Mayor Beutler's Cleaner Greener Lincoln initiative emerged in 2009 as a strong supporter and promoter of living sustainably in Nebraska's capital city. In addition to funding its own projects, the initiative has supported many community events including the Star City Holiday Parade, Earth Day, Complete Streets, Biketacular, Bike to Work Day and Celebrate Lincoln.
Current projects
The initiative partners with organizations, businesses and individuals in Lincoln to promote sustainable lifestyles, create jobs and ultimately save the city and its residents money on energy costs through building upgrades and renewable energy projects.
Municipal Lighting Upgrades
What we're doing: Cleaner Greener Lincoln funded the upgrade from incandescent bulbs to more efficient and longer lasting LED bulbs in traffic lights around the city, pedestrian lights on 4th and 10th Streets, Sherman Field and a downtown parking garage.
Why this matters: Compared to incandescent bulbs, LED lights use less energy (saving up to 90% of the annual cost) and also last considerably longer.
Completion: Fall 2010
Non-Profit Energy Improvements
What we're doing: Cleaner Greener Lincoln funded energy audits for 13 non-profit organizations: Child Guidance, Family Service, Food Bank, Friendship Home, Good Neighbor, Houses of Hope, Lincoln Medical Center, Lux, Malone, People in Need, Salvation Army, St. Monica's, and Voices of Hope.
Why this matters: All of the non-profits on this list help people in need, and energy costs are just one of their organizations' challenges. Improvements based on the audits are projected to save the non-profits an average of 17% current energy bills overall, or approximately $52,000 every year.
Completion: Fall 2010
Residential Energy Improvements
What we're doing: The Lincoln Energy Challenge is a campaign to reduce residential energy use with Stronger, Safer Neighborhoods, Community Action Partnership, Black Hills Energy MidTown Village, AmeriCorps and Lincoln Electric System. It attempts to engage as many residents as possible in an energy savings "challenge". Anyone may sign up and could win prizes. Some may be eligible for free energy audits and weatherization.
Why this matters: Energy consumption at home can be reduced with simple steps, and this campaign seeks to not only educate, but stimulate the change that is needed to live more sustainably and to help the community save money.
Estimated completion: Summer 2011
Clean Energy Production
What we're doing: Cleaner Greener Lincoln contributed funds to Public Works and Utilities' project of energy creation from methane, a greenhouse gas generated by waste decomposing in the landfill.
Why this matters: This method turns the harmful gas into clean energy, which could be sold as carbon credits. It also improves air quality.
Estimated completion: Ongoing
What we're doing: Cleaner Greener Lincoln contributed funds to a Public Works/UNL renewable energy research project to power 84th and Highway 2 with wind and solar energy. The project might be implemented on other intersections in town.
Why this matters: This significant three-year research project will collect data on Lincoln's own renewable energy resources and could potentially save the city money on energy costs. Eventually, the project could produce all of its needed energy and sell energy back to LES.
Completed: Winter 2010
Green Building Practices
What we're doing: Cleaner Greener Lincoln is partnering with Black Hills Energy to develop a sustainable building policy for the City. This green building code will help lower energy costs for building owners and will strive for high standards in energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality and resources, construction practice, building operations, transportation and land use when constructing new buildings.
Why this matters: Buildings account for approximately 40% of U.S. energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, 13% of water use and 160 million tons per year of construction and demolition debris. The air quality can also be up to 100 times more polluted than outside air.
Estimated completion: Fall 2011
Community Education
What we're doing: Cleaner Greener Lincoln provided a grant to develop EcoStores Nebraska's Eco Products and Services Center.
Why this matters:The Eco Products and Services Center will serve as an information hub for a broad variety of green products and services. It will also hold weekly trainings on how to be green. This new opportunity for Lincoln residents will reduce waste and increase energy efficiency throughout the region and the state.
Completed: Spring 2011
