Title
Supporting an application for the Energy Futures Grant.
Body
WHEREAS, the Saint Paul City Council, in recognition of the urgent need to address climate change, adopted the Climate Action and Resilience Plan (CARP) in 2019, committing to reducing citywide emissions by 20% by 2030 and achieving net-zero status by 2050; and
WHEREAS, the City Council declared a climate emergency in 2022, acknowledging the critical need for immediate and decisive action to combat climate change; and
WHEREAS, the CARP includes the goal of reducing the energy cost burden on Saint Paul households, with the objective that no household will spend more than 4% of its income on energy costs within 10 years; and
WHEREAS, data from 2015 to 2020 shows that the median energy burden in Saint Paul averaged 2.2%, but approximately 42,000 households, primarily in ten census tracts, bear an energy burden of 4% or higher, impacting their financial stability and overall well-being; and
WHEREAS, reducing energy burden for all Saint Paul households to below 4% through energy efficiency measures, such as weatherization and solar, could save 13.5 million kWh of electricity and 1.3 million therms of natural gas annually, resulting in an average aggregate annual cost savings of $2.4 million; and
WHEREAS, lowering the energy burden is not only a practical measure to save energy and money but also promotes social equity, ensuring that basic energy needs are affordable for everyone regardless of income level; and
WHEREAS, high energy costs can exacerbate poverty, making it challenging for individuals and families to afford essential needs, such as food, education, and healthcare, thereby perpetuating the cycle of poverty; and
WHEREAS, affordable energy solutions often align with renewable and sustainable sources, providing an opportunity to transition toward cleaner energy technologies, thereby mitigating climate change and reducing the overall environmental impact of home energy us...
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