2017-07-05 ClimateAwards2017Winners

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Honorable Mentions - Large City Caguas Mayor William Edgardo Miranda -Torres Sustainable Energy Showcase The Caguas Sustainable Energy Showcase is a program to evalu- ate the implementation of energy efficiency and conservation strategies as well as the use of energy renewable technologies to reduce the energy consumption of the city by 15 percent by 2020. To accomplish this, the City of Caguas implemented a Energy Master Plan. With local and federal funding, the city developed nine strategic projects. All of them are fully operational, and one of them, "Green Loans," is now seen as one of the most successful energy revolving loan funds, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. In Puerto Rico (Caguas is the fifth most populous city), the costs of electricity are particularly high since the primary energy source for producing electricity is petroleum. Generating electricity from petroleum impacts air quality because of contaminants in the emissions. Mayor Miranda -Torres has called upon the city to step forward and begin to implement energy related strategies that could be used to develop a more sustainable energy policy. Among the challenges the city faces in moving forward with its new energy policy is the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, which contols the electric energy distribution system. Since the beginning, the city has worked to make the Authority part of the city's projects, including allowing them to sponsor and promote the city's activities. To secure greater public support and coop- eration, the city developed an extensive educational program to explain the benefits of proposed projects for the public and the City. Mayor Miranda -Torres was the main spokesman for this educational program. For fiscal year 2015-2016, the city's projects have reduced green- house gas emissions by 2,784,794 pounds and avoided the need for 154,931 gallons of petroleum to produce energy, according to the reports by the city's team and reviewed and verified by the University of Puerto Rico's Mayaguez Engineering Campus. Because this is the first Energy Management Plan to be imple- mented in Puerto Rico with specific results, the city can show how its actions contributed to green gas emissions reductions. City residents are now very interested in developing similar programs for homes and businesses, efforts being recognized by local professional organizations and others, including the Puerto Rico Power Authority, U.S. Department of Energy and the Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board. Our programs were financed by local and federal funding. To support its energy efforts, the city used $13 million in EECBG funding from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop energy projects: Green Loans, Eolic Energy Studies in Monte Borras and Las Hormigas communities, a 7.56 kW Photovoltaic System for Mariolga Head Start Center, a 5.28 kW Photovoltaic System for Santa Elvira Community Center, a Green Roof for the Science and Technology Center Building, LED lighting retrofitting for the Municipal Government Center and the construction and monitoring of 42 residential 1 Kw Photovoltaic systems and solar heaters in the Villa Turabo community. The Municipality also used approximately $500,000 of local funds to develop these projects: solar lighting among streets and parks around the city, a hybrid car for the Environmental Affairs Office official use, a 5.0 kW photovoltaic system for the New City Hall Building, a Hydrogen Fuel Cell for the city's Botanical Garden and Villa Turabo Residential Lighting Retrofitting. The city improved the quality of life especially in these areas: it continued to educated residents on energy efficiency and con- sumption strategies that help reduce home and business energy use, saving money on eneryg bills. The city has also served as a educational liaison to other cities in Puerto Rico about the energy savings and benefits from such strategies and projects.