The Lander Energy and Environment Task Force has released their City of Lander 2021 Municipal Energy and Environment Report. It was presented at the City Council meeting work session on November 22, 2022.
The goal of this report is to reduce operational costs and environmental impacts. The purpose is to provide the City Council, the Mayor, and City staff with an assessment of the city’s energy and fuel usage to guide future planning and decision-making. This report is focused on the City of Lander’s municipal operations and properties, not residential or commercial portions of our community. Water usage was not evaluated in this report. The report focuses on energy use, transportation, sewage lagoons, and solid waste.
The 2021 Municipal Energy and Environment Report is a snapshot in time of the City of Lander’s energy and fuel use, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and environmental impacts. The impetus for this report stems from the 2020 mayoral and city council proclamation supporting the intent to reduce GHG emissions. The city’s Energy and Environment (E&E) Task Force was formed shortly afterward to aid in efforts to reduce GHG emissions while also increasing energy efficiency and lowering operational costs for the city. During 2021 and 2022, the E&E Task Force and an independent contractor from Climate Mitigation Strategies LLC analyzed data from city records, toured all city-operated facilities, and met with city staff to gain an in-depth understanding of the city’s operations. Research of best practices and methods from other similar cities played a heavy role in the team’s recommended guidance.
Specifically, this report will:
-Educate readers on the City of Lander’s GHG emissions footprint and energy- and fuel-usage trends.
-Identify areas where the City of Lander could save money, energy, and fuel while also reducing emissions.
-Suggest new methods or technologies that could be implemented by the city to achieve these savings.
-Set the stage for the next phase of action planning with the City of Lander.
Council Member Julia Stuble shared at the end of the presentation, “Thank you so much, it is an incredible amount of information and data. There were some real surprises in there for me about some of the little things like fixed-rate street lights and the fact that there are some leases where we are not recouping utility costs on some of the meters. It is an incredible resource to have at our hands as we try to make decisions.”
We encourage you to read the full report for details. “It’s been wonderful working in collaboration with city staff, LCAN, and the LOR Foundation to provide this type of information to city leadership and the community. Our E&E Task Force sees a lot of potential in this area. We want to help the city save money while also increasing energy efficiency and preparing for future infrastructure needs,” shared Kara Colovich.
Mayor Monte Richardson said, “I just want to say thank you for working on this project. I know you are a volunteer group and this takes a lot of hours. Thank you for putting so much of your time into this project. We do appreciate it and keep us informed.”
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This report is made possible through a partnership with Lander Climate Action Network and LOR Foundation and created by Kara Colovich at Climate Mitigation Strategies LLC.
The Energy and Environment Task Force meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month. Melinda Cox is the council liaison. The task force members are Adam Keifenheim (chairman), Courtney Larson, Christian Gauderer, Louisa Hunkerstorm, and Kara Colovich.
A full copy of the report can be found under the Lander Energy and Environment Task Force section of the City of Lander website: https://www.landerwyoming.org/government/boards_and_commissions/index.php
A recording of the presentation on November 22, 2022, can be found at: https://www.landerwyoming.org/departments/city_clerk/2022_php.php
