It has been some time coming, but Allegheny County is finally getting with the energy conservation program. On October 27, County Executive Dan Onorato signed into law the Sustainability Policy for Allegheny County.

As stated in a press release:

“The Policy includes aggressive goals for reduction of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, improved water efficiency, increased conversion of the County’s vehicle fleet, and LEED certification for future new construction and major renovation projects.”

Onorato’s order makes the Green Action Team a permanent advisory committee to assist developing, recommending and monitoring its sustainability initiatives. It also directs the County to do the following:

“Define and adopt environmentally preferable purchasing guidelines, implement a consistent recycling program throughout its facilities, commit to achieving a minimum of LEED certification for any future eligible new construction or qualifying major renovation for spaces exceeding 35,000 square-feet, and evaluate County-owned structures for opportunities for additional green roofs, rain gardens, and other storm water management techniques.

In addition, the executive order requires the County to establish a publicly available score card of sustainability metrics and goals, which will be updated annually. Among the goals, to decrease Allegheny County government?s overall energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent over the next five years, to increase water efficiency by 20 percent over five years, to increase testing and use of advanced energy technologies, and to increase conversion of the County?s fleet vehicles and motorized equipment to technologies with higher efficiency and lesser emissions by five percent annually over the next five years.”

As reported by the Post-Gazette, the county has already floated three Requests For Proposals: for a company to construct a rooftop garden on the County Office Building; to hire an energy savings consultant for the county; and to conduct an energy audit of the county’s 20 biggest buildings, said Jeaneen Zappa, the county’s sustainability manager.

NOTE: It is not obvious why a representative from the coal industry (Tommy Johnson, Vice President of Government Affairs, CONSOL Energy Inc.) is on the county’s Green Action Team, but Mr. Onorato must have his reasons.