Sonoma County
“The County’s ongoing, bold commitment to climate protection flows from the Board’s goal to reduce the County’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2015.” – Sonoma County website
Beacon Award Accomplishments
About Sonoma County
- Established: 1850
- Population: 484,470 (as of 2008)
- Location: 55 miles north of San Francisco
- Elevation: ranges from sea level to 4480 feet
- Area: 1,575 square miles
Climate Action Activities
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- ICLEI member (current as of May 2011)
- Greenhouse gas inventory in progress, completion expected December 2011
- Climate action plan for agency operations completed 2006
- Community climate action plan in progress, completion expected December 2011
- Sonoma County Energy Watch Program (in partnership with PG&E) provides technical assistance, services, and rebates to municipalities, non-profits, small businesses, and special districts to decrease utility costs by reducing electrical and gas consumption.
- Sonoma County Energy Independence Program (a Property Assessed Clean Energy, or PACE program) provides property owners with energy improvement financing paid back through the property tax system.
- Comprehensive Energy Project provides cash-neutral energy efficiency measures for county owned buildings, including lighting retrofits, HVAC upgrades, water retrofits, and installation of a 1.4 MW fuel cell cogeneration power plant.
- Installed 750kW photo-voltaic solar array providing 80% of the electricity for the County’s Juvenile justice Center
- Established green fleet policy and green fleet procurement program
- Composting program at detention facilities diverts food waste and is part of jail industries training program
- Established green leasing policy whereby the County, as a major leaser of commercial real estate, uses that market advantage to improve environmentally-friendly leased property
Climate Action Resources
- Sonoma County climate protection actions
- Regional Climate Protection Authority (RCPA)
- “Sonoma County Recognized as National Leader on Climate Action” August 26, 2011
Video Clips
| Spotlight on Sustainability Leadership in Sonoma County |
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| Sonoma County Offers Energy Efficiency Retrofits to the Community |
| Countywide Collaboration for Sustainability in Sonoma County |
| Spotlight on Land Use, Community Design & Efficient Transportation |
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The Beacon Award program is sponsored by the Institute for Local Government and the Statewide Energy Efficiency Collaborative. SEEC is an alliance between three statewide non-profit organizations and California’s four Investor-Owned Utilities funded by California utility ratepayers and administered by Southern California Gas Company, San Diego Gas & Electric Company, Pacific Gas and Electric Company and Southern California Edison, under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission www.californiaseec.org
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- County of Sonoma Website
- Beacon Award Program
- Sonoma County's Completed Best Practice Activities & Accomplishments To Date 4-2013
- Sonoma County Climate Action Plan
- Sonoma County Climate Protection Efforts Update
- Sonoma County Innovative Financing for Comprehensive Energy Retrofits (7/20/2010)