Prepared By
Larisa Dobriansky
Larisa Dobriansky
SUMMARY
Meeting our 21st century challenges will require sustainable energy planning by our cities, where over half of the world’s population resides. This already has become evident in the State of California, which has set rigorous greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets and timeframes. To attain these targets will necessitate technically-integrated and cost-optimum solutions for innovative asset development and management within urban communities. Using California as a case study, this paper focuses on the crucial role for sustainable energy planning in creating the context and conditions for integrating and optimizing clean and efficient energy use within the urban built environment.
BACKGROUND:
Global trends, including our growing concerns about climate change, energy security and the adverse impacts of rapid urbanization, are providing substantial “market push” for energy efficiency and renewable energy to support sustainable development. These socio-economic and environmental developments are especially challenging cities, where over half of the world’s population resides, to increase the efficiency, reliability and sustainability of their energy use through innovative infrastructure solutions and new governance approaches. Due to their population densities, industrial and commercial activity, and complex energy systems, our cities can become drivers for a new clean energy future. However, to be effective engines for sustainable change, city governments will need to build their capacity for sustainable energy planning, design and development to assure responsible resources management and to establish frameworks within which city officials, developers, utilities, financiers, NGOs and other market players can collaborate to integrate and optimize clean and efficient energy use in the urban built environment.
This need has emerged into sharp relief within California since the State set rigorous greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) reduction requirements to be achieved within stringent timeframes. Already, it is clear that attainment of these targets will require reductions beyond those from the energy-intensive industrial and agricultural sectors and necessitate integrated technical solutions and innovative asset development strategies within the community context. Using California as a case study, this paper focuses on the crucial role for sustainable energy planning in: (1) Creating the context and conditions within which environmentally sound, community-based energy solutions can be generated; and (2) Effectuating energy and resource efficient development and management within our cities.
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| Smog in Los Angeles, photo by Ben Amstutz |
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