Starting this week, the whole world can see Reno’s carbon footprint. The Nevada city launched a public portal that measures emission, energy and utility info.
The new portal is a partnership between Reno and the 24/7 carbon-tracking platform Ledger8760. Now both policymakers and the general public will be able to find out exactly how much carbon Reno’s buildings, vehicle fleet, meters and public utilities are emitting.
“By making our emissions data public, we are setting a new standard for transparency, as we work to reach our sustainability goals,” Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve said in a statement. “We look forward to the invaluable insights we will gain through this partnership to inform action plans that will make a real impact in 2022.”
Reno officials hope that by tracking emissions 24/7, they can better understand energy usage patterns according to time of day and season. This intel should help them make better energy decisions. Already the data has indicated that it’s more energy efficient to charge the city’s electric vehicles during the day rather than at night.
“Our city-wide sustainability goal in Reno, aligned with the state of Nevada, is to reduce our annual greenhouse gas emissions by 28% from 2008 levels by 2025, and with that date fast approaching, the accuracy of the data provided by Ledger8760 puts us in a position to better understand how to achieve broader goals,” said Suzanne Groneman, sustainability program manager at the Reno City Manager’s Office, in a statement. “We have a responsibility to our citizens and now we are able to ensure we are making the right investments and decisions with those funds to make for a more sustainable Reno that can be enjoyed by all.”
Washoe County and the state of Nevada will launch similar public energy dashboards in the near future, also in partnership with Ledger8760. Senate Bill 358, recently passed by the Nevada state legislature, requires electricity providers to use renewable energy to meet at least half of customer needs by 2030. By 2050, that requirement soars to 100%. (inhabitat via City of Reno)