AT A GLANCE

"I am making our becoming a greener city a top priority for the remainder of my term. I know many of you get the shivers when you hear me say that. Some of you are probably thinking - 'Of course, and why did it take so long?'. Others may be thinking - 'Oh no, do we have to go down this road?'. My feeling is that no matter what our thoughts might be on global warming, it is undeniable that we all benefit by using less energy." - Mayor Bill Haslam

CONTACT INFO

Susanna Bass, Sustainability Program Manager sbass@cityofknoxville.org Room 581, City County Building Phone: 865-215-4430 Fax: 865-215-3035

Erin Burns, Sustainability Coordinator eburns@cityofknoxville.org Room 656, City County Building Phone: 865-215-2065 Fax: 865-215-3035

UPCOMING EVENTS / MEETINGS

The Energy & Sustainability Task Force will meet Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 9 AM in the Small Assembly Room of the City County Building, 400 Main Street. The agenda will feature local transportation issues and working group updates. All Task Force meetings are open to anyone who would like to attend.

Earth Fare will again host a mini environmental event at Earth Fare Store at Turkey Creek on Saturday, March 27, 2010 from 11 AM to 2 PM. In addition to being part of the exhibits, the City will conduct a thermometer exchange at the event.

Recycling Events

ACTIVITY UPDATES

Sustainability Blog

BACKGROUND

Knoxville's Energy Inventory: Government and Community Analysis and Strategic Plans (Click here to view report [PDF]) is a report that provides a detailed one year snapshot of energy use in Knoxville, as well as strategic plans to improve energy efficiency and sustainability within both City operations and the Community as a whole.

In August 2007, Mayor Haslam called together the Energy & Sustainability Task Force, a 15-member advisory committee representing business, industry, research, and government organizations. The Task Force mission is to develop strategies and serve as a resource to implementation as we endeavor to reduce the City's energy usage, costs, and emissions, and increase our overall sustainability.

The City is currently implementing the first generation of activities, as described in the report. Specific projects include Solar America Cities program, performing a comprehensive energy and water audit of all City facilities, obtaining LEED certification for the new Downtown Transit Center, institutionalizing energy efficient building practices for low-income housing programs, and more.

Greenhouse gas reduction targets, next steps, and new opportunities are addressed in the report as well. The report is intended to be a living document, as the work of the City and Task Force is ongoing.

PRINCIPLES

Integrating best practices for sustainability into how the City of Knoxville does business is driven by logic and economics. Does it make sense for our Community? Will it improve our quality of life? Is there a funding source available? Documents produced since the inception of this initiative are available in the links that follow, as well as links to local sustainable efforts, and your feedback is always welcome and appreciated.

For best performance, download the larger PDF documents to your computer before viewing - right click on link and select "Save Target As". Larger documents may not display quickly when opened from the web.