I. Title of the Best Practice

II. Overview of the Best Practice

A. General Description
Federal agencies are well-positioned to initiate certain technical assistance and education/outreach programs for states and localities that they might not be able to do on their own. These programs allow for adaptation to local circumstances and access to local expertise and markets. Variation in state and local implementation efforts also help improve overall program performance through experimentation and learning by example. Seven intergovernmental programs are featured below.

B. Special Characteristics of the Best Practice
State and Local Climate Change Outreach Program: EPA's State and Local Climate Change program was established to raise awareness of the climate change issue and to provide tools (e.g., guidance on preparing GHG emissions inventories and action plans, and analytic models), technical assistance (e.g., conferences, communication exchanges) and resources to states/localities.

The program assists states and municipalities in establishing voluntary greenhouse gas (GHG) baseline emissions inventories, evaluating GHG mitigation options, identifying and communicating successful projects. Nearly two-thirds of the states have GHG inventories; about half have state action plans. EPA maintains a database of over 500 actions identified in the state action plans. Actions can be queried by state, by policy, and by technology. Case studies are available. Examples for the States of New Jersey and Oregon included in the U.S. Best Practices submission on State, Local, and Community Initiatives.

In collaboration with the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, the EPA State and Local Climate Change program helped sponsor the Urban CO2 Reduction Project, later to become the Cities for Climate Protection Campaign. To date, sixty-six cities have joined Cities for Climate Protection Campaign in the United States. Participating cities agree to a set of milestones that include preparing a baseline survey of emissions, setting a reduction target, preparing a local action plan, and carrying out the voluntary recommendations of the local action plan in areas over which they have influence (e.g., transportation and land use planning, waste management, building operations, and procurement practices).

State Energy Program (SEP) administered by the DOE originated in 1976 as a set of federally-funded state energy programs as a way to fund state initiatives to reduce energy consumption. The current SEP combines these programs and provides for increased state flexibility in how they utilize the funds to address state-specific energy needs, while also contributing to national goals. This flexibility replaces an initial focus on mandatory (to receive funding) measures, such as promotion of carpooling. Filing of annual state energy plans provides the basis for federal overview and assurance that funds are being well-addressed to energy savings opportunities. Funding the basic operation of state energy offices at the federal level also provides an infrastructure of other resources as they become available. In the United States, for instance, the vast majority of oil overcharge funds, generally the result of court cases, were utilized through state energy offices to enhance conservation efforts. Through SEP, the state energy offices partner with DOE to deploy new energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies at the state and local level and foster sustainable development, thereby saving energy and significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

A joint program of the Idaho, Washington, and Oregon State Energy Offices is bringing new comfort and energy efficiency to owners of manufactured homes built in those states. Nearly 30% of all new single family housing in the Northwest is constructed in factories. The State Energy Offices in these states work with 16 major manufacturers in the region who have agreed to comply with high energy efficiency standards. Oregon also operates a related program, the Manufactured Housing Acquisition Program (MAP), in which utility partners in the region pay manufacturers to build all electrically heated homes to high efficiency standards. Partners in MAP include the Bonneville Power Administration, the Northwest Power Planning Council, 18 home builders, and local utilities. As a result of these programs, 60% of new manufactured homes built in the Northwest are certified to meet higher energy efficiency standards. Homes built under the MAP program use half the energy of homes built to current federal standards, and reduce household energy costs by 30%.

Farms in the state of Arkansas produce nearly 42% of the nation's rice crop, the lion's share coming from the Grand Prairie Region. Inefficient irrigation practices, however, were draining up to two feet of water per year from aquifers used to irrigate the rice fields, threatening nearly 721,000 acres of this rich agricultural area. The Arkansas State Energy Office launched a project which organizes farmers in the area to create water boundaries, design better ways to use surface runoff and to irrigate. The project reduces farmers' irrigation costs and saves local irrigation districts US$4 million annually. It also creates opportunities for waterfowl habitat restoration and development.

Texas is testing several renewable energy technologies, including a 35 MW wind farm that provides more than 12,000 homes in central Texas with power, and funnels additional revenues to the State school fund. Many small solar arrays serve irrigation or cattle watering pumps across the State. The City of Houston has installed more than 1,000 solar-powered school zone warning lights.

Clean Cities is a voluntary, government and industry partnership coordinated by the DOE. The program is designed to accelerate the introduction and use of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs), thereby, reducing our Nation's dependence on imported oil, improving air quality and stimulating local economies. This program mobilizes local stakeholders in the effort to expand the use of alternatives to gasoline and diesel fuel by accelerating the deployment of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs), and building a local AFV refueling infrastructure. Clean Cities works by creating an effective plan, developed and implemented at the local level, for building a sustainable alternative fuels market. Clean Cities brings together all of the key players - those essential to successful AFV market development - including local governments, fuel suppliers, automakers, transit agencies and fleet operators. By bringing in all the appropriate partners, Clean Cities takes the guess work out of which fleets are best to target and where to place refueling stations in order to get enough volume to make stations viable. To date, 68 communities have been designated Clean Cities by DOE and have made commitments to building markets for alternative fuel vehicles.

The City of Atlanta was the first Clean Cities coalition designated by the DOE. At the time of designation, the Atlanta program had just seven stakeholders, 48 AFVs and 8 alternative fuel stations. Today, the program is incorporated as a nonprofit organization and has built the AFV market to include more than 5,000 AFVs and 200 refueling sites. By working together as a coalition, the stakeholders have successfully implemented a FuelNet system, which is a network of refueling stations that can be accessed with a fleet refueling card. Also, Clean Cities-Atlanta supported legislation to provide special AFV license plates to AFV users, allowing them full access to High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes.

The Maricopa Association of Government's Clean Cities program in Phoenix, Arizona, is a relatively new coalition that was recently recognized by DOE for adding 1,800 AFVs in 1998. The program has been instrumental in establishing the Arizona Clean Air Fund, which has provided US$6.5 million to alternative fuel projects in fiscal year 1998-99 and other incentives, such as tax incentives and HOV lane access for AFVs.

Rebuild America: This relatively recent DOE voluntary program provides technical assistance to local business, government, and community coalitions to improve the energy efficiency of existing commercial buildings. This organization at the local level provides the opportunity for the development of strong local markets for energy efficient building products and materials, allows localities to integrate building renovation with economic development, planning, and other local development strategies; and provides on-going momentum for future efficiency investments. The federal technical assistance ensures that participating localities can "build" on what is already known, rather than "reinventing the wheel." Participants agree to share their results. To date Rebuild America has initiated 240 projects. The resulting savings is 0.12 MMTC per year for buildings actually retrofitted to date.

Rebuild Iowa is currently working with 6 local community partnerships. Between 1996 and May 1999, 221 building owners representing 898 have agreed to implement improvements, with 300 energy analyses completed. The results have included US$6.2 million in identified or implemented improvements, for annual cost savings of US$592,310 annual cost savings. Estimated associated emissions reductions include 11,244 tons of CO2, 28 tons of particulate, 433 tons of sox, and 22 tons of NOx avoided annually. An estimated 155 job years have been created.

Portland Partners for Energy Efficiency (P2E2) is based in the City of Portland, Oregon, and offers an extensive, easy to use package of energy efficiency services for targeted commercial, institutional and multifamily customers in the Portland metropolitan area. The P2E2 partnership also was recognized as Partnership of the Year at the 1999 Rebuild America National Forum in Las Vegas, Nevada for all of their city-wide efforts. P2E2 has used the state's Business Energy Tax Credit program to encourage efficiency retrofits in more than 58 million square feet of building space, doubling their original goal of 27 million, and weatherized more than 4,600 multi-family buildings. The partnership has exceeded their goal for energy savings by 47,000 MMBTU to total over 656,000 MMBTU.

Smart Growth describes a new approach to economic growth and development in communities that is balanced by environmental protection and quality of life. EPA and others established the Smart Growth Network to achieve the necessary coalition-building and participation by all stakeholders including developers, community leaders, the business community, environmental organizations, and the local citizenry. The U.S. Best Practice submission on State, Local, and Community Initiatives includes examples of smart growth activities undertaken by this growing coalition of developers, planners, government officials, lending institutions, community development organizations, architects, environmentalists and community activists -- all stakeholders in the development process. By building coalitions and partnerships, developing information and analytical tools and programs and establishing dialogues among development stakeholders, the Smart Growth Network encourages more environmentally and fiscally responsible land use, growth and development. Further information on Smart Growth can be found in the State, Local, and Community Initiatives section of this report.

ENERGY STAR: Sponsored jointly by the EPA and DOE, ENERGY STAR is quickly gaining recognition as the nationwide symbol for excellence in energy performance. As noted elsewhere in this report, a registered certification mark-- the ENERGY STAR label -- ensures that products and even buildings bearing the brand are in the top tier, among their category, for energy and environmental performance. Hundreds of U.S..public institutions including state and local governments and schools have taken actions to promote the adoption of ENERGY STAR products in their regions and to improve the operation of their own facilities to become ENERGY STAR Buildings. Additionally, ENERGY STAR is the brand umbrella for several voluntary greenhouse gas mitigation partnerships designed to leverage cost-effective emissions reductions through different market sectors. These partnerships include the following (described in more detail in the appendix): ENERGY STAR Buildings; ENERGY STAR Homes and the ENERGY STAR Purchasing Initiative. Recent successes involving public sector partnerships with ENERGY STAR are numerous and the following provide representative examples:

The City and County of Denver, Colorado is building ENERGY STAR brand awareness both inside its agencies and throughout the community. The municipality has invested significantly in lighting upgrades in 4.5 million square feet of office space, as well as multiple energy-efficiency measures in nearly 200 separate facilities. Its energy performance efforts have yielded the performance label for two municipal facilities to date as well as a Partner of the Year Award from EPA. Denver uses its own success to promote the value of energy performance to its rapidly growing corporate community, and the City now has the highest number of ENERGY STAR labeled buildings of any US municipality in its downtown business corridor. Using its local access cable channel to showcase ENERGY STAR, Denver is also communicating the message of energy and environmental performance to the public. And through early adoption of new energy-saving technologies, Denver is showcasing its success at every street corner. For example, Denver has installed more than 18,000 red light emitting diode (LED) traffic signals in 1,200 intersections. The LED signals have a 20 year life and use a fraction of the energy of the original incandescents. The project now saves the municipality almost half a million dollars per year and is a daily reminder of the opportunities to cut costs and pollution at the same time. All told, Denver's efforts avoid the emission of 7,167 metric tons of CO2 each year while annual savings have reached US$1.4 million.

The University of Virginia (UVA) is making energy efficiency upgrades to over 7 million square feet of facilities through lighting retrofits, building system improvements, heating pipe insulation, occupancy sensors, LED Exit signs and more. As a result of these and other energy projects UVA has invested US$4.3 million in energy efficiency and avoids the release of 6,250 metric tons of CO2 per year while savings - currently over US$400,000 annually - are growing rapidly. In forging a critical link between the University's current operations and the education of future engineers, UVA's engineering school now offers an energy management course based on the ENERGY STAR Buildings Manual and strategy. UVA also has received a Partner of the Year Award from EPA for its comprehensive efforts.

Federal Transportation Assistance Programs: Administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation, the federal surface transportation assistance programs are designed to help states and localities select the transportation programs that best meet the transportation needs of communities, while protecting the environment and supporting strong economies. Projects are selected through state-wide and metropolitan transportation planning. Several programs of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century are particularly supportive of local choices that can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program authorized US$8 billion in highway funding over six years to help states and communities clean up their air. Although the primary purpose of this program is to reduce pollutant emissions from mobile sources, the funds also have helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the purchase of alternative fueled vehicles and related infrastructure, and through programs to promote transit use and ridesharing activities. Federal funds for mass transit can be used for a variety of activities, including buying alternative fueled buses. As an additional incentive for purchase of these clean buses, localities can receive a greater share of federal funding for the additional costs incurred. Bicycle and pedestrian improvements can receive funds under several funding programs.

C. Reasons for Inclusion as Best Practice
Realizes multiple policy objectives. Each of these programs facilitate state and local governments efforts to help their communities grow in sustainable ways, often promoting local economic growth and job development along with reducing local resource needs and environmental impacts.

Fits flexibly within individual state and locality needs. Experience with the State Energy Program, which began with a number of mandatory provisions indicated the need to tailor individual state plans to individual energy needs. Northeastern states, for instance can focus on improving the energy efficiency of residential oil burners, an energy focus that is not found in many other states. Many southern states in particular have included extensive solar elements in their state programs. Through state and metropolitan transportation planning, communities have flexibility to choose transportation projects and services that best meet local needs and that promote sustainable development.

Draws on local talent and generate new program ideas. Implementation of these programs by hundreds of individuals and organizations from different backgrounds helps generate new ideas and opportunities. The evaluation and public reporting that is an element of each program provides the basis for exchange on what works and doesn't work.

Encourages partnerships between federal agencies and state and local governments. Combined efforts enable states and localities to share expertise with the federal government, test policies and demonstrate practical applications of new technologies and practices.

Can track progress through detailed reporting of program activities. For example, the Clean Cities Program tracks, among other activities, the numbers of cities in the program, AFVs on the road, refueling/recharging stations built, and participants actively involved in program activities.

Fit flexibly within state and local needs. State and local governments individually decide whether they wish to participate in these programs.

III. Categorizing the Best Practice

The following responses are combined for all programs listed in this section.

1. Classification(s) (Indicate main classification(s) only.)
( ) Regulatory Approach (Policy approaches-- regulations, incentives, etc.)
( ) Practical Action (Action undertaken independently by a social actor)
( X ) Social Network Mechanism (Cooperative structure)

2. Social Actor(s) Involved (Indicate main social actor(s) only.)
( X ) Citizens
( X ) Central government
( X ) Local government
( X ) Business

3. Sector(s) (Indicate main sector(s) only.)
( X ) Energy
( X ) Household
( X ) Transportation (Clean Cities)
( X ) Industrial Enterprises
( X ) Other (Non-Industrial) Business (Buildings-Rebuild America)
( X ) Agriculture/ Land Use/ Forestry
( X ) Other Includes waste sector (EPA's State/Local program) and water conservation (DOE)

4. Target Greenhouse Gas(es)
( X ) CO2
( X ) CH4
( X ) N2O
( ) HFC
( ) PFC
( ) SF6
( X ) Other No specific greenhouse gas is targeted. The programs focus on energy savings and waste reduction improvements. Savings in greenhouse gases are, however, a significant by-product of achieved energy savings/waste reductions.

IV. List of References

Rebuild America:
http://www.eren.doe.gov/buildings/rebuild/

Clean Cities:
http://www.ccities.doe.gov/

State Energy Programs:
http://www.eren.doe.gov/buildings/state_energy/

State and Local Climate Change Outreach Program:
http://yosemite.epa.gov/globalwarming/ghg.nsf/actions/state

ENERGY STAR:
http://www.energystar.gov

Federal Transportation Programs:
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/tea21

V. Please indicate a person to contact for more information about this Best Practice.

State and Local Climate Change Program
Contact Person:	Katherine Sibold
Title:	Team Leader, State and Local Climate Change Program
Organization:	U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Email:	sibold.katherine@epa.gov
Tel:	202-260-4314
Fax:	202-260-0290
Address:	401 M Street SW (2176), Washington, DC 20460 USA

State Energy Program
Contact Person:	Gail McKinley, 6-4074
Title:	Manager, Energy State Program
Organization:	U.S. Department of Energy, Office of State and Community Programs
Email:	Gail.McKinley@hq.doe.gov
Tel:	202-586-4074
Fax:	202-586-1233
Address:	1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585 USA

Clean Cities Program
Contact Person:	Marcy Rood
Title:	Deputy Director, Clean Cities Program
Organization:	U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Transportation Technologies
Email:	marcy.rood@hq.doe.gov
Tel:	202-586-8161
Fax:	202-586-1558
Address:	1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585 USA

Rebuild America
Contact Person:	Mark Bailey
Title:	Program Manager, Rebuild America
Organization:	U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Building Systems
Email:	Mark.Bailey@hq.doe.gov
Tel:	202-586-9424
Fax:	202-586-1628
Address:	1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585, USA

Smart Growth Network
Contact Person:	Harriet Tregoning
Title:	Director,Urban and Economic Development Division
Organization:	U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Email:	tregoning.harriet@epa.gov
Tel:	202-260-2778
Fax:	202-260-0174
Address:	401 M Street SW (2127), Washington, DC 20460 USA

ENERGY STAR
Contact Person:	Virginia Lee
Title:	Special Assistant
Organization:	U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Email:	lee.virginia@epa.gov
Tel:	202-564-8977
Fax:	202-565-2134
Address:	401 M Street SW (6202J), Washington, DC 20460 USA

Federal Transportation Programs
Bicycling and Pedestrian:
Contact Person:	John Fegan
Title:	National Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Manager
Organization:	U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration
Email:	John.Fegan@fhwa.dot.gov
Tel:	202-366-5007
Fax:	202-366-3409
Address:	HEPH, 400 7th Street SW, Washington, DC 20590 USA
Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program:
Contact Person:	Mike Savonis
Title:	Air Quality Policies Team Leader
Organization:	U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration
Email:	Michael.Savonis@fhwa.dot.gov
Tel:	202-366-2080
Fax:	202-366-3409
Address:	HENE, 400 7th Street SW, Washington, DC 20590 USA
Transit Programs:
Contact Person:	Janet Saha
Title:	Deputy Associate Administrator for Program Management
Organization:	U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration
Email:	Patricia.Levine@fta.dot.gov
Tel:	202-366-4020
Fax:	202-366-7951
Address:	TPM-1, 400 7th Street SW, Washington, DC 20590 USA