MINUTES
Meeting No. 1
Conservation and Green Building Subcommittee
Mayor’s Energy Task Force
October 29, 2003, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Room 300, Madison Municipal Building
| Persons Present: | James Whitney, City Architect; Dave Denig-Chakroff, Madison Water Utility; Sonya Newenhouse, Madison Environmental Group; Kevin Little, Informing Ecological Design; Mike Walters, Affiliated Engineers, Inc.; Craig Schepp, Energy Consultant; Lou Host-Jablonski, Design Coalition, Inc./UDC; Abby Vogen, Energy Center of Wisconsin; John Imes, Wisconsin Environmental Initiative; Barbara Smith, Wisconsin Division of Energy, Focus on Energy; Margaret Mooney, Center on Wisconsin Strategy (COWS); Andy Olsen, Dane County /District 17; Joann Kelley, MGE; Lynn Hobbie, MGE; Garrick Maine, Flad & Associates; Sherrie Gruder, UW Extension/Solid & Hazardous Waste Education Center; Melanie Lord (for Caryl Terrel, Sierra Club; Dave Benzschawel, Engineering Department, and Ald. Steve Holtzman, City Council. |
| Chairpersons: | James Whitney, City Architect
Dave Benzschawel, Engineering Department |
| Co-Chairpersons: | Sherrie Gruder, Focus on Energy Craig Schepp, Energy Consultant |
| Prepared by: | Craig Schepp, Energy Consultant |
Resume
1. Must tie in to Mayor’s expressed goals, at a minimum. Many in the group say they want to go beyond the current scope, i.e., into non-public development, beyond just buildings, and into environmental aspects of energy use, and also acknowledge energy’s relationship to other issues, such as water conservation and land use.
2. Important to focus on systematic process, rather than individual project ideas at this time. Starting with specific project ideas puts the cart before the horse – if we begin with general concepts and targets and we will move to specific action sand projects to reach them. A wealth of project ideas will grow from the vision and add to ideas already on the table. Any lasting program must be dynamic to account for changes in technology, consumer awareness, and resources.
3. Emphasize transformation (installing mechanisms that generate automatic market response to changing conditions), rather that transaction (one-time hits that require constant attention and revival). Yet, realize the need to inject regenerative resources, as necessary.
4. Possible steps include:
a. Collect and analyze existing data – e.g., from MG&E building surveys, Focus on Energy assessments, other studies.
b. Identify existing initiatives – e.g., MG&E programs, Climate Protection Plan, focus on Energy.
c. Determine current needs or gaps along with market diffusion trends – tech, economy, and market potentials (we don’t have the resources to do a quantitative analysis, but enough technical experts to provide information; also builds in review of both emerging and underutilized older technologies).
d. What we want the future to look like (5, 10, 15 years) – group consensus, to be determined after we understand the gaps above; we need to anchor the vision here.
e. Identify the barriers to achievement of vision of future – these usually start with money, and can also include awareness, access to technical information and education, trust and perceived risk, competing investments, unsupportive infrastructure.
f. Identify strategies to overcome barriers – specific plans that include timelines, budgets, available resources (human, funding, time, etc.).
g. Prioritize specific plans, based on ETF-established criteria – e.g., urgency, impact, cost-effectiveness.
h. Implement specific plans.
i. Incorporate iterative, formative evaluation and accountability of progress, including tracking and periodic assessment.
j. Adjust, based on evaluation.
5. Co-chairs and Mayoral staff to agree to build relationship and agree on roles.
6. Elected communication protocol, Jim Whitney to prepare minutes and send out for review.
7. Established expectations of group, common agenda, and commitment to it.
8. Need to manage ownership and expectations.
9. Will we be a “high impact team”?
10. What are our individual strengths and how can we capitalize on them? Can we inventory the group on its expertise and strengths in order to tap them?
End of report.