American Mayors and Businesses: Building Partnerships for a Low-Carbon Future Volume III Alliance for a Sustainable Future a joint effort by The U.S. Conference of Mayors and the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) January 2020 THE UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF MAYORS Bryan K. Barnett Mayor of Rochester Hills, MI President Greg Fischer Mayor of Louisville Vice President Nan Whaley Mayor of Dayton Second Vice President Tom Cochran CEO and Executive Director The U.S. Conference of Mayors Bob Perciasepe President The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions About the U.S. Conference of Mayors: The U.S. Conference About C2ES: The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities (C2ES) is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization with populations of 30,000 or more. There are nearly working to forge practical solutions to climate change. Our 1,400 such cities in the country today, and each city mission is to advance strong policy and action to reduce is represented in the Conference by its chief elected greenhouse gas emissions, promote clean energy, and strengthen official, the mayor. Learn more at www.usmayors.org resilience to climate impacts. Learn more at www.c2es.org Acknowledgement The Alliance for a Sustainable Future would like to thank AECOM for leading the development of this report. We would also like to thank Commonwealth Edison (ComEd), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and Duke Energy for their work in developing these case studies. Thank you as well to the cities of Asheville, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake City as well as Buncombe County for their contributions to this report. Please note that none of the views of the report necessarily reflect the views of these organizations. The U.S. Conference of Mayors and C2ES are solely responsible for the content of this report. American Mayors and Businesses: Building Partnerships for a Low-Carbon Future Volume III ALLIANCE FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE a joint effort by The U.S. Conference of Mayors and the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) January 2020 Introduction 7 Chicago & ComEd: Leveraging Utility Investments in a Community of the Future 13 Detroit & DTE Energy: Advancing Electrification & Sustainability in Detroit 23 Los Angeles & Los Angeles Department of Water and Power: LA Commits to CONTENTS 100% Clean Energy 31 Salt Lake City & Rocky Mountain Power: A Partnership for a Carbon Negative Future 43 Alliance for a Sustainable Future Introduction Cities across the country are increasingly reach 100% renewable energy for municipal interested in partnerships to advance buildings by 2025 to Salt Lake City’s energy efficiency, renewable energy sources, goal to reach 100% municipal renewable and low-carbon mobility. Collaborative energy supply by 2032, the undertakings partnerships between cities and utilities are significant, and cities have found serve as opportunities to advance these themselves working with their communities goals and can lay the foundation for clean and utilities to accomplish their goals. Time energy solution implementation, policy and time again, these partnerships have change, and community engagement. been instrumental in enabling communities Through collaboration, cities and utilities to meet their climate targets and spur can leverage a diverse set of resources and development for a clean energy future. connections to take a holistic approach in addressing climate issues that satisfy The Alliance for a Sustainable Future, a community needs, increase resource collaboration between the U.S. Conference access, create supportive regulatory of Mayors (USCM) and the Center for environments, and help utilities grow. Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES), has captured a collection of case studies To reach these goals, more than 60% of to demonstrate the impact of city- cities that responded to the 2018 Survey of utility partnerships on addressing the Mayors1 launched or significantly expanded growing impacts of climate change and a climate initiative or policy in the past two promoting collaboration. From different years. The actions are a concerted effort regulatory environments to different on the part of local government to address community priorities, each city-utility the challenges their cities are experiencing partnership has a unique story. However, related to climate impacts: In the past 5 they all demonstrate a commitment to years, 95% of American cities surveyed have improving their communities through experienced a change related to at least innovative collaborative efforts. one climate impact. From Chicago’s goal to 1. Alliance for a Sustainable Future. 2018. Mayors Leading the Way on Climate. www.c2es.org/site/assets/uploads/2018/09/mayors-leading-way-on-climate-2018.pdf. 7 Alliance for a Sustainable Future This portfolio of case studies features 1. How are these collaborative efforts highly effective city-utility partnerships tackling clean energy and transportation that have and will continue to acceler- issues? ate clean energy, transportation elec- trification, and climate action in their 2. What approaches are replicable and communities. This case study collection accelerate success? features the following four partnerships: 3. How are equity, workforce development, 1. Chicago & Commonwealth Edison and resilience goals woven into the (ComEd): Leveraging Utility Investments collaborations? in a Community of the Future These case studies were selected to provide examples of partnerships 2. Detroit & DTE Energy (DTE): Advancing between both small and large cities Electrification & Sustainability in Detroit and municipally-owned utilities (MOUs) 3. Los Angeles (LA) & Los Angeles and investor-owned utilities (IOUs) in a Department of Water and Power variety of geographies and regulatory environments. They demonstrate how city (LADWP): LA Commits to 100% Clean governments and utilities are implementing Energy renewable energy, energy efficiency, grid 4. Salt Lake City & Rocky Mountain Power: modernization, and mobility electrification A Partnership for a Carbon Negative initiatives to drive positive community Future change and progress towards city targets. The purpose of this collection of case studies is to give both cities and utilities an overview of partnerships that have been beneficial in advancing sustain- ability goals and how these partnerships are created and evolve. The case stud- ies address the following questions: 8 Alliance for a Sustainable Future Establishing Measures of Success: Targeted commitments to improving climate outcomes City Target Chicago Reduce GHG emissions by 80% by 2050 from a 1990 baseline Reach 100% renewable energy for municipal buildings by 2025 Reach 100% renewable energy for all buildings by 2035 Detroit Reduce community-wide GHG emissions by 30% by 2025 from a 2012 baseline Reduce municipal GHG emissions by 35% by 2024 and 75% by 2034 from a 2012 baseline Increase solar generation capacity to 10 MW by 2029 Los Angeles Reach 55% renewable energy by 2025 Reach 80% renewable energy by 2036 Lead CA to 100% renewable energy by 2045 Salt Lake City Climate Positive 2040: 100 X 2032: 100% Renewable energy for community electricity supply by 2032 - Goal includes 50% renewable electricity for municipal operations by 2020 80% Reduction in community greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 2040, compared to 2009 baseline - Goal includes at least 50% reduction in community footprint by 2030 9 Alliance for a Sustainable Future In developing this document, USCM, establishment of clear targets and C2ES, AECOM, the Institute of Electrical metrics for success is necessary for city- and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and utility partnerships to track progress and ComEd interviewed each city-utility identify areas for improvement. Metrics partnership to gain a better understanding can also be shared with stakeholders of how partnerships are developed and ensure progress towards goals. and executed, enabling factors and challenges, impacts of efforts, lessons Partnering with Diverse Stakeholders: learned, and keys for project replication. Working with a diverse set of stakeholders is key for city-utility partnerships to implement While each case study represents unique successful initiatives. This includes working lessons learned, there were also several key across city and utility departments to break themes that cut across successful city-utility down silos as well as collaborating with partnerships. The following themes were a wide-range of external stakeholders. keys to success across the four case studies. Collaboration with groups such as non- profit organizations, local businesses, community leaders, education institutions, Keys to Success health institutions, and technical experts Laying the Groundwork: The city, enables partnerships to take a holistic utility, and key stakeholders all play an approach, develop a shared vision, and important role in laying the groundwork for leverage a variety of technical and financial partnership success. In some cases, city- resources for planning and implementation. utility partners should focus on gaining local government support and experience Listening to Community Feedback: from pilot projects before kicking off Ongoing community engagement drives their partnership efforts. In other cases, long-term support for city-utility initiatives. movement building and advocacy efforts These partnerships thrive when they not from all partners and stakeholders