Community Corner
San Rafael wins first Beacon Award for Sustainability
San Rafael Wins Statewide Award for Efforts to Address Climate Change
Sacramento — The Institute for Local Government and the Statewide Energy Efficiency Collaborative honored the city of San Rafael with a Beacon Award for Local Leadership toward Solving Climate Change. The award was presented last week during the 2013 League of California Cities Annual Conference in Sacramento.
The first of its kind in California, the Beacon Award recognizes cities and counties that achieve measurable greenhouse gas reductions, energy savings and implement sustainability best practices. San Rafael is the first-ever winner of a Beacon Award at the Silver Level, which celebrates the following achievements:
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· 5 percent Agency Energy Savings (2005–2011)
· 5 percent Greenhouse Gas Reductions in Agency and Community (2005–2010)
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· 10 Completed Sustainability Best Practices
“San Rafael’s accomplishments are a testimony to the effectiveness of voluntary climate action at the local level,” said League of California Cities Executive Director Chris McKenzie who presented the award. “Congratulations to the city of San Rafael and its residents for your leadership and commitment to addressing climate change.”
San Rafael’s greenhouse gas reductions are the equivalent of taking nearly 7,000 passenger vehicles off the road for one year. The city also saved enough electricity in its own facilities to power approximately 44 average California homes for a year
“We are pleased to support the City of San Rafael in their efforts to become a leader in energy efficiency,” said Pacific Gas and Electric Company Manager Randy De Caminada. “We applaud the city for this truly important commitment to the environment and the community.”
“The City of San Rafael is delighted to have the distinction of being the first Beacon Award winner in California. This is strong validation of our community’s sustainability efforts,” said San Rafael City Council Member Damon Connolly. “We’re proud of the great progress that’s been made and we will continue to work closely with our community and partners in order to achieve our greenhouse gas reduction target of 25 percent by 2020 and other sustainability goals.”
A local presentation of the award is scheduled for the Oct. 21, 2013 meeting of the San Rafael City Council at 7:00 p.m.
About the Institute for Local Government
The Institute for Local Government is the nonprofit research and education affiliate of the League of California Cities and the California State Association of Counties. The Institute’s mission is to promote good government at the local level with practical, impartial and easy-to-use resources for California communities.
About the Statewide Energy Efficiency Collaborative & the Beacon Program
The Statewide Energy Efficiency Collaborative (SEEC) is an alliance to help cities and counties reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save energy. SEEC is a collaboration between three statewide nonprofit organizations, including the Institute for Local Government and California’s four Investor Owned Utilities. Visit www.californiaseec.org for more information.
The Beacon Award program is funded by California utility customers 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. Visit www.ca-ilg.org/BeaconAward for more information.
About the City of San Rafael
Located just north of San Francisco, San Rafael is in the heart of Marin County. San Rafael was incorporated in 1874 and became a Charter City in 1913. With a Council/Manager form of government, the Council consists of a directly elected Mayor and four council members, all elected to four-year terms. San Rafael has a population of 57,713 making it the largest city in Marin. In 2006, San Rafael was one of the early signatories of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. In March 2008, the City Council appointed a 14-member Green Ribbon Committee resulting in the adoption of the San Rafael Climate Change Action Plan. Visit www.cityofsanrafael.org/citymgr-green-home and follow the city on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sanrafaelgreen for more information about San Rafael’s Green Initiatives.
