Committee Auenda Date: March 14,2005
Agenda item No.8

County of Santa Clara
Facilities And Fleet Department
Building Operations

FAF02 031405
DATE:

March 14, 2005

TO:

Supervisor Pete McHugh, Chairperson
Supervisor James T. Beall, Jr., Vice-Chairperson
Finance & Government Operations Committee

FROM:

LaiTy Jinkins
Director of Facilities and Fleet Department
SUBJECT:

Resolution for Participation in the Sustainable Silicon Valley Carbon Dioxide Emissions Reduction
Project (Referral from the October 5, 2004 Board Meeting)

RECOMMENDED ACTION

Recommend the Finance and Government Operations Committee(FGOC)support the attached Resolution on

Participating in the Sustainable Silicon Valley Carbon Dioxide Emissions Reduction Project and forward the Resolution
to the Board of Supervisors with a favorable recommendation for approval.
FTSCAT.IMPLICATIONS

There are no immediate financial impacts in approving this Resolution. Accomplishing the objectives of the Resolution,
however, will require the County to fund future energy conservation projects for existing facilities that will reduce
Carbon Dioxide(C02)emissions, and continue to fund energy efficient features in the construction of new buildings.

Board of Supeivisors: Donald F. Gage, Blanca Alvarado. Pete McHugh,Jim Beall. Liz Kniss
County Executive; Peter Kutras Jr.

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Committee Ayenda Date: March 14,2005
Agenda item No.8

CONTRACT HISTORY
Not applicable.

REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATION
This transmittal is in response to a referral made by the Board of Supervisors on October 5, 2004.

Scientific consensus has developed that C02 and other greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere have a profound
effect on the Earth's climate, especially in regards to the global warming that has become noticeable during the 20th
Century. The Sustainable Silicon Valley(SSV) group of governmental, educational, business and community
organizations has made a commitment for the Silicon Valley region to reduce C02 emissions by 20% by 2010, using
1990 as a base year. This goal would be achieved primarily though improvements in energy efficiency. This Resolution
will commit the County to join this effort of the SSV.
BACKGROUND

The County started an intense effort in 2001 to reduce its energy consumption in County facilities. By FY 2004, the
County had reduced its electrical energy consumption by 20% compared to the consumption of the FY 2000 base year.
Joining the SSV C02 Emissions Reduction Program will keep the County focused on achieving future energy
consumption savings in its existing facilities, and will provide additional incentive for building new energy efficient
buildings.

Achieving additional reductions in C02 emissions through additional reductions in energy consumption will require
funding for future energy conservation measures. Most of this funding would be provided through the Energy
Conservation Board Identified Program which is a component of the County's Capital Program. Potential energy
conservation projects are provided to the Board annually for approval as part of the County's annual budgeting process.
Additionally, new facilities are being designed with a focus on energy efficiency. County policies currently exist
requiring purchase of energy efficient equipment.

On April 24, 2003, the SSV announced that it had adopted a goal to reduce C02 emissions in the Silicon Valley region
by 20% by 2010, using 1990 as a base year. The group recognized the challenge of such an ambitious goal. At the same
time, the group expressed the desire to aim high, and thus encourage creative, collaborative and motivated participation
by as wide a group of organizations as possible, highlighting Silicon Valley's leadership and innovation on this issue.
From an environmental perspective, the amount of energy use is important since the usage correlates to the amount of
C02 released into the atmosphere. C02, which derives from the burning of fossil fuels, has been implicated as a major
contributor to global warming. In 1990, 13.42 million tons of C02 were emitted into the atmosphere in Silicon Valley.
The SSV goal of 20 percent C02 reduction on a regional basis means that no more than 10.74 million tons of C02
should be emitted in 2010. This C02 emission reduction goal for Silicon Valley is measured in absolute values and is
not normalized by economic factors. However, goals for participants in this SSV initiative can be normalized for
economic activity such as current building square footage.

Board of Supervisors: Donald F. Gage, Blanca Alvarado, Pete McHugh, Jim Beall, Liz Kniss
County Executive: Peter Kutras Jr.

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Committee Agenda Date: March 14,2005
Agenda Item No.8

The SSV C02 Emissions Reduction Target and Reporting Protocol has six (6)steps. A participating agency will:
1.

Choose one or more of its facilities in Silicon Valley;
2.

Select a baseline reporting year for each facility;
3.

4.

5.

Track each facility's annual electricity and natural gas use;

Adopt a goal for C02 emissions reduction (percentage and year);

Report annually to SSV either annual energy use or convert total energy use into C02. If the participant chooses
to use a normalizing factor, that factor should also be reported aimually; and,

Include a brief description (one—two paragraphs) of some (two—five) of the key actions it has taken that led to
decreasing emissions of C02.

This is a voluntary project. There are no sanctions for a participant failing to meet its goal.
FAF has contacted the utility companies that provide electricity and natural gas to the County. The year 1995 appears to

be the earliest year that these companies can provide comprehensive utilities data. For this reason, FAF is recommending
that the base year of 1995 be used for this project. Under the established Sustainable Silicon Valley C02 Emissions in
Silicon Valley and Goal for Each Base Year guidelines, the County would need to reduce its C02 emissions by twelve
percent from 1995 to 2010.

rONSEOlJFNCES OF NEGATTVE ACTION

The County will not participate in the SSV C02 Emissions Reduction Program, but will continue to pursue energy
conservation efforts.

STEPS FOLLOWING APPROVAL
Forward to the full Board for approval.
ATTACHMENTS

Board of Supen/isors: Donald F. Gage, Blanca Alvarado, Pete McHugh,Jim Beall, Liz Kniss
Count/ Executive: Peter Kutras Jr.

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Coriuiiittee Agenda Date: March 14,2005
Agenda ftern No.8

• Resolution on Sustainable Silicon Valley

Board of Supervisors: Donald F. Gage, Blanca Alvarado, Pete McHugh, Jim Beall, Liz Kniss
County Executive: Peter Kutras Jr.

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