Mayor Announces Energy Initiatives
Mayor Dewey Bartlett announced the City of Tulsa's 2010
Energy/Sustainability Initiatives at an event for Oklahoma energy
leaders held March 3, 2010.
Bartlett discussed over $4 million in grant money that the city
will receive from the federal Energy Efficiency Conservation Block
Grant (EECBG) Program, administered by the U.S. Department of
Energy. Several projects will receive money from the EECBG
grant.
Projects include: $1.4 million for the OSU Medical Center
Retrofit; $.9 million for a Brady Village Geothermal Project; $.5
million for Energy Efficient Highway Lighting; $350,000 for the
city of Tulsa Energy Audit Program; $75,000 for Long-Term Energy
& Sustainability Plan Development; $50,000 for Revolving Loan
Program Development; and $50,000 for a Renewable Energy Feasibility
Assessment at selected City facilities.
Bartlett also discussed the City of Tulsa's Compressed Natural
Gas (CNG) initiatives, and funding that will allow both the
expansion of CNG fueling stations in the City, as well as CNG
conversions and new vehicle purchases for the City's 'Green
Fleet.'
Two new City ordinances proposed by Bartlett and soon to be
presented to the City Council, will allow the City to enter into
performance contracts that could result in millions of dollars of
energy efficient improvements to public facilities without any new
appropriations. After the creation of these ordinances, Tulsa will
be able to appropriate $1.6 million from the 2006 Third Penny Sales
Tax Extension that had been earmarked for energy audits and energy
performance contracting on City facilities.
Finally, at the news conference, Bartlett signed an executive
order creating the City of Tulsa's new Department of Sustainability
and naming its first director, Brett Fidler. Fidler has served as
the Mayor's Special Advisor on Sustainability since November 2008.
Bartlett also announced the creation of an Energy/Sustainability
Advisory Committee that will provide some oversight and make
recommendations to the Department of Sustainability. Members will
be appointed during March.
