
Everyday is Earth Day! At this perilous time on our fragile planet, all policy is climate policy – and cities, bolstered by an infusion of funding and climate prioritization from the Federal Government – are leading the way. Today, we celebrate mayors in our network leading on climate solutions:
- Mayor Kim Norton is leading on climate in Rochester with the construction of its Thermal Energy Network, which will cover over 1 million square feet of the downtown including City Hall. The district has the future potential to service new residential and commercial buildings in the downtown core, lowering energy bills and increasing the resilience of a large area of the downtown.
- Under Mayor Lauren McLean’s leadership, Boise is working to plant a tree for every resident and advance tree equity through its City of Trees initiative. Boise’s Climate Action Roadmap includes initiatives that target water conservation, flood resilience, and distributed renewable energy. Mayor McLean is Vice Chair for Climate Mayors.
- Mayor Bruce Teague and his team in Iowa City are going all-in on building retrofits as part of its Accelerating Iowa’s City’s Action Plan. The City uses TIF funding to match investments up to $250,000 on energy efficiency projects for commercial buildings, and recently passed a Whole Home Electrification Grant Program pilot where building owners accept housing vouchers in exchange for $25,000 towards energy efficiency projects.
- Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway’s Climate Forward initiative includes strategies to source 100% of the city’s municipal electricity needs with renewable energy, improve building energy efficiency, and launching an ambitious electric bus rapid transit system. The City is taking additional steps through things like its Complete Green Streets and Efficiency Navigator programs. Mayor Rhodes-Conway is Chair Emeritus for Climate Mayors.
- In Albuquerque, Mayor Tim Keller’s administration has prioritized building efficiency through the B.R.A.I.N., a centralized system for tracking and managing building energy performance that has saved the city $6 million since 2017. The City has also invested in strategies for equitable heat mitigation, like tree planting and road design elements that reduce the impact of extreme heat.
Are you a MIP member city interested in learning more about how to replicate these programs? Reach out today to request a policy memo on a climate solution you’re interested in! Not a member city? Learn more about the benefits of membership and join us today!