Columbus Tops 30,000 Home Energy Audits in 2020
The City of Columbus’ Sustainable Steps program celebrated a
key environmental protection sustainability milestone on October 7 - surpassing
30,000 home energy audits in Columbus within two years.
“These audits, which identify opportunities for energy
efficiency in homes, will ultimately save residents money and save energy use,
helping ensure a healthier, more equitable community,” said Mayor Andrew J.
Ginther.
The Mayor’s announcement comes during the national
celebration of Energy Efficiency Week.
Ginther credited the city working with residents and
neighborhoods, utility companies and other partners to rally towards this
common goal. Ginther also credited the work of the City’s behavior change program,
Sustainable Steps, a part of the larger Sustainable Columbus initiative, in
helping achieve the milestone.
“The City of Columbus is committed to providing an
equitable, sustainable and resilient future for our community, as evidenced by
our clean energy aggregation effort this fall and goals around energy
efficiency,” Mayor Ginther said. “Every resident has the right to clean air and
water, and a safe and healthy living environment. That’s what addressing
climate change and meeting these goals is all about.”
The City will continue to promote energy efficiency
including encouraging more residents to take part in in-home energy audits, to
install recommended energy efficiency improvements and to take full advantage
of home weatherization programs to help them save money on utility bills.
Mayor Ginther made sustainability a key priority for his
second term and announced the Columbus community’s goal is to be Carbon Neutral
by 2050, saying it goes to the very fabric of what it means to be America’s Opportunity
City. He set a new goal today for Columbus residences to use 10% less energy
annually by 2030 by raising awareness and growing participation in available
energy efficiency programs. These commitments demonstrate why Columbus was
selected as one of 25 cities to participate in the Bloomberg Philanthropies
American Cities Climate Challenge, an effort to resource cities to take strong
action to reduce pollution that contributes to climate change and impact public
health.
“When we started this journey last year, the goal of doing
30,000 home energy audits seemed like a stretch. But, by working together, we
got there,” said Vince Parisi, Columbia Gas President.
“Now, Mayor Ginther has set a new goal: Residents in
Columbus will use 10 percent less energy annually by 2030. It’s another
challenge for our community and for our company. But I know we can get there.
And our neighborhoods can help lead the way.”
“Through the Sustainable Steps program, we’ve witnessed what
can be accomplished when partners and communities work toward a common goal: we
achieve success,” said Raja Sundararajan, AEP Ohio President and Chief
Operating Officer. “This collaboration will serve us well as we support Mayor
Ginther’s new goal.”