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Commission for the Environment— David Neal , Chair— and Dave Stancil, Staff <br /> David Neal noted that Dave Stancil was handing out a proposal for a renewable energy <br /> work group, which was a direct response to a request from the County Commissioners from <br /> last summer. David Neal said the commission will continue to perform traditional functions and <br /> conservation related environmental work, reviewing proposals to the county as they might <br /> affect water quality, air quality and biological projects. That work will be ongoing. He said that <br /> this memo outlines an opportunity to increase the work around clean and renewable energy <br /> and look for ways to build it, in cooperation with various planning departments. The goal is to <br /> find ways to promote deployment and use of newer technologies for efficiency and renewable <br /> energy. This request came to them last year from NCWarn, through the County <br /> Commissioners, for a task force around clean energy. He said this task force is excited to help <br /> find different way to change county policy to incorporate this technology and to share best <br /> practices. <br /> Commissioner Pelissier questioned if this is something that would be a separate group <br /> for staff to meet with every month, or if it is a subcommittee of the Commission for the <br /> Environment. <br /> David Neal said the commission has an energy committee that would serve as host for <br /> this task force. Invitations would be sent out for different meetings on different topics. For <br /> example a task force meeting might be called on reducing energy in existing buildings or new <br /> construction. The purpose of these meetings would be to bring people together to share best <br /> practices and new ideas. Any new proposals that came out of this would go to the Commission <br /> for the Environment to be vetted before presentation to the County Commissioners. <br /> Commissioner Pelissier asked if the Greenhouse Gas Emission Studies were on hold. <br /> Dave Stancil said they completed, in conjunction with Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and <br /> Hillsborough, a multi-year effort to inventory greenhouse gas emissions and develop a forecast <br /> for the future. Shortly after completion of this study, economic downturn occurred and priorities <br /> were shifted and there has been little follow up. The next step would be to find measures to <br /> begin to develop targets for reduction. The other piece would be community outreach via <br /> community meetings to ask the public for input on measures that make sense to address this <br /> issue. Chapel Hill and Carrboro have taken some action toward that end. <br /> Commissioner Gordon said the Commission for the Environment has committees and <br /> usually these committees don't have sub-committees. However at the time of the greenhouse <br /> gas studies, there was a committee working with the commissioners and had representatives <br /> from each jurisdiction. Commissioner Gordon asked if this current organization is a sub- <br /> committee of the Air and Energy Committee. <br /> David Neal said it is not going to be a sub-committee. It is being called a work group <br /> and would not have constant membership. Depending on topics covered, different people <br /> would be brought to the table by applicable expertise and what information needed to be <br /> shared. This would all be done publicly. For example, they brought forth two proposals last <br /> year, one to create a rebate program for energy efficient construction, and the other was a <br /> solar set-aside program for developers to set aside land for future solar development. David <br /> Neal said that he and a colleague both met with the planning board regarding these initiatives, <br /> but they have been unable to follow up since there are other boards and staff that have to be <br /> worked with. The idea of this work group is that it would be a way to bring people together <br /> more regularly to craft policies or drafts of policies for consideration by the Commissioners. <br /> Commissioner McKee said he did not see in the report any developing strategies to <br /> avoid increasing housing cost with its impact on the lower middle income. He noted the <br /> mention of setting aside housing developments for solar energy, which would mean overall <br />