wattsmart Communities Bolster’s County Planning Efforts and Green Ribbon Commission Members Needed to Help Execute Plan Strategies

Summit County, Utah  (October 29, 2018) — Through a collaborative effort with Rocky Mountain Power and Summit Community Power Works, Summit County adopted a Community Energy Plan on September 19, 2018. This adoption launches a sprint of activities to make progress toward ambitious community energy and greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals. The Summit County Sustainability Department is leading the effort and is seeking volunteers to be part of a Green Ribbon Commission that will guide activities and support energy reduction and renewable energy strategies.

Summit County government established energy and greenhouse gas emissions reductions goals in its 2015 Climate Action Plan and set even more ambitious goals in 2017. These goals include achieving an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in county operations by 2040 and county-wide by 2050. County operations are set to be 100% renewable energy by 2032 with renewable energy made available and widely adopted county-wide by that same date.

The current sprint will focus on small to large commercial energy users as well as HOAs and neighborhoods, leveraging initiatives, such as the Summit Community Power Works Challenge (http://www.scpw.org/) and Recycle Utah’s business program, to encouraging specific efficiency and sustainability actions. Strategies will focus on increasing participation in energy efficiency and renewable energy programs by communicating benefits and available utility resources, recognizing successful activities in the community, showcasing high-performing businesses and neighborhoods, hosting community competitions, and more.

wattsmart Communities was launched by Rocky Mountain Power as a facilitated, data-driven planning process that empowers communities to plan for and achieve community energy goals. To learn more, visit the website.

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If you are interested in being part of the commission or learning how you can help support this important work in other ways, contact Lisa Yoder, Sustainability Program Manager for Summit County at 435-333-1536 or lyoder@summitcounty.org.