Environment And Infrastructure Committee — Columbia, SC
Date: 2021-04-20
Time: 10:00

COLUMBIA ENVIRONMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE MEETING
 AGENDA
 TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021


The Columbia Environment and Infrastructure Committee will conduct a meeting on Tuesday,
April 20, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. using video conferencing technology. The meeting will be streamed
online at www.columbiasc.gov.

 The Honorable Tameika Isaac Devine, Chair
 The Honorable Daniel J. Rickenmann and The Honorable William Brennan

CALL TO ORDER
COMMITTEE DISCUSSION

1. Columbia’s Climate Protection Action Committee Quarterly Update - Ms. Mary Pat
 Baldauf, Sustainability Administrator for the Public Works Department and Dr. Lori A.
 Ziolkowski, CPAC Chair

ADJOURNMENT




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COLUMBIA ENVIRONMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE MEETING
 AGENDA
 TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021


The Columbia Environment and Infrastructure Committee will conduct a meeting on Tuesday,
April 20, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. using video conferencing technology. The meeting will be streamed
online at www.columbiasc.gov.

 The Honorable Tameika Isaac Devine, Chair
 The Honorable Daniel J. Rickenmann and The Honorable William Brennan

CALL TO ORDER
COMMITTEE DISCUSSION

1. Columbia’s Climate Protection Action Committee Quarterly Update - Ms. Mary Pat
 Baldauf, Sustainability Administrator for the Public Works Department and Dr. Lori A.
 Ziolkowski, CPAC Chair

ADJOURNMENT




 Page 1 of 1
 1.a




Columbia’s
Climate Protection Action
Committee (CPAC) In this
April 2021 update update




 Attachment: CPAC April2021 Update (6619 : CPAC Quarterly Update)
 :
 - Energy
 e
 - Energy vents past +
 l a be f u t ure (6/
 - Domin li n g upda 1 7/21)
 ion up te
 - Q for y date
 ou
 Next ti
 me
 - Read
 y for 1
 00 con
 sultan
 t’s rep
 ort


 Dr. Lori Z(iolkowski) - chair of CPAC email: loriz@sc.edu

 Prepared for the City of Columbia Environment and Infrastructure committee meeting April 20th, 2021.
 Packet Pg. 2
 1.a




Reduce greenhouse To recap from Feb 2021
 Adapt to climate change
  gas emissions Current CPAC efforts




 Attachment: CPAC April2021 Update (6619 : CPAC Quarterly Update)
 Change how we Prepare for more
Reduce energy usage
 generate electricity extreme heat


 Work with
Outreach on incentive Help keep more
 Dominion (& PSC)
 and loan programs citizens cool
 to source renewables

 Energy consultant (via
 Energy labelling for Use heat vulnerability to
 Sierra Club) to advise
 real estate & rentals guide tree planting
 on Ready for 100
 Packet Pg. 3
 1.a




Reduce greenhouse To recap from Feb 2021
 Adapt to climate change
  gas emissions Current CPAC efforts




 Attachment: CPAC April2021 Update (6619 : CPAC Quarterly Update)
 Change how we Prepare for more
Reduce energy usage
 generate electricity extreme heat


 Work with
Outreach on incentive Help keep more
 Dominion (& PSC)
 and loan programs citizens cool
 to source renewables

 Energy consultant (via
 Energy labelling for Use heat vulnerability to
 Sierra Club) to advise
 real estate & rentals guide tree planting
 on Ready for 100
 Packet Pg. 4
 1.a




 Goal: education on lowering energy costs and
Energy 101 event report programs to improve home energy e ciency.

 Streamed via the city’s Youtube account
 22 live guests
 108 views as of April 14th


 Expert guests:




 Attachment: CPAC April2021 Update (6619 : CPAC Quarterly Update)
 Next e
 Margaret Gibson, Dir of Community Services
 Wateree Community Actions vent: J
 une 17
 Topic: th!
 Natasha Pauling, Resource Development & Public information o cer
 K eeping
 South Carolina Associate of Community Action Partnerships
 i t Cool
 Christina Freeman & Gerald Freeman
 in Colu
 Dominion Energy mbia!
 D  e tailHillian
 Samuel Bass and James s forth
 com
 Chester eld Marlboro Economic Opportunity
 ing
 Council

 Takisha Waller
 SC O ce of Regulatory Sta

 Thank you to city sta Mary Pat Baldauf and Justin Stevens their help!
 Packet Pg. 5

 ffi
 ffi
 ff
 ff
 fi
ffi
 1.a




 From the SC state energy of ce
 Energy labelling project

City of Columbia
Community wide greenhouse gas emissions




 Attachment: CPAC April2021 Update (6619 : CPAC Quarterly Update)
 waste
 7%
 residential buildings transportation
 16% 31%




commercial buildings
 46%



 Note: this does not include goods, food, etc
 Packet Pg. 6

 fi
 1.a




 Attachment: CPAC April2021 Update (6619 : CPAC Quarterly Update)




 In Colu
 mbia:
There
 are mo
 re renters
 than o
 High e w ners.
 nergy
 burden
 in SC.




 Housing data: columbiacompass.org Ch4
 Energy burden data: DOE via ususa.org
 Packet Pg. 7
 1.a




Energy labelling project




 Attachment: CPAC April2021 Update (6619 : CPAC Quarterly Update)




 This work is in partnership with the SC State Energy O ce.

 Next steps:
 a) meeting with Missouri’s Energy o ce (4/20 afternoon)
 b) Find a pilot community in COLA to voluntarily participate
 in this program
 c) Work voluntary rollout

 Packet Pg. 8

 ffi
 ffi
 1.a




 Work with
 Dominion (& PSC)
 to source renewables
 City of Greenville
 intervened at PSC

 Duke’s proposed Duke’s amended




 Attachment: CPAC April2021 Update (6619 : CPAC Quarterly Update)
 Energy Freedom Act Green Source Green Source
 Advantage Advantage
 Allows 3rd parties Pause
 …work 25 MW carve out for cities
 150 MW generation cap 200 MW generation cap
 to generate via renewables
 di ere i n g10oMW
 nacarve out for unis
 nt ang
 le
 Dominion’s voluntary
 ???
 renewable offering

 135 MW generation cap
 No carve out for cities or unis.
 Unclear if fee structure is similar to GSA
 Packet Pg. 9

ff
 1.a




 Work with
  Dominion (& PSC)
to source renewables

 - Goals: 100% carbon neutrality by 2036 + rate neutrality



 Attachment: CPAC April2021 Update (6619 : CPAC Quarterly Update)
 - Question: how much will Dominion do by 2036? How much does
 the city need to do?
 - What is our baseline starting point?
 - What are the growth projections by 2036 according to their IRP?
 - Dominion is open to working out custom deals for customers
 - two avenues for custom deal
 1) local coalition in the midlands between the city, uni, and county
 using large project in the queue
 2) renegotiating the franchise agreement
 Packet Pg. 10
 1.a




 Work with Next steps?
  Dominion (& PSC) Council: reach out to uni + county
to source renewables
 Clint: continue convo with Dominion

 Recommendation: Dr Z: training in renewable procurement




 Attachment: CPAC April2021 Update (6619 : CPAC Quarterly Update)
 Work on a custom deal with Dominion for a large scale solar
 development (~70MW) in partnership with the uni and the county.

 Pros: more entities to increase the size, which reduces the risk;
 facilities community partnership between city, uni, and county. Helps
 with electrifying transit

 Cons: relies on Dominion, not a legal route per se

 Considerations: EV charging, EV transit?, grid to vehicle storage
 Packet Pg. 11
 1.a




Longer term goals:


 Develop a community wide
 climate action plan that we can



 Attachment: CPAC April2021 Update (6619 : CPAC Quarterly Update)
 use to measure progress
 and engage with the public.



 Provide framework for and
 make progress towards
 zero carbon emissions
 community wide by 2036

 Packet Pg. 12
 1.a




Question for you:
how can we most effectively work together?
CPAC and federal e orts have shifted dramatically over last year

We are forging new territory.




 Attachment: CPAC April2021 Update (6619 : CPAC Quarterly Update)
How can we make the most of limited resources (time, $, people)?

 In this
 update
 :
 - Energy
 e
 - Energy vents past +
 l a be f u t ure (6/
 - Domin li n g upda 17/21)
 ion up te
 - Q for y date
 ou
 Next ti
 me
 - Read
 Thanks y for 1
 00 con
 loriz@sc.edu sultan
 t’s rep
 ort
 Packet Pg. 13

 ff

COLUMBIA ENVIRONMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE MEETING
 MINUTES
 TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021

CALL TO ORDER

Attendee Name Title Status
Tameika Isaac Devine Chair Present
Will Brennan Member Present
Daniel J. Rickenmann Member Present

COMMITTEE DISCUSSION

1. Columbia's Climate Protection Action Committee (CPAC) Quarterly Update - Ms. Mary
 Pat Baldauf, Sustainability Administrator for the Public Works Department and Dr. Lori
 A. Ziolkowski, CPAC Chair

Dr. Lori Ziolkowski, CPAC Chair provided an update on behalf of CPAC. Our consultant’s
report on Ready for 100 will be available within the next month and that will likely be the focus
of our next meeting. CPAC organized a Ready for 100 event to educate people on lowering
energy costs and programs to help with energy efficiency, especially for those who re struggling
financially. Keeping it Cool Columbia! is being planned for June 17, 2021 to educate people on
cooling their homes in an affordable manner. The SC State Energy Efficiency Roadmap
recommends the development of a residential labeling/disclosure pilot program. There is a
financial energy burden with residents paying upwards of 20% of their monthly income on
energy. We are scheduling a meeting to learn more about the Missouri Home Energy
Certification Program. We are working to identify a pilot community in Columbia and a
voluntary roll out program. There is a goal of 100% carbon neutrality and rate neutrality by
2036. Over the past month, Dominion Energy has expressed an interest in working out custom
deals with its customers by forming a local coalition in the midlands between the city, university,
and county using large projects in the queue or renegotiation of the franchise agreement. We
recommend that the city work on the local coalition deal with Dominion Energy for an
approximate 70 MW installation project. The World Resources Institute is starting a cohort of
entities to work on renewable procurements. I would like for the city to support members of the
city, county, and university participating in this free cohort.

Councilor Rickenmann asked if the university is willing to work further on a joint project for a
massive solar field so we can harvest those credits as a community.




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  COLUMBIA ENVIRONMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE MEETING
 MINUTES
 TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021

Dr. Lori Ziolkowski, CPAC Chair said the university’s biggest concern is rate neutrality and
support from upper administration. Next steps include Assistant City Manager Shealy continuing
the conversation with Dominion Energy. WRI is also offering a cohort for electric vehicle (EV)
charging stations. The SC State Energy Office is finalizing a fleet audit for the city and the data
should be available soon. Long-term goals include the development of a community wide
climate action plan. How can we work together most effectively?

Councilor Brennan said I look forward to hearing from Clint on his discussions with Dominion.
This could set off an accelerated path to meeting the sustainability goals.

Councilor Devine said a lot of work that we are doing is interconnected. It’s not just
sustainability, affordable housing, and transportation; this all works together. I would like Dr.
Ziolkowski’s thoughts on how to incentivize or help property owners with energy efficiency in
rental units. This would help with affordability and our energy goals.

Dr. Lori Ziolkowski, CPAC Chair said the SC State Energy Office is working on a green bank
because it would help fund issues like this. We worry about gentrification because as landlords
increase the quality of a rental, that could push out lower income renters. The first step is to
gather data on labeling, then look at how to incentive this, and figure out how to implement it.
Our energy consultant wanted us to ask if Columbia Housing can use high energy efficiency or
renewables in their renovations.

Councilor Devine said let’s send information over to Columbia Housing and see how they
respond. We need to be prepared with shovel ready projects and a community based plan will
align us with federal monies that may become available. We can figure out where Richland
County is and what needs to be done to bring them along as partners.

Mary Pat Baldauf, Sustainability Coordinator / Public Works Department announced that Earth
Day is Thursday, April 22, 2021. We are participating in a celebration at Boyd Plaza on Saturday
from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Green Steps Schools will be participating, as well. We will have
information on recycling, sustainability, and Columbia Water. The Richland Soil and Water
Conservation Commission, Forestry Commission, and the Wildlife Federation will have tables,
also. There will be upcycled educational items for sale for the benefit of the Environmental
Educators Association of South Carolina. We are promoting events with South Carolina
Interfaith Power and Light.



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 COLUMBIA ENVIRONMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE MEETING
 MINUTES
 TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021

Councilor Brennan asked Dr. Ziolkowski to keep the City updated on the green bank
conversation at the state level and how we can help craft that idea.

Councilor Devine asked about Richland County’s conversations around the bag ordinance and
bagging leaves.

Robert Anderson, Public Works Director said it went to a committee, but the committee didn’t
meet after COVID.

Mary Pat Baldauf, Sustainability Coordinator / Public Works Department said they did a survey
but they haven’t moved forward.

Councilor Rickenmann said everybody is clogging up the storm drains and we need to revisit
that at some point.

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting was closed at 10:43 a.m.

Respectfully submitted:


Erika D. Moore Hammond, CMC
City Clerk




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