Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Tompkins County should be a place where the energy system meets community needs without contributing additional greenhouse gases (GHG) to the atmosphere. The Department of Planning and Sustainability is striving to make this a reality through comprehensive planning and community engagement. Since the late 1990s, the County has been actively working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with several key initiatives detailed below.
Key Strategic Documents
Navigating Electrical Outages (2024)
"Navigating Electrical Outages: Proactive Steps for Today and Tomorrow's Electrified World(PDF, 21MB)" outlines strategic actions for Tompkins County government and local partners to improve community resiliency in an increasingly electrified world. By preparing for potential grid outages and working to reduce their frequency, we can minimize disruptions and ensure a sustainable future for our community's electrified heating, cooling, and transportation systems.
Energy Strategy Evolution
Current Energy Strategy (2019)
The 2019 Tompkins County Energy Strategy provides vision and leadership to move both County government operations and the overall community toward achieving net-zero emissions. The strategy focuses on two key areas:
Internal Focus: Tompkins County Leading by Example
- Undertaking inventory and analysis of facilities and fleet to determine a financially sound path to net-zero emissions
- Working with employees to reduce GHG emissions from commutes through transportation demand management programs
- Periodically updating Government Operations GHG Emissions and Energy Use Inventory
External Focus: Supporting Community-Wide Efforts
- Supporting targeted programs like the Business Energy Advisors Program
- Hosting periodic "Energy Summits" to convene the community and align efforts
- Preparing "State of Energy" reports to summarize activities and identify opportunities
- Hosting stakeholder group meetings and pursuing funding for emission reduction initiatives
Original Energy Strategy (2010)
The previous Tompkins County Energy Strategy identified 10 local actions that, combined with state and federal initiatives, would help the community achieve the following goals:
- Reduce GHG emissions by at least 20% by 2020
- Achieve an 80% reduction from 2008 levels by 2050
By 2014, the community achieved a 21% reduction from 2008 levels, exceeding the initial 2020 target.
Energy Roadmap (2016)
The Energy Roadmap outlined scenarios to achieve our GHG emissions goals by 2050 through four critical "buckets":
- Improving energy efficiency in buildings, lighting, and appliances
- Moving from grid-supplied electricity to local renewable generation
- Moving from natural gas to heat pumps and biomass heating
- Moving from gasoline-powered to electric cars and light trucks and reducing miles driven
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Monitoring
2019 GHG Emissions Inventories
The Department of Planning and Sustainability maintains two comprehensive inventories:
Community GHG Emissions and Energy Use Inventory
- Accounts for all emissions generated within the County
- Includes governments, education facilities, residents, nonprofits, and businesses
- [2019 Executive Summary Community Inventory]
- Full methodology report available upon request
County Government Operations Inventory
Related Studies and Resources