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URI Energy Center

For Municipalities

A municipality is a specific region, such as a city or town. It's role is to manage affairs within it's region via proper governing. A municipality deals with every aspect of life in it's region. They work hard to make their region the most efficient and comfortable for it's inhabitants by dealing with affairs in topics ranging from education to infastructure. Presently, several Rhode Island municipalities have been working towards energy efficiency.

With so many responsibilities, why should a municipality work to become more energy efficient?

Because, "energy efficiency can create saving that provide additional revunue for other pressing community needs" -Dan J. Goldberger, Director, Green Buildings, ICLEI (http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=1670)

Further, "the benefits of energy efficiency are enormous and include cost savings, environmental protection and local job creation". (http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=1671)

With buildings accounting for 70% of the electricity use and 40% of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States*, municipalities must start incorporating energy efficient practices to decrease these alarming percentages.

* Building Technologies Program, 2007 Buildings Energy Data Book (Washington, DC: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy, September 2007), Section 1.1: Buildings Sector Energy Consumption.
Energy Information Administration (EIA), EIA 2006: Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the United States, DOE/EIA-0579 (Washington, DC, 2006).

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