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

Read more    09-28-2011

Sustainability Council Chair
Maggie Downey, Assistant County Administrator, Barnstable County, MA.

Vice Chair
Dennis Murphey, Chief Environmental Officer, City of Kansas City, MO.

PTI Staff Contact
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), Senior Director for Research & Government Services, 937-667-4142.

09-28-2011     Send a link     Topics:  Council Leadership  Sustainability     Print version

PTI Staff Contact: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), 937-667-4142.

To help local officials plan for and respond to incidents and emergencies that result in energy outages, PTI has released Version 2.0 of the Local Government Energy Assurance Guidelines.

Published in collaboration with the Department of Energy Office of Electricity Delivery & Energy Reliability (DOE/OE), this publication is available for free at this link.

Communities typically address energy emergencies from a post-disaster response and recovery point of view. The goal of Version 2.0 of the Local Government Energy Assurance Guidelines is to enable these communities to engage in pre-disaster planning and risk reduction. The Guidelines also assist jurisdictions in the recovery phase, in which vital energy sources are restored.

Read more    04-01-2011

Smart Grid 101 for Local Governments introduces the electrical distribution system, and explains how the smart grid will:

Read more    07-06-2011

Hybrid Ground-Source Heat Pump Installations: Experiences, Improvements and Tools is an Energy Center of Wisconsin report demonstrating hybrid ground-source heat pumps (GSHP) as a viable solution to reduce energy use in commercial buildings.

The report finds that new hybrid systems dramatically decrease up-front costs while delivering financial and environmental benefits nearly equivalent to standard ground-source heat pumps.

With its lower price, hybrid GSHP technology could be deployed widely, saving energy and money in new and existing commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings, according to the report.

Download this report

10-18-2011     Send a link     Topics:  Sustainability     Print version

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

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.

The survey provides a high-level view of the ways local governments are managing their sustainability programs.

Members: Read more    12-03-2009

PTI Staff Contact: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), 937-667-4142.

See Version 2.0 of the Guidelines.

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

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

This U.S. Department of Energy Solar Program Newsletter highlights the key activities, events, funding opportunities, and publications that the Solar Program has funded during the past quarter.

It includes city and state solar efforts, research news, industry updates and more.

Find the Solar Program Newsletter at this link.

07-14-2010     Send a link     Topics:  Sustainability     Print version

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

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