The first steps to a sustainable city?

Sustainable City

Generally speaking the technology for a clean, sustainable city does exist. One only has to look at the example set by the Danish island of Samso, where every watt of energy produced comes from a renewable source - they even get the sheep to help cut the grass.

However powering a city the size of, say, San Francisco is an entirely different matter.

Firms like IBM are helping to develop the sort of clever and innovative technology that may one day help us permanently shift our energy focus away from fossil fuels. Smart electrical grids, roof-mounted solar technology, smart water systems, advanced electric car batteries and other green projects are all being developed and the main obstacle in place of these helping to produce sustainable cities is a lack of financial engineering.

City councils have no business or infrastructure models in place to even contemplate making even a single neighbourhood sustainable. But in the city of San Francisco, things could be about to change.

$150 million green loans

The city could soon be helping people to add a solar hot water heater, photovoltaic panels, or other renewable energy measures through the new GreenFinanceSF program, which is offering $150 million in lending for water conservation, renewable energy, and energy efficiency projects for both homes and businesses.

The program was initially announced in December by San Francisco's Mayor Gavin Newson and this week he signed the final legislation.

It's the latest and largest iteration of the Property Assessed Clean Energy, or PACE, a model pioneered by the city of Berkeley across the Bay and now spreading across the country.

In short cities float bonds to pay the upfront costs of cutting the carbon footprint of its homes and businesses. Homeowners then pay back the money through a surcharge on their annual property tax bills over a period of 20 years. The assessment then rolls over to the new owner if the home is sold.

All property owners that have paid taxes on time for the past three years will be eligible to receive loans of up to $50,000 through the program starting March 1.

National leader in clean energy

San Francisco is emerging as a national leader for clean energy initiatives and sustainable policies as this is not the first time the city has taken big green steps. Just this month Mayor Newsom announced that the city will invest $19.2 million from the state government to make the city more energy efficient, creating up to 22 new jobs and generating $3 million in energy savings every year going forward.

Already, more than 2,000 businesses and residential buildings have been updated with greener appliances and structural changes. Since 2001, conservation initiatives have reduced the city's energy consumption by 29 megawatts - enough to power 29,000 households. The Newsom administration is expecting further savings of 6 megawatts after the state money is put to use.

San Francisco, much like the state in which it lies, is heading in the right direction when it comes to clean energy plans, but could it really win the race to become America's first sustainable city?

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