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Energy / Denton, Texas: 2010 Smarter City - Energy

As a small city in a big state, Denton often struggles for priority in state and federal funding for environmental projects—but it also gets to reap the energy benefits of a large state that is known for its abundance of wind power. In fact, Denton has the distinction of being the city with the most wind power per capita in the country.
This, combined with a forward-thinking municipal utility, Denton Municipal Electric (DME), and city officials who are committed to earning the title “Greenest City in Texas” by 2019, has allowed Denton to stand out in a state that claims a lot of superlatives.

DME is committed to obtaining 40 percent of the energy it distributes from renewables and cleaner-energy sources. In addition to its clear advantage in wind power, the City of Denton began its first landfill gas to energy project in December 2008. It produces 1.6 megawatts of energy (or enough to provide electricity for up to 1,600 homes), which DME purchases from the city to distribute at no extra cost to customers.

But just because Denton is getting such a remarkable amount of its energy from renewables doesn’t mean it’s not conserving as well. Energy-efficiency programs run by DME include thermal imaging energy audits, GreenSense Renewable Energy Rate, GreenSense Energy Efficiency Rebate Program, a CFL lightbulb exchange program and Energy Efficiency Educational Tools for Teachers. See more information about these initiatives here.

Clearly, Denton is emerging as a model small city for its successful energy programs, and it has been cited as one of two cities in the “Texas REConnect” study funded by the Department of Environment’s “Million Solar Roofs” project.

With this reputation, Denton is also looking to be an attractive place for environmentally conscious businesses. Through partnerships with local businesses, DME is working to centrally locate distributed generation and combined heat and power plants in industrial areas and load pockets around the city in order to reduce transmission losses and grid congestion. This kind of innovation could make Denton known as a city that puts a high priority on energy efficiency.

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Comments

Though I'm from Denton County and lived in the City of Denton itself a number of years, I moved away long ago, so was unaware of the great progress it is making. My Sister and her family plus our Mother still live on the family ranch a few miles from Denton, and last time I visited two years ago one of them mentioned the landfill gas project, sert to go online a few months after I returned home elsewhere.

I suppose with two universities in the city, it's not particularly surprising that Denton would emerge as such a leader. Glad to hear it.

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