best practices

This document addresses school owners, project teams, utility and fuel providers, and local stakeholders and identifies their roles in enacting Zero Energy school buildings. The document highlights the benefits of Zero Energy buildings such as increasing student performance, increased fiscal stability, and making communities more resilient.

The On-Demand Webinar Library serves as repository for both past and upcoming webinars relating to topics from Air Management to Zero Energy.

The NCTCOG whitepaper Integration of Energy Resilience into Hazard Mitigation Planning is intended to provide local governments and hazard mitigation planners with an assortment of energy resilience options to consider for incorporation into their Hard Mitigation Plans. The whitepaper is accompanied by the complementing Best Management Practices for Incorporating Energy Resilience into Hazard Mitigation Planning.

Texas is accustomed to extreme swings in weather and natural disasters which can impact the reliability and availability of energy services. These disasters are expected to increase as we deal with the impacts of a changing climate, leaving local governments in a position where more than ever they may need to consider incorporating energy resilience plans into their Hazard Mitigation Plans. 

Some of the options outlined in the whitepaper are faster to implement with quick wins while others take a longer-range planning approach with significant investment to ensure the greatest measure of energy resilience. Communities are encouraged to consider which measures best suit their needs, capabilities, budget, scale, and desired level of energy resilience. 
 

The Save Money and Reduce Truck Emissions (SMARTE) program aims to improve industry awareness of freight traffic effects on air quality, promote the use of SmartWay® verified technologies, and encourage industry specific best practices.

SmartWay® is a voluntary, public-private program created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that helps the freight industry reduce fleet emissions, improve fuel economy, and increase energy efficiency. The SmartWay program includes four major elements: SmartWay Transport Partnership, SmartWay Technology Program, SmartWay Vehicles, and SmartWay International Interests.

Jurisdictions interested in reducing the barriers to solar adoption can consider adopting the Solar-Ready Provisions to streamline their jurisdictional processes and provide consistency across the region.