Local Government Energy Reporting - Toolkit

To learn more about this statute SECO webpage for Local Government Energy Reporting.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT ENERGY REPORTING TOOLKIT: 

Resources for Regional Agencies:

• Local Government Energy Reporting- Regional Mailout Letter_Template
  • In December, 2019, the North Central Texas Council of Governments sent out this regional mailout letter to increase awareness of the Local Government Energy Reporting Requirements. This template can be used as a basis to send out in other regions.
• COG Energy Reporting Technical Assistance Template  
  • As a regional resource, NCTCOG offered technical assistance to help various entities with understanding the parameters expected of them within the Local Government Energy Reporting. Other regions may use this template as an outreach tool for local entities. 
•  Leveraging COG Programs and Funding to Support Energy Management for Your Members 
  • In this webinar NCTCOG shares their energy management program experience and provides recommendations for COGs interested in leveraging existing funds to encourage energy management and efficiency intitatives for their member governments.

Resources for Local Governments:

• State Energy Conservation Office Webpage for Local Government Energy Reporting 
  • This webpage consolidates statutory references, the reporting portal and a Reporting Help Guide, and a Frequently Asked Questions guide to support local governments with completing reports. 
• Texas Energy Reporting Matrix
  • With multiple energy reporting requirements applicable across Texas, this matrix allows different entities to identify which reporting requirements are relevant to themselves.  
• Template to Start Using Energy Star Portfolio Manager
  • This template serves as a resource to aid local governments in developing and implementing an Energy Management Program or plan.  Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR Building Portfolio Manager is a free, online tool where local governments can measure and track energy and water consumption, as well as greenhouse gas emissions. The attached example utility data input template allows users to track their utility data over a longer term and upload into the Building Portfolio Manager all together.  
• Whitepaper: Texas’ Mandated Local Government Energy Reduction Goal: Challenges and Best Practices
  • This whitepaper produced by NCTCOG highlights challenges that affected political subdivisions face when trying to meet the local government energy reporting (LGER) requirements and provides recommended strategies to help meet the LGER requirements.
• SECO Resource: Preliminary Energy Assessments (PEA's)
  • Preliminary Energy Assessments (PEAs) provide cost-effective recommendations for resource efficiency measure that could be implements to reduce utility costs and consumption. PEAs are offered by SECO at no cost to municipal and county governments, independent school districts, county hospitals, port authorities, major airports, public water authorities and municipally owned utilities. A PEA details recommended cost-effective resource efficiency measures that could be implemented to reduce utility consumption or utility costs. See a library of PEAs completed for peer entities in North Central Texas here: Preliminary Energy Assessments (PEAS)- Conserve North Texas.  
• South-Central Partnership for Energy Efficiency (SPEER) Resource: Local Government / State Agency Energy Reporting FAQ
  • SPEER has developed a guide to support political subdivisions in submitting their annual local government energy report and help answer any questions about the reporting process.

Check out our following webinar presentations

• "Understanding Municipal Utility Bills and Tracking Consumption" - NCTCOG in collaboration with Texas Energy Engineering Services, Inc. (TEESI) walk through a typical monthly electricity, natural gas, and water bill and provide a brief overview of the state mandated Local Government Energy Report due to the State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) each year. Additionally, attendees will learn how to take their monthly utility data and input it into ENERGYSTAR Portfolio Manager as an effective energy benchmarking tool. View the webinar recording here.
• "Financing Energy Efficiency Projects for Facilities and Services" - NCTCOG in collaboration with the Texas Energy Services Coalition Chapter and the Texas PACE Authority, walked through energy savings performance contracts, loans and financing mechanisms, and Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs. View the webinar recording here.
• "Procurement Options to Support Energy Reduction for Local Governments" - A variety of procurement options are available to local governments to get energy efficiency projects started, ranging from purchasing cooperatives to cooperative procurement to RFPs. This webinar provides information about how your local government can streamline administrative burdens associated with acquiring energy efficiency products and services. View the webinar recording here.