GONZALES — Three Beacon Spotlight Awards were awarded to the City of Gonzales by the Institute of Local Government and the Statewide Energy Efficiency Collaborative at the League of California Cities conference in Sacramento on Sept. 14.
The City of Gonzales received three awards for a 13 percent reduction in community greenhouse gas emissions, the city’s sustainability best practices and a 5 percent reduction in municipal energy use.
“Gonzales is committed to taking proactive steps to become a more sustainable community and to implement environmental strategies to address climate change,” said City Manager Rene Mendez in a news release. “We are pleased to be recognized for our achievements and will continue to look for ways to engage the community and businesses in our sustainability efforts.”
The Beacon Program that Gonzales is participating in was established in 2009 to assist local governments in producing measurable achievements in five areas: Agency greenhouse gas emissions reductions, community greenhouse gas reductions, agency energy savings, natural gas savings and sustainability best practices.
The City of Gonzales has been making efforts to combat climate change starting in 2009 when “Gonzales Grows Green” was established as a community sustainability initiative. In 2013, the City of Gonzales became the first city in Monterey County to adopt a Climate Action Plan.
The environmental sustainability achievements that the city has implemented start with a partnership with land owners in the industrial park to create and purchase two city-owned landing pads for the installation of a wind turbine. Solar power installation throughout the city from the corporation yard to the police department, the community pool, the well and wastewater treatment and Constellation Winery rooftops are just some of the achievement’s of the city’s comprehensive sustainability best practices.
The city is also purchasing fuel efficient and alternative fuel vehicles and adopting a “Solar Ready” ordinance to require new residential or commercial construction to be pre-wired and pre-plumbed for solar. Smart meters, well timers and energy-efficient lighting are also being installed throughout the city.
For a comparison between the municipal energy use, in 2005 there was 1,638,737 kWh, and in the same one-year period in 2016-17 the use was 1,148,485 kWh, making an energy reduction of 490,252 kWh per year.
