After two years of discussion and analysis, the Juneau Commission on Sustainability released an ambitious recommendation and challenge to the City and Borough of Juneau on Wednesday.
As of now, the JCOS reports, fossil fuels supply about 80 percent of the city’s “internal energy,” a term referring mostly to heating buildings, fueling cars and other forms of transportation. The JCOS wants to flip that percentage.
It wants the city to set a goal of having 80 percent of Juneau’s energy come from renewable sources by the year 2045.
Steve Behnke, the chair of the JCOS Energy Subcommittee, said the 159-page report isjust the start of a discussion that could continue for years. The CBJ Assembly will start reviewing the recommendations at an upcoming Committee of the Whole meeting, according to a CBJ release.
“I suspect it’s gonna be a long-term conversation because this stuff is just getting on the Assembly’s radar,” Behnke said. “They’re aware that we’ve been working on it for the last two years but they haven’t heard the details yet, either, so we expect some more conversation on the Assembly about this stuff.”
The report, entitled Juneau Renewable Energy Strategy, asks the Assembly to set goals of using renewable energy for 50 percent of the community’s energy by 2035 and 80 percent by 2045. This would cut down on Juneau’s reliance on the constantly-changing fossil fuel prices and create new economic opportunities in town.
The JCOS follows in the footsteps of the 2011 Juneau Climate Action and Implementation Plan that focused on tracking and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Assembly passed a resolution in August recommitting itself to the goals in that plan.
When the committee began meeting, the members wanted to figure out a way for the city to commit to relying solely on renewable energy. Behnke said it became clear after some discussion that Juneau’s reliance on barges, ferries and air travel makes it hard for the city’s energy to be totally renewable.
CBJ Community Planner Tim Felstead, the CBJ staff liaison to the JCOS, said he believes the city can accomplish the goal with small steps.
“The cheapest thing we can try and do to start with is to be more efficient with how we’re using our current energy,” Felstead said. “You could look at any of the buildings in town and start looking at, ‘How are you lighting the place? How are you heating the place? Where is your heat escaping to?’ There’s potential there.”
The report suggests heat pumps for space heating and the use of more electric vehicles. Juneau has already started to travel down both of those paths.
Heat pumps, which are a more energy-efficient way to heat buildings, transfer heat from outside air, water or ground to heat the inside of a building. Many describe it as the reverse of a refrigerator. Heat pumps have already been installed at a few places in town including the Juneau International Airport and the Mendenhall Valley Public Library.
Hydropower is catching on in Alaska, as the Alaska Energy Authority reports that hydropower is the state’s leading source of renewable energy. Juneau District Heating, a company that looks to bring heat pumps to downtown, recently closed a deal with the Alaska Mental Heath Trust Authority for a parcel of land across Egan Drive from the Juneau Arts and Culture Center. Duff Mitchell, managing director of Juneau District Heating, is chairman of the JCOS.
Juneau residents have already shown an affinity for electric vehicles, as the number of electric vehicles or hybrids has doubled in the past year (from 83 to 175, by Mitchell’s count). The city also received a federal grant just last week that will help bring an electric bus to town as well.
Agreeing with Felstead, Behnke said putting all of these small endeavors together over time could mean Juneau meets the goal without having to make any enormous and sudden changes.
“Those kind of pieces, piece them together over a couple decades, and hopefully it makes a difference,” Behnke said.
• Contact reporter Alex McCarthy at 523-2271 or alex.mccarthy@juneauempire.com.
