HomeMy WebLinkAboutA030 - FY 2024/25 Climate Action Plan UpdateTo:Mayor and City Council
From:Nolan Sagan, Sustainability Coordinator
Date:July 22, 2025
Subject:FY 2024/25 Climate Action Plan Update
Item No. 32
MEMO
Since the Climate Action Plan was accepted by City Council in June 2023, staff
has worked diligently towards the goals set out in the plan. This includes major
greenhouse gas reductions in six focus areas, or big moves. Milestones leading
to this point include:
July 2010 - The City contracts with Iowa State University for 25% of ISU's
Director of Sustainability’s time. (This contract was terminated once the City
hired the first full-time Sustainability Coordinator)
August 2020 - The City completes its first community-wide greenhouse gas
inventory
June 2023 - The Climate Action Plan is accepted by City Council
January 2024 - Staff issued a report outlining seven initial action steps from
the Climate Action Plan
July 2024 - The City adds a new full-time Sustainability Coordinator
position.
The attached presentation, to be delivered on July 22, will focus on the
Climate Action Plan and Six Big Moves, including progress made to date
and goals for the next year.
ATTACHMENT(S):
FY 2024-25 Climate Action Plan Update.pptx
City Clerk's Office 515.239.5105 main
515.239.5142 fax
515 Clark Ave. P.O. Box 811
Ames, IA 50010
www.CityofAmes.org
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FY 2024/25 Climate Action Plan Update
July 22, 2025
2
6 Big Moves
31 Strategies
Climate Action Plan
3
1. Renewable Energy Generation
•Progress
•Enhanced solar rebates
•SunSmart community solar
•Looking ahead
•Investments in new renewable and
thermal generation
2023 AMES Iowa National
% Renewable 15%60%16%
% Coal 0%24%16%
4
2. Building Retrofits
•Progress
•Smart Energy rebates for Electric
customers
•Looking ahead
•Pay As You Save feasibility study is
ongoing
•Rural Energy Savings Program
(RESP) application in July
•Advanced metering, time-of-use
rates
•Green Iowa AmeriCorps
•Energy audits & weatherization
5
Municipal Buildings
•Progress
•Facility energy audits project
•16 buildings
•Engineering analysis and energy efficiency
recommendations
•Solar and EV charging feasibility
•Looking ahead
•Use energy audits to prioritize retrofit projects
•Evaluate net-zero ready for all new municipal
buildings – Fire Station #2 planning includes net-zero
construction
6
3. Net Zero Ready New Construction
•Progress
•Smart Energy Rebate - 9 new homes
incentivized in 2024
•Enhanced tax abatement program and
builder incentive
•Looking ahead
•Pilot project, in partnership with builder
•Harrison Welbeck development
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Fleet
10 fully electric vehicles
19 hybrid electric vehicles
B100 program
11 snowplow trucks, 5 CyRide buses
EV Charging
158 MWh delivered in 2024 by
Over half a million EV passenger miles
New EV charging stations at City Hall, Water
Treatment, and WPC
Charging Smart program
Initial fleet electrification analysis
Multifamily EV charging
4. Reduce Vehicle Emissions
2
6
10
15
22/23 23/24 24/25 25/26
(estimated)
EVs in Municipal Fleet
8
5. Active Transportation & Transit
•CyRide ridership continues to increase
each year since 2020, and ridership per
capita is among the highest in the nation.
•86 miles of bike and pedestrian
infrastructure
•Over $3 million planned investment
in bike and pedestrian infrastructure
over next 2 years
•Bicycle and Personal Transportation
Device ordinance in progress
•250 responses to recent public
survey
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6. Reduce Waste Emissions
•Progress
•Rummage Rampage – 433 tons diverted and $285,000
raised over 8 years
•Friday, July 25, to Saturday, Aug. 2
•Drop-off recycling - 100+ tons of new recycling in 2024
•Looking ahead
•Resource Recovery & Recycling Campus
•Community curbside recycling
•National Picture
•Current recycling rate: ~2%
•US average diversion rate: 32%
•~75% of waste is recyclable/compostable
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Grants & Funding Opportunities
City of Ames Climate Action Grants
•Community Grants - Approximately $40,000 awarded to
five grant projects
•Youth mini-grants - Six $500 youth mini-grants awarded
•Education and outreach on the 10-Year Pollinator
Plan, single-use plastic waste in scientific labs,
gardening, and food security
Federal Funding Opportunities
•EPA Community Change
•EPA Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR)
•Climate Smart Communities Initiative
•USDA Rural Energy Savings Program (RESP)
Spring 2025 Community Climate Action Grants
ACTORS Rooftop solar panels
Green Hills
Community On-site composting
Prairie Flower
Children’s Center Composting and garden beds
Seeds of
Sustainability
Repair Café tools and bike repair
station near downtown
UCC Heat pump and outreach events
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Education &
Outreach
•New and improved web pages
•Heat Pump and Solar Farm open house events
•25 speaking and tabling events
•Sustainable Ames Newsletter, with over 1,000
subscribers
•Collaboration with the Communications and
Outreach team
•Resilient Iowa Communities RIC-ognition award
•Rummage RAMPage
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Looking ahead
Goals for 2025-2026
•Continue to explore Pay As You Save
•Pilot high-performance, net-zero housing
•Second round of community climate grants in October 2025
•Launch Green Iowa AmeriCorps weatherization
program
•Coordinate Smart Business Challenge
restructuring
•Leverage municipal energy audits to plan and
complete retrofit projects
•Methodically plan and implement fleet EV transition
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