One of the more innovative cities in our state, which models several public issue successes… captures a new award.
An excerpt.
S.D. gets a green star from EPA
By Mike LeeUNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
July 14, 2006
San Diego leaders yesterday celebrated the city's ranking as the top local government in the nation when it comes to using electricity generated by environmentally friendly methods.
Standing next to a small hydropower facility at the foot of the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant, Mayor Jerry Sanders and Councilwoman Donna Frye said the city needed more achievements like this one.
“This is an exciting day for the city of San Diego and some rare good news for a clean environment and the city's bottom line,” Frye said.
The city's wastewater department has saved about $16 million in the past three years by generating its own “green power” instead of buying it from San Diego Gas & Electric, city officials said.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency uses “green power” to designate sources of electricity that are renewable and have low environmental impacts. These sources include wind, biomass, the sun, steam and some hydropower plants.
Since 2003, the agency has ranked San Diego as one of its top 25 “green power” partners nationwide. This broad list includes businesses, universities, military branches and federal agencies.
San Diego officials said the EPA told them this week that it had published new lists highlighting the leaders in each sector.
The Austin Independent School District in Texas, the Montgomery County Wind Buyers Group in Maryland, the New York State Municipal Wind Buyers Group and the East Bay Municipal Utility District in Oakland followed San Diego on the agency's local-government category.
