flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

California utility adopts climate emergency declaration

Codes and Standards

California utility adopts climate emergency declaration

Sacramento-region company commits to working towards carbon neutrality by 2030.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | July 28, 2020

Courtesy Pixabay

The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) recently adopted a climate emergency declaration.

The declaration includes a commitment to working toward an ambitious goal of delivering carbon-neutral electricity by 2030. “The declaration recognizes the immediate risks to our community and demands bold action to achieve results,” according to a SMUD news release.

“This resolution commits SMUD to finding reductions in the quickest way possible and investing in our most vulnerable communities,” said SMUD Board President Rob Kerth. In 2018, SMUD successfully reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 50% from 1990 levels, according to the release.

SMUD’s most recent Integrated Resources Plan focuses on local renewables and includes a $7 billion investment to achieve the following goals:

Nearly 2,900 megawatts (MW) of new carbon-free resources including:

· 670 MW of wind

· 1,500 MW of utility-scale solar, of which, nearly 300 MW will be built in the next three years

· 180 MW of geothermal

· 560 MW of utility-scale energy storage

An aggressive strategy to expand demand-side resources including:

· Nearly 600 MW of installed rooftop solar

· The equivalent of 900,000 local electric vehicles and 400,000 all-electric homes

· Nearly 200 MW of demand response programs

· Over 200 MW of customer-installed batteries

Related Stories

Codes and Standards | Mar 7, 2022

Massachusetts proposed energy code changes don’t ban gas

Proposed changes to the Massachusetts energy code would provide incentives for builders to fully electrify buildings, but not impose a ban on natural gas hookups.

Codes and Standards | Mar 4, 2022

Construction industry faces a 650,000 worker shortfall in 2022

The U.S. construction industry must hire an additional 650,000 workers in 2022 to meet the expected demand for labor, according to a model developed by Associated Builders and Contractors.

Codes and Standards | Mar 4, 2022

FAA offers $1 billion in grants for airport terminal and tower projects

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is now accepting applications for about $1 billion in grants for airport projects during fiscal year 2022.

Codes and Standards | Mar 1, 2022

Engineering Business Sentiment study finds optimism despite growing economic concerns

The ACEC Research Institute found widespread optimism among engineering firm executives in its second quarterly Engineering Business Sentiment study.

Codes and Standards | Feb 28, 2022

Low-cost concrete alternative absorbs CO2

Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute have developed a new CO2-absorbing material that’s a low-cost alternative to concrete.

Multifamily Housing | Feb 25, 2022

First set of multifamily properties achieve BREEAM certification in the U.S.

WashREIT says it has achieved certification on eight multifamily assets under BREEAM’s In-Use certification standard.

Codes and Standards | Feb 24, 2022

Most owners adapting digital workflows on projects

Owners are more deeply engaged with digital workflows than other project team members, according to a new report released by Trimble and Dodge Data & Analytics.

Codes and Standards | Feb 21, 2022

More bad news on sea level rise for U.S. coastal areas

A new government report predicts sea levels in the U.S. of 10 to 12 inches higher by 2050, with some major cities on the East and Gulf coasts experiencing damaging floods even on sunny days.

Codes and Standards | Feb 21, 2022

New standard for ultraviolet germicidal irradiation

The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) recently introduced the standard, ANSI/IES RP-44-21 Recommended Practice: Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation.

Wood | Feb 18, 2022

$2 million mass timber design competition: Building to Net-Zero Carbon (entries due March 30!)

To promote construction of tall mass timber buildings in the U.S., the Softwood Lumber Board (SLB) and USDA Forest Service (USDA) have joined forces on a competition to showcase mass timber’s application, commercial viability, and role as a natural climate solution.  

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021