areas Energy, Environment & Natural Resources, Housing

Montpelier's Home Energy Information Ordinance requires sellers in the City to provide a Vermont Home Energy Profile (VHEP) label when listing a home for sale. The label is intended to provide key home energy insights for residents, potential home buyers, sellers, real estate professionals,...

Green Zones

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2019

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source Sustainable Development Code

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Health, Housing, Public Spaces

Green zones are special districts created by a local government to drive sustainable economic development, reduce pollution, and promote healthy lifestyles. This memo recommends granting priority permits for green zones and encouraging community involvement in their development. It...

Staying Green: Strategies to Improve Operations and Maintenance of Green Infrastructure in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2016

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source American Rivers

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources

Polluted stormwater runoff is one of the largest growing sources of pollution in the Chesapeake Bay. To mitigate this problem, green infrastructure practices can be used to manage urban runoff by capturing and infiltrating rainwater where it falls. One of the major challenges to the...

2012 Minneapolis Ordinance Benchmarking Energy and Water Usage

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2012

Level City or Town

State(s) Minnesota

Source Minneapolis City Council

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Public Spaces, Energy

This ordinance establishes the Minneapolis building energy benchmarking program. It requires each city-owned building and covered building to be benchmarked for the previous calendar year. Such information shall be made available to the public, including summary statistics on the...

Model Green Building Ordinance For Municipalities Open for Comment

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2010

Level Other Boards and Agencies

State(s) All States

Source New York Law Journal

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance, Energy, Housing

In 2009, the residential and commercial building sector was responsible for more than 50 percent of total annual U.S. energy consumption, 74 percent of total U.S. electricity consumption, and 39 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. There has been a growing movement to encourage...

Demanding Better Energy Information: Cities address market failure for energy upgrades

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2012

Level City or Town, City or Town

State(s) Ohio

Source Policy Matters Ohio

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Economic Justice, Energy, Democracy & Governance

This report emphasizes the importance of providing better energy information to renters, buyers, owners, and operators of buildings. By arming them with this information, they can make more informed choices, differentiate between properties, and determine whether energy upgrades are...

Energy Savings Performance Contracting

Type Fact Sheet or Infographic

Year 2011

Level City or Town

State(s) All States, Wyoming

Source U.S. Department Of Energy

Policy Areas Energy, Community Development, Public Spaces, Environment & Natural Resources

U.S. Department of Energy fact sheet guide to Energy Savings Performance Contracting for governments....

Zero Waste in Action: Community Case Study #3

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2018

Level City or Town

State(s) Colorado

Source Eco-Cycle Solutions Hub

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Community Development

In 2006, Boulder’s City Council passed a Zero Waste ordinance and committed to a waste diversion rate of 85% by 2025. Upon adopting curbside recycling and composting programs, in 2014, the city of Boulder saw a significant increase in the amount of waste diverted from landfills. Despite...

Public Water Energy Efficiency

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2014

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Journal of Science Policy & Governance

Policy Areas Energy, Community Development, Public Spaces, Environment & Natural Resources

There is significant potential for gains in energy efficiency (EE) in the U.S. water sector that, if realized, would support the security of water supply for its various uses at a lower cost over the long run than business as usual. This paper specifically examines the potential benefits...

Local Technical Assistance Toolkit: Lead by Example

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2011

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy

Policy Areas Energy, Public Spaces, Environment & Natural Resources, Economic Justice, Democracy & Governance

This toolkit outlines how local governments can implement "lead by example" programs that reduce energy consumption and emissions, foster markets for sustainable products, encourage green building standards, and promote economic development. It provides a guide for developing facility...

A Short Guide to Setting Up a City-Scale Retrofit Program

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2009

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Center on Wisconsin Strategy, Green for All

Policy Areas Energy, Environment & Natural Resources

This policy brief explains how local governments can design and implement retrofitting and/or renovation programs that make homes more energy efficient. It also presents strategies for capturing financial savings from retrofits, creating high-quality green jobs, and ensuring that...

2021 New York City Local Law Int. No. 2478 Office of Climate Resiliency

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2021

Level City or Town

State(s) New York

Source New York City Council

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources

This local law would establish an Office of Climate Resiliency, headed by a Director of Climate Resiliency. The Director would be responsible for developing policies and programs relating to climate resiliency measures in the City, educating the public about such climate resiliency...

2007 Gaithersburg Ordinance O-14-07 Green Residential Building Code

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2007

Level City or Town

State(s) Maryland

Source Gaithersburg City Council

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Housing, Energy

This ordinance requires new residential building construction projects and building addition projects to meet energy performance standards related to cooling equipment, heating equipment, duct work, windows, water heaters, and lighting. It also requires homeowners to be given an...

Net Zero/Fossil Fuel Free Buildings

Type Fact Sheet or Infographic

Year 2022

Level City or Town, County, State

State(s) All States

Source Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships

Policy Areas Energy, Environment & Natural Resources, Housing

This fact sheet refutes common misconceptions surrounding net zero/fossil fuel free buildings. In particular, it highlights how the creation of net zero/fossil fuel free buildings will spur economic development; lower construction costs over time; offer reliable power; and serve all...

2020 San Francisco Ordinance 190972 Mandating All Electric Energy Sources In Future Capital Projects

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2020

Level City or Town

State(s) California

Source San Francisco Board of Supervisors

Policy Areas Energy, Environment & Natural Resources

This ordinance prohibits the installation of propane or natural gas-based plumbing or equipment when constructing or renovating municipal buildings. Instead, these buildings should shift to an all-electric system, meaning they use a permanent source of electricity as the source of...

A Survey of Energy Use in Water Companies

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2015

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy

Policy Areas Energy, Community Development, Public Spaces, Environment & Natural Resources

The relationship between water and energy is a close one. Water requires a tremendous amount of energy to move from a reservoir or well, through the treatment process, and out into a distribution system. In addition, energy is required to process wastewater and recycle or discharge...

Austin Energy Conservation Audit and Disclosure Ordinance

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2008

Level City or Town

State(s) Texas

Source City of Austin

Policy Areas Energy, Community Development, Public Spaces, Environment & Natural Resources

This ordinance requires commercial building owners to benchmark and report their energy use rating by June 1st each year. The ordinance applies to commercial buildings 10,000 square foot or larger that are located within Austin City limits and receive electricity from Austin Energy....

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