HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 9929 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 9929
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council September 13, 2016
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*a SUBJECT: SUSTAINABLE ENERGY PROGRAM UPDATE
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The purpose of this Informal Report is to update the Mayor and Council members about the City
of Fort Worth's sustainability efforts managed by the Utility Administration Section within the
Department of Property Management. These efforts focus on the best management practice of
utilities necessary to operate and maintain municipal facilities:
• Supply-side management initiatives to obtain utility costs at the lowest possible rate;
• Demand-side management initiatives to reduce utility consumption and cost;
• Tracking and State reporting City efforts to reduce electrical consumption by a least five-
percent each year over a ten-year period (2011-2021), as required by Texas law; and
• Collection and public reporting utility data; electricity-, natural gas-, and water-usage and
their aggregate cost, as required by State law.
In addition, the City participates in community-focused initiatives as part of the Better Buildings
Challenge (BBC.) Established in 2012 through a Community Partner Agreement (CSC 43252) with
the United States Department of Energy (DOE), the Fort Worth BBC is a public-private partnership
committed to its local buildings becoming 20-percent more energy-efficient by the year 2020.
Municipal-focused Initiatives
Critical to the implementation of the City's sustainable energy program is the implementation of
effective supply-side- and demand-side-management practices. The plan for fiscal year 2017 is
to expand on these efforts.
Supply-side management focuses on initiatives to obtain City facility energy and water utilities at
the lowest cost. Particular attention is to the City's $20-million annual electricity budget and
management of its Retail Electric Provider (REP) contract which expires in June of 2021 .
Consideration is being given to additional REP services in improving City spend management and
as well to the management of other utility service providers to City facilities, in particular the two
electric cooperatives, and those utilities providing natural gas and water services.
Demand-side management seeks to responsibly reduce utility consumption, thereby reducing the
pressure on City budget increases. The emphasis is on the analysis of City facility energy and
water consumption in order to identify opportunities to reduce costs while also improving facility
conditions and local environmental air quality.
Staff continues to facilitate development of efficiency-based sustainability efforts that build upon
projects proven cost-effective through regular performance reporting. Implemented facility
improvements include those to lighting-, air conditioning-, water-systems, electrical- and water
utility-services, as well as the installation of renewable energy systems.
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 9929
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council September 13, 2016
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The City's $69-million investment to date is on track to meet Council's 10-year simple payback
threshold for such projects. Performance reporting through 2015 indicates that there is a $5.9-
million positive variance against contractor utility cost avoidance guarantees.
Utility Administration continues to collaborate with City departments in evaluating potential
measures that will help reduce energy and water consumption and cost. Potential projects under
development include:
• Water's improvements to their reclamation and production facilities;
• Transportation & Public Works' conversion of existing streetlights to LED-technology;
• Property Management's further improvements to existing building systems; and
• Park & Recreation's expanded use of LED-technology for outdoor lighting.
Staff continues to leverage available assistance from the DOE and State Energy Conservation
Office (SECO) as well as that from other public agencies and private organizations. The interest
is to ensure that projects implemented assist the City in achieving its stated energy conservation
goal for compliance with State legislative action — a goal to improve air quality by reducing power
plant emissions, thereby helping Texas meet federal Clean Air Act standards.
Community-focused Initiatives
Initiatives
The Fort Worth BBC is the public extension of City conservation efforts to improve facilities owned
and operated by the City. City departmental participation is by Property Management as one of
17-partners committing their facilities to a 20-percent efficiency improvement goal by 2020, and
by Water as one of 12-allies assisting partners in achieving their goals. The local partner
commitment continues to grow and is now over 20 million-square feet of building area.
Now representing nine market sectors, local partners and allies operate as a collaborative
network to share relative challenges and successes associated with implementing cost-effective
conservation projects. The DOE program current year's report indicates that the Fort Worth
BBC's community partnership is on track to achieve its goal with a reported 17-percent
improvement in energy efficiency of partner buildings over the period 2009 through 2015.
Questions regarding this City programming should be directed to Steve Cooke, Director, Property
Management Department, at 817.392.5134.
David Cooke
City Manager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS