City energy report shows inefficiencies

The City of Bloomington recently issued the Local Government Operations Energy Use and Emissions Inventory, which catalogued energy use between individual city departments.

The report was issued to create a baseline for understanding energy consumption within the city and learn where sustainability efforts would be most effective.

Data from 2010 was used, as those figures were the most recent.

“We have to start thinking very long-term about a lot of different issues if we’re going to have a healthy economy and livable environment,” said Jacqui Bauer, sustainability coordinator and author of the report.

“The report helps us prioritize what needs attention and focus on where needs the greatest impact.”

The report catalogued energy expenditures in electricity, vehicle fuel and natural gas. In 2010, Bloomington spent more than $4.8 million on total energy use.

Electricity consumption accounted for the largest source of energy use in city operations. Water supply and Bloomington wastewater treatment facilities were the largest consumers within this sector.

The plants accounted for 73 percent of total electric consumption, and more than $3 million was spent on resources for these facilities.

Bauer said electric use was the area with the greatest potential to improve.

“There’s just a huge opportunity for efficiency,” Bauer said. “That means using less, reducing how much we lose and then starting, like, solar or bio-fuels or other alternatives that might come up in this area.”

Diesel and gasoline fuel were ranked second in terms of energy consumption. The two fuels accounted for 30 percent of total energy use in Bloomington and $1.4 million in expenditures.

Outside the Bloomington Transit sector, the Police Department consumed the largest amount of gasoline. Each vehicle reportedly burns more than 1,200 gallons of fuel each year.

The report listed the police fleet as an area that might offer opportunity for improvement.

City Hall, Frank Southern Ice Arena, Twin Lakes Recreation Center, Bloomington Animal Shelter and Utilities Service Center were also noted as departments that could reduce their environmental footprint.

Bauer said that because Utilities was the largest energy consumer in the city sector, it would take priority.

Next year, the department will hire a resource efficiency
coordinator.

“If we spend all our time reducing street lighting then we’re focusing in kind of the wrong area,” Bauer said. “We’ve got to prioritize and make the biggest bang for our buck.”

The updated report helped the city discover, and raise awareness about, areas where energy use most needs to be managed.

Bauer said the city hopes to issue these reports once every five years.

The end goal is to reduce the city’s environmental footprint.

“Bloomington has spent a lot of time paying attention to how to reduce,” Bauer said. “I know we’re going to see that pay off.”