Title
Reaffirming Saint Paul's commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and pledging to meet Compact of Mayors Milestones.
Body
WHEREAS, the Saint Paul City Council and Mayor Chris Coleman are dedicated to making Saint Paul one of the most sustainable cities in the United States and to protecting our city’s air, water, and urban landscape; and
WHEREAS, Mayor Chris Coleman signed the U.S. Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement in 2006 and has prioritized during his administration, and the City of Saint Paul has a history of, reducing energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, advancing clean and renewable energy, increasing energy efficiency and green development, increasing use of clean and fuel efficiency of municipal fleet vehicles and working to create a sustainable transportation system and solid waste options; and
WHEREAS, in 2003 and in partnership with the City, District Energy St. Paul reduced GHG emissions by more than 106,000 metric tons annually through the development of local biomass-fired combined heat and power servicing 80 percent of downtown buildings; and
WHEREAS, in 2008, with the City’s support, Xcel Energy converted 250 megawatt (MW) coal-burning power plant to a 570 MW gas-fired combined-cycle plant reducing over 90 percent of particulates, nitrous oxide and sulfur dioxide, 100 percent of mercury emissions, and 415,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul received $2,767,000 of one-time funding in 2009 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and, working with Xcel Energy and Center for Energy and Environment, utilized $850,000 and leveraged $346,000 Xcel Energy rebates to complete 110 energy-efficiency projects in 60 facilities reducing the city’s energy use by nearly 30 percent and 4,977,997 pounds of CO2 emissions; and
WHEREAS, the Saint Paul Energy Smart Homes program coordinated by the Neighborhood Energy Connection, used $550,000 of ARRA funds and $4...
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