MORGANTOWN — Morgantown Green Team Chair James Kotcon said the city is well on its way to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 26% by 2025.
That was the promise made in August 2017, when Morgantown City Council voted to join hundreds of cities across the country as part of the National Mayors Climate Agenda — an initiative that arose after former President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.
“I am happy to report that based on our results, the city of Morgantown, at least through its municipal facilities, is something just over halfway toward achieving those goals,” Kotcon said, explaining that based on the emissions baseline established in 2005, the city would need to eliminate 2,086 tons of carbon dioxide to reach its goal.
“As of the most recent data we have, the city has currently reduced those emissions by 1,125 tons or just over 55%,” he said, noting this data — taken primarily from energy and fuel bills — doesn’t include any facilities added to the city’s roster in recent years, including the Woodburn Community Complex or the City Hall Annex at 430 Spruce St.
It also doesn’t cover street paving.
“One mile of asphalt is approximately 100 tons of greenhouse gas emissions,” Kotcon explained. “I, for one, do not want the city to stop fixing the potholes. That would be a bad idea, but that is a source that we have not included in our estimate.”
The Green Team recommends the city increase its budget allocation for energy-efficiency measures by $50,000 and continue to push Mon Power to convert streetlights over from mercury vapor lamps to LED, or light emitting diode.
The volunteer board is also urging the city to strongly consider solar panels on city facilities.
In 2019, the cost to outfit appropriate city facilities with solar panels was about $1.8 million. At that cost it would take the panels 40 years to pay off the initial investment.
However, as part of the recently signed Inflation Reduction Act, a 30% solar credit has been extended to municipalities.
“If you can cut the cost of those solar panels by 30%, that becomes a no-brainer. That is a very cost-effective investment,” Kotcon said, citing the Wall Street Journal’s recent report indicating electricity rates are climbing faster in West Virginia than nearly any other state.
Lastly, the Green Team wants the city to raise the bar, matching President Biden’s promise to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% by 2030.
“More than anything else the city’s leadership is what’s needed,” Kotcon said. “We believe that leadership on greenhouse gas emissions would set an example for the residential and commercial sectors in Morgantown. More importantly, it would set an example for the rest of West Virginia that we can, in fact, do our share to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect our climate for the next generation and be a better community for our residents.”
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