By Anne Holzman
A team of Falcon Heights citizens presented an ambitious Energy Action Plan to the Falcon Heights City Council at their Sept. 11 meeting. At the same meeting, the city authorized hiring a consultant to develop a Climate Action Plan over the next six to eight months.
The energy plan sets a goal of 50% reduction in the city’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
The Energy Action Team worked with Xcel Energy and the Center for Energy and Environment for six months, holding open houses and workshops with interested neighbors.
Team members included students from the University of Minnesota, which would be a key partner in achieving the city’s goal.
An important aspect of the work will be to update older buildings, both residential and commercial, “alleviating the energy burden” and reducing energy bills. Reducing emissions from the State Fair and reining in the idling of vehicles throughout the city would also be top goals.
Energy savings and emissions reductions would come from a combination of improving efficiency and switching to cleaner power sources.
Strategies include focusing on energy education at Falcon Heights Elementary School, recruiting energy liaisons from different neighborhoods and increasing participation in existing Xcel Energy savings programs.
The report, 66 pages in draft form, will be available online when finalized.
Hannah Lynch, the city’s community development coordinator, participated in drafting the Energy Plan and also presented at the Sept. 11 meeting a proposal to hire a Climate Action Plan consultant, with most of the $50,000 cost covered by a grant from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The purpose of the grant is to help communities adapt to extreme weather events and a changing climate.
Lynch said the work is grounded in the city’s climate crisis declaration of January 2023. A next step was creating the energy plan, and it’s “a natural progression” from the energy plan to hiring a climate action consultant. “Our Climate Action Plan will likely reference and incorporate a lot of the Energy Action Plan as we move forward,” Lynch said.
After accepting bids from three consulting firms, city staff proposed working with a company called paleBLUEdot to develop a climate action plan. The council approved the proposal 5-0.
The team at paleBLUEdot consists of Ted and Colleen Redmond, a married couple based in Maplewood, who took inspiration from Carl Sagan’s call to “preserve that pale blue dot” in reference to the Earth.
The consultants will assess vulnerabilities to climate change such as flooding, diminished air quality and impacts on public health; assess resiliency features such as tree canopy; and develop a plan including suggested policies for the city to consider. The project is expected to run through May 2025.
Anne Holzman is a freelance writer who covers Falcon Heights government news for the Bugle.
