ProGov21 Policy Library

The Invisible Crisis: Water Unaffordability in the United States

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2016

Level City or Town, State, National

State(s) All States

Source Unitarian Universalist Service Committee

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Environment & Natural Resources, Health

A sizable portion of the US population lacks continuous access to safe sources of water, undermining their dignity, health, living standards, and even family rights. Service providers and governments at the local, state and national levels must take immediate steps to address the...

Basic Water Utility Management: A Guide for Local Leaders

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2019

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Mayors Innovation Project

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources

Part of a mayor’s job is to understand vital operations of a city, including water utilities and infrastructure. This report presents tools to help mayors understand their water systems and utilities better. In particular, it summarizes the elements of a successful water system, including...

2008 Tucson Ordinance 10597 Water Conservation

Type Ordinance

Year 2008

Level City or Town

State(s) Arizona

Source Tucson City Council

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

This ordinance requires all commercial development and site plans to include a rainwater harvesting plan, that includes a landscape water budget and an implementation plan. All new commercial developments shall also include a rainwater harvesting system constructed according to an...

Integrated Water Management

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2016

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Mayors Innovation Project

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Finance & Procurement

Cities can create a more resilient water system by transitioning to an integrated water management framework (IWM). By creating an IWM and developing a set of principles and the approaches that recognizes water as a resource, cities can manage all water as an asset, whatever form...

Paying For Water Systems

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2019

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Mayors Innovation Project

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Finance & Procurement

Many public water utilities struggle to pay for repairs and upgrades necessary to improve energy efficiency, reduce leaks, and prevent infiltration. This brief outlines existing mechanisms to raise these funds as well as promising new methods for public officials to consider. Some...

2009 New York City Local Law 88 Energy Efficient Utilities

Type Ordinance

Year 2009

Level City or Town

State(s) New York

Source New York City Council

Policy Areas Public Spaces, Energy

This ordinance requires lighting systems to be upgraded and sub-meters to be installed in certain covered buildings based on square footage. It also requires that each tenant or subtenant within a covered tenant space that has a sub-meter to measure electrical consumption shall be...

2020 Madison Ordinance 60943 Suspension of Stormwater Utility Late Charges

Type Ordinance

Year 2020

Level City or Town

State(s) Wisconsin

Source The Common Council of the City of Madison

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Environment & Natural Resources, Finance & Procurement

To help mitigate the financial impacts of the COVID-19 virus on businesses and residents of Madison, this resolution authorizes the Common Council to suspend stormwater utility late charges....

Hawaii Public Utilities Commission Performance Based Regulations

Type Act or Session Law

Year 2020

Level State

State(s) Hawaii

Source Hawaii Public Utilities Commission

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Energy

The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission has issued a decision and order adopting a comprehensive framework of utility regulations to align Hawaii electric companies’ financial interests with Hawaii’s clean energy goals and customer needs. The performance-based framework adopted by...

Helping Renters Save Through Shared Solar + Energy Efficiency

Type Fact Sheet or Infographic

Year 2018

Level City or Town

State(s) California

Source Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Energy, Housing, Public Safety

Solar hasn’t been available to everyone. The majority of Angelenos, who are renters, have been excluded from the solar market and resulting savings. LADWP historically has lacked renter oriented solar programs. These barriers have resulted in disparities in who has access to solar...

Water Loss Control in the Great Lakes States: A Utility Survey Report

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2012

Level City or Town, State

State(s) All States, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin

Source Center for Neighborhood Technology

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources

Unchecked water loss within water supply systems is a public concern: it wastes public money, hinders the economy, and risks long-term water scarcity. Previous studies and surveys about water loss demonstrate the long-held belief that maintaining robust water service infrastructure...

Empowering Consumers Through a Modern Electric Grid

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2009

Level State

State(s) Illinois

Source Center for Neighborhood Technology

Policy Areas Energy

This report focuses on growing and maintaining a "reliable, affordable and clean" electrical grid while overcoming the following challenges: environmental concerns, significant need for infrastructure investment, new uses of electricity, continued globalization, and increased energy...

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...

The City Upstream and Down: How Integrated Water Management Can Help Cities Thrive

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2016

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source American Rivers

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources

Current strategies of managing water are outdated and ineffective at addressing aging water systems and climate change. In response, this report urges cities to adopt integrated water management, an approach to managing water that encourages coordination between all water systems...

Feed-in Rates at Electric Utilities

Type Policy Brief or Report, Model Law

Year 2012

Level City or Town, County, City or Town, Other Boards and Agencies, Other Boards and Agencies

State(s) All States, Ohio

Source Policy Matters Ohio

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Energy

Key elements of feed-in rates and CLEAN contracts include cost-based, standardized contracts that are long term, which allows developers to secure project financing. Incentives for local ownership, hiring of local workers, and use of locally made products can help ensure that these...

Clean Power, Good Jobs: Realizing the Promise of Energy Efficiency in Los Angeles

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2012

Level City or Town

State(s) California

Source Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Energy

The Solar Incentive Program (SIP) is the most established rooftop solar program in the City of Los Angeles. It originated at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power in 2000 with a $150 million investment to incentivize the poliferation of rooftop solar in Los Angeles. With the...

Robbins Residential Drinking Water: Seeking Sustainable Solutions

Type Letter

Year 2019

Level City or Town

State(s) Illinois

Source Center for Neighborhood Technology

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Community Development

Identifying sustainable solutions for water distribution and lower water utility rates within the Village of Robbins, a primarily low-income and African-American community struggling with municipal debt. Nationally, and counterintuitively, per-gallon water bills in low-income communities...

2010 Seattle Ordinance 123226

Type Act or Session Law

Year 2010

Level City or Town

State(s) Washington

Source Seattle City Council

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

This bill requires owners of non-residential buildings of 10,000 square feet or larger and of residential buildings of five units or more to submit reports of their building's energy performance using the US Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star Portfolio Manager Tool. The...

2021 New York City Resolution 1359 Prohibiting Penalties and Interest

Type Ordinance

Year 2021

Level City or Town

State(s) New York

Source New York City Council

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Environment & Natural Resources, Finance & Procurement

The New York City Water Board is authorized to collect and enforce payment and service charges related to the city’s sewerage and water systems. This resolution calls on the New York City Water Board to not impose penalties or interest on water and sewer bills during the COVID-19...

2009 City of Gainesville Ordinance No. 0-08-88 Solar Energy

Type Ordinance

Year 2009

Level City or Town

State(s) Florida

Source Gainesville City Council

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Energy, Housing

This ordinance amends the Gainesville Code of Ordinances to add provisions for the purchase of solar generated energy through a standard offer contract for all classes and limits net metering distributed resource rates for general service and large power classes. This amendment adds...

Setting the Agenda: A Mayor’s Guide to Water Affordability

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2019

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source Mayors Innovation Project

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Environment & Natural Resources, Community Development

It is becoming more difficult for families to access clean and affordable water due to aging water infrastructure systems, climate change, and the rising cost of living. This report outlines best practices and innovative solutions mayors can adopt to ensure that residents have equitable...

Boulder Ordinance Imposing a Climate Action Plan Excise Tax

Type Ordinance

Year 2012

Level City or Town

State(s) Colorado

Source City of Boulder

Policy Areas Energy, Environment & Natural Resources, Finance & Procurement

This ordinance seeks to raise revenue to implement the City's Climate Action Plan, including incentives, services and other assistance to Boulder residents and businesses to improve energy efficiency, expand the use of renewable energy, and take other necessary steps toward reducing...

Pay While You Save Utility-Bill: Financing for Energy-Efficiency Improvements

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2012

Level City or Town, City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source Policy Matters Ohio

Policy Areas Environment & Natural Resources, Energy

There are numerous barriers to the energy efficiency market. On-bill financing programs, via the electric and/or gas utility bill, address some of the barriers and help make efficiency easy. Savings from efficiency measures offset the costs of improvements, so consumers pay while...

State Public Utility Commissions' Powers to Advance Energy Efficiency

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2012

Level State

State(s) All States

Source New York Law Journal

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance, Energy

Improving energy efficiency is widely acknowledged as the most economical way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the other adverse environmental impacts of fossil use. The United States lacks a comprehensive regulatory program for energy efficiency, although often overlooked are...

2019 San Francisco Ordinance 74-19 Benchmarking Energy Usage

Type Ordinance

Year 2019

Level City or Town, County

State(s) California

Source City and County of San Francisco

Policy Areas Data & Technology, Energy

The ordinance requires owners of certain residential and non-residential buildings to track and report their energy usage to San Francisco's Department of the Environment. In turn, the Department of the Environment will make this data available to the public. ...

2008 San Francisco Ordinance 080406 Preventing Excess Energy Consumption in Commercial Buildings

Type Ordinance

Year 2008

Level City or Town, County

State(s) California

Source City and County of San Francisco

Policy Areas Energy, Environment & Natural Resources

This ordinance requires commercial building owners to turn off non-essential lighting between 11 PM and 6 AM to reduce energy consumption and promote sustainability. Non-essential lighting includes lighting used for advertising or aesthetic purposes. Building owners must post signs...

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