The Sustainability Council leadership consists of a chair, two vice chairs, and PTI’s sustainability staff member.

Read more    11-10-2008

The Sustainability Council offers a combination of experience, skills, and expertise to help local governments:

Read more    06-01-2006

PTI Staff Contact: Ronda Mosley, 937-667-4142.

April 20-21, 2010, at the Brown Palace, Denver, CO

The U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE), the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), and the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) are pleased to invite you to the Summer Energy Outlook Conference and a special, intensive Workshop on Energy Data and Assurance Planning.

Read more    03-10-2010

Wednesday, March 17, 2010, 1:00-2:30 PM ET

An ENERGY STAR Energy Management Networking Web Conference

Geothermal heating and cooling systems offer significant energy savings over conventional systems. By harnessing the constant temperature of the earth, geothermal systems can use 25 to 50% less electricity than conventional systems. This translates to lower energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

Read more    03-10-2010

The National Hydrogen Association (NHA) will hold the 21st annual NHA Hydrogen Conference & Expo this year in Long Beach, CA, May 3–6, 2010 at the Long Beach Convention Center.

The NHA Hydrogen Conference & Expo, themed green energy, green jobs, green planet, is the largest hydrogen conference in the U.S. and the longest running annual hydrogen energy conference in the world.

Learn more and register for the 2010 NHA Hydrogen Conference & Expo at this link, or call the National Hydrogen Association at 202-223-5547.

02-22-2010     Send a link     Topics:  Coming Webinars & Events  Sustainability     Print version

PTI Staff Contact: Ronda Mosley, 937-667-4142.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced today the 43 cities and towns across the country that will receive grant funding to develop or expand local energy assurance plans that will improve electricity reliability and energy security in these communities.

These emergency preparedness plans, funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in a competitive process that total over $8 million in grants, will help ensure local governments can recover and restore power quickly following any energy supply disruptions.

PTI is working closely with DOE to provide technical assistance as part of this Local Government Energy Assurance Planning (LEAP) program.

Read more    02-19-2010

PTI Staff Contact: Ronda Mosley, 937-667-4142

PTI Surveys Member Governments on Tools to Manage Sustainability Efforts

Energy efficiency remains the primary driver for local government sustainability efforts. While many tools are available to local governments and there is much progress to report, local government officials believe that more can be done in this area. This is one finding from the Public Technology Institute (PTI) member survey Sustainability-Related Tools and Practices.

Read more    12-03-2009

PTI presented this webinar on October 27, 2009.

Driving Change, the world’s first vehicular greenhouse gas (GHG) management and reduction solution, was successfully piloted by the City and County of Denver in 2008. Participants in the program decreased engine idling and improved other driving behaviors that resulted in lower fuel consumption and reduced GHG emissions and fuel costs.

Presenter: Michele Hincks, Vice President, Enviance, Inc.

View this webinar

10-28-2009     Send a link     Topics:  Past Webinars & Events  Driving Change  Sustainability  Transportation     Print version

Driving Change FAQ    Denver Case Study    PTI Staff Contact: Ronda Mosley, 937-667-4142.

WASHINGTON, D.C., and CARLSBAD, Calif. (October 13, 2009) — Public Technology Institute (PTI), a national, non-profit technology research organization, and Enviance, a proven provider of software solutions to help organizations manage and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) and other regulatory risks, today announced a strategic partnership through which PTI will promote the adoption of the Enviance Driving Change® vehicular greenhouse gas management system in cities and counties across the United States.

Read more    10-13-2009

PTI Staff Contact: Ronda Mosley, 937-667-4142

PTI Driving Change FAQ     Denver Case Study [PDF]

1) Why should I join this pilot? What are the benefits to my jurisdiction (reduced emissions, cost savings, meeting federal law reporting requirements)?

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), about 20 percent of total U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) are from passenger vehicles (cars and light trucks).

Driving Change calculates a vehicle’s CO2 emissions and correlates those emissions to driving behaviors.

Read more    10-09-2009

PTI presented this webinar on July 16, 2009.

This webinar concerned the long-term benefits and near-term realities of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.

Presenters: Jim Zoellick, Senior Research Engineer and Peter Lehman, Director, Schatz Energy Research Center, Arcata, CA

Download this video now [57 MB WMV]   Download this presentation now [PDF]

07-16-2009     Send a link     Topics:  Past Webinars & Events  Sustainability     Print version

A soft-cover full-color edition of the PTI publication Local Government Energy Assurance Guidelines is now available for $33.49 on Amazon.com at this link.

The publication helps city and county officials to address energy assurance and security concerns for mission-critical government facilities.

"Protecting and enhancing the resiliency of the energy sector from natural and human-caused disasters requires local governments to be vigilant and aware of the interdependencies of the system," said PTI executive director Alan Shark.

Read more    06-15-2009

To help local officials in California successfully develop and implement sustainability plans, Public Technology Institute (PTI) and the California Sustainability Alliance conducted a survey of California cities to determine their needs for sustainability benchmarking tools.

Read more    06-12-2009

The U.S. EPA has released the Rapid Deployment Energy Efficiency (RDEE) Toolkit Implementation Guide - Phase I.

The Implementation Guide provides states and local governments with the information that they need to prepare and implement RDEE programs, both individually and as part of a portfolio of programs. It is being released in two phases.

Read more    05-20-2009

On May 12, 2009, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE) and Public Technology Institute (PTI) co-hosted the Local Government Energy Assurance Workshop and Tabletop Exercise in San Diego, California.

Since local governments are on the front line of emergency response, understanding their roles and how they interact with state and federal government is paramount to effective energy emergency response and recovery.

Read more    05-13-2009

PTI Staff Contact: Ronda Mosley, 937-667-4142

How PTI Helps Local Governments Secure Federal Funding

The Energy and Environment Community Block Grant (EECBG) program of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) provides $3.2 billion in federal funding for cities and counties to reduce total energy use and improve energy efficiency nationwide.

You’ve heard about it in the news, and you know there are funds available to cities and counties just like yours. But how do you get them?

Read more    04-15-2009

Here is additional material from the PTI Sustainability Council call with the Department of Energy regarding the EECBG program, on Tuesday, March 31, 2009.

Johanna Zetterberg from the Department of Energy (DOE) made the following important points:

Members: Read more    03-31-2009

Here’s a recap of the Energy and Environment Community Block Grant (EECBG) conference call, that was conducted for PTI members, with representatives from the Department of Energy (DOE) on February 19, 2009.

DOE’s Mark Bailey spent 15 minutes describing the program, followed by 40 minutes of questions from member local governments. Mr. Bailey’s background information and the approximately 14 questions and answers that followed are paraphrased below.

Please contact Ronda Mosley, PTI Assistant Executive Director for Research and Government Services, with any questions.

Members: Read more    02-27-2009

On January 23, 2009, several Sustainability Council members participated in a conference call to discuss the new stimulus bill and the energy and environmental components of this package. Thanks to everyone who was able to participate and for your contribution to this discussion.

The House Bill that contains the Energy and Environment Block Grant language is available from PTI’s Ronda Mosley upon request. A summary of key items in this bill appears below.

Members: Read more    01-29-2009

Purchase of Environmentally Preferable Products (Green Purchasing)

“Los Angeles County is a very large consumer of goods and services and the purchasing decisions of our employees and contractors can positively or negatively affect the environment.

“By including environmental considerations in our procurement decisions, along with our traditional concerns with price, performance and availability, we will remain fiscally responsible while promoting practices that improve public health and safety, reduce pollution, and conserve natural resources.

“The purpose of this document is to establish the framework for establishing an environmentally based purchasing program for Los Angeles County.”

Members: Read more    08-01-2008

Lower energy costs and greater service availability are among the results reported by the City of North Las Vegas for its four-day workweek. Here are answers to questions about this program.

When did it begin?

The City implemented the four-day work week in July 1, 1977. It began as a 90-day pilot program.

Why?

Members: Read more    07-07-2008

2007-2008 Technology Solutions Awards: Sustainability provides examples of how several PTI member local governments are employing technology to support energy and environmental services.

Each example describes the problem or issue the local government needed to solve, details of how it addressed the problem, and the results of that solution or implementation.

These projects were submitted in the PTI 2007-2008 Technology Solutions Award competition. This annual program recognizes PTI members that have demonstrated how, through the use of technology, government has improved community services, improved internal operations or reduced costs.

Read more    06-17-2008

PTI staff participated in a workshop on Building Resiliency into Energy Assurance Planning, April 22 and 23, 2008, in Denver, CO. This workshop was held in conjunction with the Summer Fuels Outlook Conference of the Department of Energy.

PTI gave a presentation on the progress of the Local Government Energy Assurance Guidelines document. This presentation, along with others on energy assurance, are available for free download at this link.

06-02-2008     Send a link     Topics:  Sustainability     Print version

America’s drinking water and wastewater facilities can now save energy and reduce their carbon footprint with expanded tools available from EPA’s Energy Star Program. Enhancements to Portfolio Manager, the agency’s popular energy tracking tool for commercial facilities, allow water utilities to track energy use and associated carbon emissions, set targets for investment priorities, and verify efficiency improvements.

Read more    03-13-2008

PTI Staff Contact: Ronda Mosley, 937-667-4142

More and more, civic and county officials find themselves charged with implementing environmental regulations, mandates or ordinances. Enforcing these green initiatives can be a challenging and costly proposition, especially if it requires the addition of specialized staff.

The PTI-Cadmus Group Environmental Alliance: 25 Years of Environmental Experience, and Unparalleled Technological Expertise

PTI is dedicated to helping you address your technology needs. Now, we are expanding our services to help you tackle environmental challenges. Through an exclusive strategic alliance, PTI offers you the services of the Cadmus Group.

Read more    02-13-2008

Use these links to find risk communication information and training materials. The links especially pertain to Message Mapping, a tool that enables public safety and environmental protection personnel to quickly and concisely deliver pertinent information in an emergency.

Read more    05-30-2007

Energy & Water Distribution Interdependency Issues:
Best Practices and Lessons Learned

The EPA National Homeland Security Research Center, the DOE Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, and PTI held a workshop in 2005 to identify best practices and lessons learned from previous crisis incidents that impacted both the energy and water infrastructures.

This report provides recommendations for minimizing the effects of energy emergencies on drinking water distribution.

Read more    05-11-2007

It has been dramatically demonstrated that local governments need to be and are the first line of response and preparedness for emergency and disaster situations.

Deficiencies have been noted in all critical infrastructure areas: energy, transportation, banking, finance, telecommunications, emergency response systems, and water supply.

Read more    01-01-2007