How Atlanta Plans to Achieve 100% Clean Energy
Atlanta is a city with a vision for a clean and sustainable future. In this article, we will explore how Atlanta is implementing its Clean Energy Plan, aiming to transition municipal operations to 100% clean energy by 2035 and achieving citywide clean energy by 2050. This ambitious initiative outlines various strategies and actions designed to reduce energy consumption, increase the use of renewable energy sources, and create a sustainable and equitable environment for all residents.
Atlanta’s Clean Energy Plan
Atlanta's Clean Energy Plan, adopted in 2017, aims to transition the city to 100% clean energy by 2035 for municipal operations and by 2050 citywide. This ambitious plan includes several strategies and actions to reduce energy consumption and increase the use of renewable energy sources.
Possible 100% Clean Energy Scenarios
The plan outlines three possible scenarios that outline estimated impacts from clean energy investment with no change(0%), a 50% investment in clean energy, and a 100% investment:
Business as Usual: This scenario assumes no action is taken to reduce energy consumption or increase renewable energy generation. Instead, it assumes that by 2035, when Atlanta’s consumption will be 8 million MWh, the city will pay for renewable energy credits for renewable power produced outside of the Georgia Power service area to achieve 100 percent clean energy for the community.
50% Local Clean Energy Potential: This scenario assumes that Atlanta will achieve half of the maximum amount of local clean energy available (energy efficiency and rooftop solar) given current regulations in 2018.
Maximizing Local Clean Energy Potential: This scenario assumes that Atlanta will take advantage of all possible local clean energy available (energy efficiency and rooftop solar) given current regulations in 2018.
Each scenario is evaluated for its impact on job creation, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), income, and cost-effectiveness. Understanding the investments and the returns to the community as a whole helps provide a clearer picture of the benefits and trade-offs associated with each approach.
Strategies for a Clean Energy Future
In general, the City of Atlanta has three approaches that can be taken to achieve the 100 percent clean energy community-wide target: use less energy, generate more clean energy, and buy renewable energy credits (RECs). These strategies are designed to be equitable, economically beneficial, and cost-effective. Here are some of these strategies outlined:
1. A living document
The city intends to review and adjust the strategy every three years to adapt to new technologies and changing circumstances. In addition, Atlanta aims to continually engage with the community to receive regular stakeholder input and shape the policy proposals over time.
2. Energy efficiency in municipal buildings
As per the Clean Energy Plan, the top 20 city-owned buildings consume over 80,000 MWh of electricity annually, accounting for 13% of the municipal total, with average electricity bills exceeding $250,000 per year. Since energy efficiency is the first-priority pathway to achieving 100 percent clean energy, these buildings are undergoing energy efficiency deep retrofits and renewable energy installations. For smaller city assets, which collectively use 30,000 MWh annually, a standardized or automated approach to energy savings will be needed to efficiently identify and implement cost-effective strategies, especially as new technologies emerge to address these challenges.
3. Electrification of Atlanta’s transportation fleet
The city plans to electrify its transportation fleet and advocates for electrification in public and private sectors. It will work with Georgia Power to expand access to charging stations and promote beneficial electrification in buildings. These measures aim to integrate renewables into the grid and support the transition to 100 percent clean energy.
4. Streetlight conversion program
Georgia Power's streetlight conversion program facilitated the conversion of over 50 percent of Atlanta's streetlights to LEDs in 2015 and 2016. However, 15,500 streetlights still need to be upgraded, presenting a significant opportunity for energy and cost savings. Converting the remaining streetlights could result in annual savings of around 10,500 MWh, with an extra 5,000 MWh of savings possible from retrofitting traffic signals with LED lights. The city also aims to share insights on outdoor lighting with the community, promoting successful transitions and potential large-scale purchasing opportunities with other Metro Atlanta governments.
5. Guaranteed energy savings performance contracts
A performance contract, specifically a Guaranteed Energy Savings Performance Contract (GESPC), is a type of agreement where an energy service company (ESCO) provides energy efficiency upgrades to a building or set of buildings. The key feature of this contract is that the cost of the improvements is paid for through the energy savings that result from the upgrades (Energy.gov). These contracts are being utilized to enhance energy and water efficiency in over 100 city-owned properties, such as government office buildings, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and water treatment facilities.
6. Renewable energy programs
The Solar Atlanta program is installing 1.3 megawatts of rooftop solar on up to 24 municipal buildings through a solar energy procurement agreement. This pioneering program represents one of the initial implementations of third-party financing for solar energy in Georgia.
7. Commercial energy efficiency programs
Atlanta spearheads commercial energy efficiency programs through the ABBC (Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge) and Commercial Buildings Energy & Water Efficiency Ordinance. The city is at the forefront of the Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Challenge Program, with over 114 million square feet of commercial buildings participating. The objective of this program is to reduce energy and water consumption in commercial buildings. These initiatives aim to improve building performance and identify opportunities for enhancement by addressing information barriers.
8. Water & wastewater treatment facilities
With 94% of its energy consumption occurring at five key sites, the City of Atlanta's Department of Watershed Management (DWM) is focusing on energy efficiency and clean energy production to meet the city's 2025 goal for municipal operations. Historical efforts include significant upgrades, like the 2014 Hemphill Water Treatment Plant improvements, which halved energy usage. Current initiatives feature large-scale energy-saving contracts with Schneider Electric and NORESCO, projected to save over 10,000 MWh annually. Additionally, DWM is implementing resource recovery projects, such as the RM Clayton Digester Improvements, to produce clean energy from methane, with an anticipated 30,000 MWh annual contribution by 2023.
Policy recommendations
Immediate adoption:
The following will be undertaken by the City within 90 days of adoption of the Plan:
Advisory Board: Atlanta will form an Advisory Board to provide guidance for the implementation of the Clean Energy Atlanta plan. This Board will consist of local and regional experts who will offer input on strategies, provide analytical and research support, and assist the city in evaluating and selecting initiatives for the plan.
Policy Options: The board will investigate short-term and long-term policy choices to encourage energy efficiency, the deployment of renewable energy, integration of electric vehicles, and water efficiency. These policies will prioritize equity, economic development, public health, and cost savings.
Short-term adoption:
The following policy options will be explored by the City between now and year-end 2020:
Energy Efficiency: The City plans to establish a task force to address split incentive barriers in rental housing and explore high-performance leasing. It will partner with Georgia Power and community stakeholders to educate residents on energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. It will also work on adjusting building energy codes and exploring policies to achieve energy savings in existing buildings. Additionally, the city endorses initiatives that lower costs, such as the Solarize Atlanta programs and PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) financing, to assist private and nonprofit property owners overcome financial obstacles related to clean energy.
Electric Vehicle Integration: The city will partner with Georgia Power and the private sector to expand EV charging infrastructure and develop an EV carshare program for low-income residents to improve access to zero-emission transportation.
Water Efficiency: The city is conducting water audits in commercial buildings larger than 25,000 square feet as part of the Commercial Buildings Water Audit Requirement to identify opportunities for improving water efficiency. Additionally, WERC (Water Efficient Restaurant Certificate) Program helps Atlanta restaurant owners reduce water usage and lower bills by installing and maintaining WaterSense toilets, urinals, and pre-rinse spray valves, fixing leaks, and training staff in water efficiency.
Renewable Energy Deployment: Some of the key policies include collaborating with Georgia Power to identify sites for solar development, generating clean energy at the RM Clayton Water Reclamation Center, implementing a pilot project for low-income communities, and promoting solar adoption through building code adjustments. In addition, the designed policies help with reviewing zoning codes for solar development opportunities, streamlining solar permitting processes, supporting community bulk-purchasing programs for solar installations, and working on replacing diesel generators with solar plus storage solutions for city projects.
Long-term adoption:
Beyond 2020. The following options will be explored in partnership with stakeholders in the coming years to assess suitability, feasibility, and cost-effectiveness. Some of the key policy options include:
Energy Efficiency
Expand Deep Energy Retrofits Effort for Municipal Buildings: Continuing to look for opportunities to cost-effectively reduce energy waste.
Round-it-up Energy Efficiency Program: partnering with Georgia Power to round up participant electricity bills to fund low-income energy efficiency initiatives.
Net-Zero Energy Code: investigating the possibility of implementing an energy code requiring buildings to produce as much energy as they consume.
Pay As You Save Program: collaborating with Georgia Power to enable homeowners to finance energy efficiency projects through monthly payments on their electricity bills.
Electric Vehicle Integration
Policy options include the ability to participate in a technology pilot for vehicle-grid integration to enhance grid reliability and capacity.
Renewable Energy Deployment
The City is advancing its renewable energy initiatives through several programs: an Equitable Community Solar Program to credit low-income energy bills with solar payments, Retail Net Metering allowing building owners to sell excess solar electricity back to utilities, and the expansion of Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems at wastewater treatment plants. Additionally, the City supports establishing a Green Tariff with Georgia Power for a special renewable electricity rate and is exploring options for bulk purchasing of locally-generated renewable energy credits.
Water Efficiency
DWM will evaluate incentivized high-efficiency toilet installations to reduce customer water bills and save DWM electricity costs from pumping and treating less water.
Energy Storage
The policy options on energy storage can help promote EV battery reuse for grid services and resilience, and establish partnerships to educate on the benefits of energy storage.
Impact of the Clean Energy Plan
The implementation of the Clean Energy Atlanta plan is expected to have significant positive impacts on the community:
Job Creation: The plan projects job creation in twelve different industries closely affiliated with clean energy.
Economic Growth: Investments in clean energy are expected to boost GDP and income levels.
Public Health: Reducing carbon emissions and increasing the use of clean energy will improve public health.
Cost-Effectiveness: The plan evaluates the net present value of all costs and benefits, ensuring that the community reaps maximum benefits from the investments.
By implementing these strategies, Atlanta is setting a strong foundation for achieving its 100% clean energy goals. The focus on equity, economic development, public health, and cost-effectiveness ensures that the benefits of the clean energy transition are shared by all members of the community.
How Joulea can help?
Joulea is uniquely positioned to support Atlanta in its ambitious journey toward 100% enhanced commercial building efficiency. By leveraging cutting-edge technology, Joulea provides advanced energy-forecasting tools and precise building diagnostics that enable building owners and managers to make informed decisions and maximize energy savings. With Joulea's AI-driven recommendations and tailored optimization plans, commercial buildings can achieve significant improvements in energy efficiency, aligning with the goals outlined in Atlanta's Clean Energy Plan.
As Atlanta continues to pioneer sustainable practices and reduce its carbon footprint, Joulea stands as a crucial partner, ensuring that the transition to clean energy is not only effective but also economically beneficial and equitable for the entire community. Visit www.joulea.com to learn more about Joulea’s efforts.