City of Montpelier - Sustainability
Introduction:
In an effort to deal proactively with energy consumption and global warming, Montpelier is exploring ways to become more sustainable as a City. These efforts have been recently bolstered by technical support from the New England Grassroots Environment Fund.
This web page is a work in progress, but it will be used as a place to show the City's ongoing work in this area. Citizen involvement is highly encouraged, and if you wish to attend an upcoming meeting or provide suggestions or help in any area, please contact us!
Montpelier Energy Task Force
Report on Montpelier Energy Town Meeting - March 5, 2007
One hundred and fifty Montpelier citizens turned out to start the City of Montpelier down a path of changing its energy future. Confronted by a combination of economic and environmental realities, the group arrived at an exciting list of possible actions to pursue. At least 12 teams will continue working to improve energy options, expand availability of alternative energy supplies and reduce the overall use of fossil fuels in the City. All of this occurred as the City of Montpelier held the first of what may be a series of “Town Meetings” on March 5.
Planning Commission Chair Ken Jones provided a brief context for the participants to consider. Ken showed that any climate change that we observe today is only going to increase significantly in the future. It is the responsibility of US citizens to reduce emissions to keep the future climate changes from being catastrophic. In order to slow the changes, American users, with Montpelier possibly taking the lead, need to reduce emissions by 80%. In the past ten years, Vermont has increased its annual expenditure on oil and gasoline by more than $500 million. Continuing increases in oil prices will only expand that drain on family and business economics. |
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The meeting participants formed small groups to consider what they can do to meet the energy challenge. The groups came up with more than 100 ideas for community action. These actions include the possibility of district heating, the expansion of biking and mass transit options, exploring the potential of new energy generation in Montpelier and expanding energy services to city businesses and residents.
The Montpelier Energy Team will be providing general support to each Action Team formed during the Town Meeting. Some of the actions will require funding, some will require city-wide communication and some will require action by City government.
Below are some of the action teams that were formed, and their respective projects and goals.
Team Name: BIKES
Point person(s): Carrie Baker Stahler 229-9409 / carrie@onionriver.com and Sarah Galbraith 229-5985 / sdgalbraith@yahoo.com
Team goal: Increase bike usage in Montpelier (double in two years) and reduce carbon emissions
Initial action steps: Collect and discuss info about existing bike programs. Need info on: Bicycle Friendly Communities Program (Becca has powerpoint presentation), SafeKids program (has money for bike infrastructure), info on results of first meeting of Free Ride Bike Co-op, any existing data on bike use in Montpelier
Next meeting: March 26, 2007
Team Name: COMPOST COMPADRES
Point person: Kate Clemente 229-9383 x302 / schoolcompost@cvswmd.com
Team goal: Set-up a community collection / promoting backyard compost
Initial action steps: To be determined.
Next meeting: To be determined.
Team Name: DISTRICT ENERGY
Point person: Rich Sedano, RapSedano@aol.com
Team goal: Deploy district energy in Montpelier
Initial action steps: Meet to do mission statement, evaluate state of fact sheet/business plan, hear from downtown prospective customers, longer term
mayor, T. Wallis
Next meeting: by email
Team Name: ENERGY COOPERATIVE
Point Person: Jon Budreski, jbudreski@solarworksinc.com
Team Goal: Establish a market for renewable products (i.e. B20) that are not widely available/accessible.
Initial Actions: Research B20 / Other Coops / Financing Options / Costs of Fuel Distribution / Invite Noatak (per Leigh).
Next Meeting: Thurs Mar 29th 530pm to 615pm at SolarWorks, 64 Main St., Montpelier
Team Name: GREEN BUILDING ORDINANCE /CODE / INCENTIVE GROUP
Point person: Jay White 793-1850 / jayrcwa@vermontel.net
Team goal: Research best practices, explore tax increase for vacant buildings, explore time of sale energy requirements
Initial action steps: To be determined.
Next meeting: April 12th, regular meeting to report back
Team Name: GREEN BUILDING RETROFIT
Point person: Ken Jones / kjones@gmied.org
Team goal: Reduce residential energy usage by 20%
Initial action steps: Develop educational clearinghouse for homeowner resources
Next meeting: April 2, 6pm, place TBA
Team Name: GREENEST CITY IN USA
Point person: Thesa Murray-Clasen 229-5917 / mtme@together.net
Team goal: Will make energy plan recommendation to Gwen's 18 month planning team (based upon town meeting notes)
Initial action steps: Synthesize tonight's notes, circulate to Greenest City in USA team for edits, forward final draft recommendation to Gwen for
planning committee review, Greenest City members will join planning committee effort
Next meeting: To be determined.
Team Name: LIGHTBULBS
Point person: Catherine Bowes 225-5985 / bowes@nwf.org
Team goal: Replace lightbulbs!
Initial action steps: See flipchart
Next meeting: will schedule via email
Team Name: LOCAL ENERGY GENERATION
Point person: Gwen 223-9506 / ghallsmith@montpelier-vt.org
Team goal: Make Montpelier energy self-sufficient
Initial action steps: Convene a set of informational meetings in neighborhoods around the city on topics such as micro-hydro, wind, solar, geothermal,
etc
Next meeting: Main Street Middle School Library, April 3, 7pm
Team Name: LOCAL FOOD
Point person: Johanna Miller, 223-2328 ext. 112 / jmiller@vnrc.org
Team goal: Increase production and consumption of locally grown food while at the same time decreasing the consumption of foods from far-off places.
Initial action steps: Sift through all the good brainstormed ideas from the Energy Summit and identify the 2-3 initial actions to take (and lead people to
organize etc).
Next meeting: An upcoming Monday evening at 6:00 p.m. at the Vermont Natural Resources Council's office (9 Bailey Avenue, Montpelier). Exact date to be determined via email.
Team Name: MONTPELIER TRANSPORTATION
Point person: Katie Joseph 774-272-3511 / kajoseph@vt.edu
Team goal: Transportation within Montpelier - improved traffic flows, transit center
Initial action steps: Prioritize, meet, establish goals, figure out who to connect with (planning committee, city council, etc)
Next meeting:
To be determined.
Team Name: REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION
Point person: Bill Finnegan 238-9355 / wmfinnegan@gmail.com
Team goal: More regional buses, incentives
Initial action steps: Organize meeting, figure out priorities, explore bus/train/other options
Next meeting: will schedule via email
Even with 150 energized citizens, accomplishing change in our energy future is going to be a lot of hard work for the Action Teams and the Montpelier Energy Team. If you are interested in learning more about the effort and joining in to make Montpelier a leader in addressing the problems of increasing use of fossil fuels, contact us.
District Heating Project:
For a number of years, the City of Montpelier and the State of Vermont have investigated
district heating as an option for Montpelier.
District energy systems use one or more central plants to provide thermal energy to multiple buildings. This approach replaces the need for individual, building-based boilers, furnaces, and cooling systems. In a district energy system, underground pipelines from the source of energy to each of the connected buildings distribute thermal energy - in the form of hot water, steam or chilled water. Energy is then extracted at the buildings and the water is brought back to the energy source, through return pipes, to be heated or cooled again.
Most of the buildings in the Montpelier Capitol Complex are currently heated by a district energy system, which transmits steam from the central boilers.
- A typical district energy system consists of three subsystems:
- • Thermal energy generation - the boilers where steam or hot water in the case of district heating, and chilled or cold water in the case of district cooling, are produced,
- • Thermal energy transmission and distribution (T&D) – the pipelines which deliver the thermal energy medium (steam or water) from the production sources to the network of users, and
- • Customer interface – the integration of thermal energy at the user's (customer's) location.
- Interest in district heating for the Montpelier community has been propelled by the desire to provide:
- • a reliable and affordable heating solution for City buildings;
- • an additional economic development tool for Montpelier’s downtown;
- • the security and economic benefits of increasing reliance on locally-harvested wood rather than fossil fuels;
- • and the environmental benefits of a professionally-managed central heating plant.
For more information on the Montpelier District Heating project, follow the link below:
- http://www.montpelier-vt.org/wip/districtheat/index.cfm
Three maps have been created illustrating the heating systems, fuel types and heating history in the downtown area. Follow the link below to download these maps:
- http://www.montpelier-vt.org/wip/districtheat/index.cfm
Ridesharing:
Find a carpool or vanpool that meets your commuting needs.
Below is a link to Green Mountain Transit Agency's Carpooling matchlist.
- http://www.gmtaride.org/main.php/Programs/CarpoolingMatchlist
Other carpooling websites:
Documents:
Draft revision to Montpelier Master Plan, Chapter 5, Transportation 26 pgs, 1,290KB,
For More Information, Contact:
Gwendolyn Hallsmith, Planning Director
City of Montpelier
Department of Planning and Community Development
39 Main Street, City Hall
Montpelier, VT 05602
Tel: 802-223-9506
E-mail: ghallsmith@montpelier-vt.org
Updated December 13, 2007 |
