HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011/12/13 Item 07- c~TY couNC~~
A AGENDA STATEMENT
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,< .:. ~ ~~ CITY OF
CHULAVlSTA
12/13/11, Item 7
ITEM TITLE: RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
CHULA VISTA ACCEPTING THE 20/10.. GREENHOUSE GAS
EMISSIONS INVENTORY REPORT ~~i
SUBMITTED BY: DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS
ASSISTANT DIREC R OF ENG ~"
v
REVIEWED BY: CITY MANAGER
'~ANAGER GJ'~
4/STHS VOTE: YES ~ NO ~X
SUMMARY
As part of Chula Vista's climate protection program, staff has completed a greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions inventory for 2010 to track emission levels and to inform policy
decisions. The 2010 GHG Emissions Inventory indicates that annual citywide GHG
levels have increased by 33% compared to 1990 levels. Per capita emission levels in
Chula Vista are approximately 24% below 1990 levels, but have increased 1% since last
inventory year mainly due to transportation sources. GHG emissions from municipal
sources (i.e. operations, facilities, and vehicle fleet) in 2010 were lower than 1990 and
2009 levels, approximately 53% and 11% respectively. Over the next year, the City of
Chula Vista will continue to implement the City Council-approved Climate Action Plan
to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and will be reevaluating expected 2020
emissions levels as related to the City's GHG emissions reduction goal.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The Director of Development Services has reviewed the proposed activity for compliance
with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA} and has determined that
the activity qualifies for a Class 6 categorical exemption pursuant to Section 15306
(Information Collection) of the State CEQA Guidelines because the proposed actions
calls for the acceptance of a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Report leading to an
action(s) that the City has not yet implemented. Thus, no further environmental review is
necessary.
RECOMMENDATION
Council adopt the resolution.
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12/13/11, Item 7
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BOARDS/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION
The Resource Conservation Commission reviewed the 2010 GHG Emissions Inventory
Report at their November 8t" meeting and unanimously recommended that City Council
accept the report.
DISCUSSION
Chula Vista has historically been a regional and national leader in climate protection
policies and programs designed to reduce greenhouse gas or "carbon" emissions. The
City has participated in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change,
ICLEI Cities for Climate Protection Campaign, and the Conference of Mayor's Climate
Protection Agreement. In addition, Chula Vista has reported 2008, 2009, and 2010
municipal emissions to The Climate Registry, which is North America's premier
voluntary greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting system designed to archive participants' early
actions to reduce GHG emissions. Through this past involvement, the City has
committed itself to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions 20% below 1990 levels.
The 2010 GHG Emissions Inventory indicates that Chula Vista's annual citywide GHG
levels are 969,596 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MT CO2e). Compared to
base year 1990, Chula Vista's citywide GHG emissions have increased by 33%.
Compared to last year's report (inventory year 2009), citywide GHG emissions have
increased by 2%. Per capita emissions in 2010 were approximately 24% below 1990
levels, but were 1% higher than the previous inventory year. GHG emissions from
municipal sources (i.e. operations, facilities, and vehicle fleet) in 2010 were also lower
than 1990 and 2009 levels, approximately 53% and 11% respectively.
Similar to inventory year 2009, there was a reduction in citywide energy consumption in
2010 due most likely to the global economic downturn (approximately 1% decrease from
2009). In addition, SDG&E's percentage of grid-supplied renewable energy continues to
increase, further contributing to lower energy-related emissions. Conversely, community
transportation activity has continued increasing each year with the 2010 vehicle miles
traveled (VMT) projected to be about 6% higher than 2009 (causing a 5% GHG
increase). In order to reach the community emissions reduction commitment of 20%
below the base year 1990, the City will have to reduce its GHG emissions by more than
387,960 MT COZe.
The City of Chula Vista will continue to implement the City Council-approved Climate
Action Plan to address the threat of climate change to the local community. The Climate
Action Plan, which originally was adopted by City Council in 2000, was updated in 2008
to include 7 additional climate "mitigation" measures designed to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions by improving energy and water efficiency, expanding renewable energy
systems, converting to more fuel efficient and alternative fuel vehicles, and designing
transit-friendly, walkable communities. In 2011, these measures were complemented by
11 new climate "adaptation" strategies designed to reduce Chula Vista's vulnerability to
expected local climate change impacts such as hotter and drier weather, diminished
imported water supplies, more poor air quality/heat wave days, more frequent wildfires,
shifts in habitat and species distribution, and increased rates of sea level rise. Some of
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12/13/11, Item 7
Page 3 of 3
these climate adaptation strategies -specifically strategies #1 (cool paving), #2 (shade
trees), #3 (cool roofs), #4 (water reuse), and #5 (storm water pollution prevention and
reuse) -will also likely contribute to reducing community-wide GHG emissions through
energy and water efficiency benefits as they begin to be implemented over the next three
years.
City staff will also be working over the next 6 months to perform a "gap" analysis of its
Climate Action Plan. This quantitative exercise involves forecasting community
emissions in 2020 and calculating the GHG emission reductions resulting from planned
local, regional, state, and federal climate action measures. In the end, the analysis will
allow staff to determine if there is a "gap" between expected 2020 emissions levels and
the City's GHG emissions reduction goal. As part of this effort, the City will also
reevaluate its original emissions reduction goal (to reduce emissions 20% below 1990
levels) to determine if it needs to be updated, accordingly.
DECISION MAKER CONFLICT
Staff has reviewed the decision contemplated by this action and has determined that it is
not site specific and consequently the 500 foot rule found in California Code of
Regulations section 18704.2(a}(1) is not applicable to this decision.
CURRENT YEAR FISCAL IMPACT
The development and verification of the 2010 GHG Emissions Inventory is supported
through existin departmental budgets and external funding sources such as the SDG&E
Local Government Partnership and the Climate Registry/SDG&E Cool Planet Program,
thus there is no new General Fund impact.
ONGOING FISCAL IMPACT
There are no ongoing fiscal impacts associated with the 2010 GHG Emissions Inventory.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - 2010 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
Prepared by: Brendan Reed, Environmental Resource Manager, Public Works' Conservation Section
H: (PUBLIC WORKSIAGENDAICAS2011112-13-1112010 GHG Emissions Inventory_CAS_DRAFT.doc
7-3
~`~/,~
ciTV o~
CHUtA VISTA
Arrac~nenrr A
2010 GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS INVENTORY
Brendan Reed
Cory Downs
Nicole Salem
SUMMARY
As part of Chula Vista's climate protection program and its commitment to reduce greenhouse
gas (GHG) or "carbon" emissions 20% below 1990 levels, the Department of Public Works'
Conservation Section performs emissions inventories to identify GHG sources and to help guide
policy decisions. The 2010 GHG Emissions Inventory is the City's latest evaluation of its
progress in reaching its emissions goals and builds upon past inventory efforts for 1990, 2005,
2008 and 2009. The 2010 inventory utilizes the Local Government Operations Protocol
(version' 1.1) which is sponsored by ICLEI, the California Climate Action Registry, The Climate
Registry, and the California Air Resource Board.
The 2010 inventory indicates that Chula Vista's annual citywide GHG levels are 969,596 metric
tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MT COZe). Compared to base year 1990, Chula Vista's
citywide GHG emissions have increased by 33%. Compared to last year's report (inventory year
2009), citywide GHG emissions have increased by 2%. However, 2010 per capita emissions are
approximately 24% below 19901evels. GHG emissions from municipal sources (i.e. operations,
facilities, and vehicle fleet) in 2010 were also lower than 1990 and 2009 levels, approximately
53% and 11% respectively.
Similar to inventory year 2009, there was a reduction in citywide energy consumption in 2010
due most likely to the global economic downturn (approximately 1°,!o decrease from 2009). In
addition, SDG&E's percentage of grid-supplied renewable energy continues to increase, further
contributing to lower energy-related emissions. Conversely, community transportation activity
has continued increasing each year with the 2010 vehicle miles traveled (VMT) projected to be
about 6% higher than 2009 (causing a 5% GHG increase). In order to reach the community
emissions reduction commitment of 20% below the base year 1990, the City will have to reduce
its GHG emissions by more than 387,960 MT COZe.
INTRODUCTION
Chula Vista has historically been a regional and national leader in climate protection policies and
programs designed to reduce greenhouse gas or "carbon" emissions. The City has participated in
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, ICLEI Cities for Climate
Protection Campaign, and the Conference of Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement. In
addition, Chula Vista has reported 2008, 2009, and 2010 municipal emissions to The Climate
Registry, which is North America's premier voluntary greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting system
designed to archive participants' early actions to reduce GHG emissions. Through this past
City of Chula Vista
2010 GHG Emissions Inventory
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involvement, the City has committed itself to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions 20% below
1990 levels by 2010 based on awidely-adopted international target. It should be noted that the
international community has since revised the reduction target date to 2012.
The City of Chula Vista's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory for calendar year 2010 was
compiled and calculated using the Local Government Operations Protocol version 1.1 (LGOP
vl.l) and ICLEI's Clean Air & Climate Protection 2009 software (Version 2.2.1). The LGOP is
sponsored by ICLEI, the California Climate Action Registry, The Climate Registry, and the
California Air Resources Board and allows local governments to better estimate their annual
greenhouse gas emissions from municipal-operated sources. The software also calculates the
emissions from major community sources in order to help further shape local climate change
policy and goals. The most recent emission coefficients specific to California and/or the San
Diego region were used in all quantifications. As such, past years' (2008 and 2009) emission
levels were recalculated because new emission coefficient data was available, thus providing a
more accurate comparison between inventory years.
As stated above, the 2010 GHG Emissions Inventory separates emissions into two major
analyses: community and municipal. The community analysis represents the quantity of GHG
emissions produced throughout the entire City from both public and private sectors. The
municipal analysis only represents emissions from City facilities and operations. In both
analyses, the protocol evaluates emissions from three main parameters -energy consumption,
transportation, and waste. It is important to clarify that these data parameters are based solely on
"end use" or net results. For example, the City's emissions from electricity are calculated based
on the total kilowatts used, not the kilowatts saved in City-sponsored efficiency programs.
Although there are six greenhouse gasses outlined in the Kyoto Protocol; carbon dioxide (COZ),
methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and
sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), the inventory calculates emissions based on COZ equivalent or COZe
which allows emissions of different strengths to be added together. For example, one metric ton
of methane is equivalent to 21 metric tons (MT) of carbon dioxide in global warming potential
(or COZe).
In addition to outlining its 2010 inventory results in this report, the City has formally submitted
its municipal inventory to The Climate Registry (TCR) for public review and vetting. The
Climate Registry is a more robust greenhouse gas accounting procedure requiring third-party
verification. Participation in TCR complements the City's other climate protection efforts by
documenting GHG emissions as it relates to Assembly Bill 32's (California Global Warming
Solutions Act of 2006) statewide reduction targets and prepares the City for potential carbon
trading opportunities in the future. The City of Chula Vista is the only local city in San Diego
County to successfully report its GHG emissions through The Climate Registry. The City of
Chula Vista is also the only local city in San Diego County to participate in San Diego Gas &
Electric's Cool Planet Program, which reimburses the City's costs for preparing and verifying its
GHG emissions inventory. The City is eligible to participate in the Cool Planet Program because
of its aggressive energy efficiency retrofit efforts on its municipal facilities. It should be noted
that the total municipal emissions reported in this inventory report differ from the total emissions
submitted to TCR due to its slightly different carbon accounting methodology.
City of Chula Vista 2 of 11
2010 GHG Emissions Inventory
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RESULTS
With technical assistance from ICLEI, City staff collected "activity data" from a number of
municipal and external sources, including CalTrans, SDG&E, CalRecycle, the Chula Vista
Recreation Department, and the Public Works Department (Table 1). In most cases, the data
sources were able to provide aggregated empirical data for calendar year 2010. However, for
community transportation levels it was necessary to forecast 2010 data using a 3-year rolling
average. According to the CalTrans' Highway Performance Monitoring Systems (HPMS), there
was an average increase of 5.5% in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) per year from 2007 to 2009.
Due to the fact that 2010 data has not been published yet, this 5.5% average increase is used to
estimate the VMT for 2010. This number will be updated in future inventory reports as more
accurate data becomes available.
.. . .-
-Metered electricity & natural gas use
Community SDG&E -Local power generation plants excluded
'
from Industrial Sector
s natural gas totals in -SDG&E-specific electricity emission
order to avoid double counting emissions coefficients (COZ)
electricit
emission coefficients
CA
Energy y
average
-
- Metered electricity & natural gas use (CH, & N20)
-Fuel shipment invoices -Default natural gas emission coefficients
Municipal SDG&E
. -Energy consumption was categorized by
buildings, outdoor lighting, and wastewater
- Annual VMT data {excluding freeways)
Community CalTrans was derived from average daily VMT values
for Chula Vista -Default fuel emission coefficients
& vehicle classes
D
fa
lt occ
anc
Transportation e
u
up
y
-
Public (community analysis only)
Municipal Works _ Fuel consumption totals include transit and
Dept. equipment use
- Solid waste disposal data for Chula Vista
Community CIWMB residents and businesses at all California
landfills -Default fugitive methane (CH4) emission
Waste estimates (based on EPA WARM Model)
Allied -Solid waste disposal data includes trash -Methane capture rates at Otay Landfill
Municipal Waste hauled by Allied Waste Services and by City
Services staff
Recreation -Default fugitive carbon dioxide (COZ)
Other Municipal Dept. _ pH canisters' shipment invoices emissions coefficients
Table 1: Data sources and emission factors used for community and municipal emissions analyses.
Default emission coefficients and related assumptions were generally used for transportation and
waste analyses. For energy analyses, staff included Utility-specific electricity coefficients for
C02 emissions. If these coefficients were not available for a particular inventory year (or prior
year), the California Grid Average electricity emission coefficients were used. All inventories
used the California Grid Average electricity coefficients for CH4 and NZO emissions for the
particular year (or most recently available year}. This approach is consistent with the Local
Government Operations Protocol and preferred by the California Air Resources Board, The
Climate Registry, and ICLEI for GHG reporting.
City of Chula Vista 3 of 11
2010 GHG Emissions Inventory
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Community Inventory
In 2010, community GHG emissions from Chula Vista totaled 969,596 MT COZe (Table 2,
Figure 1). The sector with the greatest amount of emissions (more than 50% of total community
emissions) was transportation or mobile sources. The residential sector was the second highest
source producing a quarter (26%) of total community emissions from energy use, followed by
the commercial (19%) and industrial (3%) sectors. Because of the high methane recovery rates
at County landfills, the community did not have significant emissions from solid waste disposal.
Compared to 2009 emission levels, 2010 total emissions from citywide sources have increased
by 2%. Emissions from the energy sector have decreased by 2% since 2009. The decrease
between the two inventory years was due to reductions in overall energy use with emissions from
residential, commercial, and industrial energy use decreasing by 8,128 MT COZe cumulatively.
Transportation-based emissions are estimated to have increased 5% or 23,993 MT COZe since
calendar year 2009.
2010 Community Emis sion s Sou rces
1,000,000 ..,._. _ _ _ _______ __. _ __ _--- ---_ .-Y.~- -_ ___ __ -,
000 i
i
900,
N i
c 800,000 ~
700,000
d
~ 600,000
~ - - - --
'
y 500,000
,
~
w
400,000
°~ ^Solid Waste
O
V
000
_ 300, ^Industrial
~ ' ^Commercial
~ 200,000
Q ^Residential
100,000 oTransportation
0
1990 2005 2008 2009 2010
Reporting Year
Figure 1: Total GHG emissions from community sources (by sector) in 1990, 2005, 2008,
2009, and 2010. Emissions from the solid waste sector were non-significant (<1 MT COze)
and are not graphed. Dashed line represents carbon reduction commitment.
When comparing Chula Vista's 2010 citywide GHG emissions to baseline year 1990 levels,
2010 emissions increased by approximately 33% (Figure 1). The City's residential energy
emissions increased approximately 28%, while the commercial energy sector increased
emissions by more than 100%, when compared to the baseline year. The industrial sector
City of Chula Vista 4 of 11
2010 GHG Emissions Inventory
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Table 2: Community Analysis - 1990, 2005, 2008-2010 Inventory Years
1990
2005
2008
2009
2010 Change
(2010 vs.
1990) % Change
(2010 vs.
2009)
Population 135,136 217,543 231,305 235,006 237,595 76% 1°'a
Housing Units 49,849 73,115 77,452 77,787 78,244 57%
Land Area (Acres) 18,558 33,024 33,024 33,042 33,042 78% _ ..
Annual Vehicle Miles Traveled
(VMT) asssoo,ooo ssa,ssa,aoo ~27,~otsoo ata,2z7,aoo ass,aa2,too 85% ~"'~
Residential 2,438,280 3,416,724 3,641,904 3,531,753 3,614,601 48%
Energy Use Commercial 767,716 2,305,220 2,557,321 2,514,921 2,430,856 217% . ~~
(MMBtu)
Industrial
1,342,551
485,504
388,748
390,358
343,868
-74% _
~
12'-.
Total 4,548,547 6,207,448 6,587,973 6,437,032 6,389,325 40% -1""
Solid Waste (Tons) 179,986 217,881 174,583 188,733 159,623 -11 % 15<;
•
Change % Change
1990 2005 2008 2009 2010 (2010 vs. {2010 vs.
1990) 2009)
Per Capita 5.4 3.7 4.0 4.1 4.1 -24% 1
Per Housing Unit 14.6 10.9 11.9 12.3 12.4 -15% 1 ;%
Per Acre 39.2 24.2 28.0 28.9 29.3 -25%
Transportation (MTCOZe)
335,435
412,306
428,684
477,484
501,477 i
50% i°'o
Residential 197,115 207,533 259,140 248,817 251,902 26% 1°'°
Commercial 71,363 146,245 199,904 192,781 165,698 160% a':
Energy Use
(MTCOZe)
Industrial 123,128 32,013 35,812 34,649 30,519 -75% -1
Total 391,606 385,791 494,856 476,247 468,119 20% . ,~
Solid Waste (MTCOZe) 0 0 0 D 0 0% ?"o-
Total GHG Emissions 727,041 798,097 923,540 953,731 969,596 33% 2°'0
(MTCOZe)
20%GHG Reduction Goal 581,632
Reductions Needed To Reach
387,963
Goal
* All GHG emissions are reported in COz Equivalent (COZe) which allows emissions of different strengths to be added together.
For example, one metric ton of methane emissions is equivalent to 21 metric tons of carbon dioxide (or C02e) in global warming
potential.
City of Chula Vista 5 of ll
2010 GHG Emissions Inventory
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decreased its emissions by 92,609 MT COZe (75%) between the two inventory years. This
decrease was most likely due to more accurate energy tracking in recent years (see page 9).
Emissions from transportation activity were about 50% greater in 2010 compared to 1990.
Similar to past inventories, emissions from Chula Vista solid waste disposal at County landfills
continued to remain insignificant in 2010.
Community & Municipal Indicators
40.0 _ - - --- - - --- - - - --- - --- -
35.0 -
N .-,
p ~ 30.0
N O -
•~ v 25.0
L \ T-
W
d ~ 20.0
O ~~
U ~ 15.0
tv ~
c ~ 10.0
c 4.
a
5.0
0.0
PerCapita Per Housing Unit Per Acre PerEmployee
ca 1990 ^ 2005 ~ 2008 ^ 2009 a 2010
Figure 2: Per capita, household, acre, and City employee contributions to GHG emissions in
1990, 2005, 2008, 2009, and 2010.
Although there was an increase in total community emissions from 1990 to 2010, the amount of
GHG emissions per person, per household, and per acre decreased (Figure 1). The per capita
emissions rate decreased 24% from 5.4 to 4.1 MT C02e annually, per household emissions
decreased 15% from 14.6 to 12.4 MT, and per acre emissions decreased 25% from 39.2 to 29.3
MT COZe. Nonetheless, in order to achieve the City's 2010 GHG reduction target, annual
community emissions would be required to be redlzced by at least an additional 387,963 MT
COZe annually.
Municipal Inventory
Chula Vista's 2010 municipal GHG emissions were 13,776 MT C02e (Table 3, Figure 3). The
majority of emissions came from the City's vehicle fleet which accounted for 48% of total
emissions. Buildings accounted for 33%, external lighting (traffic control signals and street
lights) accounted for 19%, and wastewater pumping was <1 % of total emissions. This followed
a similar trend set by the community inventory in which transportation accounted for nearly half
of total emissions followed closely by building energy usage.
City of Chula Vista 6 of 11
2010 GHG Emissions Inventory
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Table 3: Municipal Analysis -1990, 2005, 2008-2010 Inventory Years
Change % Change
1990 2005 2008 2009 2010 (zoio vs. (zata vs.
tssol 2oosl
Employees 866 1,198 989 979 960 11 % 2'>i,
Vehicle Fleet Fuel Use 478,344 1,102,823 923,364 947,109 815,442 70% 14"~,
(Gallons or Equivalent)
Buildings 35,527 70,790 65,439 63,709 58,084 63% -9 :0
External Lights 147,100 27,780 30,422 28,297 27,086 -82% x-95
Energy Use
{MMBtu)
Sewage 7,122 257 480 216 218 -97% 1
Total 189,749 98,827 96,341 92,222 85,388 -55% -'i,
Solid Waste (Tons) 5,400 6,603 7,331 8,269 7,373 37% 11 °rb
•
% Change % Change
1990 2005 2008 2009 2010 (2otovs. (2olovs.
tssol 2oos>
Per Employee 34.2 13.3 16.4 15.9 14.3 -58% 1 u9s
Vehicle Fleet 4655 9282 7801 7848 6617 42% -t6%
Buildings 3728 4576 5330 4956 4531 22% -9%
External Lights 20260 2032 3004 2723 2607 -87% -4"~
Energy Use
Sewage 981 19 47 21 21 -98% 0%
Total 24969 6627 8381 7700 7159 -71% -7°0
Solid Waste 0 0 0 0 0 -- --
TotaIGHGEmissions 29,624 15,908 16,182 15,548 13,776 -53% -11'x5'`'
20% GHG Reduction Goal 23,699
Reductions Needed To Reach Goal 0 *Goal Obtained
* All GHG emissions are reported in COZ Equivalent (COZe) which allows emissions of different strengths to be added together. For
example, one metric ton of methane emissions is equivalent to 21 metric tons of carbon dioxide (or C02e) in global warming
potential.
City of Chula Vista 7 of 11
2010 GHG Emissions Inventory
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Compared to 2009 emission levels, total municipal emissions in 2010 have decreased by 11 % or
1,772 MT COZe. This reduction is significantly more then the reduction from 2008 to 2009
(2009 reported 7% decrease in total municipal emissions). The largest decrease in 2010 came
from the vehicle fleet sector which decreased by 16% or 1,231 MT COze. Buildings decreased
by 9% and external lighting decreased by 4% (or 425 and 116 MT COZe, respectively). Sewage
pumping experienced no significant change in emissions from last year, since no changes were
made to the system.
000
30 _ ..._..,.... -_ -..___._~~_.___~._____~._..~--- __. _______.._._3
~
,
m
>
i
c
25,000 {
~ _ _ _
N
~ I
~
U
~
20,000
N I ^Solid Waste
C
~
i
oSewage
w ~ oExt
Li
hts
15,000 g
.
m
~
•Buildings
N
c '
-
` c3Vehicle Fleet
10,000
•
N
fp
W
5,000
e
Q -t '~
0
1990 2005 2008 2009 2010
Inventory Year
Figure 3: Total GHG emissions from municipal sources (by sector) in 1990, 2005,
2008, 2009, and 2010. Emissions from the solid waste sector were non-significant (<1
MT COze). Dashed line represents carbon reduction commitment.
When compared to 1990 levels, GHG emissions from municipal operations decreased by 15,848
MT COZe (53%} and emission levels per City employee (full-time equivalent) decreased 58%
(Table 3). These reductions were mainly a result of decreased consumption of electricity from
the external lighting sector, which includes streetlights and traffic signals. Due to energy-
efficiency retrofit efforts over the past 20 years, the external lighting sector was able to decrease
its emissions by 17,653 MT COZe (87% decrease). Sewage sector emissions also decreased by
98% resulting in only 21 MT COZe being produced in 2010. However, this reduction is most
likely due to differences in how pump station energy meters were segregated out of the dataset
between the two inventory years. The municipal building sector increased its emissions 22% or
803 MT COZe since 1990 as new buildings and facilities have been constructed and expanded.
Likewise, the municipal fleet sector, which includes Chula Vista Transit, increased its emissions
by 1,962 MT COze which is 42% higher than 1990. Similar to past inventories, emissions from
municipal solid waste disposal at County landfills continued to be insignificant in 2010.
City of Chula Vista 8 of 11
2010 GHG Emissions Inventory
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DISCUSSION
Municipal Emissions
As evident by the 2010 reporting statistics, the City of Chula Vista has continued to lower its
GHG emissions associated with municipal operations. Overall municipal energy consumption
has been considerably reduced since 1990. The major cause of the emissions decrease was the
installation of LED traffic signals in the mid-1990s. Although building energy consumption has
increased since the traffic signal retrofits, building energy use has decreased over the past 2
inventory years. This trend is mainly due to construction and renovation of numerous municipal
administrative buildings, recreation centers, and fire stations between 2000 and 2008 and, more
recently, completion of Municipal Energy Upgrade Projects (Phase A) in 2010 that included
energy-saving improvements to the Police Headquarters and Civic Center Library's HVAC
systems, installation of energy efficient lighting at the Public Works Corp Yard, South Chula
Vista Library, and Parkway Recreation Center, and installation of a condensing boiler and solar
hot water system at the Loma Verde Recreation Center. In total, the thirty-four Phase A retrofit
projects generated annual energy savings of over 1.2 million kWh and 49,000 therms.
Emissions from the municipal vehicle fleet have also decreased 16% between the two recent
inventory years, mainly due to fuel usage reductions of approximately 70,000 gallons. In
addition, the City constructed a 12,000-gallon biodiesel tank at the Public Works Corp Yard in
late 2010 allowing approximately 125 heavy-duty vehicles to switch to the low carbon fuel
source. Also, contracted transit vehicles operated by Chula Vista Transit completed a 100%
transition to alternative fuel sources, which has helped them reduce emissions from operating
their fleet in Chula Vista.
ELECTRICITY EMISSION COEFFICIENTS
1,400 - ___ _ _ _ __~__~___.. ~_ __~__~.__._ _. ~r____ _ _
1,ZOO ®Utility Specific Coefficients
N (SDG&E/GARB)
~
-~
... 1,000 .~ ~°~~
~
~ 800 ~
~
m I
600
U 400
c 200
0
•
N
0
~~ 1990 2005 2007 2008 2009
w (2010)
~ Inventory Year
U
Figure 4: Carbon Dioxide (COz) emission coefficients from delivered grid electricity
in 1990, 2005, 2008, and 2009.
City of Chula Vista 9 of 11
2010 GHG Emissions Inventory
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Community Emissions
Although the City has had significant success in lowering GHG emissions from municipal
operations, reducing community-wide GHG emissions has been a challenge. GHG emissions
from total community energy use are 20% higher since 1990; however, emissions are down 2%
since 2009. The decrease over the last two inventory years can be attributed to lower energy use
in the commercial and industrial sector. Additionally, the carbon "intensity" of SDG&E grid-
delivered electricity is slightly lower (Figure 4) causing overall GHG emissions from electricity
use to decrease. It is also important to note that a portion of the recent reductions maybe caused
by a local economic downturn (from more vacant building space, reduced hours of operation,
etc.) and maybe reversed as the economy rebounds in the future.
The City also continues to address the energy use of existing commercial and residential
buildings through the Free Resource & Energy Business Evaluation (FREBE} and Home
Upgrade, Carbon Downgrade (HUCD) programs, respectively. Nearly 2,500 businesses have
participated in the FREBE program since its inception and approximately 63% of surveyed
participants have implemented at least one of the City's recommendations for lowering their
energy use and monthly utility costs. Likewise, over $250,000 in appliance rebates and home
retrofit incentives have been provided to Chula Vista residents through the HUCD program to
help lower their home energy use. To complement these existing building efficiency programs,
the City has successfully been implementing its Green Building Standard, which has resulted in
over 268 new residential and commercial units exceeding California energy efficiency
requirements by 15-20%.
The transportation sector is clearly the main factor driving the higher community-wide GHG
emissions with annual VMT increasing 85% since 1990. Since 2010 transportation data was not
available, emissions had to be extrapolated from VMT data from the three most recent years.
Upon availability of new 2010 data, these emission estimates may be revised. Because of the
historic and continued VMT growth, transportation represents the highest priority sector for
managing Chula Vista's community-wide GHG emissions. While it is difficult to reduce
transportation-related emissions due to long-standing land use form and commuting patterns,
there are regional, state, and federal programs that are beginning to actively target this sector (see
the Next Steps section for more info). Likewise, the City continues to integrate "smart growth"
design principles into its development review and approval process that may further help Chula
Vista address these emissions.
NEXT STEPS
The City of Chula Vista will continue to implement the City Council-approved Climate Action
Plan to address the threat of climate change to the local community. The Climate Action Plan,
which originally was adopted by City Council in 2000, was updated in 2008 to include 7
additional climate "mitigation" measures designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by
improving energy and water efficiency, expanding renewable energy systems, converting to more
fuel efficient and alternative fuel vehicles, and designing transit-friendly, walkable communities.
In 2011, these measures were complemented by 11 new climate "adaptation" strategies designed
to reduce Chula Vista's vulnerability to expected local climate change impacts such as hotter and
drier weather, diminished imported water supplies, more poor air quality/heat wave days, more
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frequent wildfires, shifts in habitat and species distribution, and increased rates of sea level rise.
Some of these climate adaptation strategies -specifically strategies #1 (cool paving), #2 (shade
trees), #3 (cool roofs), #4 (water reuse), and #5 (storm water pollution prevention and reuse} -
will also likely contribute to reducing community-wide GHG emissions through energy and water
efficiency benefits as they begin to be implemented over the next three years. To continue to
address municipal emissions, the City is currently completing its Municipal Energy Upgrade
Projects (Phase B), which includes additional HVAC improvements at the Public Works Corp
Yard, retrofitting over 4,000 streetlights with LED technologies, and installing almost 500 kW of
solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on 11 municipal facilities. These new systems are estimated to
help the City save over $100,000 in annual electricity costs and prevent the emission of nearly
500,000 pounds of CO2.
The City of Chula Vista's carbon reducing efforts will be complemented by a variety of regional,
state, and federal initiatives over the next decade. At the regional level, SANDAG has recently
approved its Regional Transportation Plan, which includes a Sustainable Communities Strategy
for reducing GHG emissions from passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks. This is the first
formal effort under Senate Bi11375 to link land use planning choices with regional transportation
planning performed by SANDAG and other metropolitan planning agencies for climate
mitigation purposes. At the state level, transportation emissions will also begin to be addressed
through the Low-Carbon Fuel Standard that seeks to reduce fuel carbon intensity by at least 10%
by 2020. San Diego Gas & Electric and other Investor Owned Utilities will now be required to
provide at least 33% of their energy portfolio from renewable sources by 2020, which will
greatly contribute to statewide and local GHG emission reductions from the energy sector.
Finally, the federal government recently increased fuel efficiency standards for passenger and
light-duty trucks to fleet-wide averages of 35 MPG by 2016. This nationwide standard was
spurred by California's Assembly Bill 1493 (Pavley} that pushed for higher efficiency standards
for vehicles in California.
To better understand the impact of these local, regional, state, and federal initiatives on the City's
carbon reduction goals, staff will be working over the next 6 months to perform a "gap" analysis.
This quantitative exercise involves forecasting community emissions in 2020 and calculating the
GHG emission reductions resulting from planned local, regional, state, and federal climate action
measures. In the end, the analysis will allow staff to determine if there is a "gap" between
expected 2020 emissions levels and the City's GHG emissions reduction goal. As part of this
effort, the City will also reevaluate its original emissions reduction goal (to reduce emissions
20% below 1990 levels) to determine if it needs to be updated, accordingly. Based on results
from other municipal governments, who have undergone a similar exercise, the City may also
consider shifting its baseline year to 2005 to be consistent with Assembly Bill 32 (the California
Global Warming Solutions Act) and other state guidelines. Finally, in an effort to broaden the
scope of information provided as a part of its GHG emission inventories, the City will begin to
incorporate a more detailed analysis related to materials management, which will better track
emission reductions from Chula Vista recycling and composting efforts.
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RESOLUTION NO.2011-
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF CHULA VISTA ACCEPTING THE 2010
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS INVENTORY
REPORT
WHEREAS, Chula Vista has historically been a regional and national leader in
climate protection policies and programs designed to reduce greenhouse gas or "carbon"
emissions; and
WHEREAS, as part of Chula Vista's climate protection program, staff has
completed a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory for 2010 to track emission levels
and to inform policy decisions; and
WHEREAS, the 2010 GHG Emissions Inventory indicates that annual citywide
GHG levels have increased by 33% compared to 1990 levels, but per capita emission
levels in Chula Vista are approximately 24% below 1990 levels; and
WHEREAS, GHG emissions from municipal sources (i.e. operations, facilities,
and vehicle fleet) in-2010 were lower than 1990 and 2009 levels, approximately 53% and
11 % respectively; and
WHEREAS, the City of Chula Vista will continue over the next year to
implement the City Council-approved Climate Action Plan to help reduce greenhouse gas
emissions and will be reevaluating expected 2020 emissions levels as related to the City's
GHG emissions reduction goal.
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Chula Vista does hereby
resolve that it accepts the 2010 GHG Emissions Inventory.
Presented by Approved as to form by
Richard A. Hopkins
Director of Public Works
'',.~ i
Glen .Goo
Cit Attorney
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