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City of San Luis Obispo
Community and Municipal Operations
2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
Public Hearing Draft
September 2009
Acknowledgements
The City of San Luis Obispo would like to acknowledge the following staff members and
city departments for contributing data, technical expertise, and overall guidance to support
the development of this emissions inventory:
City of San Luis Obispo
Kim Murry (Project Manager), Deputy Director, Community Development Department
Christine Mulholland, former Council Member
Tim Bochum, Deputy Director, Public Works Department
Dave Smith, Administrative Director, Public Works Department
Ron Holstine, Fleet Supervisor, Public Works Department
John Webster, Transit Manager, Public Works Department
Doug Dowden, Storm Water Code Enforcement, Public Works Department
Jake Hudson, Senior Traffic Engineer, Public Works Department
Dee Lawson, Transit Assistant, Public Works Department
Ron Munds, Utilities Conservation Coordinator, Utilities Department
Gary Henderson, Water Division Manager, Utilities Department
Alice Carter, Conservation Division, Utilities Department
The following departments for providing employee business travel data:
Community Development, Fire, Finance, Police, and Utilities
San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District
Aeron Arlin-Genet, Supervising Air Quality Specialist, Planning and Outreach Division
Melissa Guise, Air Quality Specialist, Planning and Outreach Division
Pacific Gas and Electric - Jeremy Howard and Corie Cheeseman
Southern California Gas Company/Sempra Utilities - Frank Mateo
Waste Connections, Inc. - Tom Martin
San Luis Obispo County Integrated Waste Management Authority – Peter Cron
Pacific Municipal Consultants
Tammy Seale, Project Manager
Jaime Hill, Associate Planner
Jillian Rich, Associate Planner
ICLEI - International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives
Alison Culpen, Program Associate
Micah Lang, Program Associate
This report was prepared by Geoffrey Chiapella, a Cal Poly graduate student pursuing a joint
master’s degree in City and Regional Planning and Transportation Planning.
City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...............................................................................................................................................1
1. INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................................6
1.1 Purpose of the Study .......................................................................................................................................6
1.2 Climate Change Background...........................................................................................................................6
1.3 Greenhouse Gas Inventories............................................................................................................................9
1.4 Climate Action at the State Level...................................................................................................................10
1.5 Climate Action at the Local Level..................................................................................................................11
1.6 Reasons to Take Action.................................................................................................................................13
2. COMMUNITY AND MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS INVENTORY METHODOLOGY.........................................................14
2.1 Project Organization .....................................................................................................................................14
2.2 Baseline and Forecast Years............................................................................................................................14
2.3 Data Collection and Methodology.................................................................................................................14
2.4 Data Sources .................................................................................................................................................15
2.5 Local Government Operations Protocol ........................................................................................................17
2.6 Greenhouse Gases to be assessed....................................................................................................................18
2.7 Greenhouse Gas Emission Scopes..................................................................................................................18
2.8 Clean Air Climate Protection Software..........................................................................................................20
3. COMMUNITY GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS INVENTORY RESULTS .....................................................................21
3.1 Community Analysis Results.........................................................................................................................21
3.2 Residential.....................................................................................................................................................22
3.3 Commercial & Industrial ..............................................................................................................................22
3.4 Transportation ..............................................................................................................................................23
3.5 Solid Waste...................................................................................................................................................27
3.6 Community-wide Emissions by Scope...........................................................................................................28
3.7 Source of Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions.........................................................................................29
3.8 Per capita emissions.......................................................................................................................................29
4. MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS INVENTORY RESULTS...................................................31
4.1 Municipal Analysis Results............................................................................................................................31
4.2 Buildings and Facilities..................................................................................................................................32
4.3 Vehicle Fleet..................................................................................................................................................34
4.4 Employee Commute......................................................................................................................................36
4.5 Streetlights and Traffic Signals.......................................................................................................................40
4.6 Water Delivery..............................................................................................................................................41
4.7 Wastewater....................................................................................................................................................43
4.8 Solid Waste...................................................................................................................................................43
4.9 Other - Employee Business Travel.................................................................................................................44
4.10 Municipal Operations Emissions by Scope ..................................................................................................45
4.11 Source of Municipal Greenhouse Gas Emissions..........................................................................................45
5. FORECAST ............................................................................................................................................................47
6. NEXT STEPS AND EXISTING LOCAL ACTIONS.......................................................................................................50
6.1 Milestone 2: Adopt an Emissions Reduction Target.......................................................................................50
6.2 Milestone 3: Develop a Local Climate Action Plan........................................................................................51
6.3 Milestone 4: Implementation Policies and Measures......................................................................................51
6.4 Milestone 5: Monitor and Verify Results.......................................................................................................52
6.5 Existing City Actions to Address Climate Change..........................................................................................52
6.6 Evolving Federal Climate Action Policy.........................................................................................................53
APPENDIX A – DETAILED COMMUNITY EMISSION INVENTORY NOTES....................................................................55
APPENDIX B – ELECTRICITY AND NATURAL GAS COEFFICIENTS..............................................................................71
APPENDIX C – MUNICIPAL ANALYSIS EMISSION QUANTIFICATION METHODOLOGY...............................................72
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C.1 Electricity Use ..............................................................................................................................................72
C.2 Natural Gas Use...........................................................................................................................................74
C.3 Mobile combustion.......................................................................................................................................76
APPENDIX D – DETAILED DATA COLLECTION METHODOLOGY..............................................................................80
D.1 Community Analysis Data Collection Methodology.....................................................................................80
D.2 Municipal Analysis Data Collection Methodology........................................................................................85
APPENDIX E – U.S. MAYORS CLIMATE PROTECTION AGREEMENT...........................................................................91
List of Tables
TABLE 1.1: GLOBAL WARMING POTENTIALS (GWPS) FOR GREENHOUSE GASES ..........................................................9
TABLE 2.1: DATA SOURCES FOR COMMUNITY ANALYSIS EMISSIONS INVENTORY .......................................................16
TABLE 2.2: DATA SOURCES FOR MUNICIPAL ANALYSIS EMISSIONS INVENTORY..........................................................17
TABLE 3.1: ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS....................................................................22
TABLE 3.2: RESIDENTIAL SECTOR – EMISSIONS BY FUEL TYPE (2005).........................................................................22
TABLE 3.3: COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL SECTORS – EMISSIONS BY FUEL TYPE (2005)..............................................23
TABLE 3.4: HISTORICAL VEHICLE MILES OF TRAVEL ON SAN LUIS OBISPO PUBLIC ROADS (1996-2007)....................23
TABLE 3.5: TRANSPORTATION SECTOR – SUMMARY OF TRAFFIC COUNTS PROGRAM (2005-2006)............................25
TABLE 3.6: SOLID WASTE TONNAGE IN SAN LUIS OBISPO (2005-2007)......................................................................28
TABLE 3.7: SOLID WASTE EMISSIONS IN SAN LUIS OBISPO (2005)..............................................................................28
TABLE 3.8: COMMUNITY-WIDE EMISSIONS BY SCOPE (2005)......................................................................................28
TABLE 3.9: PER CAPITA GHG EMISSIONS OF SELECTED CALIFORNIA JURISDICTIONS ..................................................30
TABLE 4.1: SUMMARY OF MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY SECTOR (2005).......................31
TABLE 4.2: ELECTRICITY USAGE OF BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES AND EMISSIONS (2005)............................................33
TABLE 4.3: NATURAL GAS USAGE OF BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES AND EMISSIONS (2005)..........................................33
TABLE 4.4: PROPANE USAGE OF BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES AND EMISSIONS (2007 & 2008).....................................34
TABLE 4.5: SUMMARY OF VEHICLE FLEET AND MILEAGE (2005).................................................................................34
TABLE 4.6: VEHICLE FLEET FUEL USAGE (2007 & 2008)............................................................................................35
TABLE 4.7: TRANSIT VEHICLE FLEET MILEAGE AND EMISSIONS (2005)......................................................................35
TABLE 4.8: SUMMARY OF EMPLOYEE COMMUTE MILEAGE BY MODE AND EMISSIONS ................................................39
TABLE 4.9: EMPLOYEE COMMUTE MILEAGE AND EMISSIONS AVERTED (2007)...........................................................40
TABLE 4.10: STREETLIGHTS & TRAFFIC SIGNALS ELECTRICITY USAGE AND EMISSIONS (2005)..................................40
TABLE 4.11: WATER DELIVERY ELECTRICITY USAGE AND EMISSIONS (2005)..............................................................42
TABLE 4.12: WASTEWATER ELECTRICITY USAGE AND EMISSIONS (2005)...................................................................43
TABLE 4.13: WASTEWATER NATURAL GAS USAGE AND EMISSIONS (2005).................................................................43
TABLE 4.14: SOLID WASTE TONNAGE AND EMISSIONS (2007)....................................................................................44
TABLE 4.15: EMPLOYEE BUSINESS TRAVEL MILEAGE AND EMISSIONS (2005)..............................................................44
TABLE 4.16: TOTAL MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS EMISSIONS BY SCOPE (2005)...............................................................45
City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
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List of Figures
FIGURE 1.1: ILLUSTRATION OF GREENHOUSE EFFECT...................................................................................................7
FIGURE 1.2: KEELING CURVE OF ATMOSPHERIC CARBON DIOXIDE (1958-2000)........................................................8
FIGURE 2.1: OVERVIEW OF SCOPES AND EMISSIONS ...................................................................................................19
FIGURE 3.1: CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY SECTOR (2005).........................................21
FIGURE 3.2: DAILY VEHICLE MILES OF TRAVEL ON SAN LUIS OBISPO PUBLIC ROADS (1996-2007)...........................24
FIGURE 3.3: VEHICLE-MILES OF TRAVEL SUBAREAS IN SAN LUIS OBISPO (2005-2006)................................................26
FIGURE 3.4: COMMUNITY-WIDE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY SOURCE (2005)...................................................29
FIGURE 4.1: MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY SECTOR (2005)..........................................32
FIGURE 4.2: MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS CONTRIBUTION TO COMMUNITY-WIDE EMISSIONS (2005)...........................32
FIGURE 4.3: EMPLOYEE COMMUTE MODE BY PRIMARY AND SECONDARY MODE (2007)...........................................37
FIGURE 4.4: DISTRIBUTION OF DISTANCE TO WORK OF CITY EMPLOYEES (2007).......................................................38
FIGURE 4.5: MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY SOURCE (2005)..........................................46
FIGURE 5.1: BUSINESS-AS-USUAL PROJECTED GHG EMISSIONS, SAN LUIS OBISPO (2005-2020)...............................47
FIGURE 6.1: GREENHOUSE GAS FORECAST IN RELATION TO 15% REDUCTION TARGET (2005-2020).......................51
Appendix Tables and Equations
TABLE A.1: BUILDINGS & FACILITIES ELECTRICITY USAGE AND EMISSIONS (2005)......................................................55
TABLE A.2: BUILDINGS & FACILITIES NATURAL GAS USAGE AND EMISSIONS (2005)....................................................57
TABLE A.3: STREETLIGHTS ELECTRICITY USAGE AND EMISSIONS (2005)......................................................................58
TABLE A.4: WATER DELIVERY ELECTRICITY USAGE AND EMISSIONS (2005).................................................................60
TABLE A.5: WASTEWATER ELECTRICITY USAGE AND EMISSIONS (2005).......................................................................61
TABLE A.6: WASTEWATER NATURAL GAS USAGE AND EMISSIONS (2005).....................................................................61
TABLE A.7: COMMUNITY-WIDE TRANSPORTATION SECTOR EMISSIONS (2005)............................................................62
TABLE A.8: TRANSPORTATION SECTOR – SUMMARY OF VMT & EMISSIONS BY SUB-AREA (2005-2006).......................69
TABLE A.9: TRANSPORTATION SECTOR – EMISSIONS PER LANE-MILE BY SUB-AREA (2005-2006)...................................70
EQUATION C.1. CALCULATING INDIRECT EMISSIONS FROM ELECTRICITY USE ...........................................................73
EQUATION C.2. CONVERTING TO CO2-EQUIVALENT AND DETERMINING TOTAL EMISSIONS.....................................73
EQUATION C.3. CALCULATING CO2 EMISSIONS FROM STATIONARY COMBUSTION (FUEL USE IN MMBTU)................75
EQUATION C.4. CALCULATING CH4 EMISSIONS FROM STATIONARY COMBUSTION ....................................................75
EQUATION C.5. CALCULATING N2O EMISSIONS FROM STATIONARY COMBUSTION ....................................................75
EQUATION C.6. CONVERTING TO CO2-EQUIVALENT AND DETERMINING TOTAL EMISSIONS.....................................76
EQUATION C.7. ACCOUNTING FOR CHANGES IN FUEL STOCKS FROM BULK PURCHASES ............................................77
EQUATION C.8. CALCULATING CO2 EMISSIONS FROM MOBILE COMBUSTION............................................................77
EQUATION C.9. CALCULATING CH4 EMISSIONS FROM MOBILE COMBUSTION............................................................79
EQUATION C.10. CALCULATING N2O EMISSIONS FROM MOBILE COMBUSTION .........................................................79
City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
Executive Summary
There is increasing scientific evidence that carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases released
into the atmosphere will have a profound effect on the Earth’ climate, increasing the risk of increased
extreme weather events, changing rainfall and crop productivity patterns, and migration of infectious
diseases. It is a well-researched fact that the combustion of fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases into
the atmosphere, causing global surface temperatures to increase.
Climate change is quickly becoming a high priority among policy makers and residents alike. In
January 2008, the San Luis Obispo City Council made a commitment to determine San Luis
Obispo’s contribution to global climate change through the development of a Community and
Municipal Operations Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory. This inventory identifies the
major sources of greenhouse gas emissions within the city and provides a baseline against which
future progress can be measured. This inventory includes two components: a community-wide
analysis and a city government operations analysis. It is important to note that the municipal
operations inventory is a subset of the community inventory, meaning that all municipal operations
emissions are included in the categories of the community-wide inventory. The municipal operations
inventory should not be added to the community analysis; but rather the community-wide inventory
should be considered to be inclusive of the municipal operations. Specifically, this inventory does the
following:
Calculates greenhouse gas emissions from community-wide activities, including municipal
government operations, within the City’s jurisdictional boundary in 2005;
Identifies the major sources of greenhouse gas emissions from community-wide sources and
municipal government operations;
Provides decision-makers and the community with baseline information to help set the
framework for the climate action planning process; and
Forecasts how emissions will grow in the community under “business-as-usual” conditions
This greenhouse gas emissions inventory represents the completion of the first step in San Luis
Obispo’s climate protection process. As advised by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, it
is essential to first quantify recent-year emissions to establish: (1) a baseline, against which to
measure future progress, and (2) an understanding of where the highest percentages of emissions are
coming from, and, therefore, where the greatest opportunities for emissions reductions are.
Through energy efficiency in its facilities and vehicle fleet, clean alternative energy sources,
sustainable purchasing and waste reduction efforts, land use and transportation planning, San Luis
Obispo can achieve multiple benefits, including lower energy bills, improved air quality, economic
development, reduced emissions, and a better quality of life throughout the community. Reporting
the City’s emissions will aid policy makers in forecasting emission trends, identifying the point and
mobile sources of emissions generated, and setting future reduction targets and mitigation measures.
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City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
Community-wide greenhouse gas inventory results
This greenhouse gas inventory report identifies that the community of San Luis Obispo emitted
approximately 264,237 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e) in the baseline year
2005. As shown in Figure 1, the transportation sector was by far the largest contributor to emissions
(50.0%), producing approximately 132,137 MTCO2e in 2005. Emissions from the residential sector
accounted for 21.0% of the total emissions, while emissions from the commercial and industrial
sector accounted for 21.9% of the total emissions. The solid waste sector generated the remaining
7.1% of community-wide emissions.
The majority of emissions from the
transportation sector were the result of
gasoline consumption in private
vehicles traveling on major and minor
arterials and on U.S. 101 through the
community. Vehicle miles of travel on
U.S. 101 accounted for 30.7% of all
transportation sector emissions and
15.3% of community-wide emissions.
Greenhouse gas figures from the solid
waste sector are the estimated future
emissions that will result from the
decomposition of waste generated by
county residents and businesses in the
base year 2005, with methane recovery
factor of 60%.
Municipal operations greenhouse gas inventory results
In 2005, the municipal operations of the City of San Luis Obispo generated 6,580 MTCO2e, and
consumed approximately 94,483 MMBtu of energy. The total cost associated with annual energy
and fuel usage in 2005 was $1.871 million. The city’s operations generate approximately 2.5% of all
community-wide emissions.
Emissions generated by the municipal operations of the City of San Luis Obispo are comprised of
the fuel consumption by the city’s vehicle fleet, energy consumption from water and wastewater
facilities, building energy, employee commute trips, streetlight electricity, and solid waste. About 96
percent of those emissions were produced by the Vehicle Fleet, Building and Facilities, Water
Delivery, Wastewater, and Employee Commute sectors. As displayed in Figure 2, the Vehicle Fleet
sector generated 1,898 MTCO2e (28.8%), the Buildings sector generated 1,178 MTCO2e (17.9%),
the Wastewater sector generated 1,175 MTCO2e (17.9%), the Water Delivery sector generated
Figure 1:
Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Sector
Transportation
50.0%
Commercial
& Industrial
21.9%
Solid Waste
7.1%Residential
21.0%
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City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
1,043 MTCO2e (15.9%), and the
Employee Commute sector generated
1,009 MTCO2e (15.3%). The remaining
3 percent of government operations’
greenhouse gas emissions were generated
from the other three sectors: the
municipal Solid Waste sector generated
125 MTCO2e (1.9%), the Streetlights
and Traffic Signals sector generated 141
MTCO2e (2.1%), and Employee Business
Travel sector generated 11 MTCO2e
(0.2%). In 2005, the single largest
generator of greenhouse gas emissions was
the city’s water reclamation facility, which
generated about 17.3 percent of all
municipal operation emissions.
Municipal operations emissions are a
subset of the total community-wide
emissions. This inventory analyzes municipal emissions separately in order to be able to identify
energy cost-saving opportunities and emission reduction strategies appropriate for the community.
The municipal operations inventory is guided by the Local Government Operations Protocol, which is
designed to provide a standardized set of guidelines to assist local governments in quantifying and
reporting greenhouse gas emissions associated with their government operations. Developed jointly
by the California Air Resources Board (ARB), California Climate Action Registry (CCAR), ICLEI –
Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI), and The Climate Registry, the Protocol provides the
principles, approach, methodology, and procedures needed to develop a local government operations
greenhouse gas emissions inventory. An additional protocol for community emissions is currently
being developed1.
Data Limitations
Thanks to a grant from the Air Pollution Control District and the concurrent timing of the
preparation of greenhouse gas emissions inventories for several jurisdictions the consultant firm
preparing the San Luis Obispo County Community-wide and County Government Operations 2006
Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory provided technical assistance, among other tasks,
regarding the analysis of emission-generators impacting multiple jurisdictions (i.e., commercial air
traffic at San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport). It was determined that existing reporting
protocols for greenhouse gas emissions were insufficient at this time to accurately assign commercial
air traffic’s share of passengers who reside in the City of San Luis Obispo to the community
1 AB 32 Scoping Plan, page 27 (2008).
Figure 2:
Municipal Operations GHG Emissions by Sector
Vehicle Fleet
28.8%
Water Delivery
15.9%
Streetlights
2.1%
Employee Commute
15.3%
Wastewater
17.9%
Solid Waste
1.9%
Buildings
17.9%
Employee Business Travel
0.2%
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City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
inventory for the baseline year. A similar determination was made regarding passenger rail miles on
the Amtrak rail service through San Luis Obispo.
The sources that could not be included due to privacy laws, lack of data availability, and/or a
reasonable methodology include the following:
Commercial air traffic attributable to residents from San Luis Obispo
Passenger rail traffic attributable to residents from San Luis Obispo
Freight traffic through San Luis Obispo
Electricity usage for industrial businesses in San Luis Obispo (information was aggregated
with the commercial use sector information)
Vehicle mileage and fuel usage specific to each vehicle in the city’s fleet; figures are instead
aggregated for all vehicles
Refrigerants from municipal facilities and vehicles
Emissions from construction and demolition activities in San Luis Obispo
These limitations are explained further in this document.
Forecast and Next Steps
If consumption and growth trends continue based on those in 2005, emissions levels will reach
314,832 metric tons of CO2e by 2020, which is a 19.1 percent increase. This growth, shown in
Figure 3, is due to projected increases in household, population, and jobs within the County2.
Figure 3: 2020 City of San Luis Obispo
Business-As-Usual GHG Emissions Forecast
202020050
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
Metric Tons CO2eResidential
Commercial/ Industrial
Transportation
Waste
2 See Chapter 5 (Forecast) for more information on the projected increases in emissions in each sector and an explanation of the
source of data used to develop this projection.
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City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
Given this information, the city can make a determination of a reduction target. In its recently
approved AB 32 Scoping Plan, ARB encourages local governments to adopt a reduction goal for
municipal operations emissions and to establish similar goals for community emissions that parallel
the State commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 15 percent from current
levels by 20203. If the City were to conform to this recommended reduction of 15 percent below
current levels (to an estimated 224,601 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent), it would require a
reduction of 90,231 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent below the city’s 2020 business-as-usual
emissions (Figure 4), which is equivalent to a 40.2 percent reduction.
FIGURE 4: Greenhouse Gas Forecast
in relation to 15% Reduction Target (2005-2020)
3 AB 32 Scoping Plan, page 27 (2008).
200,000
220,000
240,000
260,000
280,000
300,000
320,000
340,000
2005 2010 2015 2020MTCO2e19.1%
15.0%
Business-as-
usual forecast
314,832 MTCO2
2005 emissions
level
264,237 MTCO2
15% below
2005 emissions level
224,601 MTCO2
Actual
Reduction
=
90,231
MTCO2
(40.2%)
below
business-
as-usual
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City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
1. Introduction
1.1 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is to inventory greenhouse gas emissions produced by the City of San Luis
Obispo’s government operations and the community-wide emissions from residents and businesses
in San Luis Obispo. Reporting the City’s emissions will aid policy makers in forecasting emission
trends, identifying the point and mobile sources of emissions generated, and setting goals for future
reductions and mitigation. Completion of the greenhouse gas emissions inventory represents the first
milestone of ICLEI’s CCP Campaign and fulfills a primary action of the U.S. Mayors Climate
Protection Agreement.
1.2 Climate Change Background
Over the past 20 years, the extent, cause and impacts of global climate change have been debated
with some uncertainty. However, more than 21,500 of the world’s top climate scientists have
reached consensus that global climate change is a human-created environmental and economic
challenge of significant scope. According to the report “Climate Change 2007” - Working Group I
Report: The Physical Science Basis of the Fourth Assessment Report prepared by more than 1,500
scientists of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC):
“Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from observations
of increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow
and ice, and rising global mean sea level” (IPCC, 2007).
“Most of the observed increase in globally average temperatures since the mid 20th
century is very likely4due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas
concentrations” (IPCC, 2007).
“Continued greenhouse gas emissions at or above current rates would case further
warming and induce many changes in the global climate system during the 21st
century that would very likely be larger than those observed during the 20th century”
(IPCC, 2007).
The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon whereby certain gases in the earth’s atmosphere,
known as greenhouse gases, absorb heat that would otherwise escape to space. This heat originates
from visible sunlight that warms the earth’s surface. Subsequently, heat radiates from the surface to
the atmosphere, where some of it is absorbed by greenhouse gases and radiated back to the surface,
helping to maintain the surface temperatures and make Earth habitable. Some greenhouse gases
4 The IPCC defines “very likely” as greater than 90 percent.
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occur naturally in the atmosphere, while others result from human activities. Naturally occurring
greenhouse gases include water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. Recent
progress in climate modeling has generated a consensus among climate scientists that greenhouse
gases emitted by human activities are likely (66-90% chance) to have caused most of the observed
global temperature rise over the past 50 years5. Figure 1.1 illustrates the natural greenhouse effect on
the left. Visible sunlight passes through the atmosphere without being absorbed. Some of the
sunlight striking the earth is absorbed (1) and converted to infrared radiation (heat), which warms
the surface. The surface emits infrared radiation to the atmosphere (2), where some of it is absorbed
by the greenhouse gases (3) and redirected toward the surface (4). Some of the infrared radiation is
not trapped by greenhouse gases and escapes into space (5). On the right side, the illustration shows
how additional emissions generated into the atmosphere by human activities functions to increase
the amount of infrared radiation that gets absorbed before escaping to space, which in turn enhances
the greenhouse effect and amplifies the warming of the earth6.
FIGURE 1.1: Illustration of greenhouse effect
Source: Marian Kosbland Science Museum of the National Academy of Sciences
The rise of carbon dioxide gas in our atmosphere has been measured continuously since 1958 and
follows an oscillating, upward line known as the “Keeling Curve” (see Figure 1.2), named after Dr.
Charles Keeling, who was the first to measure carbon dioxide in the atmosphere on a continuous
basis. Before the industrial era, research indicates atmospheric CO2 concentration was between 275
and 280 parts per million by volume (ppmv) for several thousand years. Carbon dioxide has risen
continuously since then, and the average value when Dr. Keeling started his measurements in 1958
was near 315 ppmv. By the year 2000 it has risen to about 367 ppmv, a one-third increase over the
5 Mitchell, et al. 2001. Detection of climate change and attribution of causes.
6 Pew Center on Global Climate Change, The Causes of Global Climate Change, August 2008.
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City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
pre-industrial era7. As discussed above, as the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide and other
greenhouse gases continues to rise, it lessens the ability of the earth’s surface to radiate heat to space,
accelerating the warming of the earth’s surface.
FIGURE 1.2: Keeling Curve of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide (1958-2000)
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is released to the atmosphere when solid waste, fossil fuels (oil, natural gas,
and coal), and wood and wood products are burned.
Methane (CH4) is emitted during the production and transport of coal, natural gas, and oil.
Methane emissions also result from the decomposition of organic waste in municipal solid waste
landfills, and the raising of livestock.
Nitrous oxide (N2O) is emitted during agricultural and industrial activities, as well as during
combustion of solid waste and fossil fuels.
Very powerful greenhouse gases, also known as high global warming potential (GWP) gases that are
not naturally occurring, including hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur
hexafluoride (SF6), are generated in a variety of industrial processes. Each of the six greenhouse gases
(the three naturally occurring and the three listed here) differs in its ability to absorb heat in the
atmosphere. High GWP gases such as HFCs, PFCs, and SF6 are the most heat-absorbent. For
example, methane traps over 21 times more heat per molecule than carbon dioxide, and nitrous
oxide absorbs 310 times more heat per molecule than carbon dioxide. For the purposes of a
greenhouse gas emissions inventory, greenhouse gas emissions are presented in carbon dioxide
equivalents, which weight each gas by its GWP. Table 1.1 shows the global warming potentials for
different greenhouse gases for a 100-year time horizon.
7 University of California, San Diego: http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/globalchange/keeling_curve/01.html
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TABLE 1.1: Global Warming Potentials (GWPs) for Greenhouse Gases
Greenhouse Gas Global Warming Potential
CO2 (carbon dioxide) 1
CH4 (methane) 21
N2O (nitrous oxide) 310
HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons) 140-11,700
PFCs (perfluorocarbons) 6,500-9,200
SF6 (sulfur hexafluoride) 23,900
Source: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Second Assessment Report (1995)
1.3 Greenhouse Gas Inventories
The greenhouse gas inventory process is relatively new. Greenhouse gas inventories originated as an
international response to mitigate global climate change. Fundamentally, a greenhouse gas inventory
measures the amount of heat-trapping gases that an entity contributes to the atmosphere. By
quantifying emissions, an entity can identify a starting place or benchmark to understand where
future efforts will have the greatest impact to reduce areas of higher emissions.
Each year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prepares a national greenhouse gas
inventory report. The 2008 report, which estimates U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and sinks8 for the
years 1990-2006, defines a greenhouse gas inventory as:
“A greenhouse gas inventory is an accounting of the amount of greenhouse gases
emitted to or removed from the atmosphere over a specific period of time (e.g., one
year). A greenhouse gas inventory also provides information on the activities that
cause emissions and removals, as well as background on the methods used to make
the calculations. Policy makers use greenhouse gas inventories to track emission
trends, develop strategies and policies and assess progress. Scientists use greenhouse
gas inventories as inputs to atmospheric and economic models” (EPA, 2008).
With the passage of AB 4420 (Sher, Chapter 1506, Statutes of 1988), the California Energy
Commission (CEC) was directed to study global warming impacts to the state and develop an
inventory of greenhouse gas emissions sources. The first greenhouse gas emissions inventory for the
State of California was published in October 1990 by the CEC, covering only one year (1988) and
only provided an inventory of CO29. The second statewide inventory of greenhouse gas emissions
was published in March 1997 and was also only for one year (1990) but included an estimate for
8 Greenhouse gas sinks, also known as “carbon sinks”, are any physical unit or process that stores greenhouse gas emissions; the process
of absorbing greenhouse gas emissions is commonly referred to as carbon sequestration, which may occur by way of conservation of
riparian buffers, grazing land management, forest preservation, or tree planting (Ravin, A., and T. Raine. Best Practices for Including
Carbon Sinks in Greenhouse Gas Inventories.)
9 California Energy Commission, October 1990, 1988 Inventory of California Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Sacramento, California, Final
Staff Report.
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methane and nitrous oxide emissions in addition to CO210. In January 1998, the CEC published a
five-year inventory covering years 1990 through 199411. In 2000, Senate Bill 1771 (Sher, Chapter
1018, Statutes of 2000) was passed, requiring the CEC to update the inventory in January 2002 and
every five years after that. The first statewide inventory developed under SB 1771, titled Inventory of
California Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-1999 was developed following the guidance set
forth by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and was consistent with the
methods used by the EPA. The most recent statewide inventory completed by the CEC, the
Inventory of California Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2004, estimates California
produced 492 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 200412.
In January 2007, Assembly Bill 1803 transferred responsibility for developing and maintaining the
State’s greenhouse gas inventory from the CEC to the Air Resources Board (ARB). Using the CEC’s
most recent inventory as a starting point, the ARB determined the State’s 1990 greenhouse gas
emissions level by conducting a comprehensive review of all greenhouse gas emitting sectors to
comply with the requirements of AB 32 (discussed below). The ARB determined the 1990 total
statewide emissions estimate to be the same identified in the CEC’s inventory, but found differing
emissions within each sector of the inventory. According to this inventory, the estimated statewide
emissions for 1990 are 427 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (MMTCO2e), while
the estimated statewide emissions for 2004 are 484 MMTCO2e 13. The preliminary statewide
emissions estimate for 2020, assuming no emission-reduction measures are taken, is 596
MMTCO2e. The difference between the proposed 1990 emissions level and ARB’s preliminary
estimate of 2020 emissions is therefore 169 MMTCO2e 14.
1.4 Climate Action at the State Level
The State of California has established itself as a leader in climate action planning. In 2005,
Governor Schwarzenegger issued Executive Order S-3-05, which established three aggressive
deadlines and targets to achieve greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Those goals are as follows:
By 2010, reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 2000 levels;
By 2020, reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels;
By 2050, reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels.
10 California Energy Commission, March 1997, California’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory 1990, Sacramento, California, P500-
97-004.
11 California Energy Commission, January 1998, Appendix A. Historical and Forecasted Emissions Inventories for California,
Sacramento, California, P500-98-011V3.
12 California Energy Commission, December 2006, Inventory of California Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2004,
Sacramento, California, CEC-600-2006-013-SF.
13 California Air Resources Board, November 2007, California 1990 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Level and 2020 Emissions Limit, Staff
Report
14 California Air Resources Board, December 2008, AB 32 Scoping Plan, Sacramento, California.
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To allow for implementation of these aggressive goals, in 2006, the Legislature passed and Governor
Schwarzenegger signed AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, which set the 2020
greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal into law. One of the primary objectives of AB 32 is to
reduce statewide greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 emissions levels by 2020. The law directed ARB
to begin developing discrete early actions to reduce greenhouse gases while also preparing a Scoping
Plan to identify how best to reach the 2020 limit. The reduction measures to meet the 2020 target
will go into effect in 2012. There are a number of specific requirements for ARB under AB 32, one
of which states: “Ensure early voluntary reductions receive appropriate credit in the implementation
of AB 32.” The AB 32 Scoping Plan was approved in December 2008 with a set of proposed
measures and more specific targets for emission reductions in various sectors in order to attempt to
achieve the 1990 emissions levels of 427 MMTCO2e by 2020. For example, the AB 32 Scoping Plan
estimates the potential reduction of emissions from the Green Building sector to be 26
MMTCO2e15.
Other significant pieces of state legislation shaping climate action planning in California include SB
97, SB 375, and SB 1078 (California Renewables Portfolio Standard). SB 97 requires the Governor’s
Office of Planning and Research to develop guidelines for addressing climate change in CEQA
documents (guidelines to be approved in 2010). SB 375 (Steinberg) is a complex piece of legislation
intended to align separate processes of land use planning, transportation planning, and the regional
housing needs allocation process in an effort to reduce statewide greenhouse gas emissions by up to 5
MMTCO2e. The California Renewables Portfolio Standard requires electric corporations to increase
their renewable energy portfolio by at least 1% of their retail sales each year until they reach 20% in
2010.
1.5 Climate Action at the Local Level
While international and national efforts to mitigate global climate change are evolving16, many cities
and counties across the country and around the world have initiated local greenhouse gas emissions
studies and programs to reduce emissions. Bottom-up initiatives are taking root and growing rapidly
in local communities. Lasting reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are possible however when
individuals, organizations and energy producers change their behavior and activities, and employ
different technologies, something that can be initiated through local action.
Monitoring greenhouse gas emissions is the critical first step to setting a goal for emissions
reductions, developing policies and programs to achieve that goal, and measuring progress toward
reductions. This work represents the first comprehensive effort to quantify greenhouse gas emissions
generated by the City of San Luis Obispo government operations and the community at-large.
15 California Air Resources Board, AB 32 Scoping Plan (2008).
16 See section 6.6
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On February 16, 2005 the Kyoto Protocol, the international agreement to address climate change,
became law for the 141 countries that have ratified it to date. On that same day, Seattle Mayor Greg
Nickels launched an initiative called the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement to advance the
goals of the Kyoto Protocol through leadership and action by at least 141 American cities. The City
of San Luis Obispo signed the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement which states:
“We urge the federal government and state governments to enact policies and programs to
meet or beat the target of reducing global warming pollution levels to 7 percent below 1990
levels by 2012…
“… we will strive to meet or exceed Kyoto Protocol targets for reducing global warming
pollution by taking actions in our own operations and communities such as:
(1) Inventory global warming emissions in City operations and in the communities, set
reduction targets and create an action plan;
(2) Adopt and enforce land-use policies that reduce sprawl, preserve open space, and create
compact, walkable urban communities;
(3) Promote transportation options such as bicycle trails, commute trip reduction programs,
incentives for car-pooling and public transit…”
- The U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement (2005)
The goal of 141 signatories was reached by June 2005, at the annual U.S. Conference of Mayors
Annual Meeting. As of May 2009, 944 mayors from the fifty states, the District of Columbia and
Puerto Rico have signed the agreement, representing a population of over 81 million citizens17. In
California alone, 122 cities to date have signed the agreement. Atascadero and Morro Bay are the
other cities in San Luis Obispo County that have signed the agreement. The full text of the
agreement is in Appendix D.
In 1993, at the invitation of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability18, municipal leaders met
at the United Nations Headquarters in New York and adopted a declaration that called for the
establishment of a worldwide movement of local governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,
improve air quality, and enhance urban sustainability. The resulting Cities for Climate Protection
(CCP) Campaign now includes nearly 6,000 local governments worldwide that are integrating
climate change mitigation into their decision making processes.
The City of San Luis Obispo adopted a resolution to join ICLEI and the Cities for Climate
Protection Campaign in spring 2008. The CCP Campaign provides a framework for local
communities to identify and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and is organized along five milestones:
1. Conduct a baseline emissions inventory and forecast
2. Set an emissions reduction target
17 U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement website, http://usmayors.org/climateprotection/
18 Formally known as International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives
City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
3. Develop an action plan to meet the emissions reduction target
4. Implement the action plan
5. Monitor and verify progress and results
This report represents the completion of the first CCP milestone, and provides a foundation for
future work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in San Luis Obispo. Milestones 2 through 5 are
explained in Chapter 6. Additionally, a list of tangible actions the City has already undertaken to
conserve energy and support energy efficiency is provided in section 6.5.
1.6 Reasons to Take Action
1. Reduce our contribution to global climate change. The primary reason to quantify emissions
and develop a subsequent climate action plan is to reduce the quantity of greenhouse gases emitted
by the community and thereby slow our contribution to climate change.
2. Take collective action along with our regional partners. Several other jurisdictions in San Luis
Obispo County are starting or nearing completion of their respective greenhouse gas inventories. By
working together and sharing ideas as each jurisdiction moves forward in the climate action planning
process, all parties will stand to benefit.
3. Reduce costs. By identifying ways to reduce energy consumption, the City and local citizens can
save money on energy bills. While energy efficiency initiatives may require an initial capital
investment, paybacks within about four to seven years can be expected in many cases and savings will
continue beyond the payback period. Furthermore, by reducing energy consumption, the City and
its citizens will be less vulnerable to fluctuations in the market price of energy.
4. Provide community leadership. By taking critical and visible steps to address climate change,
the City will continue to provide a solid example for the community, county, and state.
5. Maintain and improve quality of life for citizens. The City can use savings generated by
improved efficiency to improve and maintain critical community services. Programs that reduce
emissions, such as bike paths, public transit, and smart growth, also increase the quality of life by
improving air quality, promoting active lifestyles, and creating a more beautiful community.
Together, theses measures help build a healthier, more sustainable community.
6. Create jobs and promote locally burgeoning “green economy” sector. San Luis Obispo
already has many local businesses promoting and harnessing sustainable practices, such as in building
technology and low emissions transportation options. The transition to a low emissions society will
require continued innovation and effort. New and different business efforts will result from this
transition. The transition to a “climate-friendly economy” will also require new educational
programs, new technologies, and new businesses, which will can new jobs in the community.
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2. Community and Municipal Operations
Inventory Methodology
2.1 Project Organization
The CACP software is divided into two distinct levels of analysis: a government operations analysis
and community-wide analysis. The community-wide analysis calculates greenhouse gas emissions
that are released into the atmosphere as a result of activities within the jurisdictional boundary of San
Luis Obispo within one year (2005). The municipal GHG analysis specifies how City-operated
buildings and their associated processes contribute to overall emissions within the community. It is
important to point that the municipal analysis is a subset of the community analysis, not a separate
addition.
The community analysis provides an estimate of all of the greenhouse gas emissions produced within
the community of San Luis Obispo by residents, businesses, and agencies. Five primary sectors are
included in the community analysis: Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Transportation, and Solid
Waste.
The government analysis covers all buildings and facilities, operations, programs, the employee
commute, and vehicles owned and operated directly by the City of San Luis Obispo municipal
government. Data acquisition and results have been divided into the following sectors: buildings and
facilities, vehicle fleet, employee commute, streetlights and traffic signals, water delivery, wastewater,
solid waste, and employee business travel in private vehicles. The baseline year for the government
analysis is 2005. Energy, fuel and waste data were collected for 2005. Data for adjacent years (2004,
2006 and 2007) were collected based on availability. The government analysis is more detailed than
the community analysis because the data is more refined; it includes detail for more sectors and
identifies specific point sources of emissions.
2.2 Baseline and Forecast Years
The baseline year used for both the government operations and community-wide emissions
inventory was 2005. The primary reason that 2005 was chosen as the baseline year was that it was a
common year of data availability throughout all of the sectors of the inventory for both the
community-wide and government operations inventories. Additionally, many communities in
California that have already completed an emissions inventory decided to use the same year. As a
result, it may be possible to compare the results of this inventory other communities in the region
and the state.
2.3 Data Collection and Methodology
Due to the fact that local governments vary in their legal and organizational structures, it is
important to establish the local government’s organizational boundary for greenhouse gas emissions
City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
accounting and reporting. Local governments should report their emissions according to one of two
control approaches: operational control or financial control. A protocol developed for the reporting
of greenhouse gas emissions at the local government level encourages local governments to utilize
operational control (described below) when defining the organizational boundary of the emissions
inventory. Operational control is the consolidation approach required under AB 32’s mandatory
reporting program and is consistent with the requirements of many other environmental and air
quality reporting (California Air Resources Board, et al 2008, p. 14).
According to the Local Government Operations Protocol (discussed in section 2.5), a local government
has operational control of an emissions source if the local government has the full authority to
introduce and implement policies for the operation. One or more of the following conditions
establishes operational control:
Wholly owning an operation, facility, or source; (such as the city’s water reclamation facility)
Having the full authority to introduce and implement operation and health, safety and
environmental policies (such as policies to reduce the use of paper products in city offices)
Under this approach, a local government is responsible for 100 percent of emissions from operations
over which it has control.
2.4 Data Sources
We received data from a wide variety of sources to complete the community analysis. Where
possible, we collected information for years other than 2005 in order to create a basis of comparison.
Where 2005 data was not available, we used a proxy. Data sources and years provided are
summarized in Table 2.1 below.
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TABLE 2.1: Data Sources for Community Analysis Emissions Inventory
Sector Emissions
Source
What was
measured
Unit of
Measurement Data Source Year(s) of data
availability
Electricity
consumption
aggregated
residential units kWh PG&E 2003 to 2005
Residential Natural Gas
consumption
aggregated
residential units therms
Southern Calif.
Gas Co/Sempra
Energy
2005 to 2007
Electricity
consumption
aggregated
commercial &
industrial
kWh PG&E 2003 to 2005
Commercial/
Industrial(a) Natural Gas
consumption
aggregated
commercial &
industrial
therms
Southern Calif.
Gas Co/Sempra
Energy
2005 to 2007
Transportation
Vehicle travel
on roadways
within city
limits
vehicle miles of
travel on city-
maintained
roadways and traffic
on U.S. 101
through city(b)
vehicle miles
of travel
City of San Luis
Obispo, Public
Works Dept.
Traffic Counts
program; Caltrans
AADT traffic
counts program
2005/2006
Traffic Counts;
Caltrans 2005
AADT data
Solid Waste All Waste
Types
Solid waste tonnage
sent to landfills
from activities in
city
tons
San Luis Garbage;
City of San Luis
Obispo, Utilities
Department
2005 to 2007
(a) Industrial sector electricity usage currently included in Commercial Sector due to confidentiality restrictions
(b) Vehicle miles are distributed by type (i.e., percent trucks, passenger vehicles, etc.) based on a distribution of vehicle types provided
by the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District.
The primary sources of data for the government analysis were the Utilities Department and Public
Works Department. Data for the employee commute sector was acquired by way of an employee
survey administered by way of staff email addresses. Data for employee business travel in private
vehicles was collected for five of the city departments. Table 2.2 identifies the data sources utilized in
the government-scale emissions inventory.
City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
TABLE 2.2: Data Sources for Municipal Analysis Emissions Inventory
Sector Emissions Source
and Cost Data
What was
measured Units Data
Source Contact Year(s)
Energy usage
(electricity & natural
gas)
kWh &
therms
Utilities
Dept
Alice Carter
(Ron Munds)
2005 to
2007 Buildings/Facilities
Energy cost data
all city buildings
and facilities $/kWh &
$/therm
Utilities
Dept Carter/Munds 2005 to
2007
VMT for city vehicles
VMT by
fuel type
by vehicle
type
Public
Works
Dept
Dave Smith
FY06-07
& FY 07-
08 Vehicle Fleet
Fuel cost data
all city vehicles,
by fuel type, by
vehicle type
$/gallon
Public
Works
Dept
Dave Smith
FY06-07
& FY 07-
08
Employee
Commute
Annual VMT for
Employee Commute
Survey
respondents
(N=250)
VMT
Employee
survey (via
online
survey)
Kim Murry 2007
Streetlight and traffic
signal electricity usage kWh Utilities
Dept Carter/Munds 2005 to
2007 Traffic
Signals/Streetlights Energy cost data
all city-
maintained
streetlights &
traffic signals $/kWh Utilities
Dept Carter/Munds 2005 to
2007
Water delivery system
electricity usage kWh Utilities
Dept Carter/Munds 2005 to
2007 Water Delivery
System Energy cost data
all water delivery
facilities $/kWh Utilities
Dept Carter/Munds 2005 to
2007
Wastewater delivery
system energy usage
(electricity & natural
gas)
kWh &
therms
Utilities
Dept Carter/Munds 2005 to
2007 Wastewater
Delivery System
Energy cost data
all wastewater
delivery facilities
$/kWh &
$/therm
Utilities
Dept Carter/Munds 2005 to
2007
Solid Waste
Quantity of waste
generated by
municipal facilities
Municipal
facilities garbage
collection
tons Utilities
Dept
Doug
Dowden 2007
Employee Business
Travel
Annual VMT for
Employee Business
Travel
all municipal
departments with
available records
VMT various
departments
Kim Murry,
staff in
various
departments
2005(a)
(a) The year 2008 was used as a proxy year in some cases where data was not available.
2.5 Local Government Operations Protocol
The Local Government Operations Protocol (Protocol) is designed to provide a standardized set of
guidelines to assist local governments in quantifying and reporting greenhouse gas emissions
associated with their government operations. The Protocol was developed in partnership by the
California Air Resources Board (CARB), California Climate Action Registry (CCAR), and
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International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives – Local Governments for Sustainability
(ICLEI), in collaboration with The Climate Registry and dozens of stakeholders. The Protocol
provides a standardized mechanism for inventorying emissions, which can help track emission
reduction progress over time and in comparison to emission reduction targets.
The partnership organizations involved in developing the Protocol have not at this time developed a
protocol for use specifically at the community-scale. In the case of community-scale emissions, the
Clean Air Climate Protection Software provides direction on the collection of data necessary to
perform the greenhouse gas emissions inventory at the government- and community-scale, as
discussed in section 2.8. Where possible, the methodologies utilized in the Protocol were applied to
the community-scale inventory.
2.6 Greenhouse Gases to be assessed
All six internationally-recognized greenhouse gas emissions regulated under the Kyoto Protocol are
to be assessed by this inventory: carbon dioxide (CO2); methane (CH4); nitrous oxide (N2O);
hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs); perfluorocarbons (PFCs); and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). As will be
discussed shortly, the software used to complete the emissions inventory quantifies all greenhouse gas
emissions in terms of carbon dioxide equivalency (CO2e). As the six greenhouse gases have a wide
range of heat-trapping ability (i.e., global warming potential), it is necessary to convert all gases to a
common baseline, for the purpose to producing a meaningful inventory.
2.7 Greenhouse Gas Emission Scopes
In an effort to provide an effective framework for developing different types of climate policies and
goals, the Protocol follows the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard, developed by the World Resources
Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WRI/WBCSD), in
categorizing direct and indirect emissions into scopes.
Scope 1 emissions are all direct emissions sources located within the jurisdictional boundary of the
local government. Examples of Scope 1 sources include use of fuels such as heavy fuel oil, natural
gas, or propane used for heating
Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions that result as a consequence of activity within the
jurisdictions the jurisdiction’s jurisdictional boundary limited to electricity, district heating, steam
and cooling consumption. Examples of Scope 2 sources include purchased electricity used within the
jurisdictional boundaries of the jurisdiction associated with the generation of greenhouse gases at the
power plant. Scope 2 emissions physically occur at the facility where electricity is generated. These
emissions should be included in the community-scale analysis, as they are the result of electricity
consumption.
City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
Scope 3 emissions are all other indirect and embodied emissions that occur as a result of activity
within the jurisdictional boundary. Examples of Scope 3 emissions include methane emissions from
solid waste generated within the community which decomposes at landfills either inside or outside of
the community’s jurisdictional boundary.
Information items are biogenic emissions and other indicators which may be relevant to a complete
understanding of a community’s energy use and climate impact, but which are not conventionally
included in greenhouse gas accounting. Examples of information items are biogenic carbon
emissions or quantity of electricity generated from solar photovoltaic panels.
Taken together, the three scopes provide a comprehensive accounting framework for managing and
reducing direct and indirect emissions. Local governments should, at a minimum, quantify and
report all Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions (CARB et al 2008, et al., p. 22). The reporting of Scope 3
emissions is optional and at the present time lacks a standard practice. Local governments should
address the collection of Scope 3 emissions from a policy perspective, and focus on emissions that
could be reduced by changes in local government policy. Figure 2.1 provides an overview of the
relationship between the scopes and the activities that generate direct and indirect emissions at the
local government and community-wide level.
FIGURE 2.1: Overview of scopes and emissions
Source: WRI/WBCSD GHG Protocol - A Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard (Revised Edition), Chapter 4.
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2.8 Clean Air Climate Protection Software
To facilitate community efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, ICLEI developed the Clean Air
and Climate Protection (CACP) software package in partnership with the State and Territorial Air
Pollution Program Administrators (STAPPA), the Association of Local Air Pollution Control
Officials (ALAPCO)19, and Torrie Smith Associates. This software calculates emissions resulting
from energy consumption, fuel usage, and waste generation. The CACP software determines
emissions using specific factors (or coefficients) according to the type of fuel used. Greenhouse gas
emissions are aggregated and reported in terms of carbon dioxide equivalency, or CO2e. Converting
all emissions to carbon dioxide equivalents allows for the consideration of different greenhouse gases
in comparable terms.
19 Now the National Association of Clean Air Agencies (NACAA)
City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
3. Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
Results
3.1 Community Analysis Results
In 2005, the community of San Luis Obispo generated 264,237 metric tons of carbon dioxide
equivalents (MTCO2e). Approximately 50.0 percent of those emissions were produced by the
transportation sector. The Commercial and Industrial sectors combined for 21.9 percent of
communitywide emissions, and the Residential sector contributed 21.0 percent of communitywide
emissions. The Solid Waste sector accounted for the remaining 7.1 percent of community-wide
emissions. See Figure 3.1 below.
FIGURE 3.1: City of San Luis Obispo Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Sector (2005)
Transportation
50.0%
Solid Waste
7.1%
Residential
21.0%
Commercial &
Industrial
21.9%
Source: Pacific Gas & Electric; Southern California Gas Company; San Luis Garbage; City of San Luis Obispo: Public Works and
Utilities departments; Clean Air and Climate Protection software; and Local Government Operations Protocol.
Table 3.1 provides a summary of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions produced by each sector.
The number in the last column of the table represents the amount of energy (MMBtu) per amount
of greenhouse gas emissions (MTCO2e). This ratio provides an indicator demonstrating the
efficiency of each sector in terms of greenhouse gas emissions (a lower number indicates lower
efficiency). The transportation sector scored the lowest rating primarily because the burning of fossil
fuels (especially gasoline and diesel) emits large amounts of CO2 per unit of energy combined with
the relatively low efficiency of today’s automobile.
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TABLE 3.1: Energy Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Sector Energy
(MMBtu)
Equivalent CO2e
(metric tons)
Percent of Total
Emissions MMBtu / MTCO2e
Residential 963,839 55,377 21.0% 17.4
Commercial/Industrial 961,796 57,950 21.9% 16.6
Transportation 1,839,962 132,142 50.0% 13.9
Waste n/a 18,768 7.1% n/a
Total 3,765,597 264,237 100.0% 14.3
Source: Clean Air and Climate Protection Software, Local Government Operations Protocol
3.2 Residential
In 2005, the residential sector generated 55,377 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalence
(MTCO2e); representing 21.0 percent of community-generated GHG emissions (see Table 3.2). On
average, each household produced roughly 2.9 MTCO2e from electricity and natural gas. Despite
the residential sector having relatively low aggregated per household emissions, residential GHG
emissions from electricity usage have increased 11.7 percent from 2003 to 2005, or nearly 6 percent
per year. At the same time, residential GHG emissions from natural gas usage have increased 3.7
percent from 2005 to 2007, or roughly two percent per year.
TABLE 3.2: Residential Sector – Emissions by Fuel Type (2005)
Fuel Type Residential
Energy Usage
Equivalent CO2
(metric tons)
Equivalent
CO2
(%)
Energy
(MMBtu)
Electricity 93,101,466 kWh 20,820 7.9% 317,752
Natural Gas 664,341 Dth 34,557 13.1% 646,087
Total 55,377 21.0% 963,839
Source: Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Gas Company
3.3 Commercial & Industrial
Within this report, the Commercial and Industrial sectors have been combined due to a mandatory
aggregation of Commercial and Industrial data by PG&E20 and due to limited presence of industrial
activity in San Luis Obispo. In 2005, the commercial and industrial sectors combined generated
57,950 MTCO2e, representing 21.9 percent of the community-generated GHG emissions (See
Table 3.3). Greenhouse gas emissions from electricity usage have increased 2.8 percent from 2003 to
2005. At the same time, emissions from natural gas usage have increased 7.1 percent from 2005 to
2007.
20 The commercial and industrial sectors are combined as a result of the 15/15 rule. The 15/15 rule was adopted by the California
Public Utilities Commission in the Direct Access Proceeding (CPUC Decision 97-10-031) to protect customer confidentiality.
City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
TABLE 3.3: Commercial & Industrial Sectors – Emissions by Fuel Type (2005)
Fuel Type
Commercial &
Industrial
Energy Usage
Equivalent CO2
(metric tons)
Equivalent
CO2
(%)
Energy
(MMBtu)
Electricity 158,400,882 kWh 35,423 13.4% 540,617
Natural Gas 421,179 Dth 22,527 8.5% 421,179
Total 57,950 21.9% 961,796
Source: Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Gas Company
3.4 Transportation
In 2005, the transportation sector produced 132,137 MTCO2e, representing 50.0 percent of all
community greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector in a
given community are directly related to vehicle-miles of travel on city roadways. The California
Department of Transportation (Caltrans) maintains the Highway Performance Monitoring System
(HPMS), a federally mandated inventory system used to analyze the highway system’s condition and
performance. Through HPMS, Caltrans is able to produce an annual report entitled California
Public Road Data. Data available from 1996 through 2007 provides historical information on total
maintained roadway mileage and estimated daily vehicle miles of travel within each jurisdiction. The
vehicle miles of travel data from this annual report are presented in Table 3.4 below, and graphically
in Figure 3.2.
TABLE 3.4: Historical Vehicle Miles of Travel on San Luis Obispo Public Roads (1996-2007)
Year Daily VMT
(thousands)
Annual VMT
(millions)
Annual Pct
Change in VMT
(1996-2007)
Accumulated Pct
Change in VMT
(1996-2007)
1996 308.3 112.5 -- --
1997 335.9 122.6 9.0% 9.0%
1998 387.2 141.3 15.3% 25.6%
1999 417.3 152.3 7.8% 35.4%
2000 410.2 149.7 -1.7% 33.1%
2001 418.7 152.8 2.1% 35.8%
2002 462.8 168.9 10.5% 50.1%
2003 460.7 168.2 -0.4% 49.4%
2004 454.9 166.0 -1.3% 47.6%
2005 443.8 162.0 -2.4% 44.0%
2006 433.4 158.2 -2.3% 40.6%
2007 433.4 158.2 0.0% 40.6%
Total change in VMT 125.1 45.7
Avg annual % change in VMT 3.39%
Source: California Department of Transportation, Highway Performance Monitoring System, California Public Road Data, “Table 6.
Maintained Mileage Data & Daily Vehicle Miles of Travel Estimates By Jurisdiction” (1996-2007)
For the purposes of a identifying emissions generated by transportation at the community level for a
greenhouse gas inventory, no standard practice exists at this time to convert daily vehicle miles of
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travel into annual vehicle miles of travel to account for less travel on weekend days, so 365 days was
used to make this conversion21.
From Table 3.4, it is evident that daily – and annual – vehicle miles of travel have increased
markedly in San Luis Obispo from 1996 to 2007, from 112.5 million annual VMT in 1996 to
158.2 million annual VMT in 2007, an increase of over 40 percent. This is also an average annual
increase of 3.38 percent per year. On the positive side, Figure 3.2 below shows that daily vehicle
miles of travel have been on the decline since 2002.
FIGURE 3.2: Daily Vehicle Miles of Travel on San Luis Obispo Public Roads (1996-2007)
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
YearVehicle Miles of Travel (1000s)Daily VMT [1,000s] Source: California Department of Transportation, Highway Performance Monitoring System, California Public Road Data, “Table 6.
Maintained mileage data & daily vehicle miles of travel estimates by jurisdiction” (1996-2007)
Because the city’s Public Works Department maintains a comprehensive and detailed traffic counts
program with 176 counting stations, it was determined that the resulting data was much more
detailed than the HPMS data, and allows for further analysis by specific areas of the city. However,
the Caltrans HPMS data is included to provide historical trends of the growth in vehicular traffic
within the community. Table 3.5 provides a summary of the results of the analysis of the 2005-2006
traffic counts program data.
21 However, some jurisdictions have used 330 days to compensate for the difference in weekend travel, while Sonoma County used
320 days.
City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
The results of the 2005-2006 traffic counts program suggests that 768,239 daily vehicle miles of
travel occurs within the city limits, including traffic on U.S. 101. The total approximate daily vehicle
miles of travel on all city roadways are 515,377 daily vehicle miles. An overwhelming majority of the
total mileage on city streets (407,816 daily vehicle miles; 77% of all VMT on city streets) occur on
major arterials on a given day in the community. These roadways include Santa Rosa, Foothill, Los
Osos Valley Road, Madonna, Higuera, Marsh, (most of) Broad, South Higuera, Johnson and Tank
Farm. The roadway segments classified as county highways included in this total not within the city
limits are Orcutt Road from Johnson to Tank Farm. Total daily vehicle mileage occurring on U.S.
101 is estimated to be 236,057 miles, while vehicle miles occurring on U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps is
estimated to be 16,806 daily vehicle miles. Although these vehicle miles occur on state-maintained
roadways, they are included in this emissions inventory. In total, the estimated daily vehicle miles of
travel of 768,239 miles per day translates into approximately 280.4 million annual vehicle miles of
travel in the community of San Luis Obispo. This annual vehicle mileage generates an estimated
emissions total of 132,137 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents.
TABLE 3.5: Transportation Sector – Summary of Traffic Counts Program (2005-2006)
Road Type Road
miles
Average
Daily
Trips(a)
Daily VMT
Annual
VMT(b)
(in millions)
Equivalent CO2 (c)
(metric tons)
Collector 10.20 3,925 38,348 14.0 6,492
Minor Arterial 7.37 7,638 54,064 19.7 9,276
Major Arterial 22.42 17,502 407,816 148.9 70,245
County Highway(d) 1.80 13,451 15,149 5.5 2,612
U.S. 101 (Monterey to LOVR)(e) 4.12 55,000 236,057 86.2 40,616
U.S. 101 ramps(f) 3.89 4,108 16,806 6.1 2,896
Total (g) 49.80 20,325 768,239 280.4 132,137
Source: City of San Luis Obispo, Public Works Department, Transportation Division (City-wide Traffic Counts Program, 2005-06)
(a) Average of all traffic count segments of each road class (e.g., it could be said that “the average roadway segment of a Collector street
has approximately 3,925 vehicle trips per day”)
(b) Annual Vehicle Miles of Travel assumes traffic volume is similar 365 days a year.
(c) Due to rounding in the software, this column does not add up.
(d) County Highways are roadways that are not within City Limits, such as Orcutt Road between Johnson and Tank Farm.
(e) U.S. 101 is a Caltrans-maintained limited-access highway within the city limits with significant through-traffic; all vehicle-miles
from Monterey exit to Los Osos Valley Road exit were counted in this inventory.
(f) U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps facilities are maintained by Caltrans. However, any traffic volume on ramps from Los Osos Valley
Road to Monterey is assumed to be entering or exiting the local road network in San Luis Obispo. This includes traffic volumes at 32
on- and off-ramps.
(g) The total “Average Daily Trips” is an average value of all average daily trips at all traffic counting stations.
It must be pointed out that no standard protocol exists at the time of this writing as to how to
calculate annual vehicle miles of travel in a given community for the purposes of quantifying
emissions from mobile sources. Again, however, the robust traffic volume data that the city has
maintained offers an opportunity to quantify vehicle miles of travel (and associated emissions) from
sample traffic data. Additionally, results can be analyzed in terms of logical traffic subareas. Eight
subareas were created for the purposes of analyzing the results of the traffic counts data, which are
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shown in Figure 3.3 below. The VMT subareas were created by aggregating several existing traffic
analysis zones to produce larger analysis zones. The map also identifies the roadways that were
included in the calculation of vehicle miles of travel, the roadways that were not included in the
calculation of vehicle miles of travel, as well as U.S. 101 and the location of the on- and off-ramps
throughout the community.
FIGURE 3.3: Vehicle-miles of travel subareas in San Luis Obispo (2005-2006)
Sources: City of San Luis Obispo Public Works Department, Transportation Division and GIS Division.
Naturally, some of the VMT sub-areas generated a greater intensity of vehicle miles of travel (and
corresponding greenhouse gas emissions) than did others. Additional detailed analysis of vehicle
miles of travel and emissions analysis by VMT sub-area can be found in Appendix A (Tables A-8
summarizes VMT and emissions by sub-area and Table A-9 provides an analysis of daily and annual
vehicle miles of travel per lane-mile in each sub-area, as well as emissions per lane-mile in each sub-
area).
Based on the several options presented in this document regarding the methodology to calculate
community-wide vehicle miles of travel, it is evident by that a significant level of ambiguity exists as
to how to accurately quantify the vehicle miles of travel that are attributable to a single community.
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Nearly 31 percent of the community’s daily vehicle miles traveled is attributable to travel on U.S.
101 between Los Osos Valley Road and Monterey Street. The associated emissions (40,616
MTCO2e) accounts for about 15 percent of community-wide emissions. The City of San Luis
Obispo does not have jurisdictional control to reduce transportation emissions from “pass-through”
vehicle travel through the city limits. However, ICLEI and State protocol require that these
emissions be included in a local inventory in order to capture all emissions within the area and
calculate their effect in the local community.
The nature of mobile emissions from the transportation sector suggests that vehicle miles of travel is
best quantified at a regional level. For example, U.S. 101 is the primary transportation facility in
San Luis Obispo County and carries a significant volume of traffic between the communities in the
county as well as travel associated with tourism coming from outside the community and the county.
Again, at this time, no emission reporting protocol is in place to assist in attributing an exact amount
of vehicle mileage to one community over another. For purposes of this inventory, any travel
occurring within the city limits has been counted as part of the community emissions inventory.
3.5 Solid Waste
In 2005, the community of San Luis Obispo shipped 84,439 tons of waste to the Cold Canyon
Landfill. The CACP software calculates methane generation from waste sent to landfills in 2005.
This landfill provides a methane recovery factor of 60 percent, which allows the waste sector to
produce a net sink in total emissions for the community. As a carbon sink, the waste sector decreased
total community emissions by 18,769 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalence.
The City of San Luis Obispo Utilities Department tracks historic community-wide solid waste
tonnage figures. Table 3.6 shows solid waste tonnage in recent years. All commodities are grouped
into two main groups – recycling and trash. Recycling commodities include: newspaper, mixed
recyclables, cardboard, aluminum, ferrous metal, glass, plastics, and compostable green waste. Trash
includes residential, commercial, commercial haulers, “drop box” (used at construction projects),
and trash produced from demolition activities. The 2004 California Statewide Waste
Characterization Study22 provides standard waste composition for the State of California. Identifying
the different types of waste in the general mix is necessary, because decomposition of some materials
generate methane within the anaerobic environment of landfills whereas others do not.
Carbonaceous materials such as paper and wood actually act to sequester the methane released in
managed landfills, therefore offsetting some or all of the emissions for food and plant waste. Table
3.7 shows the estimated percentages of emissions coming from the various types of waste.
The San Luis Garbage Company (Waste Connections, Inc.) services the San Luis Obispo
community and transports most waste generated by the community to the Cold Canyon Landfill on
Carpenter Canyon Road/Highway 227, about six miles south of San Luis Obispo. A limited amount
22 http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Publications/default.asp?pubid=1097
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of waste is transported to Southern California, by way of the Santa Maria Transfer Station (located
between Nipomo and Santa Maria in San Luis Obispo County, adjacent to U.S. 101).
TABLE 3.6: Solid Waste Tonnage in San Luis Obispo (2005-2007)
Waste (tons)
Commodity Group
2005 2006 2007
Annual rate of
change
(2005-2007)
Recycling (paper, aluminum, plastics, greenwaste) 22,739 23,468 21,861 -1.9%
Trash (residential, commercial, haulers, etc.) 61,700 61,724 60,620 -0.9%
Total 84,439 85,192 82,481 -1.2%
Source: City of San Luis Obispo, Utilities Department; San Luis Garbage Company
TABLE 3.7: Solid Waste Emissions in San Luis Obispo (2005)
Waste Emissions Source Equivalent CO2
(metric tons) (a)
Equivalent CO2
from Waste
(%)
Paper Products 4,772 25.4%
Food Waste 11,339 60.4%
Plant Debris 1,393 7.4%
Wood/Textiles 1,265 6.7%
Total 18,769 100.0%
Source: City of San Luis Obispo, Utilities Department; San Luis Garbage Company
(a) This column does not add up due to rounding in the software.
3.6 Community-wide Emissions by Scope
The majority of community greenhouse gas emissions were Scope 1 (85.7%), with Scope 2
emissions (15.3%) and Scope 3 (-1.1%) making up the remaining emissions. Scope 1 emissions
include transportation-related emissions, and those emissions related to fuel combustion, such as
natural gas consumption. All Scope 2 emissions are generated by purchased electricity. Scope 3
emissions are those generated by solid waste, is a net carbon sink. See Table 3.8 below.
TABLE 3.8: Community-wide Emissions by Scope (2005)
Sector Scope 1 Scope 2 Scope 3 Total
Residential 34,557 20,820 -- 55,377
Commercial/Industrial 22,527 35,423 -- 57,950
Transportation 132,142 -- -- 132,142
Solid Waste -- -- 18,768 18,768
Total 189,226 56,243 18,768 264,237
Percentage of Total CO2e 71.6% 21.3% 7.1% 100.0%
Source: Pacific Gas & Electric; Southern California Gas Company; San Luis Garbage; City of San Luis Obispo: Public Works and
Utilities departments; Clean Air and Climate Protection software; and Local Government Operations Protocol.
City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
3.7 Source of Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The largest source of 2005 greenhouse gas emissions generated by the San Luis Obispo community
was gasoline, which generated 52.6 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions. Natural gas and
electricity accounted for 41.0 percent of community-wide emissions (21.1% and 19.9%,
respectively). The fourth largest source of emissions was diesel (9.9%), followed by food waste
(1.4%). The remaining sources that were part of this inventory actually accounted for a net carbon
sink (-2.5%), which include paper products, plant debris, and wood/textiles.
FIGURE 3.4: Community-wide Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Source (2005)
Gasoline
44.6%
Natural Gas
21.6%
Electricity
21.3%
Plant Debris
0.5%
Wood/Textiles
0.5%
Food Waste
1.8%
Diesel
5.4%
Paper Products
4.3%
Source: Pacific Gas & Electric; Southern California Gas Company; San Luis Garbage; City of San Luis Obispo: Public Works and
Utilities departments; Clean Air and Climate Protection software; and Local Government Operations Protocol.
3.8 Per capita emissions
As several communities throughout the California are voluntarily conducting greenhouse gas
emissions inventory, it is possible to compare the results of this emissions inventory to the results of
other jurisdictions in the state. Per capita comparative analysis can provide decision makers and
stakeholders with a metric by which to measure the progress made in reducing greenhouse gas
emissions. In 2005, San Luis Obispo generated 5.9 MTCO2e per capita. Table 3.9 compares the
results of this inventory with other communities that have recently completed emissions inventories.
San Luis Obispo compares favorably with most of the communities or jurisdictions on this list,
especially when compared to the State of California, which generated 13.4 MTCO2e per capita in
2004. However, at this time it is impractical to make meaningful comparisons between cities because
of the variation in the scope of inventories conducted, data collection methods, and locations of
industrial facilities within the state. For example, a city that contains a large industrial
manufacturing plant within its corporate boundaries will most likely show a high per capita
emissions rate regardless of whether the community has a great number of persons who bike to work
and live in energy efficient houses.
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TABLE 3.9: Per capita GHG emissions of selected California jurisdictions
Jurisdiction
Baseline
Year of
GHG
Inventory
Metric tons of
CO2e
(from GHG
Inventory)
Population(a)
(in baseline year of
GHG Inventory)
MTCO2e
per capita
City of Arcata 2000 234,703 16,651 14.1
City of Berkeley 2005 634,798 104,010 6.1
City of Chico(b) 2005 610,951 73,614 8.3
City of Davis(c) 1990 225,200 46,209 4.9
City of Menlo Park 2005 491,054 30,558 16.1
City of San Luis Obispo 2005 264,237 44,625 5.9
San Luis Obispo County(d) 2006 1,464,131 101,786 14.4
Marin County(e) 2000 3,113,565 247,289 12.6
Sonoma County(e) 2000 3,739,380 458,614 8.2
State of California(f) 2004 492,000,000 36,675,346 13.4
Source: Greenhouse gas emissions inventories of listed jurisdictions, California Department of Finance, Demographic Research Unit.
(a) State of California, Department of Finance, E-4 Population Estimates for Cities, Counties and the State, 2001-2008, with 2000
Benchmark. Sacramento, California, May 2008.
(b) City of Chico’s Greenhouse Gas & Criteria Air Pollutant Emissions Inventory bases the community population on the “Greater Chico
Area”. This table relies on figures produced by the California Department of Finance. The City of Chico’s emissions inventory
concludes that per capita emissions in the community are 5.8 MTCO2e in 2005.
(c) State of California, Department of Finance, E-4 Historical Population Estimates for City, County and the State, 1991-2000, with 1990
and 2000 Census Counts. Sacramento, California, August 2007.
(d) San Luis Obispo County emissions inventory includes only the unincorporated area of the county.
(e) Marin County and Sonoma County emissions inventories include all jurisdictions within each respective county.
(f) California Energy Commission, Inventory of California Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990 to 2004 (2006), CEC-600-
2006-013-SF.
City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
4. Municipal Operations Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Inventory Results
4.1 Municipal Analysis Results
In 2005, the municipal operations of the City of San Luis Obispo generated 6,580 metric tons of
carbon dioxide equivalents (MTCO2e), and consumed approximately 94,483 MMBtu of energy.
Total cost associated with annual energy and fuel usage in 2005 was $1.871 million.
About 96 percent of those emissions were produced by the Vehicle Fleet, Buildings, Water Delivery
Wastewater, and Employee Commute sectors. (Refer to Table 4.1 and Figure 4.1 below.) The
Vehicle Fleet sector generated 1,898 MTCO2e (28.8%), the Buildings sector generated 1,178
MTCO2e (17.9%), the Wastewater sector generated 1,175 MTCO2e (17.9%), the Water Delivery
sector generated 1,043 MTCO2e (15.9%), and the Employee Commute sector generated 1,009
MTCO2e (15.3%). The remaining 3 percent of government operations’ greenhouse gas emissions
were generated from the other three sectors: the municipal Solid Waste sector generated 125
MTCO2e (1.9%), the Streetlights and Traffic Signals sector generated 141 MTCO2e (2.1%), and
Employee Business Travel sector generated 11 MTCO2e (0.2%). See Figure 4.1 below.
TABLE 4.1: Summary of Municipal Operations Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Sector (2005)
Sector Emission Scope(s) Equivalent CO2
(metric tons)
Equivalent CO2e
(%)
Energy
(MMBtu)
Buildings & Facilities Scope 1 & 2 1,178 17.9% 19,772
Vehicle Fleet Scope 1 1,898 28.8% 23,585
Employee Commute Scope 3 1,009 15.3% 13,418
Streetlights Scope 2 141 2.1% 2,153
Water Delivery Scope 2 1,043 15.9% 15,917
Wastewater Scope 1 & 2 1,175 17.9% 18,583
Solid Waste Scope 3 125 1.9% --
Employee Business Travel
(in private vehicle) Scope 3 11 0.2% 90
Total 6,580 100.0% 93,483
Source: City of San Luis Obispo: Utilities Department and Public Works Department, 2007 Employee Commute Survey; Pacific Gas
& Electric, Southern California Gas Company
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FIGURE 4.1: Municipal Operations Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Sector (2005)
Employee Commute
15.3%
Wastewater
17.9%
Water Delivery
15.9%
Streetlights
2.1%
Vehicle Fleet
28.8%
Buildings
17.9%
Solid Waste
1.9%
Employee Business
Travel
0.2%
Source: City of San Luis Obispo: Utilities Department and Public Works Department, 2007 Employee Commute Survey; Clean Air
and Climate Protection Software, and Local Government Operations Protocol.
Figure 4.2 shows the relative contribution that government operations of the City of San Luis
Obispo make to the community at-large. City operations generated an estimated 6,580 metric tons
of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2005, which was approximately 2.49% of total community-wide
emissions. Interestingly enough, this is the same percentage that was determined to be the County
Government’s contribution to the County unincorporated area in the San Luis Obispo County
Community-wide and Municipal 2006 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory.
FIGURE 4.2: Municipal Operations Contribution to Community-wide Emissions (2005)
Municipal
2.26%
Community
97.74%
4.2 Buildings and Facilities
In 2005, the building sector generated 1,178 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e),
representing 17.9 percent of total government-generated emissions (See Figure 4.1). Greenhouse gas
emissions generated from this sector originate from purchased electricity and natural gas.
Electricity is primarily used in City buildings for lighting, office equipment and running computer
hardware, among other things. In 2005, the City purchased $365,741 of electricity for use at
buildings and facilities. See Table 4.2 below. The electricity provider in the area is Pacific Gas &
City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
Electric. In 2005, the City utilized 109,261 therms of natural gas at various city buildings and
facilities, for a total cost of $112,454. See Table 4.3 below.
TABLE 4.2: Electricity Usage of Buildings and Facilities and Emissions (2005)
Equivalent
CO2
(metric tons) Building/Facility or
Location
Annual
Electricity
Usage
(kWh)(a)
Daily
Electricity
Usage
(kWh)
Annual
Electricity
Cost Scope 2
emissions
Equivalent
CO2
(%)
Energy
(MMBtu)
Office Buildings 879,342 2,409 $ 110,439 199 30.8% 3,002
Parking Structures 444,650 1,218 $ 48,089 101 15.6% 1,518
Swim Center 391,497 1,073 $ 51,035 88 13.6% 1,336
Parks & Recreation Facilities 292,157 800 $ 39,367 66 10.2% 1,007
Corporation Yard 283,202 776 $ 35,513 64 9.9% 967
Miscellaneous Buildings 213,810 586 $ 29,835 48 7.4% 740
Fire Stations 192,351 527 $ 27,881 44 6.8% 726
Cultural/Historical Facilities 158,755 435 $ 23,443 36 5.6% 542
All Municipal Facilities 2,855,764 7,824 $ 365,602 646 100.0% 9,838
Source: City of San Luis Obispo, Utilities Department; Pacific Gas & Electric
(a) Annual electricity usage data is derived from monthly electricity bills. Naturally, monthly billing cycles of utility bills do not
automatically correspond to the monthly calendar, so some overlapping results (i.e., the last week of December 2004 may be included
in the January 2005 billing cycle). In all cases, approximately 360 to 365 days are included for each facility’s annual electricity usage
totals.
TABLE 4.3: Natural Gas Usage of Buildings and Facilities and Emissions (2005)
Equivalent
CO2
(metric
tons) Building/Facility Type(a)
Annual
Natural
Gas
Usage(b)
(Therms)
Daily
Natural
Gas Usage
(Therms)
Annual
Energy Cost
Scope 1
emissions
Equivalent
CO2
(%)
Energy
(MMBtu)
Swim Center 58,391 160.0 $ 57,226 311 58.8% 5,839
Office Buildings 25,535 69.9 $ 26,572 136 25.7% 2,553
Corporation Yard 7,365 20.2 $ 7,759 39 7.4% 737
Fire Stations 4,476 12.2 $ 5,519 24 4.5% 448
Cultural/Historical Facilities 3,065 8.3 $ 4,203 16 3.0% 308
Parks Facilities 496 1.4 $ 773 3 0.6% 49
All Buildings & Facilities 99,328 272.0 $102,052 529 100.0% 9,934
Source: City of San Luis Obispo, Utilities Department; Southern California Gas Company
(a) Not all facilities in Table 4.1 are included in this list as fewer municipal buildings and facilities use natural gas.
(b) Natural gas usage data is available in monthly records. Therefore, limited data manipulation was required.
In 2007, city operations at various city buildings and facilities consumed 89.5 gallons of propane, for
a total cost of $314. In 2008, 139.1 gallons of propane was consumed. These two years are used as a
proxy year, as propane usage data was not available for 2005. See Table 4.4 below.
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TABLE 4.4: Propane Usage of Buildings and Facilities and Emissions (2007 & 2008)
2007 2008
Equivalent
CO2
(metric tons)
Equivalent
CO2
(metric tons)
Fuel Type
used in
Buildings
and
Facilities
Quantity
(gallons) Fuel Price
Scope 1
emissions
Quantity
(gallons) Fuel Price
Scope 1
emissions
Propane 89.5 $ 314 <1 139.1 $ 524 1
Source: City of San Luis Obispo, Finance Department
4.3 Vehicle Fleet
Detailed records of mileage and fuel were not available for each vehicle in the in the city’s fleet. The
calculation methodology outlined in the Protocol of emissions originating from the city’s vehicle fleet
(which requires information about each vehicle’s mileage and fuel consumption in a given calendar
year) was not feasible23. However, mileage records were available for four different vehicle groups –
passenger vehicles, off-road diesel trucks, construction vehicles and police vehicles. Table 4.5
provides a summary of the city’s vehicle fleet in 2005, without including transit vehicles. The city’s
police vehicle fleet accounted for the majority of the city’s vehicle fleet mileage, with 528,967 miles
logged in that year. The Off-Road Diesel (ORD) trucks logged nearly 75,000 vehicle miles in 2005.
TABLE 4.5: Summary of Vehicle Fleet and Mileage (2005)
Vehicle Type Number of
Vehicles Fuel Type Estimated
Vehicle Mileage
Passenger Vehicle 26 Gasoline 30,982
Trucks (Off-Road Diesel) 15 Diesel 74,653
Construction Vehicles 31 Diesel 4,393
Police Vehicles 58 Gasoline 528,967
Transit Vehicle (non-bus) 3 Gasoline 27,727
Total(a) 133 666,722
Source: City of San Luis Obispo, Public Works Department
(a) This total does not include Transit Vehicles
The city’s Finance Department maintains account payable invoices for all bulk gasoline and diesel
purchases to fuel the city’s vehicle fleet. Only invoices covering calendar year 2007 and 2008 were
collected. For the purposes of this inventory, 2007 was used as a proxy year for 2005. Based on the
total gasoline and diesel purchases in 2007, the city’s vehicle fleet (other than the city’s transit fleet)
generated an estimated 1,145 MTCO2e. See Table 4.6 below. However, since it is not clear what
types of vehicles (passenger vehicle, light truck/SUV, or heavy truck) consumed what quantity of
either fuel, it is not possible to accurately calculate vehicle emissions from the city’s vehicle fleet
based on the methodology described in the Protocol.
23 The calculation methodology is explained in more detail in the Appendix B (C.3 Mobile Combustion)
City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
TABLE 4.6: Vehicle Fleet Fuel Usage (2007 & 2008)
2007 2008
Equivalent
CO2
(metric tons)
Equivalent
CO2
(metric tons)
Fuel Type Quantity
(gallons) Fuel Price
Scope 1
emissions
Quantity
(gallons) Fuel Price
Scope 1
emissions
Gasoline 83,440 $ 238,550 768 85,957 $ 291,709 791
Diesel 35,526 $ 99,589 378 39,229 $ 139,176 417
Total 118,966 $ 338,139 1,145 125,186 $ 430,885 1,208
Source: City of San Luis Obispo, Finance Department
In 2005, the city’s transit fleet generated 753 MTCO2e. The annual mileage of city’s transit fleet was
401,416 vehicle miles, while consuming 113,516 gallons of diesel. See Table 4.7.
TABLE 4.7: Transit Vehicle Fleet Mileage and Emissions (2005)
Equivalent CO2
(metric tons) Vehicle
Number Annual Mileage Diesel
(gallons)
Fuel cost per
vehicle
(estimated) Scope 1 emissions
128 8,835 3,210 $ 7,899 17
129 15,155 4,523 $ 11,130 28
130 23,802 6,330 $ 15,576 45
131 6,252 1,772 $ 4,361 12
132 29,381 8,155 $ 20,068 55
140 21,099 8,037 $ 19,777 39
141 18,456 7,626 $ 18,766 35
142 0 0 $ - -
143 0 0 $ - -
144 38,430 11,192 $ 27,541 72
145 39,320 10,582 $ 26,039 74
146 40,303 11,565 $ 28,459 75
150 40,902 10,481 $ 25,793 77
151 40,056 10,816 $ 26,616 75
152 26,573 6,585 $ 16,204 50
153 36,679 10,458 $ 25,735 69
Trolley 101 15,995 2,184 $ 5,374 30
Trolley 102 178 0 $ - <1
Total 401,416 113,516 $ 279,338 753
Source: City of San Luis Obispo, Public Works Department (First Transit Monthly Reports, 2005)
The Public Works Department is in the process of implementing an updated fleet management
program. This new program will allow the department to track mileage and fuel usage for each
vehicle on an annual basis, which is information that is required to accurately calculate mobile
emissions from the vehicle fleet.
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4.4 Employee Commute
The City of San Luis Obispo employee commute sector generates 1,009 MTCO2e of greenhouse gas
emissions a year; representing 15.3 percent of total government-generated emissions (refer to Figure
4.1 above). Figure 4.3 provides a graphical distribution of the mode choice of city employees,
including their primary and secondary mode choices. An employee’s primary mode choice (e.g.,
“drive alone” or “bicycle”) is assumed to be used eighty percent of the time, while a secondary mode
– if used – is assumed to be chosen twenty percent of the time. Assumptions used in the employee
commute survey are explained in more detail in Appendix C (C2.3). The single-occupant vehicle is
the dominant form of transportation, as 67 percent of all respondents choose to drive alone as their
primary travel mode. About one-fifth (18 percent) of respondents carpool, 7 percent bicycle, 3
percent walk, and 2 percent use public transit, 2 percent ride a motorcycle, and the other 2 percent
use some other form of transportation.
About 70 percent of the respondents have a regular secondary mode of travel to work (approximately
20 percent of the time), which are more evenly distributed among the various modes of travel.
“Drive alone” and “carpool” are most frequently used (21 and 20 percent, respectively), while 13
percent of employees choose to bike to work some of the time, and 10 percent of employees choose
to take public transit to work some of the time. The other nine percent ride a motorcycle, walk or
use another form of transportation at least some of the time.
The City of San Luis Obispo offers employees (other than those in the public safety areas) the
opportunity of a flexible work schedule, where an employee works eighty hours in two weeks, but
receives one day off in those two weeks in return for working nine-hour days (commonly referred to
as “9/80”). About two-thirds of the respondents (64 percent) state that they do participate in this
flexible work schedule. Nineteen percent of the respondents work five days a week, and fourteen
respondents work three days a week or less. Eight respondents did not answer this question, and
were not included in the final calculations. By offering employees the opportunity to have a flexible
work schedule, the City is reducing the number of vehicle trips employees are making every year
(and hence, reducing the amount of vehicle emissions). Employees who work a “9/80” travel to work
25 fewer times in a given 50-week work-year than an employee that works a regular 5-day work
week for 50 week work-year.
City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
FIGURE 4.3: Employee Commute Mode by Primary and Secondary Mode (2007)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Drive alone Carpool Transit Motorcycle Bicycle Walk Other No response
Travel modePercent of employeesPrimary travel mode
Secondary travel mode
Source: City of San Luis Obispo, Employee Commute Survey (2007)
The average one-way distance traveled to work for respondents to the survey was 13.4 miles. Figure
4.4 shows the distribution of the respondents’ one-way distance to work. Sixty-nine percent of
survey respondents live more than five miles from work, which would indicate that they live outside
the city limits. A distance greater than five miles means that the employee will not have the option to
walk to work, will be likely less inclined to bike to work, and will likely live in an area that is not as
well-served by public transit. The other 31 percent of respondents likely live within the city limits, as
they live less than five miles from work. They therefore have broader transportation options, with
more frequent local public transit service, as well as a bikeable and possibly walkable travel distance
to work.
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FIGURE 4.4: Distribution of distance to work of city employees (2007)
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
< 2 2 - 5 5 - 10 10 - 15 15 - 20 20 - 25 25 - 30 > 30
Mileage to workPercent of respondents1-way mileage
Source: City of San Luis Obispo, Employee Commute Survey (2007)
Table 4.8 provides a summary of the employee commute profile for the City of San Luis Obispo
staff that participated in the survey. The results are displayed in terms of mileage by each mode of
transportation. For the purposes of determining greenhouse gas emissions generation from the
employee commute, only mileage from “Drive alone”, “Carpool”, and “Motorcycle” mileage was
counted24. Therefore, about 1.9 million vehicle miles – 91 percent of the total commute mileage –
was counted toward the emissions total. Vehicle miles of public transit were not counted, as the bus
operates on a scheduled route. No emissions are generated by riding a bike or walking.
24 “Drive alone” and “Carpool” mileage was entered into the software as “Passenger Vehicle”, as a more specific distribution of vehicle
types was not available. The Clean Air and Climate Protection Software Users’ Guide notes that the passenger vehicle type is a composite
vehicle category that incorporates all automobile classes (auto – small, medium, and large) as well as light trucks. The survey did not
request information about vehicle fuel type, so it was assumed that the eighty percent of employee vehicles operate on gasoline, and
twenty percent operate on diesel. “Motorcycle” mileage is entered into a separate category in the software. The software assumes that
all motorcycles operate on gasoline.
City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
TABLE 4.8: Summary of Employee Commute Mileage by Mode and Emissions
Equivalent CO2 (a) Employee Travel Mode Annual Mileage Percent of total
mileage Scope 3 emissions
Drive alone 1,546,162 76.9% 826
Carpool(b) 316,672 15.7% 169
Transit(c) 51,928 2.6% 0
Motorcycle 39,882 2.0% 14
Bicycle 36,089 1.8% 0
Walk 3,065 0.2% 0
Other 17,900 0.9% 0
Total 2,011,698 100.0% 1,009
Source: City of San Luis Obispo, Employee Commute Survey (2007)
(a) As the survey did request information about vehicle fuel type, it was assumed that 80 percent of vehicles operate on gasoline, and 20
percent operate on diesel, for the purposes of calculating emissions.
(b) Carpool miles are assumed split between two people (i.e., one half-mile is assigned to each the driver and passenger for every vehicle
mile)
(c) Public transit miles are assumed not to be counted toward total employee commute, as no new trip is generated
San Luis Obispo offers several viable transportation alternatives to the single-occupant vehicle, as its
compact size makes it a very walkable and bikeable town. The city also is able to operate an efficient
transit system to serve residents and businesses. Because of these reasons, city employees (and
residents) have several transportation options to move around within the city limits and, as shown
above, do choose to use several modes of transportation in order to get to work. It is then possible to
quantify (or estimate) the total emissions that are averted because employees do use other forms of
transportation other than the single-occupant vehicle. Table 4.9 shows how many equivalent CO2
emissions are averted because some employees are carpooling, taking public transit, biking or
walking to work.
As an example, in 2007 city employees logged a total of nearly 52,000 miles on the local and
regional public transit system; public transit trips are already scheduled to operate based on a given
transit schedule whether an employee chose to take the bus or not. If the employee had instead
chosen to drive alone in a vehicle (perhaps assuming there was no public transit system in operation),
then those 52,000 miles in a passenger vehicle would have generated 32 metric tons of additional
emissions. The calculations in Table 4.9 also assume that if all the city employees that had carpooled
had instead elected to drive alone, the nearly 194,000 vehicle miles driven by carpoolers would have
doubled to nearly 388,000 vehicle miles, which translates into 119 metric tons of additional
emissions. The total single-occupant vehicle mileage averted due to commute patterns of city
employees is 309,471 miles, while total emission averted is 180 metric tons of CO2 equivalents.
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TABLE 4.9: Employee Commute Mileage and Emissions Averted (2007)
Employee Travel
Mode
Annual
Mileage
(survey
respondents)
Mileage if
employee
were to
drive alone
Single-
occupant
vehicle
mileage
averted
Emissions
based on
survey
results
Emissions if
employee
were to
drive alone
Emissions
averted
Carpool 193,961 387,922 193,961 119 238 119
Transit 51,928 51,928 51,928 0 32 32
Motorcycle 39,882 39,882 39,882 10 15 5
Bicycle 36,089 36,089 36,089 0 22 22
Walk 3,065 3,065 3,065 0 2 2
Total (selected modes) 324,925 518,886 324,925 129 309 180
Source: City of San Luis Obispo, Employee Survey (2007)
4.5 Streetlights and Traffic Signals
In 2005, the streetlights sector generated 141 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e),
representing 2.1 percent of total government-generated emissions (See Figure 4.1). Greenhouse gas
emissions generated from this sector originate from purchased electricity used to illuminate roadway
lights, traffic control signal lights, and city park lighting.
In 2005, the City purchased 628,574 kilowatt-hours of electricity for the operation of streetlights
and traffic signals throughout the community, at a cost of $147,518. Table 4.10 shows the
distribution of electricity usage between streetlights and traffic signals.
TABLE 4.10: Streetlights & Traffic Signals Electricity Usage and Emissions (2005)
Equivalent
CO2
(metric tons) Streetlights &
Traffic Signals
Sub-
Category
Annual
Electricity
Usage
(kWh)
Daily
Electricity
Usage
(kWh)
Annual
electricity
cost
Daily
electricity
cost Scope 2
emissions
Energy
(MMBTU)1
City-owned
Streetlights Streetlights 415,536 1,138.5 $ 114,340 $ 313.26 93 1,419
PG&E-owned
Streetlights Streetlights 93 0.25 no energy cost data 0 7
Johnson Avenue
Underpass Lighting
Underpass
Lighting 1,876 5.1 $ 403 $ 1.11 < 1 6
City-wide Traffic
Signals
Traffic
Signals 211,069 578.3 $ 32,775 $ 89.79 47 721
All Streetlights &
Traffic Signals 628,574 1,722.2 $ 147,518 $ 404.16 141 2,153
Source: City of San Luis Obispo: Utilities Department; Pacific Gas & Electric
Conventional traffic lighting systems use incandescent bulbs for traffic signals, which typically
require 135 watts of power. In the 1990s, light-emitting diodes (LED) lighting technology was
developed, which use semiconductor technology to convert excess energy into light; typical power
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requirements range from 10 to 22 watts per signal color (red, amber, or green)25. An economic
feasibility study by the Traffic Engineering Division of the City of Little Rock, Arkansas, found that
LED signals consume about 90% less energy than conventional signals with incandescent bulbs26.
By 2000, the City of San Luis Obispo had installed LED lights for all red and green traffic control
signal lights at the city’s traffic signals.
4.6 Water Delivery
In 2005, the water delivery sector generated 1,043 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents
(MTCO2e); representing 15.9 percent of total government-generated emissions (see Figure 4.1).
Greenhouse gas emissions generated from this sector originate from purchased electricity used to
deliver water from the Whale Rock Reservoir in Cayucos to the city’s water treatment plant, operate
the water treatment plant, and distribute water by way of the water pumping stations throughout the
community27. Above half (52%) of the emissions generated by the water delivery sector are
attributable to the energy needed to deliver water 17.6 miles from Whale Rock Reservoir to the
water treatment plant28.
In 2005, the City purchased 4.67 million kilowatt-hours of electricity for the operation of the water
delivery system, at an estimated cost of $487,275. Table 4.11 shows the distribution of electricity
usage throughout the water delivery system.
The City of San Luis Obispo fulfills its local water demand from two sources of surface water –
Whale Rock Reservoir and Salinas Reservoir (Santa Margarita Lake) – and ground water. The
Salinas Dam was originally built in 1941 to supply water to Camp San Luis Obispo and,
secondarily, to meet the water needs of the City. In 1947, the Salinas Dam and delivery system was
transferred from the regular Army to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Since 1965, the San Luis
Obispo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District has operated this water system for
the City under a lease from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers29. Water from the reservoir is
25 Lighting Research Center, “Summary of LED and Traffic Signal Technology”.
(http://lrc.rpi.edu/programs/transportation/LED/LEDTrafficSignal.asp)
26 City of Little Rock, Department of Public Works, Traffic Engineering Divisions, “Conventional vs. LED traffic signals: operational
characteristics and economic feasibility” (2003). (http://www.cee1.org/gov/led/little_rock.pdf)
27 Not all water delivered from the Whale Rock Reservoir in Cayucos is delivered to the City of San Luis Obispo. Water from Whale
Rock Reservoir is also delivered to Cal Poly, California Men’s Colony, and Dairy Creek Golf Course. In 2005, approximately 84.6%
of the water delivered to the City of San Luis Obispo. About 14.5% of the Whale Rock Reservoir water was delivered to Cal Poly; the
balance was delivered to California Men’s Colony and Dairy Creek Golf Course (0.5% and 0.4%, respectively).
28 City of San Luis Obispo website, water supply sources: http://www.slocity.org/utilities/sources.asp.
29 Although the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers owns the Salinas Dam and its associated facilities, it has a formal agreement that
provides full operational and financial control to the County of San Luis Obispo. The County manages the facility for recreational use
and water supply. At present, the City of San Luis Obispo is the only user of the facility for drinking water. The County manages a
water pump station adjacent to northbound U.S. 101 on the north side of the Cuesta Grade. By way of the formal agreement, the
City reimburses the County for cost of the operation of the U.S. 101 pump station and other costs related to provision of drinking
water to the City. However, any improvements to the facility must be authorized and directed by the County Board of Supervisors.
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re-feet.
pumped through the Cuesta Tunnel (a one-mile long tunnel through the mountains of the Cuesta
Ridge) and then flows by gravity to the City’s Water Treatment Plant on Stenner Creek Road. The
City has water rights to store up to 45,000 ac
TABLE 4.11: Water Delivery Electricity Usage and Emissions (2005)
Equivalent
CO2
(metric
tons)
Water Delivery System
Facilities
Annual
Electricity
Usage
(kWh)
Daily
Electricity
Usage
(kWh)
Annual
electricity
cost
Daily
electricity
cost Scope 2
emissions
Energy
(MMBtu)
Whale Rock Pump Stations(a) 2,411,225 6,606.0 $ 242,881 $ 665.43 539 8,230
Water Treatment Plant 1,260,042 3,452.0 $ 127,990 $ 350.66 282 4,300
Miscellaneous 813,498 2,229.0 $ 89,179 $ 244.33 182 2,776
Water Pump Stations 178,543 489.0 $ 27,143 $ 74.36 40 609
Water Tanks 427 1.2 $ 367 $ 1.01 0.1 4
All Water Delivery Facilities 4,663,735 12,777.2 $ 487,562 $ 1,335.78 1,043 15,919
Source: City of San Luis Obispo: Utilities Department; Pacific Gas & Electric
(a) The total electricity used by Whale Rock Pump Station reflects the share of water delivered to San Luis Obispo. See footnote 28.
The City has developed a water recycling program in an effort to supplement the city’s existing and
future water supply. The city’s water reclamation facility produces tertiary recycled water suitable for
most uses other than swimming and drinking. This recycled water source may reduce the need for
the City of San Luis Obispo to identify additional water sources in the future; this would also forego
the need to develop additional water delivery systems in the future that requires a significant amount
of energy to pump water through the pipelines from distance water sources, thus reducing Scope 2
emissions from purchased electricity.
County Public Works staff indicated that any improvements or other issues at the facility are reviewed and determined through
collaboration between City and County staff and generally paid for by the City (personal communication with Mark Hutchinson,
County of San Luis Obispo Public Works Department, provided by Tammy Seale, June 18, 2009). After discussions between City
and County staff, consultant staff, and ICLEI staff, it was determined that the emissions associated with the operation of the U.S. 101
pump station shall be included in the County’s baseline emissions inventory for 2006. In 2006, electricity usage at the U.S. 101 pump
station generated 139 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (County of San Luis Obispo “Community-Wide and County
Government Operations Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory, 2006”, page 43 of detailed report for Government
Greenhouse Gas Emissions).
However, it is important to point out that the City of San Luis Obispo holds significant operational and financial control over
the quantity of electricity used at the U.S. 101 pump station. As city Utilities Department staff indicated, the City needs to evaluate
where and in what quantity to pull water from its two surface water supply sources (Salinas and Whale Rock reservoirs). As a result,
the quantity of water that is taken from Salinas Reservoir will fluctuate from year to year, and sometimes wildly. In 2005 and 2006,
for instance, significantly more water was taken from Whale Rock Reservoir than from Salinas Reservoir; far less water was taken from
Salinas Reservoir than in normal years, which translated into less electricity used at the U.S. pump station for those years (personal
communication with Gary Henderson, City of San Luis Obispo Utilities Department, June 19, 2009). Therefore, it is important to
keep in mind that although emissions associated with the U.S. 101 pump station are included in the County’s baseline emissions
inventory, in future emissions inventory analyses, the amount of emissions associated with this pump station may vary significantly
due in large part to operational decisions made by another governmental entity.
City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
4.7 Wastewater
In 2005, the wastewater sector generated 1,185 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e),
representing 18.1 percent of total government-generated emissions (See Figure 4.1). Greenhouse gas
emissions generated from this sector originate from purchased electricity used to provide power to
deliver sewage from residences and businesses through the city’s sewerage system by way of the sewer
lift stations to the water reclamation facility located along U.S. 101 between Prado Road and Los
Osos Valley Road. Nearly all (over 97 percent) of the emissions originating from the wastewater
sector were generated from the water reclamation facility. This is primarily due to the energy
intensive process of wastewater treatment. Eighty-four percent of emissions generated in the
wastewater sector originated from purchased electricity. The remaining 16 percent originated from
the combustion of natural gas used to heat digesters and other operations.
In 2005, the City purchased 4.44 million kilowatt-hours of electricity for the operation of the
wastewater system, at a cost of $490,579. Table 4.12 shows the distribution of electricity
consumption through the wastewater system. In the same year, the City utilized 34,279 therms of
natural gas at the water reclamation facility, for a total cost of $34,143. See Table 4.13.
TABLE 4.12: Wastewater Electricity Usage and Emissions (2005)
Equivalent
CO2
(metric tons) Wastewater Delivery System
Facilities
Annual
Electricity
Usage
(kWh)
Daily
Electricity
Usage
(kWh)
Annual
Electricity
Cost
Daily
Electricity
Cost Scope 2
emissions
Energy
(MMBtu)
Sewer Lift Stations 134,505 368.6 $ 18,645 $ 51.08 30 458
Water Reclamation Facility 4,302,311 11,787.2 $ 471,934 $1,292.97 962 14,697
All Wastewater Delivery Facilities 4,440,674 12,155.8 $ 490,579 $1,344.05 993 15,155
Source: City of San Luis Obispo: Utilities Department; Pacific Gas & Electric
TABLE 4.13: Wastewater Natural Gas Usage and Emissions (2005)
Equivalent
CO2
(metric
tons)
Wastewater Delivery System
Facility
Annual
Natural
Gas Usage
(therms)
Daily
Natural
Gas Usage
(therms)
Total
Natural
Gas Cost
Daily
Natural
Gas Cost Scope 1
emissions
Energy
(MMBTU)
Water Reclamation Facility 34,279 93.9 $ 34,143 $ 93.54 182 3,428
Source: City of San Luis Obispo: Utilities Department; Southern California Gas Company
4.8 Solid Waste
Municipal operations generated 276 tons of solid waste, which generated 125 metric tons of carbon
dioxide equivalency emissions. This represents 1.9 percent of the total municipal emissions. Paper
products represent about half (49%) of the total waste and generates 41 MTCO2e (33% of
municipal waste emissions). Food waste represents 44 percent of total waste and generates 80
MTCO2e (64% of municipal waste emissions). Plant debris and wood and textiles represent a small
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amount of the total waste (7% combined), and generates 4 MTCO2e (3% of municipal waste
emissions).
The Clean Air and Climate Protection software distributes the waste tonnage of “all other waste”
between “paper products” and “food waste” based on the existing distribution of waste. Therefore,
the approximately 62 tons of “all other waste” is split between “paper products” and “food waste” in
the following manner: 32.8 tons to “paper products” and 29.7 tons to “food waste”. Therefore, a
total of 135.5 tons (instead of 102.7 tons) of waste is considered paper products, and 122.7 tons
(instead of 93.0 tons) of waste is considered food waste.
TABLE 4.14: Solid Waste Tonnage and Emissions (2007)
Equivalent CO2
(metric tons) Waste Type Annual Tonnage Percent of
total waste Scope 3 emissions
Percent of total
waste emissions
Paper Products 135.5 49% 41 32.8%
Food Waste 122.7 44% 80 64.0%
Plant Debris 7.6 3% 2 1.6%
Wood/Textiles 10.3 4% 2 1.6%
Total 276.1 100% 125 100.0%
Source: City of San Luis Obispo: Utilities Department
4.9 Other - Employee Business Travel
A limited amount of greenhouse gas emissions may be attributable to employee business travel done
in personal vehicles. Of the five departments from which data was received, it was determined that
12,803 miles were driven in personal vehicles to attend various city-related business, while employee
air travel to attend various conferences totaled 18,316 miles. The vehicle mileage generated 5.76
MTCO2e, while the air mileage generated 4.9 MTCO2e. Mileage in city vehicles was already
counted as Scope 1 emissions in the Vehicle Fleet sector, and therefore was not double-counted here.
See Table 4.15.
TABLE 4.15: Employee Business Travel Mileage and Emissions (2005)
Equivalent
CO2 from
vehicle travel
(metric tons)
Equivalent CO2
from air travel
(metric tons)
(0.59 lbs CO2 per
passenger per mile)
Department
Mileage
from city
vehicles
(counted as
Scope 1
emissions)
Mileage from
personal
vehicles
(counted as
Scope 3
emissions)
Mileage from
air travel
(counted as
Scope 3
emissions) Scope 3
emissions Scope 3 emissions
Community Development 3,650 600 4,292 0.13 1.15
Fire 5,892 1,473 -- 0.68 --
Police 14,936 5,790 3,958 2.67 1.06
Public Works 6,234 1,558 10,066 0.72 2.69
Utilities (2008 data) 14,200 3,382 -- 1.56 --
Total 44,912 12,803 18,316 5.76 4.90
Source: City of San Luis Obispo departments: Community Development, Fire, Police, Public Works, and Utilities
City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
4.10 Municipal Operations Emissions by Scope
About 44 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions generated by the municipal operations of the City
of San Luis Obispo were Scope 2 emissions, which includes all purchased electricity. About 41
percent of the emissions generated by municipal operations were Scope 1 emissions, which includes
natural gas usage, and the consumption of gasoline and diesel. The other 10 percent were Scope 3
emissions, which include employee commute and employee business travel in private vehicles. See
Table 4.16 below.
TABLE 4.16: Total Municipal Operations Emissions by Scope (2005)
Sector Scope 1 Scope 2 Scope 3 Total(a)
Buildings 528 650 -- 1,178
Vehicle Fleet 1,898 -- -- 1,898
Employee Commute -- -- 1,009 1,009
Streetlights -- 141 -- 141
Water Delivery -- 1,043 -- 1,043
Wastewater 192 993 -- 1,175
Solid Waste -- -- 125 125
Employee Business Travel -- -- 11 11
Total by Emission Scope 2,608 2,827 1,145 6,580
Percentage of Total CO2e 39.6% 43.0% 17.4% 100.0%
Source: City of San Luis Obispo: Utilities Department and Public Works Department, 2007 Employee Commute Survey; Clean Air
and Climate Protection Software, and Local Government Operations Protocol.
(a) Due to rounding in the software, this column may not add up.
4.11 Source of Municipal Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Greenhouse gas emissions generated by the City of San Luis Obispo municipal operations originate
from five primary sources. Figure 4.5 shows about half of greenhouse gas emissions were generated
from purchased electricity (43.8%), followed by gasoline (24.2%), diesel (21.0%), and natural gas
(9.0%). Paper products accounted for 1.2% of municipal operations emissions, while food waste,
plant debris, and wood/textiles each accounted for less than 1 percent of municipal operations
emissions.
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FIGURE 4.5: Municipal Operations Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Source (2005)
Paper Products
1.2%
Food Waste, Plant
Debris, Wood/Textiles
< 1%
Natural Gas
9.0%
Gasoline
24.2%
Electricity
43.8%
Diesel
21.0%
Source: City of San Luis Obispo: Utilities Department and Public Works Department, 2007 Employee Commute Survey; Clean Air
and Climate Protection Software, and Local Government Operations Protocol.
City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
5. Forecast
The emissions forecast for the City of San Luis Obispo represents a business-as-usual prediction of
how community greenhouse gas levels will change over time if consumption trends and behavior
continue as they did in 2005. These projections are based on projected growth in population,
housing, and employment; projected figures are then derived for gasoline and diesel consumption,
electricity and natural gas consumption, and waste tonnage. In 2005, the community produced
264,237 MTCO2e. In a business-as-usual scenario, greenhouse gas emissions are projected to reach
314,832 MTCO2e by 2020, or a 19.1% increase over baseline levels. See Figure 5.1.
FIGURE 5.1: Business-As-Usual Projected GHG Emissions, San Luis Obispo (2005-2020)
2005 20200
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
Metric Tons CO2eResidential
Commercial/ Industrial
Transportation
Waste
Emissions generated by the transportation sector is expected to rise to 165,416 metric tons of CO2e
(a 25.2 percent increase); emissions from the residential sector are expected to increase to 61,579
metric tons of CO2e through 2020 (an 11.2 percent increase); emissions from the
commercial/industrial sector are expected to increase to 67,551 metric tons of CO2e through 2020 (a
16.6 percent increase); while emissions from the waste sector are expected to increase to 20,286
metric tons of CO2e through 2020 (an 8.1 percent increase).
The forecast does not quantify emissions reductions from State or federal activities including AB 32,
the renewable portfolio standard, emission reductions achieved from passenger vehicles, light-duty
trucks, and non-commercial vehicles under the Pavley bill, and SB 375. Additionally, it does not
take into account reduction activities already underway or completed since 2005, the results of
which would likely allow the community to have an emission level on a track well below the
business-as-usual linear projection.
Forecasts were performed by applying household, population, and job growth rates to 2005
community-wide greenhouse gas emissions levels. Estimates for population growth were obtained
from a long-range socio-economic projections report developed by the San Luis Obispo Council of
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Governments in 2006. Estimates for employment growth were obtained from a 2009 revision to the
2006 projections report. The “medium growth” scenario for population and employment growth
were used in this forecast estimation30. Estimates for household growth were obtained and derived
from historic housing occupancy figures provided by Community Development staff31.
City government operations emissions are not separately analyzed as part of this forecast due to a
lack of reasonable growth indicators for the city government sector. However, an increase in
emissions in not expected for existing facilities and operations in the city government operations
sector. The City expects that emissions accounted within the scope of the 2005 City government
operations inventory may decrease due to improved energy efficiency, co-generation at the water
reclamation facility, and adding several fuel-efficient vehicles to the City’s fleet. At the same time, it
is likely that the City will have to expand services and infrastructure to accommodate the expected
growth in the community, which could add new sources of emissions to the City government
operations inventory that did not exist in 2005.
As the City develops its Climate Action Plan, it will use information in this report to assess which
efforts might have the greatest impact in helping the City meet greenhouse gas reduction targets.
For example, 50 percent of community emissions are attributed to the transportation sector, based
on the amount of vehicle miles traveled through the City of San Luis Obispo. This includes trips
made on local streets as well as trips on Highway 101 as it passes through the City. Some trips may
be related to tourism and pass-through traffic and some is likely related to commuter traffic
originating in neighboring communities with a work or shopping destination in the City.
Some of the ways other communities are addressing transportation emissions include improvements
to public transit systems to make using public transportation more attractive to commuters. This
can include providing shorter headways between buses, increasing the number of routes to serve
previously under-served areas, marketing trolley and bus service so that commuters are more familiar
with their options, and encouraging employers to provide incentives for employees who use
alternative transit to make the work commute.
30 Projections for population and employment growth for the City of San Luis Obispo were obtained from two San Luis Obispo
Council of Governments reports, “Long Range Socio-Economic Projections for San Luis Obispo County (Year 2030)” (Prepared by
Economic Research Associates for San Luis Obispo Council of Governments, May 2006), and “Update to Long Range Socio-
Economic Projections for San Luis Obispo County (Year 2035)” (Prepared by Economic Research Associates for San Luis Obispo
Council of Governments, June 2009).
31 Projections for household growth for the City of San Luis Obispo were generated by assuming a reduction of people per household
at the rate of 0.01 people per household per year through 2020, then dividing the projected population by forecasted people per
household figure to determine the projected number of households in 2020. For example, in 2020, the projected citywide population
of 46,110 would require 22,211 households, assuming 2.076 people per household (46,110 [population] divided by 2.076 [people per
households] equals 22,211 [households]). Community Development staff provided guidance in forecasting a figure for people per
household for 2020.
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City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
For City government operations, the bulk of emissions are related to energy used by municipal
buildings and energy associated with the City’s vehicle fleet. This information may point to the
need to look at ways to make the City’s buildings more energy efficient and also investigating
options for the City’s vehicle fleet through use of alternative fuel vehicles for City operations and for
the transit service operated by the City.
The City has identified the development of a Climate Action Plan a City goal for fiscal year 2009-
10. In addition to pointing out areas where efforts will have the most impact, this greenhouse gas
emissions inventory will provide the base information from which to measure progress.
In its recently approved AB 32 Scoping Plan, ARB encourages local governments to adopt a
reduction goal for municipal operations emissions and to establish similar goals for community
emissions that parallel the State commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately
15 percent from current levels by 202032. If the City were to conform to this recommended
reduction of 15 percent below current levels (to an estimated 224,601 metric tons of carbon dioxide
equivalent), it would require a reduction of 90,231 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent below
the city’s 2020 business-as-usual emissions (Figure 4), which is equivalent to a 40.2 percent
reduction.
32 AB 32 Scoping Plan, page 27 (2008). In recognition of the importance of local governments in the successful implementation of AB
32, ARB added a section in the Scoping Plan identifying a Local Government Target -- a greenhouse gas emissions reduction target for
local government municipal and community-wide emissions of a 15 percent reduction from current levels by 2020 to parallel the
State’s target. This was noted as a key change from the Draft Scoping Plan and the approved Scoping Plan.
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City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
6. Next Steps and Existing Local Actions
6.1 Milestone 2: Adopt an Emissions Reduction Target
The establishment of a community emissions baseline and projection prepares the City to complete
the next step in the ICLEI process by setting an emissions reduction target. An emissions reduction
target will allow the City to develop a reasonable policy and programmatic response to reduce its
contribution to global climate change.
When choosing a reduction target, it is important to keep in mind the following:
1. The State of California has accepted the following reduction targets:
- Reduce statewide emissions to 1990 levels by 2020
- Reduce statewide emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050
2. Avoid setting a goal that is too distant as it may cause implementation to be delayed.
3. Cities may achieve first-year reductions of emissions as high as 5 percent by pursuing the
“low-hanging fruit”, while the next 5 percent may take years to achieve.
4. Setting intermittent goals is a good way to monitor progress and stay on track.
Based on the forecast emissions level in 2020, it is possible to estimate the total metric tons of carbon
dioxide that needs to be reduced to achieve a 15 percent reduction from the baseline inventory year
of 2005. Given that the baseline inventory is 264,237 MTCO2e, the City would have to have an
emissions level of 224,601 MTCO2e. The estimated actual emissions reduction to achieve a possible
15 percent reduction target would be 90,231 MTCO2e in 2020 (Again, the estimated “business-as-
usual” emission forecast is 314,832 MTCO2e in 2020). This translates into a 40.2 percent reduction
in emissions in 2020 assuming no other emission reduction measures are introduced and
implemented. Figure 6.1 illustrates this possible reduction scenario.
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City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
FIGURE 6.1: Greenhouse Gas Forecast in relation to 15% Reduction Target (2005-2020)
Source: Pacific Gas & Electric; Southern California Gas Company; San Luis Garbage; City of San Luis Obispo: Public Works and
Utilities departments; Clean Air and Climate Protection software; and Local Government Operations Protocol.
6.2 Milestone 3: Develop a Local Climate Action Plan
After determining an agree-upon reduction target, the City of San Luis Obispo will develop a
cohesive action plan based on the information revealed in this study. Developing an action plan will
likely involve multiple steps, such as:
1. Compile a list of existing emission reduction measures already implemented in the community,
2. Quantify emissions reductions of existing measures,
3. Evaluate progress relative to the target,
4. Select new emission-reduction measures,
5. Quantify emission reductions of new measures, and
6. Develop a comprehensive emission reduction strategy.
The City should consider the formation of a community task force composed of decision-makers,
key city staff, technical experts, and interested members of the public. The task force should consider
splitting up tasks in a steering sub-committee and a technical advisory sub-committee. Overall, it is
important to encourage strong public involvement and facilitate community buy-in throughout the
process of developing the Climate Action Plan.
6.3 Milestone 4: Implementation Policies and Measures
The implementation of the policies and measures will not be able to happen all at one time, as is the
case with the implementation of many programs. It may be necessary to categorize implementation
measures in the following way:
200,000
220,000
240,000
260,000
280,000
300,000
320,000
340,000
2005 2010 2015 2020MTCO2e19.1%
15.0%
Business-as-
usual forecast
314,832 MTCO2
2005 emissions
level
264,237 MTCO2
15% below
2005 emissions level
224,601 MTCO2
Actual
Reduction
=
90,231
MTCO2
(40.2%)
below
business-
as-usual
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City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
1. “Ready-to-go” actions that can be made to existing projects without requiring additional funding
2. “Ready-to-go” actions that will require new expenditures
3. Long-term programs and measures that may require phasing in or identifying new expenditures.
To the last point in particular, it is important to develop a timeline for implementation of the
programs and measures of the Climate Action Plan, while keeping in mind the reduction goal and
the target year(s).
The City should strive to maintain strong public involvement, including attracting volunteers and
interns, to assist in the implementation of the measures and programs of the action plan.
6.4 Milestone 5: Monitor and Verify Results
It is important to continue to quantify emissions periodically in order to make sure that
implementation measures and programs are achieving the desired results. For example, as existing
and proposed measures are implemented, appropriate data can be collected and entered into the
Clean Air Climate Protection software to verify that emissions are being reduced. City staff will be
able to perform this work using the software to obtain timely results. A full emissions inventory at
the community-wide and municipal operations scale should be completed in five-year increments.
6.5 Existing City Actions to Address Climate Change
The following is a list of projects, programs, actions and policies that the City of San Luis Obispo
has implemented in an effort to improve energy efficiency in city services and processes, to promote
sustainable land use and transportation policies, to develop sustainable business practices, and make
energy conservation a regular part of everyday municipal operations.
Conservation and Open Space Element of the General Plan contains policies that support
energy efficiency
Energy audits have been conducted for several city facilities to identify areas where
improvements may be made to achieve greater energy efficiency.
Recycled water has been developed to meet community needs for landscape irrigation for
public parks and city facilities.
Greenbelt program to acquire open space
“Pay as you throw” rate system for solid waste encourages recycling
High efficiency boilers are used at City Hall and the Police Station, resulting in lower
heating costs.
Installation of one 60 kW micro-turbine at the SLO Swim Center generates almost enough
electricity to power the complex while adding 500,000 Btus of heat to the pool.
City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
Electronic ballasts are used in all fluorescent lighting (low energy and no PCBs). No
incandescent lamps are used because they waste energy and burn out more often.
Motion-detection lighting controls are installed in common areas.
Only fluorescent lamps (T8 and biax) or High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps (such as
high pressure sodium and metal halide) are used. They use much less power, have no PCBs
and contain little, if any, mercury.
Solar panels are located on the Utilities Administration Building and the Ludwick
Community Center that each generates about 8 kW
High-technology energy management systems are installed at seven major City office
buildings (City Hall, Palm Street Parking Garage/City Offices, Police Department, Parks
and Recreation, the Swim Center, Fire Station One headquarters, and the Corporation
Yard).
Energy efficient pumps and motors have been installed on City water pumping facilities.
Installation of eight 30 kW micro-turbines and other energy saving measures at the Water
Reclamation Facility that will save about 50,000 kWh of electricity and about $200,000 per
year.
Four hybrid vehicles were recently added to the City’s vehicle fleet.
City program provides cash or vacation day incentives to employees for automobile trip
reduction efforts.
Extensive bike trail system to encourage use of bicycle commuting
Recycled oil used in city fleet vehicles.
Purchasing policies support use of recycled materials and City recycles paper and other
supplies. In addition, the City’s policy requires double-sided printing if hard copy or
electronic distribution of public materials.
6.6 Evolving Federal Climate Action Policy
Until recently, limited decisive action has been taken at the federal level to address climate change
and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. In the last two years, several pieces of legislation have
been proposed to establish targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Proposed legislation
includes incremental reductions of greenhouse gas emissions over a long time-horizon by instituting
a “cap-and-trade” system for greenhouse gas emissions. Although each piece of legislation varies,
proposed emission reductions range from at or below 2005 levels by 2012, up to 20 percent below
2005 levels by 2020, and up to 80 percent below 2005 levels by 2050. Under a federal cap-and-trade
system, the federal government would auction off emissions allowances to emitters, as well as
distributing emissions allowances to specified recipients, such as public transit agencies, which could
then be sold. The total amount of emissions allowances available to emitters would decline each year
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in order to reach the target reductions set forth in the legislation (Pew Center for Global Climate
Change).
In May 2009, a national fuel efficiency standard was established for all new passenger vehicles and
non-commercial trucks sold in the United States. The new standards cover model years 2012
through 2016 and ultimately require an average fuel economy standard of 35.5 mpg in 2016. This
action surpasses the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards passed in 2007, which required an
average fuel economy of 35 mpg in 2020. The new fuel economy standard is projected to save 1.8
billion barrels of oil over the life of the program, and would lead to a reduction of approximately
900 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions33.
33 White House Press Release, “President Obama Announces National Fuel Efficiency Policy”, May 19, 2009.
City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Appendix A – Detailed Community Emission Inventory Notes Table A.1: Buildings & Facilities Electricity Usage and Emissions (2005) Building/Facility Category Address/Location Annual Electricity Usage (kWh)* Daily Electricity Usage (kWh) Annual electricity cost* Daily electricity cost Equivalent CO2 (metric tons) Energy (MMBTU) Corporation Yard Corp Yard 25 Prado Rd 281,289 770.7 $ 35,122 $ 96.22 64.0 960 Corporation Yard Well Corp Yard 25 Prado Rd 1,913 5.2 $ 391 $ 1.07 0.4 7 Canet Adobe Cultural 466 Dana St - Unit Res 514 1.4 $ 86 $ 0.24 0.1 2 City/County Library Cultural 995 Palm St 33,897 92.9 $ 4,908 $ 13.45 7.7 116 Jack House Cultural 536 Marsh St 6,322 17.3 $ 1,029 $ 2.82 1.4 22 Ludwick Community Center Cultural 864 Santa Rosa St 46,097 126.3 $ 7,141 $ 19.57 10.5 157 Rodriguez Adobe Cultural 1341 Purple Sage Ln 711 1.9 $ 185 $ 0.51 0.2 2 Senior Citizen Center Cultural 1445 Santa Rosa St 18,326 50.2 $ 3,419 $ 9.37 4.2 63 SLO County Historical Museum Cultural 690 Monterey St 11,505 31.5 $ 2,060 $ 5.64 2.6 39 Little Theatre/Old City Library Cultural 888 Morro St 41,383 113.4 $ 4,615 $ 12.64 9.4 141 Fire Station #1 Fire Station 2160 Santa Barbara St 122,282 335.0 $ 17,504 $ 47.96 27.8 417 Fire Station #2 Fire Station 136 N Chorro St 19,807 54.3 $ 2,776 $ 7.60 4.5 175 Fire Station #3 Fire Station 1284 Laurel Lane 19,300 52.9 $ 2,959 $ 8.11 4.4 68 Fire Station #4 Fire Station 1395 Madonna Rd 30,962 84.8 $ 4,642 $ 12.72 7.0 66 1940 Santa Barbara St. Misc. 1940 Santa Barbara St. 29,430 80.6 $ 4,373 $ 11.98 6.6 100 Amtrak Station Misc. Amtrak Station 1,054 2.9 $ 244 $ 0.67 0.2 4 Fishing Facility Building Misc. Cypress Mountain Dr 0 0.0 $ 95 $ 0.26 0 10 Fountain (Osos & Railroad) Misc. Osos & Railroad 4,069 11.1 $ 625 $ 1.71 0.9 14 Hydro Building Misc. at bottom of dam 0 0.0 $ 0 $ 0.00 0 0 Lot 2 Restrooms Misc. 736 Marsh St 2,762 7.6 $ 498 $ 1.36 0.6 9 Office & shop buildings Misc. Old Creek Rd 7,843 21.5 $ 1,357 $ 3.72 1.8 27 Portola Fountain Misc. Archer & Marsh 7,911 21.7 $ 1,266 $ 3.47 1.8 27 Pump house adjacent to Pacific HS Misc. 11950 LOVR (near Pacific HS) 100,534 275.4 $ 12,082 $ 33.10 22.9 343 Range Misc. at Reservoir Cyn & Fox Hollow 4,517 12.4 $ 748 $ 2.05 1.0 15 Rented office Misc. 1260 Chorro St #A 50,293 137.8 $ 7,583 $ 20.77 11.4 172 Spanish Oaks & Sweet Bay Misc. Spanish Oaks & Sweet Bay 4,343 11.9 $ 719 $ 1.97 1.0 15 Tank Farm & Wavertree Misc. 4542 Wavertree St 1,054 2.9 $ 245 $ 0.67 0.2 4 City Hall Office 990 Palm St 313,026 857.6 $ 42,800 $ 117.26 70.0 1,068 Parks & Rec Office Office 1341 Nipomo St 48,522 132.9 $ 6,909 $ 18.93 11.0 166 Police Dept. auxiliary building Office 1016 Walnut St 11,396 31.2 $ 1,656 $ 4.54 2.6 39 Police Dept. Building Office 1042 Walnut St 426,572 1,168.7 $ 56,209 $ 154.00 97.0 1,456 Public Hearing Draft September 2009 55
Public Hearing Draft September 2009 56City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Table A.1: Buildings & Facilities Electricity Usage and Emissions (2005) (cont’d.) Building/Facility Category Address/Location Annual Electricity Usage (kWh)* Daily Electricity Usage (kWh) Annual electricity cost* Daily electricity cost Equivalent CO2 (metric tons) Public Works Admin Office 955 Morro St 66,442 182.0 no energy cost data 15.1 227 Utilities Admin Office 879 Morro St 13,384 36.7 $ 2,865 $ 7.85 3.0 46 Damon-Garcia Sports Field Parks/Rec 680 Industrial 51,140 140.1 $ 6,506 $ 17.82 11.6 175 French Park Parks/Rec Fuller St/French Park/Irr. P 11,847 32.5 $ 1,791 $ 4.91 2.7 40 Golf Maintenance Shop Parks/Rec 11175 Los Osos Valley Rd 1,310 3.6 $ 2,390 $ 6.55 0.3 4 Golf Pro Shop Parks/Rec 11175 Los Osos Valley Rd 21,030 57.6 $ 4,169 $ 11.42 4.8 72 Islay Hill Park Parks/Rec 1511 Tank Farm Rd 9,377 25.7 $ 1,499 $ 4.11 2.1 32 Johnson Park Parks/Rec 2875 Augusta St 946 2.6 $ 207 $ 0.57 0.2 3 Johnson Ranch Parks/Rec 5182 Ontario Rd 5,150 14.1 $ 659 $ 1.81 1.2 18 Laguna Lake Parks/Rec Madonna Rd at Laguna Lake 2,662 7.3 $ 477 $ 1.31 0.6 19 Meadow Park Parks/Rec 2333 Meadow St 18,817 51.6 $ 1,953 $ 5.35 4.3 64 Meadow Park (end of King St.) Parks/Rec south end of King St 2,791 7.6 $ 367 $ 1.01 0.6 10 Mirada Court Park Parks/Rec Mirada Court Park 1,041 2.9 $ 243 $ 0.67 0.2 4 Mission Plaza (1) Parks/Rec Monterey & Chorro 3,333 9.1 $ 580 $ 1.59 0.8 11 Mission Plaza (2) Parks/Rec Monterey & Broad 21,617 59.2 $ 2,469 $ 6.76 4.9 74 RST (end of Del Campo Rd) Parks/Rec end of Del Campo Rd 4,347 11.9 $ 725 $ 1.99 1.0 15 Santa Rosa Park (1) Parks/Rec Santa Rosa St (Murray St) 25,602 70.1 $ 2,845 $ 7.79 5.8 87 Santa Rosa Park (2) Parks/Rec Santa Rosa St 11,958 32.8 $ 1,442 $ 3.95 2.7 41 Santa Rosa Park (3) Parks/Rec 190 Santa Rosa St #C 7,056 19.3 $ 1,225 $ 3.35 1.6 24 Sinsheimer Park (1) Parks/Rec Sinsheimer Park (Laurel Ln) 34,863 95.5 $ 4,256 $ 5.64 7.9 119 Sinsheimer Park (2) Parks/Rec Southwood Dr (Sinsheimer) 57,270 156.9 $ 5,564 $ 12.64 13.0 195 SLO Swim Center Parks/Rec 902 Southwood Dr 391,497 1,072.6 $ 51,035 $ 139.82 89.1 1,336 Marsh St Pkg Structure Pkg Structure 871 Marsh/1260 Chorro Ste B 134,646 368.9 $ 14,923 $ 40.88 30.6 460 Marsh St Pkg Structure Expansion Pkg Structure 860 Pacific St 177,289 485.7 $ 17,577 $ 48.16 40.3 605 Palm St Parking Structure Pkg Structure 842 Palm St 132,715 363.6 $ 15,589 $ 42.71 30.2 453 All Buildings & Facilities 2,855,764 7,823.9 $ 365,602 $ 993.04 647.8 9,838 Source: City of San Luis Obispo, Utilities Department * Extrapolated over 365 days when annual energy bill data is incomplete
City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Table A.2: Buildings & Facilities Natural Gas Usage and Emissions (2005) Building/Facility Category Address/Location Annual Natural Gas Usage (therms) Daily Natural Gas Usage (therms) Total Natural Gas Cost Daily Natural Gas Cost Equivalent CO2 (metric tons) Energy (MMBTU) Corporation Yard Corp Yard 25 Prado Rd 7,365 20.2 $ 7,759 $ 21.26 39.2 737 Jack House Cultural 535 Marsh Street 156 0.4 $ 287 $ 0.79 0.8 16 Ludwick Community Center Cultural 864 Santa Rosa St 1,126 3.1 $ 1,437 $ 3.94 6.0 113 Senior Citizen Center Cultural 1445 Santa Rosa St 1,291 3.5 $ 1,668 $ 4.57 6.9 129 SLO County Historical Museum Cultural 696 Monterey St 256 0.7 $ 424 $ 1.16 1.4 26 SLO Little Theatre/Old City Library Cultural 888 Morro St 236 0.6 $ 387 $ 1.06 1.3 24 Fire Station #1 Fire Station 2160 Santa Barbara 2,407 6.6 $ 2,802 $ 7.68 12.8 241 Fire Station #3 Fire Station 1284 Laurel Ln 1,110 3.0 $ 1,458 $ 3.99 5.9 111 Fire Station #4 Fire Station 1395 Madonna 959 2.6 $ 1,259 $ 3.45 5.1 96 City Hall Office 990 Palm St 9,933 27.2 $ 10,402 $ 28.50 52.8 993 Parks & Recreation offices Office 1341 Nipomo St 693 1.9 $ 923 $ 2.53 3.7 69 Police Department Office 1042 Walnut St 14,344 39.3 $ 14,484 $ 39.68 76.3 1,434 PW/CDD offices Office 919 Palm St off-line off-line -- -- -- -- Utilities Administration Office 879 Morro St 565 1.5 $ 763 $ 2.09 3.0 57 Laguna Lake Golf Course Parks/Rec 11175 LOVR 352 1.0 $ 512 $ 1.40 1.9 35 Meadow Park Parks/Rec 2333 Meadow 144 0.4 $ 261 $ 0.71 0.8 14 Southwood Pool Swim Center 900 Southwood 58,391 160.0 $ 57,226 $ 156.78 310.6 5,839 All Buildings & Facilities 99,328 272.0 $102,052 $ 279.59 528.5 9,934 Source: City of San Luis Obispo, Utilities Department Public Hearing Draft September 2009 57
Public Hearing Draft September 2009 58City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Table A.3: Streetlights Electricity Usage and Emissions (2005) Streetlight Category Annual Electricity Usage (kWh)* Daily Electricity Usage (kWh) Annual electricity cost* Daily electricity cost Equivalent CO2 (metric tons) Energy (MMBTU) City-owned street lighting Streetlights 415,536 1,138.5 $114,340 $ 313.26 93.0 1,419 PG&E-owned street lighting Streetlights 1,921 5.3 no energy cost data 0.0 7 Johnson Ave underpass Underpass lighting 1,876 5.1 $ 403 $ 1.11 0.4 6 Broad & Buchon Traffic Signal 1,828 5.0 $ 363 $ 1.00 0.4 6 Broad & Pismo Traffic Signal 1,991 5.5 $ 354 $ 0.97 0.4 7 California & Mill Traffic Signal 2,884 7.9 $ 470 $ 1.29 0.6 10 California & Monterey Traffic Signal 3,452 9.5 $ 544 $ 1.49 0.8 12 Chorro & Palm Traffic Signal 1,092 3.0 $ 236 $ 0.65 0.2 4 Foothill & California Traffic Signal 4,237 11.6 $ 645 $ 1.77 0.9 14 Foothill & Chorro Traffic Signal 6,815 18.7 $ 976 $ 2.67 1.5 23 Foothill & Patricia Traffic Signal 2,620 7.2 $ 438 $ 1.20 0.6 9 Foothill & Tassajara Traffic Signal 2,944 8.1 $ 482 $ 1.32 0.7 10 Grand & Palm Traffic Signal 3,596 9.9 $ 563 $ 1.54 0.8 12 Higuera & Broad Traffic Signal 5,867 16.1 $ 848 $ 2.32 1.3 20 Higuera & Chorro Traffic Signal 6,017 16.5 $ 866 $ 2.37 1.3 21 Higuera & High Traffic Signal 8,307 22.8 $ 1,173 $ 3.21 1.9 28 Higuera & Marsh Traffic Signal 2,979 8.2 $ 484 $ 1.33 0.7 10 Higuera & Morro Traffic Signal 6,038 16.5 $ 870 $ 2.38 1.4 21 Higuera & Nipomo Traffic Signal 5,675 15.5 $ 922 $ 2.53 1.3 19 Higuera & Osos Traffic Signal 5,865 16.1 $ 850 $ 2.33 1.3 20 Johnson & Bishop Traffic Signal 3,317 9.1 $ 527 $ 1.44 0.7 11 Johnson & Laurel Traffic Signal 5,797 15.9 $ 887 $ 2.43 1.3 20 Johnson & Lizzie Traffic Signal 4,666 12.8 $ 699 $ 1.92 1.0 16 Johnson & San Luis Traffic Signal 4,778 13.1 $ 713 $ 1.95 1.1 16 LOVR & Calle Joaquin Traffic Signal off-line off-line -- -- -- -- LOVR & Descanso Traffic Signal 3,334 9.1 $ 530 $ 1.45 0.7 11 LOVR & Froom Ranch Traffic Signal 3,593 9.8 $ 563 $ 1.54 0.8 12 LOVR & Laguna Traffic Signal 3,328 9.1 $ 529 $ 1.45 0.7 11 LOVR & Madonna Traffic Signal 8,651 23.7 $ 1,220 $ 3.34 1.9 30 LOVR & Royal Traffic Signal 4,281 11.7 $ 652 $ 1.79 1.0 15
City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Table A.3: Streetlights Electricity Usage and Emissions (2005) (cont’d) Streetlight Category Annual Electricity Usage (kWh)* Daily Electricity Usage (kWh) Annual electricity cost* Daily electricity cost Equivalent CO2 (metric tons) Energy (MMBTU) Madonna & Dalidio Traffic Signal 3,270 9.0 $ 519 $ 1.42 0.7 11 Madonna & El Mercado Traffic Signal 3,727 10.2 $ 578 $ 1.58 0.8 13 Madonna & Oceanaire Traffic Signal 4,603 12.6 $ 696 $ 1.91 1.0 16 Marsh & Broad Traffic Signal 4,257 11.7 $ 649 $ 1.78 1.0 15 Marsh & Chorro Traffic Signal 3,962 10.9 $ 613 $ 1.68 0.9 14 Marsh & Johnson Traffic Signal 2,971 8.1 $ 495 $ 1.36 0.7 10 Marsh & Morro Traffic Signal 6,354 17.4 $ 910 $ 2.49 1.4 22 Marsh & Nipomo Traffic Signal 3,707 10.2 $ 578 $ 1.58 0.8 13 Marsh & Osos Traffic Signal 4,112 11.3 $ 623 $ 1.71 0.9 14 Monterey & Chorro Traffic Signal 1,198 3.3 $ 253 $ 0.69 0.3 4 Monterey & Johnson Traffic Signal 5,750 15.8 $ 843 $ 2.31 1.3 20 Monterey & Morro Traffic Signal 1,302 3.6 $ 284 $ 0.78 0.3 4 Monterey & Osos Traffic Signal 1,567 4.3 $ 301 $ 0.82 0.4 5 Osos & Buchon Traffic Signal 3,145 8.6 $ 504 $ 1.38 0.7 11 Osos & Pismo Traffic Signal 4,943 13.5 $ 737 $ 2.02 1.1 17 South Higuera & LOVR Traffic Signal 3,458 9.5 $ 545 $ 1.49 0.8 12 South Higuera & Margarita Traffic Signal 2,735 7.5 $ 452 $ 1.24 0.6 9 South Higuera & Prado Traffic Signal 5,696 15.6 $ 899 $ 2.46 1.3 19 South Higuera & Suburban Traffic Signal 3,116 8.5 $ 545 $ 1.49 0.7 11 South Higuera & Tank Farm Traffic Signal 5,909 16.2 $ 864 $ 2.37 1.3 20 Santa Barbara & Upham Traffic Signal 2,282 6.3 $ 534 $ 1.46 0.5 8 Santa Rosa & Higuera Traffic Signal 5,295 14.5 $ 785 $ 2.15 1.2 18 Santa Rosa & Marsh Traffic Signal 1,540 4.2 $ 297 $ 0.81 0.3 5 Santa Rosa & Mill Traffic Signal 4,343 11.9 $ 653 $ 1.79 1.0 15 Santa Rosa & Monterey Traffic Signal 4,282 11.7 $ 653 $ 1.79 1.0 15 Santa Rosa & Palm Traffic Signal 3,592 9.8 $ 562 $ 1.54 0.8 12 All Streetlights & Traffic Signals 630,401 1,727.5 $147,519 $ 404.15 140.5 2,153 Source: City of San Luis Obispo, Utilities Department * Extrapolated over 365 days when annual energy bill data is incomplete Public Hearing Draft September 2009 59
Public Hearing Draft September 2009 60City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Table A.4: Water Delivery Electricity Usage and Emissions (2005) Water Delivery Facility Category Location/Address Annual Electricity Usage (kWh)* Daily Electricity Usage (kWh) Annual electricity cost* Daily electricity cost Equivalent CO2 (metric tons) Energy (MMTBU) 108 E. 13th St Misc. Old Creek Rd (Cayucos) 2,268 6.2 $ 285 $ 0.78 0.5 8 Bishop Tank Cathodic Prot Misc. Flora St @ Viewmont 110 0.3 $ 96 $ 0.26 0.0 0 CL2 Bldg #2 Reservoir Misc. Upper Stenner Creek Wtr Plant 17,113 46.9 $ 2,185 $ 5.99 3.8 58 Fire St #4 Well Misc Los Osos Valley Rd & Madonna 128 0.4 $ 203 $ 0.56 0.0 0 Hydro Bldg #2 Reservoir Misc. Stenner Creek Rd 0 0.0 $ 87 $ 0.24 0.0 0 Radio repeater site Misc. Old Creek Rd 1,809 5.0 $ 96 $ 0.26 0.4 6 Reservoir #1 Misc. Hwy 101 Reservoir 2 pump 6,670 18.3 $ 1,028 $ 2.82 1.5 23 South St. Hill repeater site Misc. 0 Higuera St 11,022 30.2 $ 1,721 $ 4.72 2.5 38 Transfer Pump House Misc. Stenner Creek Rd .75mile 759,112 2,079.8 $ 82,783 $ 226.80 169.8 2,591 Valve Vault Misc. Old Creek Rd 59 0.2 $ 402 $ 1.10 0.0 0 Water Wells Misc. 11175 Los Osos Valley Rd 15,207 41.7 $ 293 $ 0.80 3.4 52 Water Pump Stn (Alrita) Pump Stn Laurel Ln & Flora St 2,081 5.7 $ 449 $ 1.23 0.5 7 Water Pump Stn (Bishop) Pump Stn Bishop St & Flora St 47,121 129.1 $ 5,567 $ 15.25 10.5 161 Water Pump Stn (Bressi) Pump Stn Bressi Pl 400 S/Serrano 69,351 190.0 $ 11,107 $ 30.43 15.5 237 Water Pump Stn (Felmar) Pump Stn Between 171 & 183 Fel Mar 22,121 60.6 $ 3,632 $ 9.95 4.9 75 Water Pump Stn (Ferrini) Pump Stn Hwy 1 (¼ mil n/o Westmont) 15,203 41.7 $ 2,480 $ 6.79 3.4 52 Water Pump Stn (McCollom) Pump Stn Bond St Station McCollom 20,422 56.0 $ 3,270 $ 8.96 4.6 70 Water Pump Stn (Old Creek) Pump Stn 108 Old Creek Rd 694 1.9 $ 224 $ 0.61 0.2 2 Water Pump Stn (Poly Vault) Pump Stn Mustang Dr 268 0.7 $ 127 $ 0.35 0.1 1 Water Pump Stn (Rosemont) Pump Stn 2 Highland Dr 1,282 3.5 $ 287 $ 0.79 0.3 4 Highland Tank Water Tank W Highland Dr 167 0.5 $ 111 $ 0.30 0.0 1 Main Power Edna Tank Water Tank Broad St Edna Saddle 3 0.0 $ 131 $ 0.36 0.0 0 Terrace Hill Tank Water Tank Terrace Hill Water Tank 257 0.7 $ 125 $ 0.34 0.1 1 Water Treatment Plant Treatment Stenner Canyon Dr 1,260,042 3,452.2 $ 127,990 $ 350.66 281.9 4,300 Whale Rock Pump Stn #1 Whale Rock Hwy 1 Pump Stn #1 (Chaney) 1,192,765 3,267.8 $ 118,163 $ 323.73 266.8 4,071 Whale Rock Pump Stn #2 Whale Rock Hwy 1 Pump Stn #2 (Gilardi) 1,218,460 3,338.2 $ 124,718 $ 341.69 272.4 4,159 All Water Delivery Facilities 4,663,735 12,777.6 $ 487,560 $ 1,335.78 1,043.3 15,917 Source: City of San Luis Obispo, Utilities Department * Extrapolated over 365 days when annual energy bill data is incomplete
City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Table A.5: Wastewater Electricity Usage and Emissions (2005) Wastewater Facility Category Location/Address Annual Electricity Usage (kWh)* Daily Electricity Usage (kWh) Annual electricity cost* Daily electricity cost Equivalent CO2 (metric tons) Energy (MMTBU) Sewer Lift Station (Airport) Lift Station Hwy 227 (s/o Tank Farm) 3,830 10.5 $ 800 $ 2.19 0.9 13 Sewer Lift Station (Calle Joaquin) Lift Station LOVR & Hwy 101 19,743 54.1 $ 3,066 $ 8.40 4.5 67 Sewer Lift Station (Foothill) Lift Station Foothill Blvd 3,552 9.7 $ 732 $ 2.00 0.8 12 Sewer Lift Station (Madonna Inn) Lift Station Madonna Rd at Madonna Inn 8,279 22.7 $ 1,334 $ 3.66 1.9 28 Sewer Lift Station (Margarita) Lift Station Margarita & South Higuera 2,624 7.2 $ 526 $ 1.44 0.6 9 Sewer Lift Station (Rockview) Lift Station Broad & Rockview 51,459 141.0 $ 6,356 $ 17.41 11.5 176 Sewer Lift Station (Silver City) Lift Station South Higuera/Silver City 8,054 22.1 $ 1,324 $ 3.63 1.8 27 Sewer Lift Station (Tank Farm) Lift Station Edna Rd & Tank Farm Rd 36,964 101.3 $ 4,507 $ 12.35 8.2 126 Effluent Structure LOVR Reclamation 35 Prado Rd 4,963 13.6 $ 778 $ 2.13 1.1 17 Water Reclamation Facility Reclamation 35 Prado Rd (Bldg Electric) 4,301,206 11,784.1 $ 471,156 $ 1,290.84 961.3 14,680 All Wastewater Facilities 4,440,674 12,166.3 $ 490,579 $ 1,344.05 992.6 15,155 Source: City of San Luis Obispo, Utilities Department * Extrapolated over 365 days when annual energy bill data is incomplete Table A.6: Wastewater Natural Gas Usage and Emissions (2005) Wastewater Facility Address/Location Annual Natural Gas Usage (Therms) Daily Natural Gas Usage (Therms) Total Natural Gas Cost Daily Natural Gas Cost Equivalent CO2 (metric tons) Energy (MMBTU) Water Reclamation Facility 35 Prado Rd 34,279 93.9 $ 34,143 $ 93.54 182.4 3,428 Source: City of San Luis Obispo, Utilities Department Public Hearing Draft September 2009 61
Public Hearing Draft September 2009 62City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Table A.7: Community-wide Transportation Sector Emissions (2005) Count Location Street Segment VMT Sub-area Street Classification Segment Length (miles) ADT Daily VMT (Length x Volume) Annual VMT (Daily VMT x 365) Equivalent CO2 (metric tons) 1 Broad Ramona to Murray Santa Rosa/Foothill Collector 0.13 5,051 648 236,388 112 2 Broad Murray to Mission Santa Rosa/Foothill Collector 0.17 4,255 711 259,434 123 3 Broad Mission to Lincoln Santa Rosa/Foothill Collector 0.32 3,855 1,238 451,703 213 4 Broad Lincoln to Hwy 101 Santa Rosa/Foothill Collector 0.06 4,506 254 92,825 44 5 Broad HWY 101 to Palm Downtown/Uptown Collector 0.17 2,583 441 161,061 76 6 Broad Higuera to Marsh Downtown/Uptown Major Arterial 0.06 7,532 489 178,593 84 7 Broad Marsh to Pismo Downtown/Uptown Major Arterial 0.13 9,402 1,197 436,766 206 8 Broad Pismo to Church Downtown/Uptown Major Arterial 0.27 10,728 2,885 1,053,091 497 9 Broad Church to South Broad/South Major Arterial 0.33 13,801 4,506 1,644,776 777 10 Broad South to Lawrence Broad/South Major Arterial 0.45 29,103 12,959 4,729,871 2,234 11 Broad Lawrence to Orcutt Broad/South Major Arterial 0.23 28,176 6,468 2,360,701 1,115 12 Broad Orcutt to Capitolio Tank Farm/Broad Major Arterial 0.37 30,549 11,421 4,168,723 1,969 13 Broad Capitolio to Industrial Tank Farm/Broad Major Arterial 0.39 24,935 9,757 3,561,219 1,682 14 Broad Industrial to Tank Farm Tank Farm/Broad Major Arterial 0.22 21,700 4,772 1,741,610 822 15 Broad Tank Farm to Fuller Tank Farm/Broad Major Arterial 0.32 20,598 6,554 2,392,177 1,130 16 Broad Fuller to Aero Tank Farm/Broad Major Arterial 0.24 19,476 4,578 1,670,823 789 17 Broad Aero to City Limits Tank Farm/Broad Major Arterial 0.16 17,708 2,784 1,016,030 480 18 Buena Vista Loomis to Monterey Downtown/Uptown Collector 0.15 4,509 656 239,387 113 19 California Campus to Foothill Cal Poly area (e/o Santa Rosa) Major Arterial 0.10 9,266 909 331,804 157 20 California Foothill to Hathway Cal Poly area (e/o Santa Rosa) Major Arterial 0.22 9,617 2,146 783,148 370 21 California Hathway to Taft Cal Poly area (e/o Santa Rosa) Major Arterial 0.13 11,798 1,548 565,198 267 22 California Taft to Phillips Downtown/Uptown Major Arterial 0.27 13,645 3,646 1,330,943 629 23 California Phillips to Monterey Downtown/Uptown Major Arterial 0.20 9,290 1,842 672,390 318 24 California Monterey to Marsh Downtown/Uptown Major Arterial 0.11 11,343 1,285 468,908 221 25 California Marsh to San Luis Downtown/Uptown Major Arterial 0.04 10,218 453 165,288 78 26 Capitolio Broad to Sacramento Tank Farm/Broad Collector 0.17 4,252 711 259,545 123 27 Chorro Highland to Foothill Santa Rosa/Foothill Collector 0.33 6,913 2,274 830,090 392 28 Chorro Foothill to Murray Santa Rosa/Foothill Minor Arterial 0.25 7,228 1,780 649,562 307 29 Chorro Murray to Center Santa Rosa/Foothill Minor Arterial 0.28 7,606 2,123 775,020 366 30 Chorro Center to Lincoln Santa Rosa/Foothill Minor Arterial 0.15 8,038 1,168 426,189 201 31 Chorro Lincoln to Palm Downtown/Uptown Minor Arterial 0.31 7,974 2,477 904,022 427 32 Chorro Monterey to Higuera Downtown/Uptown Minor Arterial 0.06 8,016 466 170,120 80
City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Table A.7: Community-wide Transportation Sector Emissions (2005) (cont’d) Count Location Street Segment VMT Sub-area Street Classification Segment Length (miles) ADT Daily VMT (Length x Volume) Annual VMT (Daily VMT x 365) Equivalent CO2 (metric tons) 33 Chorro Higuera to Marsh Downtown/Uptown Minor Arterial 0.06 7,910 499 182,087 86 34 Chorro Marsh to Pismo Downtown/Uptown Minor Arterial 0.13 5,890 761 277,689 131 35 Chorro Pismo to Upham Downtown/Uptown Minor Arterial 0.33 3,879 1,272 464,437 219 36 Chorro Upham to Broad Broad/South Minor Arterial 0.18 2,061 366 133,499 63 37 Foothill City Limits to Patricia Santa Rosa/Foothill County Highway 0.33 11,699 3,869 1,412,056 667 38 Foothill Patricia to Tassajara Santa Rosa/Foothill Major Arterial 0.31 13,491 4,157 1,517,367 717 39 Foothill Tassajara to Ferrini Santa Rosa/Foothill Major Arterial 0.24 16,629 3,930 1,434,629 677 40 Foothill Ferrini to Broad Santa Rosa/Foothill Major Arterial 0.12 17,072 2,102 767,108 362 41 Foothill Broad to Chorro Santa Rosa/Foothill Major Arterial 0.05 20,611 1,042 380,425 180 42 Foothill Chorro to Santa Rosa Santa Rosa/Foothill Major Arterial 0.16 18,562 2,988 1,090,693 515 43 Foothill Santa Rosa to California Cal Poly area (e/o Santa Rosa) Major Arterial 0.26 19,545 5,060 1,846,984 872 44 Grand Slack to Hwy 101 Cal Poly area (e/o Santa Rosa) Major Arterial 0.29 14,681 4,218 1,539,573 727 45 Grand Hwy 101 to Mill Downtown/Uptown Minor Arterial 0.17 9,346 1,563 570,487 269 46 Grand Mill to Monterey Downtown/Uptown Minor Arterial 0.08 8,314 696 254,034 120 47 Higuera California to Johnson Downtown/Uptown Collector 0.17 563 94 34,327 16 48 Higuera Johnson to Santa Rosa Downtown/Uptown Major Arterial 0.19 3,794 737 269,094 127 49 Higuera Santa Rosa to Osos Downtown/Uptown Major Arterial 0.10 8,306 801 292,260 138 50 Higuera Osos to Chorro Downtown/Uptown Major Arterial 0.15 9,518 1,406 513,215 242 51 Higuera Chorro to Broad Downtown/Uptown Major Arterial 0.12 10,331 1,250 456,354 215 52 Higuera Broad to Nipomo Downtown/Uptown Major Arterial 0.08 10,019 787 287,430 136 53 Higuera Nipomo to Marsh Downtown/Uptown Major Arterial 0.33 10,105 3,324 1,213,375 573 54 Higuera Marsh to Pismo/High Downtown/Uptown Major Arterial 0.17 15,377 2,624 957,757 452 55 Higuera Pismo/High to South Broad/South Major Arterial 0.18 16,279 2,849 1,039,821 491 56 Higuera South to Madonna Broad/South Major Arterial 0.07 29,587 2,023 738,358 347 57 Higuera Madonna to Margarita South Higuera corridor Major Arterial 0.82 16,644 13,649 4,982,009 2,353 58 Higuera Margarita to Prado South Higuera corridor Major Arterial 0.17 15,047 2,568 937,203 444 59 Higuera Prado to Granada South Higuera corridor Major Arterial 0.27 17,315 4,706 1,717,645 812 60 Higuera Granada to Tank Farm South Higuera corridor Major Arterial 0.34 17,964 6,076 2,217,908 1,047 61 Higuera Tank Farm to Suburban South Higuera corridor Major Arterial 0.21 20,257 4,297 1,568,383 740 62 Higuera Suburban to LOVR South Higuera corridor Major Arterial 0.19 21,282 4,119 1,503,565 710 63 Higuera LOVR to City Limits South Higuera corridor Major Arterial 0.23 6,782 1,541 562,598 265 64 Industrial Broad to Sacramento Tank Farm/Broad Minor Arterial 0.29 4,244 1,243 453,863 214 Public Hearing Draft September 2009 63
Public Hearing Draft September 2009 64City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Table A.7: Community-wide Transportation Sector Emissions (2005) (cont’d) Count Location Street Segment VMT Sub-area Street Classification Segment Length (miles) ADT Daily VMT (Length x Volume) Annual VMT (Daily VMT x 365) Equivalent CO2 (metric tons) 65 Laurel Johnson to Augusta Johnson/Orcutt Minor Arterial 0.12 7,068 859 313,683 148 66 Laurel Augusta to Southwood Johnson/Orcutt Minor Arterial 0.12 8,645 1,076 392,635 149 67 Laurel Southwood Orcutt Johnson/Orcutt Minor Arterial 0.30 8,676 2,641 963,817 455 68 LOVR City Limits to Descanso Madonna/LOVR area Major Arterial 0.37 23,020 8,585 3,133,358 1,480 69 LOVR Descanso to Prefumo Canyon Madonna/LOVR area Major Arterial 0.12 27,893 3,302 1,205,131 569 70 LOVR Prefumo Canyon to Oceanaire Madonna/LOVR area Major Arterial 0.36 27,093 9,683 3,534,174 1,669 71 LOVR Oceanaire to Royal Way Madonna/LOVR area Major Arterial 0.12 26,606 3,270 1,193,667 564 72 LOVR Royal Way to Madonna Madonna/LOVR area Major Arterial 0.17 29,573 5,007 1,827,645 863 73 LOVR Madonna to Froom Ranch Madonna/LOVR area Major Arterial 0.49 23,589 11,513 4,202,260 1,985 74 LOVR Froom Ranch to Calle Joaquin Madonna/LOVR area Major Arterial 0.34 24,970 8,366 3,053,552 1,442 75 LOVR SB 101 Ramp to NB 101 Madonna/LOVR area Major Arterial 0.15 24,890 3,639 1,328,315 627 76 LOVR Calle Joaquin to SB US Ramp Madonna/LOVR area Major Arterial 0.05 24,065 1,253 457,486 216 77 LOVR NB US 101 to Higuera South Higuera corridor Major Arterial 0.34 20,132 6,875 2,509,236 1,185 78 Madonna Tonnini to Los Osos Valley Madonna/LOVR area Collector 0.08 5,872 445 162,370 77 79 Madonna Los Osos Valley to Pereira Madonna/LOVR area Major Arterial 0.08 19,937 1,495 545,775 258 80 Madonna Pereira to Oceanaire Madonna/LOVR area Major Arterial 0.34 21,651 7,291 2,661,146 1,258 81 Madonna Oceanaire to Dalidio Madonna/LOVR area Major Arterial 0.29 24,735 7,289 2,660,605 1,258 82 Madonna Dalidio to El Mercado Madonna/LOVR area Major Arterial 0.10 25,199 2,606 951,119 447 83 Madonna El Mercado to US 101SB Madonna/LOVR area Major Arterial 0.20 27,999 5,685 2,074,896 980 84 Madonna US 101 SB to US 101 NB Madonna/LOVR area Major Arterial 0.19 32,871 6,319 2,306,417 1,088 85 Madonna US 101 NB Ramps to Higuera Madonna/LOVR area Major Arterial 0.22 26,658 5,932 2,165,331 1,025 86 Marsh US 101 to Broad Downtown/Uptown Major Arterial 0.45 12,273 5,544 2,023,476 956 87 Marsh Broad to Chorro Downtown/Uptown Major Arterial 0.12 13,033 1,545 563,998 266 88 Marsh Chorro to Osos Downtown/Uptown Major Arterial 0.15 11,515 1,675 611,342 289 89 Marsh Osos to Santa Rosa Downtown/Uptown Major Arterial 0.10 12,609 1,280 467,202 221 90 Marsh Santa Rosa to Johnson Downtown/Uptown Major Arterial 0.19 7,476 1,437 524,559 248 91 Marsh Johnson to California Downtown/Uptown Major Arterial 0.19 3,608 674 245,925 116 92 Mill Chorro to Osos Downtown/Uptown Collector 0.15 3,358 490 178,976 85 93 Mill Osos to Santa Rosa Downtown/Uptown Collector 0.10 2,769 264 96,474 46 94 Mill Santa Rosa to California Downtown/Uptown Collector 0.38 3,276 1,248 455,649 215 95 Mill California to Grand Downtown/Uptown Collector 0.24 1,488 353 128,785 61 96 Monterey Chorro to Osos Downtown/Uptown Minor Arterial 0.14 4,368 630 230,089 109
City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Table A.7: Community-wide Transportation Sector Emissions (2005) (cont’d) Count Location Street Segment VMT Sub-area Street Classification Segment Length (miles) ADT Daily VMT (Length x Volume) Annual VMT (Daily VMT x 365) Equivalent CO2 (metric tons) 97 Monterey Osos to Santa Rosa Downtown/Uptown Minor Arterial 0.09 5,892 559 204,061 96 98 Monterey Santa Rosa to Johnson Downtown/Uptown Minor Arterial 0.20 11,854 2,342 854,689 404 99 Monterey Johnson to California Downtown/Uptown Minor Arterial 0.19 13,785 2,566 936,740 442 100 Monterey California to Grand Downtown/Uptown Minor Arterial 0.24 14,869 3,517 1,283,817 606 101 Monterey Grand to Hwy 101 Downtown/Uptown Collector 0.23 9,527 2,221 810,724 383 102 Johnson Mill to Monterey Downtown/Uptown Collector 0.15 3,962 581 211,990 100 103 Johnson Monterey to Marsh Downtown/Uptown Minor Arterial 0.11 11,537 1,304 476,131 225 104 Johnson Marsh to Pismo Downtown/Uptown Minor Arterial 0.13 13,716 1,847 674,149 318 105 Johnson Pismo to San Luis Drive Downtown/Uptown Minor Arterial 0.18 15,110 2,782 1,015,289 479 106 Johnson San Luis Drive to Ella Johnson/Orcutt Major Arterial 0.26 19,994 5,203 1,899,089 897 107 Johnson Ella to Bishop Johnson/Orcutt Major Arterial 0.26 17,034 4,400 1,606,164 703 108 Johnson Bishop to Sydney Johnson/Orcutt Major Arterial 0.24 15,789 3,723 1,358,886 642 109 Johnson Sydney to Laurel Johnson/Orcutt Major Arterial 0.39 15,655 6,140 2,241,259 1,058 110 Johnson Laurel to Southwood Johnson/Orcutt Major Arterial 0.29 15,277 4,438 1,620,027 765 111 Johnson Southwood to Orcutt Johnson/Orcutt Major Arterial 0.24 14,682 3,504 1,278,836 604 112 Aero Loop W/O Broad Tank Farm/Broad Collector 0.29 2,282 666 242,938 115 113 Aero Vista W/O Broad Tank Farm/Broad Collector 0.11 3,076 332 121,205 57 114 Augusta Sydney to Laurel Johnson/Orcutt Collector 0.45 2,590 1,162 423,975 200 115 Buchon High to Broad Downtown/Uptown Collector 0.42 1,403 586 214,052 101 116 Buchon Broad to Chorro Downtown/Uptown Collector 0.12 2,118 254 92,827 44 117 Buchon Chorro to Osos Downtown/Uptown Collector 0.14 2,131 304 110,927 53 118 Buchon Osos to Santa Rosa Downtown/Uptown Collector 0.10 5,466 525 191,574 90 119 Buchon Santa Rosa to Johnson Downtown/Uptown Collector 0.21 4,727 995 363,043 171 120 High Higuera to Buchon Downtown/Uptown Collector 0.12 5,582 652 238,086 113 121 High Buchon to Broad Downtown/Uptown Collector 0.52 2,436 1,262 460,568 218 122 Highland Patricia to Ferrini Santa Rosa/Foothill Collector 0.51 6,956 3,581 1,306,977 617 123 Highland Santa Rosa to Mt. Bishop Cal Poly area (e/o Santa Rosa) Collector 0.46 9,436 4,330 1,580,521 747 124 La Entrada Foothill to Ramona Santa Rosa/Foothill Collector 0.08 1,221 92 33,678 16 125 Margarita Higuera to City Limits South Higuera corridor Collector 0.47 453 211 77,130 36 126 Meinecke Chorro to Santa Rosa Santa Rosa/Foothill Collector 0.13 1,393 182 66,541 31 127 Murray Chorro to Santa Rosa Santa Rosa/Foothill Collector 0.16 2,063 332 121,221 57 128 Oceanaire LOVR to Balboa Madonna/LOVR area Collector 0.34 1,759 591 215,592 102 Public Hearing Draft September 2009 65
Public Hearing Draft September 2009 66City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Table A.7: Community-wide Transportation Sector Emissions (2005) (cont’d) Count Location Street Segment VMT Sub-area Street Classification Segment Length (miles) ADT Daily VMT (Length x Volume) Annual VMT (Daily VMT x 365) Equivalent CO2 (metric tons) 129 Oceanaire Balboa to Lake View Madonna/LOVR area Collector 0.26 1,561 401 146,218 69 130 Oceanaire Lake View to Madonna Madonna/LOVR area Collector 0.25 2,502 623 227,443 107 131 Oceanaire Madonna to Oceanaire Madonna/LOVR area Collector 0.34 626 211 77,115 36 132 Olive US 101 SB Ramp to Santa Rosa Santa Rosa/Foothill Collector 0.14 21,519 3,093 1,129,075 534 133 Orcutt Broad to Laurel Johnson/Orcutt Major Arterial 0.38 14,696 5,569 2,032,849 960 134 Orcutt Laurel to Johnson Johnson/Orcutt Major Arterial 0.42 2,569 1,087 396,740 187 135 Orcutt Johnson to Tank Farm Tank Farm/Broad County Highway 0.97 7,981 7,715 2,815,963 1,330 136 Orcutt Tank Farm to City Line Tank Farm/Broad County Highway 0.43 3,523 1,520 554,786 262 137 Osos US 101 to Palm Downtown/Uptown Minor Arterial 0.23 2,920 664 242,429 114 138 Osos Palm to Monterey Downtown/Uptown Minor Arterial 0.07 3,727 274 99,965 47 139 Osos Monterey to Higuera Downtown/Uptown Minor Arterial 0.06 4,608 271 98,749 47 140 Osos Higuera to Marsh Downtown/Uptown Minor Arterial 0.07 5,807 378 138,092 65 141 Osos Marsh to Pismo Downtown/Uptown Minor Arterial 0.13 8,398 1,109 404,639 191 142 Osos Pismo to Leff Downtown/Uptown Minor Arterial 0.20 11,288 2,223 811,539 383 143 Palm Nipomo to Chorro Downtown/Uptown Collector 0.20 2,333 467 170,309 80 144 Palm Chorro to Osos Downtown/Uptown Collector 0.14 4,275 610 222,531 19 145 Palm Osos to Santa Rosa Downtown/Uptown Collector 0.10 2,528 245 89,301 9 146 Pismo Higuera to Broad Downtown/Uptown Minor Arterial 0.51 2,669 1,374 501,668 237 147 Pismo Broad to Osos Downtown/Uptown Minor Arterial 0.26 3,622 939 342,776 162 148 Pismo Osos to Santa Rosa Downtown/Uptown Minor Arterial 0.09 6,181 583 212,788 100 149 Pismo Santa Rosa to Johnson Downtown/Uptown Minor Arterial 0.21 4,165 865 315,850 149 150 Prado US 101 to Higuera South Higuera corridor Minor Arterial 0.32 7,271 2,351 857,999 405 151 Prado Higuera to City Line South Higuera corridor Minor Arterial 0.48 2,894 1,402 511,750 241 152 Prefumo Canyon Del Rio to Los Osos Valley Madonna/LOVR area Collector 0.18 3,075 540 197,266 93 153 Ramona Tassajara to Broad Santa Rosa/Foothill Collector 0.36 3,193 1,145 418,059 198 154 Tassajara Foothill to Ramona Santa Rosa/Foothill Collector 0.08 1,906 153 55,734 26 155 Sacramento Capitolio to Industrial Tank Farm/Broad Collector 0.39 2,481 969 353,651 167 156 San Luis California to Johnson Downtown/Uptown Major Arterial 0.33 11,662 3,861 1,409,203 665 157 Santa Barbara Leff to High Broad/South Minor Arterial 0.30 14,392 4,323 1,577,914 744 158 Santa Barbara High to Broad Broad/South Minor Arterial 0.18 13,940 2,469 901,018 425 159 Santa Rosa Highland to City Line Santa Rosa/Foothill County Highway 0.07 30,599 2,046 746,691 353 160 Santa Rosa Highland to Foothill Santa Rosa/Foothill Major Arterial 0.38 31,087 11,899 4,343,142 2,052
City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Table A.7: Community-wide Transportation Sector Emissions (2005) (cont’d) Count Location Street Segment VMT Sub-area Street Classification Segment Length (miles) ADT Daily VMT (Length x Volume) Annual VMT (Daily VMT x 365) Equivalent CO2 (metric tons) 161 Santa Rosa Foothill to US 101 Santa Rosa/Foothill Major Arterial 0.57 38,197 21,876 7,984,909 3,773 162 Santa Rosa US 101 to Walnut Downtown/Uptown Major Arterial 0.06 23,765 1,535 560,210 266 163 Santa Rosa Walnut to Palm Downtown/Uptown Major Arterial 0.20 21,080 4,288 1,565,070 738 164 Santa Rosa Palm to Monterey Downtown/Uptown Major Arterial 0.08 21,388 1,604 585,497 277 165 Santa Rosa Monterey to Higuera Downtown/Uptown Major Arterial 0.06 21,563 1,274 465,075 219 166 Santa Rosa Higuera to Marsh Downtown/Uptown Major Arterial 0.06 17,777 1,114 406,767 193 167 Santa Rosa Marsh to Pismo Downtown/Uptown Major Arterial 0.13 7,983 1,033 376,917 178 168 Santa Rosa Pismo to Buchon Downtown/Uptown Major Arterial 0.07 5,134 345 125,992 59 169 Santa Rosa Buchon to Leff Downtown/Uptown Minor Arterial 0.13 2,346 302 110,118 52 170 South Street Higuera to Broad Broad/South Major Arterial 0.78 17,458 13,570 4,952,914 2,338 171 Tank Farm Higuera to Santa Fe South Higuera corridor Major Arterial 1.51 19,835 29,910 10,917,252 5,156 172 Tank Farm Santa Fe to Broad Tank Farm/Broad Major Arterial 0.25 19,410 4,941 1,803,365 853 173 Tank Farm Broad to UPRR Tank Farm/Broad Major Arterial 0.48 10,306 4,897 1,787,515 844 174 Tank Farm UPRR to Orcutt Tank Farm/Broad Major Arterial 0.58 8,386 4,884 1,782,621 841 175 Walnut Osos to Santa Rosa Downtown/Uptown Collector 0.10 4,142 402 146,602 69 176 Walnut Santa Rosa to Toro Downtown/Uptown Collector 0.09 8,597 803 292,990 138 CT01 Hwy 101 S/O Los Osos Valley U.S. 101 (LOVR to Monterey) Highway 62,000 0 CT02 Hwy 101 Los Osos Valley to Prado U.S. 101 (LOVR to Monterey) Highway 0.79 62,000 49,201 17,958,277 8,443 CT03 Hwy 101 Prado to Madonna U.S. 101 (LOVR to Monterey) Highway 0.66 54,000 35,826 13,076,540 6,143 CT04 Hwy 101 Madonna to Marsh U.S. 101 (LOVR to Monterey) Highway 0.57 54,000 30,610 11,172,733 5,306 CT05 Hwy 101 Marsh to Broad U.S. 101 (LOVR to Monterey) Highway 0.76 70,000 53,534 19,539,943 9,170 CT06 Hwy 101 Broad to Osos U.S. 101 (LOVR to Monterey) Highway 0.21 65,000 13,776 5,028,082 2,353 CT07 Hwy 101 Osos to Toro U.S. 101 (LOVR to Monterey) Highway 0.23 65,000 14,637 5,342,618 2,577 CT08 Hwy 101 Toro to California U.S. 101 (LOVR to Monterey) Highway 0.26 55,000 14,188 5,178,438 2,465 CT09 Hwy 101 California to Grand U.S. 101 (LOVR to Monterey) Highway 0.26 43,000 11,173 4,078,322 1,927 CT10 Hwy 101 Grand to Monterey U.S. 101 (LOVR to Monterey) Highway 0.37 35,000 13,112 4,785,786 2,232 CT11 Hwy 101 N/O Monterey U.S. 101 (LOVR to California) Highway 40,000 0 CT12 Hwy 101 / LOVR NB on U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp 0.11 3,650 417 152,149 72 CT13 Hwy 101 / LOVR NB off U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp 0.18 6,550 1,152 420,645 199 CT14 Hwy 101 / LOVR SB on U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp 0.20 6,650 1,305 476,256 225 CT15 Hwy 101 / LOVR SB off U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp 0.07 5,450 355 129,603 61 CT16 Hwy 101 / Prado NB on U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp 0.05 1,450 78 28,567 13 CT17 Hwy 101 / Prado NB off U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp 0.15 4,400 653 238,467 112 Public Hearing Draft September 2009 67
City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Public Hearing Draft September 2009 68Table A.7: Community-wide Transportation Sector Emissions (2005) (cont’d) Count Location Street Segment VMT Sub-area Street Classification Segment Length (miles) ADT Daily VMT (Length x Volume) Annual VMT (Daily VMT x 365) Equivalent CO2 (metric tons) CT18 Hwy 101 / Madonna NB on U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp 0.12 9,600 1,131 412,782 195 CT19 Hwy 101 / Madonna NB off U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp 0.14 4,225 599 218,760 103 CT20 Hwy 101 / Madonna SB on U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp 0.30 4,450 1,332 486,352 229 CT21 Hwy 101 / Madonna SB off U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp 0.16 10,925 1,788 652,520 309 CT22 Hwy 101 / Higuera NB on U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp 0.09 5,650 489 178,494 85 CT23 Hwy 101 / Higuera NB off U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp 0.17 5,600 942 343,764 162 CT24 Hwy 101 / Higuera SB on U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp 0.23 5,400 1,255 458,034 216 CT25 Hwy 101 / Higuera SB off U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp 0.22 3,200 690 251,961 119 CT26 Hwy 101 / Broad NB on U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp 0.08 1,350 110 40,036 19 CT27 Hwy 101 / Broad NB off U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp 0.05 1,850 88 32,100 15 CT28 Hwy 101 / Broad SB on U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp 0.06 2,700 168 61,220 29 CT29 Hwy 101 / Broad SB off U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp 0.06 1,500 95 34,530 16 CT30 Hwy 101 / Osos NB on U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp 0.08 2,200 170 62,050 29 CT31 Hwy 101 / Osos NB off U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp 0.06 2,800 170 61,939 29 CT32 Hwy 101 / Osos SB on U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp -- 8,900 -- -- 0 CT33 Hwy 101 / Osos SB off U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp 0.07 950 68 24,824 12 CT34 Hwy 101 / Olive SB on U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp 0.21 2,200 466 170,029 80 CT35 Hwy 101 / Toro NB on U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp 0.11 1,200 128 46,786 22 CT36 Hwy 101 / Toro NB off U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp 0.06 8,800 557 203,183 96 CT37 Hwy 101 / California NB on U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp 0.11 2,075 238 86,926 41 CT38 Hwy 101 / California NB off U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp 0.11 4,600 501 182,846 86 CT39 Hwy 101 / California SB on U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp 0.06 2,775 168 61,195 29 CT40 Hwy 101 / California SB off U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp 0.08 3,700 310 113,053 54 CT41 Hwy 101 / Grand NB off U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp 0.13 3,450 438 159,791 76 CT42 Hwy 101 / Grand SB on U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp 0.12 4,775 596 217,529 103 CT43 Hwy 101 / Monterey NB on U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp 0.09 0 CT44 Hwy 101 / Monterey NB off U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp 0.09 900 78 28,370 13 CT45 Hwy 101 / Monterey SB on U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp -- 2,150 -- -- 47 CT46 Hwy 101 / Monterey SB off U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps Highway Ramp 0.08 3,600 272 99,297 0 Totals 49.86 12,713 768,239 280,407,300 132,137 Source: City of San Luis Obispo, Public Works Department, Transportation Division (City-wide Traffic Counts Program, 2005-06)
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Table A.8 provides a summary of the results from the traffic counts program in terms of daily and
annual VMT and the carbon dioxide equivalent of each VMT sub-area. The Downtown/Uptown
and Madonna/LOVR sub-areas each generated over 16,000 MTCO2e, although the emissions
occurred over five roadway miles in the Madonna/LOVR sub-area as opposed to over nearly thirteen
miles of roadway miles in the Downtown/Uptown sub-area. Three of the sub-areas (Tank
Farm/Broad, Santa Rosa/Foothill, and South Higuera) each generated between 11,000 and 14,000
MTCO2e, all over a similar distance of roadway mileage.
Table A.8: Transportation Sector – Summary of VMT & Emissions by sub-area (2005-2006)
VMT Sub-area Road
miles Daily VMT
Annual
VMT
(in millions)
Equivalent
CO2
(metric tons)
Energy
(MMBtu)
Broad/South 2.68 49,531 18.1 8,534 118,829
Cal Poly area (e/o Santa Rosa) 1.46 18,212 6.6 3,140 43,713
Downtown/Uptown 12.78 95,653 34.9 16,365 227,898
Johnson/Orcutt 3.48 39,803 14.5 6,768 94,241
Madonna/LOVR area 5.02 94,046 34.3 16,213 225,757
Santa Rosa/Foothill 5.37 72,684 26.5 12,533 174,531
South Higuera corridor 5.36 77,706 28.4 13,394 186,511
Tank Farm/Broad 5.66 67,743 24.7 11,678 162,605
U.S. 101 (LOVR to Monterey)(b) 4.12 236,057 86.2 40,616 565,542
U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps 3.89 16,806 6.1 2,896 40,344
Total (all sub-areas) 49.82 768,241 280.4 132,137 1,839,971
Source: City of San Luis Obispo, Public Works Department, Transportation Division (City-wide Traffic Counts Program, 2005-06)
(a) All vehicle mileage is counted along U.S. 101 from Los Osos Valley Road to Monterey Street exits
Table A.9 provides greater insight into the different levels of vehicle miles of travel in the eight
subareas (and U.S. 101-related vehicle miles of travel), by showing daily and annual vehicle miles of
travel per lane-mile in each sub-area, as well as vehicle emissions per lane-mile34. It is readily
apparent that the highest level of daily and annual VMT per lane-mile occurs along U.S. 101
(12,257 daily vehicle miles of travel per lane-mile; 4.47 million annual vehicle miles of travel per
lane-mile). Additionally, the highest level of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per lane-mile
occurs on U.S. 101 (2,109 MTCO2e per lane-mile, which is more than double the amount in the
Broad/South sub-area). Among the local roadways in the community, the highest levels of daily and
annual VMT per lane-mile occur in Broad/South, Madonna/LOVR, and Santa Rosa/Foothill
subareas. Local traffic in each of these subareas generates more than 900 MTCO2e per lane-mile. It
is important to point out that the local traffic in the Downtown/Uptown sub-area generates only
556 MTCO2e per lane-mile, whereas the average of all the subareas, including the traffic accounted
for on U.S. 101, is 952 MTCO2e per lane-mile.
34 Table A.9 provides roadway figures in terms of total road-miles, without taking into account that some roadways in the community
are four-lane facilities (i.e., Los Osos Valley Road or most of Broad Street), while many roadways are two-lane facilities (i.e., Osos
Street, Monterey Street).
City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
Table A.9: Transportation Sector – Emissions per lane-mile by sub-area (2005-2006)
VMT Sub-area Lane-
miles
Daily
VMT
Annual
VMT
(in millions)
Equivalent
CO2
(metric tons)
Daily
VMT per
lane-mile
Annual
VMT per
lane-mile
(in millions)
Equivalent
CO2 per
lane-mile
(metric tons)
Broad/South 8.64 49,531 18.1 8,534 5,734 2.09 988
Cal Poly area (e/o Santa Rosa) 4.01 18,212 6.6 3,140 4,544 1.66 784
Downtown/Uptown 29.42 95,653 34.9 16,365 3,251 1.19 556
Johnson/Orcutt 10.35 39,803 14.5 6,768 3,847 1.40 654
Madonna/LOVR area 17.66 94,046 34.3 16,213 5,326 1.94 918
Santa Rosa/Foothill 13.93 72,684 26.5 12,533 5,220 1.91 900
South Higuera corridor 15.41 77,706 28.4 13,394 5,042 1.84 869
Tank Farm/Broad area 16.16 67,743 24.7 11,678 4,191 1.53 723
U.S. 101 (LOVR to Monterey)(a) 19.26 236,057 86.2 40,616 12,257 4.47 2,109
U.S. 101 on- and off-ramps 3.89 16,806 6.1 2,896 4,318 1.58 744
Total (all sub-areas) 138.73 768,241 280.3 132,137
Average 5,538 2.02 952
Source: City of San Luis Obispo, Public Works Department, Transportation Division (City-wide Traffic Counts Program, 2005-06)
(a) All vehicle mileage is counted along U.S. 101 from Los Osos Valley Road to Monterey Street exits
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Appendix B – Electricity and Natural Gas Coefficients
Electricity and natural gas coefficients are defaulted to national averages in the CACP software. To
make the inventory more accurate and representative of the city’s real impact on climate change,
specific coefficient sets for California were obtained. The author of this report collaborated with the
authors of the County of San Luis Obispo’s “Community-Wide and County Government
Operations Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory” to identify the appropriate coefficient set
for use in this emissions inventor y for Year 2005. Sources and coefficient values are summarized in
the tables below.
Average Grid Electricity Set Unit CO2 N2O CH4
PG&E California, 2005 lbs / MWh 489.16 0.011 0.029
Source: California Air Resources Board et al., Local Government Operations Protocol, [Table G.5: Utility-Specific Verified Electricity
CO2 Emission Factors (2000-2006)].
Marginal Grid Electricity Set
13 – Western Systems Coordinating Council/CNV
Source: Coefficient set provided by CACP
Average CHP Heat Set
USA total
Source: Coefficient set provided by CACP
RCI Average Set Sector Units N2O CH4
California Coefficients for Natural Gas
Natural Gas Commercial kg/MMBtu 0.0001 0.0059
Natural Gas Industrial kg/MMBtu 0.0001 0.0059
Natural Gas Residential kg/MMBtu 0.0001 0.0059
Source: The “California Coefficients for Natural Gas” coefficient set is based on a PG&E eCO2 emissions factor of 53.05 kg/MMBtu
of delivered natural gas, certified by the California Climate Action Registry and the CEC, and was reported to ICLEI in December
2007 by Jasmin Ansar. The weighted U.S. Average CO2 emission factor for natural gas combustion is 53.06 kg/MMBtu, as noted in
the California Air Resources Board et al., Local Government Operations Protocol, [Table G.1: Default Factors for Calculating CO2
Emission Factors from Fossil Fuel Combustion].
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Appendix C – Municipal Analysis Emission Quantification Methodology
C.1 Electricity Use
Many of the City’s facilities use purchased electricity, which is a Scope 2 emission, an indirect
emission. The generation of electricity through the combustion of fossil fuels typically yields CO2,
and to a smaller extent, N2O and CH4. Under the Local Government Operations Protocol (Protocol),
this inventory will report Scope 2 emissions occurring in the following sectors:
Streetlights and traffic signals;
Water delivery facilities;
Wastewater facilities; and
All other buildings and facilities not included in the sectors above.
Reporting these sectors separately facilitates a more useful comparison of a local government’s
emissions over time.
Under the Protocol, the recommended approach to calculating Scope 2 emissions from electricity use
includes the following three steps:
1) Determine annual electricity use from each facility;
2) Select the appropriate emission factors that apply to the electricity used; and
3) Determine your total annual emissions in metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.
Step 1: Determine annual electricity consumption.
Monthly electricity bills provide the number of kilowatt hours of electricity consumed for each
facility. Monthly bills were aggregated to determine the annual electricity use for each facility.
Step 2: Select the appropriate emission factors.
An electricity emission factor represents the amount of greenhouse gases emitted per unit of
electricity consumed. It is usually reported in units of pounds of GHG per kWh or MWh. The
Protocol stipulates that if your electricity provider is a member of the California Climate Action
Registry and has “verified an electricity deliveries metric under CCAR’s Power/Utility Protocol” this
factor can be used to determine CO2 emissions from purchased electricity (CARB et al., 2008: 38).
The utility-specific verified electricity CO2 emission factor for Pacific Gas & Electric is 489.16 lbs of
CO2 per MWh of electricity consumed in 2005.
Under the Protocol, local governments in California are to use the CH4 and N2O default emission
factors (California Grid Average Electricity Emission Factors) used by the Air Resources Board in the
Inventory of California Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990 to 2004 (California Energy
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Commission 2007). The emission factor for CH4 is 0.029 pounds of CH4 per MWh of electricity
consumed. The emission factor for N2O is 0.011 pounds of N2O per MWh of electricity consumed.
The most recent year for which emission factors are available is 2004, and is to be used for
inventories using more recent years as a baseline year. The Marginal Grid Electricity Set used was
“13 – Western Systems Coordinating Council/CNV” in the CACP Software.
Step 3: Determine total annual emissions and convert to metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.
To determine annual emissions, multiply annual electricity use (in MWh) from Step 1 by the
emission factors for CO2, CH4, and N2O (in pounds per MWh) from Step 2. The resulting product
is then converted into metric tons by dividing by the total by 2,204.62 lbs/metric ton (See Equation
C.1).
Equation C.1. Calculating Indirect Emissions
From Electricity Use
CO2 Emissions (metric tons) =
Electricity Use x Emission Factor / 2,204.62
(MWh) (lbs CO2/MWh) (lbs/metric ton)
CH4 Emissions (metric tons) =
Electricity Use x Emission Factor / 2,204.62
(MWh) (lbs CH4/MWh) (lbs/metric ton)
N2O Emissions (metric tons) =
Electricity Use x Emission Factor / 2,204.62
(MWh) (lbs N2O/MWh) (lbs/metric ton)
Source: California Air Resources Board et al., Local Government Operations Protocol
To convert CH4 and N2O into units of carbon dioxide equivalent, multiply total emissions of each
gas (in metric tons) by its IPCC global warming potential (GWP) factor provided in Equation C.2.
Then sum the emissions of each of the three gases in units of CO2 to obtain greenhouse gas
emissions.
Equation C.2. Converting to CO2-Equivalent
and Determining Total Emissions
CO2 Emissions = CO2 Emissions x 1
(metric tons CO2e) (metric tons) (GWP)
CH4 Emissions = CH4 Emissions x 21
(metric tons CO2e) (metric tons) (GWP)
N2O Emissions = N2O Emissions x 310
(metric tons CO2e) (metric tons) (GWP)
Total Emissions = CO2 + CH4 + N2O
(metric tons CO2e) (metric tons CO2e)
Source: California Air Resources Board et al., Local Government Operations Protocol
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C.2 Natural Gas Use
Several of the City’s facilities consume natural gas, a form of stationary combustion, which is a Scope
1 emission. The combustion of natural gas, a fossil fuel, yields CO2, and to a smaller extent, N2O
and CH4. Under the Local Government Operations Protocol, this inventory will report Scope 1
emissions from stationary combustion in the following sectors:
Buildings and facilities using natural gas; and the
Wastewater facilities (water reclamation facility only).
Reporting these sectors separately facilitates a more useful comparison of a local government’s
emissions over time.
Under the Protocol, the recommended approach to calculating emissions from stationary combustion
of natural gas involves the following steps:
1) Determine annual consumption of natural gas combusted at city facilities;
2) Determine the appropriate CO2 emission factors for natural gas;
3) Determine the appropriate CH4 and N2O emission factors for natural gas;
4) Calculate CO2 emissions from the combustion of natural gas;
5) Calculate CH4 and N2O emissions from the combustion of natural gas;
6) Convert CH4 and N2O emissions to CO2 equivalent and determine total emissions.
Step 1: Determine annual consumption of natural gas at city facilities.
Monthly natural gas bills determine the amount of natural gas used by each facility. Monthly bills
were aggregated to determine the annual electricity use for each facility. Fuel use is measured in
therms.
Step 2: Select the appropriate CO2 emission factor for natural gas.
The Protocol provides default emission factors for a wide variety of fuels in Table G.1 (in Appendix
G of that document). Emission factors are provided in units of CO2 per unit energy and CO2 per
unit mass or volume. The Weighted U.S. Average emission factor for natural gas is 53.06 kg CO2
per MMBtu (one-million Btu) and is used in calculations for natural gas usage in this inventory.
Step 3: Determine the appropriate CH4 and N2O emission factors for natural gas.
The Protocol provides default emission factors in Table G.3 (in Appendix G of that document).
Emission factors are provided in units of CH4 or N2O per unit energy. The Protocol suggests that
local governments use the “commercial/institutional” sector emission factors. The emission factor for
CH4 is 5.9g per MMBtu (0.0059kg/MMBtu). The emission factor for N2O is 0.1g per MMBtu
(0.0001kg/MMBtu). These are the “California Coefficients for Natural Gas”.
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Step 4: Calculate CO2 emissions from the combustion of natural gas.
To determine CO2 emissions from stationary combustion, natural gas use figures must first be
converted from therms to MMBtu (1 therm equals 100,000 Btu or 0.1 MMBtu). Natural gas use (in
MMBtu) is then multiplied by the CO2 emission factor, and then divided by 1,000 to convert from
kilograms to metric tons (see Equation C.3).
Equation C.3. Calculating CO2 Emissions From
Stationary Combustion (fuel use in MMBtu)
Fuel A CO2 Emissions (metric tons) =
Fuel Consumed x Emission Factor / 1,000
(MMBtu) (lbs CO2/MMBtu) (kg/metric ton)
Source: California Air Resources Board et al., Local Government Operations Protocol
Step 5: Calculate CH4 and N2O emissions and convert to metric tons.
To determine CH4 emissions from stationary combustion, multiply fuel use from Step 1 by the CH4
emission factor from Step 3, and then convert kilograms to metric tons (see Equation C.4). The
same procedure is followed to calculate total emissions of N2O at a particular city facility, using
Equation C.5.
Equation C.4. Calculating CH4 Emissions From
Stationary Combustion
CH4 Emissions (metric tons) =
Fuel Use x Emission Factor / 1,000
(MMBtu) (kg CH4/MMBtu) (kg/metric ton)
Source: California Air Resources Board et al., Local Government Operations Protocol
Equation C.5. Calculating N2O Emissions From
Stationary Combustion
Fuel A N2O Emissions (metric tons) =
Fuel Use x Emission Factor / 1,000
(MMBtu) (kg N2O/MMBtu) (kg/metric ton)
Source: California Air Resources Board et al., Local Government Operations Protocol
Step 6: Convert CH4 and N2O emissions to units of CO2 equivalent and determine total emissions
from stationary combustion.
The global warming potential (GWP) factors established by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change’s Second Assessment Report are used to convert CH4 and N2O emissions to units of CO2
equivalent. The sum of emissions from the three gases will determine the total greenhouse gas
emissions from stationary combustion at city facilities (see Equation C.6).
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Equation C.6. Converting to CO2-Equivalent and
Determining Total Emissions
CO2 Emissions = CO2 Emissions x 1
(metric tons CO2e) (metric tons) (GWP)
CH4 Emissions = CH4 Emissions x 21
(metric tons CO2e) (metric tons) (GWP)
N2O Emissions = N2O Emissions x 310
(metric tons CO2e) (metric tons) (GWP)
Total Emissions = CO2 + CH4 + N2O
(metric tons CO2e) (metric tons CO2e)
Source: California Air Resources Board et al., Local Government Operations Protocol
C.3 Mobile combustion
Under the City’s operation, mobile combustion sources include both on-road and off-road vehicle
such as automobiles, trucks, buses, and construction equipment. The combustion of fossil fuels in
mobile sources emits CO2, CH4 and N2O.
Emissions from mobile combustion can be estimated based on vehicle fuel use and miles traveled
data. CO2 emissions, which account for the majority of emissions from mobile sources, are directly
related to the quantity of fuel combusted and can be calculated using fuel consumption data. CH4
and N2O emissions depend more on the emission control technology employed in the vehicle and
distance traveled. Calculating CH4 and N2O emissions requires data on vehicle characteristics (which
takes into account emission control technologies) and vehicle miles traveled.
Calculating Scope 1 CO2 emissions from mobile combustion involves three steps:
Identify total annual fuel consumption by fuel type;
Determine the appropriate emission factor; and
Calculate total CO2 emissions.
Step 1: Identify total annual fuel consumption by fuel type.
Methods for determining total annual fuel consumption include direct measurements of fuel use
(official logs of vehicle fuel gauges or storage tanks); collected fuel receipts; and purchase records for
bulk storage fuel purchases (in cases where fuel is stored at a facility). Total annual fuel purchases
should include both fuel purchased for the bulk fueling facility and fuel purchased for vehicles at
other fueling locations. In the case of the City of San Luis Obispo, purchase records for bulk storage
fuel purchases were used to determine annual fuel consumption. In the baseline year of 2005, only
gasoline and diesel were used to fuel the City’s vehicle fleet. Equation C.7 below may be used to
determine total fuel that was actually consumed.
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Equation C.7. Accounting for Changes in Fuel Stocks
From Bulk Purchases
Total Annual Consumption = Total Annual Fuel Purchases + Amount
Stored at Beginning of Year – Amount Stored at End of Year
Source: California Air Resources Board et al., Local Government Operations Protocol
At the time of the data collection process for this inventory, only total annual fuel purchases was
determined; the amount stored at the beginning of the year and at the end of the year was not
determined. Additionally, fuel purchased for vehicles at other fueling locations was not determined.
Step 2: Determine the appropriate CO2 emission factor for each fuel.
As it is not yet standard practice for states or regions to develop state- or region-specific greenhouse
gas emission factors for their fuel blends, the Protocol recommends the use of widely-accepted
national averages as the emission factor for use in calculating emissions from mobile combustion.
The Protocol provides default emission factors for transport fuels in Table G.9 (in Appendix G of
that document). The CO2 emission factor for Motor Gasoline is 8.81 kg CO2 per gallon; the CO2
emission factor for Diesel Fuel No. 1 and 2 is 10.15 kg CO2 per gallon.
Step 3: Calculate total CO2 emissions and convert to metric tons.
To determine CO2 emissions from mobile combustion, fuel use from Step 1 is multiplied by the
CO2 emission factor from Step 2; the resulting product is converted from kilograms to metric tons
(see Equation C.8). This is repeated for both fuel types used by the city’s vehicle fleet – Gasoline and
Diesel.
Equation C.8. Calculating CO2 Emissions From
Mobile Combustion
Fuel A CO2 Emissions (metric tons) =
Fuel Consumed x Emission Factor / 1,000
(gallons) (kg CO2/gallon) (kg/metric ton)
Fuel B CO2 Emissions (metric tons) =
Fuel Consumed x Emission Factor / 1,000
(gallons) (kg CO2/gallon) (kg/metric ton)
Total CO2 Emissions (metric tons) =
CO2 from Fuel A + CO2 from Fuel B
(metric tons) (metric tons)
Source: California Air Resources Board et al., Local Government Operations Protocol
Calculating Scope 1 CH4 and N2O emissions from mobile combustion involves five steps:
1) Identify the vehicle type, fuel type, and model year of each vehicle owned and operated by
the City;
2) Identify the annual mileage by vehicle type;
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3) Select the appropriate emission factor for each vehicle type;
4) Calculate CH4 and N2O emissions for each vehicle type and sum to obtain total CH4 and
N2O emissions; and
5) Convert CH4 and N2O emissions to units of CO2 equivalent and sum to determine total
emissions.
Step 1: Identify the vehicle type, fuel type, and technology type or model year of all the vehicles
owned and operated by the City.
An inventory of the City’s entire vehicle fleet is necessary to complete this step, including identifying
the vehicle type (categorized as passenger car, light truck/SUV/pickup, and heavy-duty truck), fuel
type (such as gasoline or diesel), and model year.
Step 2: Identify the annual mileage by vehicle type.
CH4 and N2O emissions depend more on distance traveled than volume of fuel consumed.
Therefore, the recommended approach is to use vehicle miles traveled data by vehicle type. At this
time, the City has recently begun the process of developing a fleet management system that will be
able to track annual vehicle mileage for each vehicle in its fleet. The vehicle mileage for the fleet for
the baseline year of 2005 is considered by City staff to be incomplete and inconsistently collected
and tracked. Instead, an estimate of vehicle mileage data is generally available by vehicle type, but
data is not available in such a way that it would allow accurate calculation of CH4 and N2O
emissions per the Protocol. Therefore, CH4 and N2O emissions from mobile combustion from the
City’s vehicle fleet will not be explicitly accurate at this time.
However, the methodology outlined in this report will allow city staff to complete this section of the
emissions inventory when sufficient data (such as one years’ worth of vehicle fleet data) is tracked
and available for use in accurately calculating CH4 and N2O emissions.
Step 3: Select the appropriate emission factor for each vehicle type.
Emission factors for vehicles are available in Table G.10 (in Appendix G) of the Protocol, and are in
units of grams of CH4 (or N2O) per mile.
Step 4: Calculate CH4 and N2O emissions by vehicle type and sum to obtain total CH4 and N2O
emissions.
Use Equation C.9 to calculate CH4 emissions by vehicle type, convert to metric tons, and obtain
total CH4 emissions. This calculation is repeated using Equation C.10 to obtain total N2O
emissions.
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Equation C.9. Calculating CH4 Emissions
From Mobile Combustion
Vehicle Type A
CH4 Emissions (metric tons) =
Annual Distance x Emission Factor / 1,000,000
(miles) (g CH4/mile) (g/metric ton)
Vehicle Type B
CH4 Emissions (metric tons) =
Annual Distance x Emission Factor / 1,000,000
(miles) (g CH4/mile) (g/metric ton)
Total CH4 Emissions =
CH4 from Type A + CH4 from Type B + …
(metric tons) (metric tons) (metric tons)
Source: California Air Resources Board et al., Local Government Operations Protocol
Equation C.10. Calculating N2O
Emissions From Mobile Combustion
Vehicle Type A
N2O Emissions (metric tons) =
Annual Distance x Emission Factor / 1,000,000
(miles) (g CH4/mile) (g/metric ton)
Vehicle Type B
N2O Emissions (metric tons) =
Annual Distance x Emission Factor / 1,000,000
(miles) (g CH4/mile) (g/metric ton)
Total N2O Emissions =
N2O from Type A + N2O from Type B + …
(metric tons) (metric tons) (metric tons)
Source: California Air Resources Board et al., Local Government Operations Protocol
Step 5: Convert CH4 and N2O emissions to units of CO2 equivalent and determine total emissions
from mobile combustion.
Using the IPCC Global Warming Potential factors in Equation C.6, CH4 and N2O emissions can be
converted to units of CO2 equivalent. Emissions of all three gases are then summed to determine the
total greenhouse gas emissions from mobile combustion (see Equation C.6 above).
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Appendix D – Detailed Data Collection Methodology
D.1 Community Analysis Data Collection Methodology
D.1.1 Residential Sector
This sector calculates energy use and associated emissions for residential buildings within San Luis
Obispo. Electricity and natural gas are the two primary energy sources utilized by the vast majority
of households in San Luis Obispo, and for which data is available.
A representative from PG&E provided electricity figures for all residential users within San Luis
Obispo. This included the number of residential customers and the community-wide electricity
usage figures (in kilowatt-hours). Figures were available for 2003, 2004, and 2005.
A representative from Southern California Gas Company provided natural gas figures for all
residential users within San Luis Obispo. This included the aggregated natural gas usage figures (in
decatherms). Figures were available for 2005, 2006, and 2007.
D.1.2 Commercial & Industrial Sector
This sector calculates energy use and associated emissions for commercial businesses within the city.
Electricity and natural gas are the two primary energy sources utilized by the vast majority of
commercial businesses in San Luis Obispo, and for which data is available.
A representative from PG&E provided electricity figures for all commercial users within San Luis
Obispo. This included the number of commercial customers and the community-wide electricity
usage figures (in kilowatt-hours). Commercial electricity usage figures included industrial businesses
due to the “15/15 Rule”, an industry confidentiality ruling established by the California Public
Utilities Commission. Figures were available for 2003, 2004, and 2005.
A representative from Southern California Gas Company provided natural gas figures for all
commercial users within San Luis Obispo. This included the aggregated natural gas usage figures (in
decatherms). Natural gas figures for industrial businesses were available, but were aggregated with
commercial natural gas figures for consistency purposes. Figures were available for 2005, 2006, and
2007.
D.1.4 Transportation Sector
This sector calculates total vehicle miles of travel within the city limits on city-maintained roadways
by commercial and private vehicles. As there are three highways maintained by the Department of
Transportation (Caltrans) traversing the city (U.S. 101, SR-1 and SR-227), a determination must be
made as to what mileage should be counted toward the total vehicle miles of travel (VMT) figure for
the community.
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The primary source of data is the City of San Luis Obispo’s traffic counts program. At the time of
the inventory, the most recent complete counts were the 2005-2006 traffic counts. The traffic
counts program includes data for all of the follow roadway types in the city:
Major Arterials
Minor Arterials
Collectors
County Highways
Highways
Highway Ramps
Among other information, the traffic counts program provides peak Average Daily Trips (traffic
volume) figures for 176 local roadway segments (non-highway). For instance, Broad Street includes
17 segments along its entire length, as it transitions from a local collector at the north end of the city
(near Foothill), travels through downtown, and becomes a major arterial/state highway at the south
end of the city to the southern city limits (near Aero). Because this roadway facility serves in these
varying capacities, there are vastly different traffic volumes at the south end of the roadway
(exceeding 25,000 ADT) from the north end of the roadway (around 5,000 ADT). Additionally,
each of the 17 segments has varying lengths.
Vehicle miles of travel figures are commonly calculated, if sufficient traffic volume data is available,
by using the following formula:
(i) Segment Length (in miles) X Average Daily Traffic = Daily Vehicle Miles of Travel
(ii) Daily Vehicle Miles of Travel X 365 days = Annual Vehicle Miles of Travel
Segment lengths were calculated by using the City’s geographic information systems (GIS) roadway
network shape files to determine the segment length in miles. Shape files were created to reflect the
176 local roadway segments included in the traffic counts program, as well as the 46 highway
segments and highway ramps.
Several county highways are not within the city limits, but are major roadway facilities that connect
directly into the city-maintained roadway system; and therefore were included in the evaluation. For
example, Highland (from city limits to Mt. Bishop) connects east of Santa Rosa/SR-1 toward the
California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) campus. Also, southern portions of the city are
connected by a section of Tank Farm Road (between South Higuera and Broad Street/SR-227),
which is a county-maintained roadway.
It was determined to be necessary to count VMT on this section of roadway, as the city recently
annexed property north and south of Tank Farm to accommodate future residential and commercial
development in these areas (see the Airport Area Specific Plan and Margarita Area Specific Plan). It is
necessary to include VMT occurring on this roadway segment in the process of establishing the
baseline VMT figures, in order to track changes in VMT on this particular roadway. For the same
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reason, traffic volumes on Orcutt Road (between Johnson and Tank Farm) were included in the
baseline VMT figures, as future residential and commercial development is planned between Orcutt
Road, Tank Farm and the Union Pacific Railroad (reference the Orcutt Area Specific Plan).
U.S. 101 is a limited-access freeway facility through the San Luis Obispo, and there are many on-
and off-ramps to allow access to the city roadway network. The highway enters the city from the
north at Monterey Street and exits the city after the Los Osos Valley Road interchange in the south
end of the city. According to California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) figures, two-way
traffic volumes north of Monterey Street are approximately 40,000 Annual Average Daily Trips
(AADT), while two-way volumes south of Los Osos Valley Road are 62,000 AADT. A majority of
this traffic volume can be assumed to be pass-through traffic or traffic connecting to or from points
north or south of the city. Although U.S. 101 is operated and maintained by Caltrans, there are
segments of the highway in the middle of the city (i.e., between Madonna and Marsh), where
volumes exceed 62,000 ADT. The spike in vehicular volume along this stretch of freeway may
indicate that to some extent, there is some use of U.S. 101 as a local roadway, in order to bypass
downtown traffic or to connect from the north end of town to the Madonna area (or vice versa), as a
matter of convenience. At this time no standard emission reporting protocol exists that provides
definitive direction as to how to quantify vehicle mileage that occurs in a given community. For that
reason, all vehicle mileage from the Los Osos Valley Road exit to the Monterey Street exit was
counted in the community-wide emissions inventory.
Within the city limits, SR-1 (Santa Rosa) and SR-227 (Madonna/South/Broad) are primarily
utilized as major arterials, and are classified as such by the City’s Circulation Element. Although
operated and maintained by Caltrans, for all intents and purposes, the segments of these roadways
within the city limits serve local traffic.
U.S. 101 highway on- and off-ramps are included in the community-wide VMT figures. Although
these facilities are operated and maintained by Caltrans, the use of the on- and off-ramps indicates
that a vehicle is about to enter or exit the local roadway network.
For the purposes of analysis of vehicle miles of travel resulting from the traffic count data, the city
was split into eight subareas. The numerous traffic count segments were aggregated into these
subareas by using the traffic analysis zones utilized in the city-maintained traffic demand model. A
map showing the location of the VMT subareas and denoting the roadways for which traffic counts
are collected is included in section 3.4 of this document.
D.1.5 Solid Waste Sector
This sector calculates emissions for the decomposition of waste under a specified disposal method (in
this case, managed landfill). Due to a lack of information on the criteria air pollutants emitted from
the waste sector, the software only reports on the greenhouse gases being released by waste disposal.
There are two methods for calculating greenhouse gas emissions in the waste sector -- Methane
Commitment method and the Waste-In-Place method. The Methane Commitment Method, which
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was used in this inventory, quantifies the net lifetime greenhouse gas emissions from waste disposed
of in the active year. This method attributes all future emissions to the year in which the waste was
produced.
The San Luis Garbage Company provides solid waste disposal services for residents and businesses in
San Luis Obispo. The San Luis Garbage service area extends beyond city limits to include residential
properties and commercial businesses adjacent to the city.
San Luis Garbage indicated approximately 92% of their residential customers lived within the city
limits. The company provided totals of solid waste volumes for both residential and commercial
customers (without specifying whether waste was generated by a city or county customer).
Therefore, it was assumed that 92% of both residentially- and commercially-generated garbage was
from customers located within the City. The waste figures provided are for years 2005, 2006 and
2007.
The software uses a waste composition (waste stream) of the following categories: paper products,
food waste, plant debris, wood/textiles, and all other waste. Available data did not precisely fall into
each one of the above categories. However, the Utilities Department maintains data tracking solid
waste tonnage attributable to residences and businesses in San Luis Obispo. This data is
disaggregated into many categories of solid waste, including commercial haulers, cardboard, white
goods (appliances), and green waste, among others. With the assistance of Utilities Department staff,
the categories of solid waste were assigned into the aforementioned four categories, as well as “all
other waste”. This was done in order to reasonably represent waste composition generated by the
community before entering data into the software to calculate estimated emissions.
D.1.6 Air Travel
The San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport (McChesney Field) is a commercial service airport
located adjacent to the southeast limits of the city; with three airlines providing commercial air
service at the airport. The airport is operated by San Luis Obispo County, which precludes the City
of San Luis Obispo from having any operational control of the airport for purposes of this
greenhouse gas emissions inventory at the municipal operations level.
However, it is understood that residents and businesses of San Luis Obispo rely on the airport for
commercial air service. According to Caltrans’ Office of Aviation Planning, in 1995 there were
267,335 total passengers at McChesney Field. In 2006 there were 354,998 total passengers, a 33
percent increase in passenger service. It is not known what percentage of those passengers are San
Luis Obispo residents.
The San Luis Obispo Air Pollution Control District has completed a detailed study of take-offs and
landings at the airport by type of airplane. Greenhouse gas emissions from air travel are calculated in
a way similar to vehicle miles of travel. A primary determinant of the level of emissions is the
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transport fuel used in the vehicle or airplane. The Local Government Operations Protocol lists two
emission factors for use in the calculation of greenhouse gas emissions, in Table G.9 (Appendix G):
Aviation Gasoline, with an emission factor of 8.32 kg CO2 per gallon
Jet Fuel (Jet A or A-1), with an emission factor of 9.57 kg CO2 per gallon
However, the Protocol does not have a standard practice that allows for the calculation of emissions
generated by air travel to be attributed to an individual community. Emissions from community air
travel are more difficult to calculate and reasonably attribute to an individual community than other
mobile sources (i.e., vehicles), for obvious reasons, as airplanes spend a very limited amount of time
in a given community, let alone an air basin. A study of aircraft source emissions was completed by
the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District in August 2008, which considered all
aircraft exhaust emissions at the three commercial and general aviation airports in the county – San
Luis Obispo County Regional Airport, Oceano County Airport, and Paso Robles Municipal Airport.
It was determined that there were 59,033 landings and takeoffs (a total of 118,066 operations) at the
San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport during the year 2007.
A significant amount of energy is required for take-offs and landings. Due to the shorter commercial
flights available at McChesney Field, a greater percentage of energy necessary for a single flight (and
resulting emissions) occur at the airport itself, when compared to commercial airports offering cross-
country or international flights, such as Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) or San Francisco
International Airport (SFO).
As no standard protocol exists to calculate emissions from community and regional airports, specific
emissions figures are not included in this report. Additionally, an important goal of this emissions
inventory is to produce an inventory that is consistent with the methodologies of other inventories
across the state.
D.1.7 Freight and Passenger Train Travel
The Union Pacific Railroad owns the railroad tracks traveling through the community, and more
than a dozen freight trains pass through every day. Additionally, Amtrak provides passenger rail
service on both the Coast Starlight (with daily service to Klamath Falls, Oregon) and the Pacific
Surfliner (with twice-daily service to Los Angeles) lines. California jurisdictions that have completed
emissions inventories to date have not included rail travel, so in order to maintain consistency with
other inventories throughout the state, emissions generated from freight and passenger rail travel will
not be quantified in this report. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is working
to incorporate freight and passenger train travel in its current climate action planning efforts. As no
standard protocol exists to calculate emissions from passenger and freight rail traffic due to the
nature of interregional train travel, specific emissions figures are not included in this report.
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D.2 Municipal Analysis Data Collection Methodology
D.2.1 Building/Facility Sector
This sector calculates energy use (electricity and natural gas) and emissions associated with
government-owned and operated buildings. This includes leased office space or buildings. The steps
used to determine emissions include:
(a) Obtain electricity and natural gas billing records for necessary years (in this case, 2004 through
2007 were available). Records were available in the form of monthly billing records in extensive
spreadsheets.
(b) Extensive data compilation was performed to rearrange and aggregate monthly electricity usage
figures so as to present data as annual electricity usage figures for each building, park, or other
facility. Unit of measurement used in monthly bills is kilowatt-hours (kWh).
(c) City facilities were categorized, for purposes of the software, as either “Buildings”, “Streetlights”,
or “Water & Sewage” facilities. Facilities such as City Hall, Ludwick Community Center, the four
fire stations, parks, and the Corporation Yard were classified as “Buildings”.
(d) Natural gas usage figures were available for the following facilities:
City Hall, 990 Palm Street
Corporation Yard, 25 Prado Road
San Luis Obispo County Historical Museum, 696 Monterey Street
Fire Station #1, 2160 Santa Barbara Street
Fire Station #3, 1284 Laurel Lane
Jack House, 535 Marsh Street
Ludwick Community Center, 864 Santa Rosa Street
SLO Little Theatre/Old City Library, 888 Morro Street
Parks and Recreation Office, 1341 Nipomo Street
Police Department, 1042 Walnut Street
Public Works/Community Development/Parking Garage, 919 Palm Street
Senior Citizen Center, 1445 Santa Rosa Street
Sinsheimer Pool/Swim Center, 900 Southwood
Water Reclamation Facility, 35 Prado Road35
Utilities Administration, 879 Morro Street
D.2.2 Vehicle Fleet Sector
This sector calculates fuel usage and emissions associated with government-owned vehicle fleet(s).
The vehicle fleet information system has the ability to produce reports that, for a given time period,
identify vehicle mileage for individual vehicles. Fuel usage figures were collected separately, by
35 The Water Reclamation Facility is classified as “Water & Sewage”, whereas all other facilities are classified as “Buildings”.
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reviewing records of all bulk fuel purchases for city vehicles. These records indicate gasoline and
diesel purchases split between two separate accounts – Fire Department and General Vehicle Fleet.
However, there is no apparent way to link the quantity of fuel purchased with individual vehicles or
by vehicle fleet, except for the Fire Department vehicles as a fleet. The vehicle fleet information
system does provide vehicle miles of travel for the following vehicle types and data is entered into the
software using these categories:
Passenger Vehicles
On-Road Diesel Vehicles
Construction Vehicles
Police Vehicles
Transit vehicle fleet information is collected separately. First Transit, the transit operator for the
SLO Transit system, provides a monthly report to the city’s Transit Manager that includes transit
vehicle mileage by vehicle. Vehicle mileage and fuel usage total were recorded by month and annual
totals were calculated. There are 16 transit vehicles. Of these sixteen vehicles, fourteen are transit
buses that operate on diesel, while two are trolley vehicles. One trolley operates on diesel, the other
operates on gasoline.
D.2.3 Employee Commute Sector
This sector calculates fuel usage and emissions associated with travel to and from work by employees
of the government entity. A brief web-based survey using Survey Monkey was distributed via email,
requesting the following information:
(a) Typical weekly work schedule (5 days/week, “9/80” work week, or 3 days/week or less)
(b) Distance traveled to work (one-way)
(c) Primary mode of travel (drive alone, carpool, transit, motorcycle, bike, walk, other)
(d) Secondary mode of travel (if >20% of all work trips are made using this second mode)
Out of 370 employees36, approximately 250 responses were received, a high response rate (68%).
The assumptions utilized in the calculation of vehicle-miles of travel for employee commutes are as
follows:
The work year was assumed to be 50 weeks per year.
Respondents who selected “5 days/week” work 250 days/year.
Respondents who selected “9/80” work 225 days/year.
Respondents who selected “3 days/week or less” work 150 days/year.
Respondents who selected “Drive alone” were assigned all vehicle mileage traveled by those
trips.
36 This information was provided by April Craft in the Finance Department, and reflects total number of regular full-time city
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City of San Luis Obispo 2005 Baseline Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
Respondents who selected “Carpool” were assumed to be traveling with one other person;
thus assigned half the vehicle mileage traveled by those trips.
Respondents who selected Motorcycle were assigned all motorcycle trips for those trips;
mileage would be recorded under motorcycle in the software as opposed to vehicle mileage.
Respondents who selected Public Transit, Bicycle, or Walk were not assigned vehicle mileage
for those trips.
Secondary mode of travel was assumed to be utilized 20 percent of the time.
The methodology for calculating total vehicle mileage for each individual respondent was as follows:
(i) Mileage from the primary mode of travel was calculated first, using the following formula:
Number of days worked in a year X One-way distance to work X Assigned percentage from Primary mode
of travel
(ii) If a secondary mode of travel was reported, the result of equation (i) was multiplied by 0.80.
(iii) If a secondary mode of travel was reported, mileage from the secondary mode of travel was
calculated second, using the following formula:
Number of days worked in a year X One-way distance to work X Assigned % from Secondary mode of
travel
(iv) As the secondary mode of travel was assumed to be utilized 20 percent of the time, the result
of equation (iii) was multiplied by 0.20.
(v) To determine annual total of one-way vehicle mileage from primary and secondary modes of
travel, add (i) and (iii).
(vi) To determine annual total of two-way vehicle mileage, multiply (v) by 2.
(vii) To determine total vehicle mileage from employee commute for a given year, sum all
respondents annual total of two-way vehicle mileage [sum results for all respondents of (vi)].
(viii) Identify all mileage from motorcycle travel separately from vehicle mileage to differentiate
data when entering into software.
Recommendation for subsequent employee commute surveys: For purposes of the allowing data
entry to be more accurate, add the following questions to the survey:
(a) “What type of car do you drive?” (Light truck, SUV, compact, sedan, hybrid, other)
(b) “What type of fuel do you use?” (Gasoline, Diesel, Electric, other (specify))
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D.2.4 Streetlight and Traffic Signal Sector
This sector calculates energy consumption and emissions associated with government-operated
streetlights and traffic signals operated by the City. The steps used to determine emissions include:
(a) Obtain electricity billing records for necessary years (in this case, 2004 through 2007 were
available). Records were available in the form of monthly billing records in a spreadsheet format.
(b) Extensive data compilation was performed to rearrange and aggregate monthly electricity usage
figures so as to present data as annual electricity usage figures for each facility. The unit of
measurement used in monthly bills is kilowatt-hours (kWh).
(c) City facilities were categorized, for purposes of the software, as either “Buildings”, “Streetlights”,
or “Water & Sewage” facilities. The city’s 55 traffic signals and several records for city-owned
streetlights were classified under “Streetlights”.
D.2.5 Water Delivery Sector
This sector calculates energy consumption and emissions associated with government-operated water
delivery and wastewater delivery systems operated by the City. The steps used to determine
emissions include:
(a) Obtain electricity billing records for necessary years (in this case, 2004 through 2007 were
available). Records were available in the form of monthly billing records in extensive spreadsheets.
(b) Extensive data compilation was performed to rearrange and aggregate monthly electricity usage
figures so as to present data as annual electricity usage figures for each facility. The unit of
measurement used in monthly bills is kilowatt-hours (kWh).
(c) City facilities were categorized, for purposes of the software, as either “Buildings”, “Streetlights”,
or “Water & Sewage” facilities. Facilities included in the “Water & Sewage” sector include the
following:
Water treatment plant
7 water pump stations
2 Whale Rock pump stations
Several water tanks and wells associated with the water delivery system
(d) The results from the software were disaggregated to present the information in terms of water
delivery and wastewater treatment systems separately.
D.2.6 Wastewater Sector
This sector calculates energy consumption and emissions associated with government-operated water
delivery and wastewater delivery systems operated by the City. The steps used to determine
emissions include:
(a) Obtain electricity and natural gas billing records for necessary years (in this case, 2004 through
2007 were available). Records were available in the form of monthly billing records in extensive
spreadsheets.
(b) Extensive data compilation was performed to rearrange and aggregate monthly electricity usage
figures so as to present data as annual electricity usage figures for each facility. The unit of
measurement used in monthly bills is kilowatt-hours (kWh).
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(c) City facilities were categorized, for purposes of the software, as either “Buildings”, “Streetlights”,
or “Water & Sewage” facilities. Facilities included in the “Water & Sewage” sector include the
following:
Water reclamation facility
Effluent structure (northeast of Los Osos Valley Road and U.S. 101 interchange)
8 sewer lift stations
Several ancillary facilities associated with wastewater treatment system
(d) The results from the software were disaggregated to present the information in terms of water
delivery and wastewater treatment systems separately.
D.2.7 Solid Waste Sector
This sector calculates solid waste volumes and emissions associated with solid waste contributed by
local government operations and facilities. Emissions are based on the quantity of waste hauled to a
landfill from local government operations and the composition of the waste stream. The Methane
Commitment method is used to calculate all future emissions for annual waste generation, which is
then applied to the active year. In this case, the active year is 2005. The software uses a waste
composition (waste stream) default categories of the following: paper products, food waste, plant
debris, wood/textiles, and all other waste.
The Utilities Department maintains records of the estimated tonnage of solid waste that is generated
by city operations by city facility. San Luis Garbage provides service to the city facilities, as it does to
city residents and businesses. As is available to residents and businesses, three separate bins are
available – trash/refuse bins, recycle bins, and green waste bins. Therefore, the records maintained by
the city disaggregate overall figures for solid waste into three categories – trash, commingled recycle,
and green waste. City staff provided direction as to the general composition of refuse by the city
facility in order to approximately match the above five categories of waste the CACP software uses
for the overall waste composition.
For the purposes of the inventory, recyclables (or “commingled recyclables”) were classified as “all
other waste”. Additionally, green waste was classified as “plant debris”. About thirty city facilities
generate some level of solid waste. Depending on the nature of the city facility, it will vary in the
type of solid waste service it requires. For example, most of the city offices (including fire stations
and community centers) have all three collection bins – refuse, green waste, and recycling; while
most of the parks facilities will only have two collection bins – refuse and recycling. Due to data
availability, 2007 will be used as a proxy year for this particular sector.
D.2.8 Employee Business Travel Sector
This sector calculates emissions associated with government employees traveling on behalf of the city
in vehicles that are not owned or maintained by the city. These emissions are considered Scope 3
emissions. This includes emissions associated with personal and rented vehicles, mass transit, and air
travel. Employee business travel records, or travel reimbursement records, were available for the year
2005 for four departments, while another department had records available for 2008. This was used
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as a proxy year for 2005. Although not all of the department records explicitly stated whether or not
a personal vehicle or city vehicle was used to travel to employment-related events, it was determined
that approximately twenty percent of employee business travel was in personal or rented vehicles.
This percentage was then applied to the departments that did not have this data (vehicle driven)
available. Employee business travel records that indicated a city vehicle was used for the trip were not
included in this sector as the mileage would have already been accounted for in the Vehicle Fleet
sector.
All vehicle travel mileage was assumed to originate in San Luis Obispo unless otherwise stated.
Vehicle distance traveled was calculated using Google Maps. All air travel was assumed to originate
at the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport. Air travel distance was calculated using an online
air travel trip-planning website (www.expedia.com) to determine an approximate itinerary (i.e.,
determine all intermediate stops and associated distances) that may have been used to reach the
specified destination.
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Appendix E – U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement
(As endorsed by the 73rd Annual U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting, Chicago, 2005)
A. We urge the federal government and state governments to enact policies and programs to
meet or beat the target of reducing global warming pollution levels to 7 percent below 1990
levels by 2012, including efforts to: reduce the United States’ dependence on fossil fuels and
accelerate the development of clean, economical energy resources and fuel-efficient
technologies such as conservation, methane recovery for energy generation, waste to energy,
wind and solar energy, fuel cells, efficient motor vehicles, and biofuels;
B. We urge the U.S. Congress to pass bipartisan greenhouse gas reduction legislation that 1)
includes clear timetables and emissions limits and 2) a flexible, market-based system of
tradeable allowances among emitting industries; and
C. We will strive to meet or exceed Kyoto Protocol targets for reducing global warming
pollution by taking actions in our own operations and communities such as:
a. Inventory global warming emissions in City operations and in the community, set
reduction targets and create an action plan.
b. Adopt and enforce land-use policies that reduce sprawl, preserve open space, and
create compact, walkable urban communities;
c. Promote transportation options such as bicycle trails, commute trip reduction
programs, incentives for car pooling and public transit;
d. Increase the use of clean, alternative energy by, for example, investing in “green tags”,
advocating for the development of renewable energy resources, recovering landfill
methane for energy production, and supporting the use of waste to energy
technology;
e. Make energy efficiency a priority through building code improvements, retrofitting
city facilities with energy efficient lighting and urging employees to conserve energy
and save money;
f. Purchase only Energy Star equipment and appliances for City use;
g. Practice and promote sustainable building practices using the U.S. Green Building
Council’s LEED program or a similar system;
h. Increase the average fuel efficiency of municipal fleet vehicles; reduce the number of
vehicles; launch an employee education program including anti-idling messages;
convert diesel vehicles to bio-diesel;
i. Evaluate opportunities to increase pump efficiency in water and wastewater systems;
recover wastewater treatment methane for energy production;
j. Increase recycling rates in City operations and in the community;
k. Maintain healthy urban forests; promote tree planting to increase shading and to
absorb CO2; and
l. Help educate the public, schools, other jurisdictions, professional associations,
business and industry about reducing global warming pollution.