Articles / Smarter Cities’ 2010 Municipal Energy Survey

This survey was sent to 655 cities, drawn from a database of all United States municipalities with populations greater than 50,000 available on the U.S Conference of Mayor's website.

Smarter Cities’ 2010 Municipal Energy Survey
 
Thank you for participating in NRDC Smarter Cities' 2010 Municipal Energy survey. The results from this survey will help NRDC's Smarter Cities project evaluate cities across the country on their use of energy from renewable sources and progress in improving energy efficiency. The survey consists of 20 questions, which can be answered in approximately 15 minutes. If you would like more information at any point about this survey, please email us at smartercities@nrdc.org. You may skip any questions you are not able to answer.
 
City:
State:
Respondent:
Job Title:
Email address:
Telephone:
 
What is the name of the utility company or companies that provide power to your city?
 
What is your city's annual aggregate electricity consumption (in kWh)?
 
What percentage of this power comes from the EPA-defined green power sources listed below?
% Solar:
% Wind:
% Geothermal:
% Biogas:
% Small or Low-Impact Hydro:
 
What policies are in place to encourage clean distributed generation or decentralized low impact power generation (for example: photovoltaic-powered parking meters or combined heat and power plants)?
 
Has the state legislated a target for reducing energy consumption? If so, by what amount by when?
 
Has the city completed a greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory?
 
If the city has completed a GHG inventory, please indicate the quantity of GHGs (tons/capita) produced annually.
 
Has the city legislated a target for reducing energy consumption? If so, by what amount by when?
 
Does the city have policies in place to assist in achieving these targets?
 
If yes, please provide links.
 
What policies does the city have to encourage conservation of electricity among residents, businesses and city agencies?
(Mark those that apply with “yes”)
Density Bonuses:
Rebate Program:
Tax Abatement:
Mandates:
Direct Investment:
Public Information Campaigns:
Other:
 
Please provide appropriate links to supporting information for the incentives indicated above.
 
Does the city have policies in place to encourage utilities to provide residents and businesses any of the following types of services?
(Please mark any that apply with “yes”)
Energy Audits:
Weatherization:
Energy Efficiency Upgrades for Low/Fixed-Income Residents:
Other:
 
Please provide appropriate links to supporting information on these efforts.
 
Does the city have a process in place for measuring progress against energy goals (for example: tracking energy consumption by department or per building)?  Please be specific and provide links wherever possible.
 
What education programs are in place to make known the city's energy efficiency goals and to encourage participation on the part of residents, businesses and city agencies in the programs it offers?
 
Has energy consumption in your city decreased in the last 5 years?
 
If yes, by how much?
 
Has the city developed innovative energy programs that you wish to highlight? Please provide links when possible.