In 2021, the City of Tampa pledged to power its municipal operations using 100% clean and renewable energy, which includes solar, energy efficiency and renewable energy credits (RECs). Their goal is to combat the climate crisis and embrace the rapidly changing energy landscape in a practical and methodical manner to improve the city’s sustainability and residents' wellbeing. But the City needed a plan for how to get there.
That’s where Greenlink Analytics comes in. City of Tampa and Applied Sciences, an engineering and design firm, requested that Greenlink analyze the city’s current and future energy use, along with its various energy-related programs, to develop realistic pathways to 100% clean energy. City operations. The report examines and highlights cleaning the electricity sector first by identifying where the City is going (Business As Usual) and two approaches to get the City to where it needs: Moderate, and Ambitious.
"For the first time, the city now knows how much energy it uses - and the cost of that energy – across hundreds of accounts,” said Whit Remer, Sustainability and Resilience Officer for the City of Tampa. “Greenlink also provided realistic and flexible options to achieve 100% renewable energy based on time, cost, and reliance on RECs.”
Here’s a quick rundown of the City’s possible energy future. The Business as Usual future, means the city wouldn’t make any changes to energy use or infrastructure and that electricity consumption will grow by 14% between 2022 and 2042, emitting 1,800,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide.
The Moderate future finds that 50% of municipal operations would be run by clean and renewable energy by 2042 and would require 26% less grid electricity than business as usual. It would mean implementing a number of energy efficiency and renewable initiatives the City is already considering, such as installing solar at multiple facilities, upgrading the city’s high service pump station, completing half of the HVAC upgrades identified for commercial buildings, and LED retrofits and energy efficient window installations. The price tag for the most cost-effective energy savings options would be about $34 million.
The Ambitious future finds that municipal operations would achieve 85% clean and renewable energy by 2042 and would require 54% less grid electricity than business as usual. It would mean implementing all HVAC upgrades, energy efficient window retrofits, and LEF light retrofits, as well as solar installs and high-performance roofing. The price tag for the most cost-effective energy savings options would be about $75 million.
Overall, the report shows that Tampa is well positioned to reach its goal of 100 %clean energy. Though none of the pathways get the City all the way there without the use of RECs, the widespread adoption of renewables and energy efficiency measures can get the city most of the way there within the next 20 years. That would be a huge accomplishment.
Read the full report: Tampa's 100% Clean and Renewable Municipal Energy Plan.