Green infrastructure briefing
Mayors, councillors, general managers, Chief Executives and senior staff from 46 Councils and Regional Organisations of Councils across New South Wales recently attended City of Sydney briefings explaining how 'green infrastructure' can dramatically cut emissions and help residents and business owners save money.
The City has ambitious plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 70 per cent over the next twenty years using a range of green initiatives, including meeting energy needs locally from trigeneration plants. Trigeneration produces electricity from gas but captures the waste heat produced for heating and cooling nearby buildings. This process is nearly three times more efficient than coal–fired power plants
UK energy expert, Allan Jones MBE is charged with meeting the City's energy targets. His previous work helped to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the City of Woking (UK) by 80 per cent and he undertook similar work for the City of London.
A call for tenders to install a network of trigeneration plants has been released. Jones said the tender provides the opportunity to supply trigeneration to the Town Hall precinct on George Street, Customs House at Circular Quay, the City's five aquatic centres and potentially 200 other buildings. The tender also allows for the establishment of a private or public/private energy services company (ESCO) to supply City owned buildings as well as non–City owned buildings. It follows a call for expressions of interest which attracted major national and international energy players.
Sydney's Lord Mayor, Clover Moore MP, met with mayors and councillors from around the state to discuss the action councils can take to address climate change. Jones held separate meetings with senior managers to provide detailed information on the City's energy plans.
Moore said that local governments should show leadership in setting and meeting carbon emissions reduction targets.
"Green infrastructure will benefit councils, residents and businesses in the Sydney Metropolitan area and more widely across New South Wales with reduced emissions from power stations and in cost savings from avoiding increased network charges for new grid transmission and distribution lines."
The energy targets form part of the City's Sustainable Sydney 2030 plans, which were adopted after extensive consultation and are well underway.
You can follow Allan Jones's work via Twitter: @newsydneyenergy