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July 31 is the last day to sign up for Solar Over Louisville, a program hosted by Louisville Metro Government, the Kentucky Solar Energy Society, and the Louisville Sustainability Council, that connects participants with vetted solar installers and offers a wholesale 15-23% discount on solar installation.
Signing up makes you eligible to receive a free, no-obligation quote from one of our vetted solar installation partners, Icon Solar Power or Solar Energy Solutions. Participants will have until the end of September to sign contracts if they choose to proceed with solar installation. Going solar reduces energy costs, supports local solar jobs, and helps Louisville meet its 100% clean energy goals.
Learn more and sign up today: www.100PercentLou.com/2040.
The Mayor's Office of Sustainability is excited to welcome Natalie Kincheloe, our Sustainability Specialist, to the team!
Natalie earned her Master's in Geosciences and Bachelors in Environmental Studies from Western Kentucky University with research interests in sustainability, climate change, environmental education and water resources. She has spent time in Iceland conducting research on climate change perceptions among tourists and has spent the past few years working in analytical laboratories in both Bowling Green, KY and Missoula, MT. She is thrilled to be back in her homeland of Louisville and to be working towards green initiatives with the Mayor's Office of Sustainability!
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Changing climate patterns and an increasing number of extreme weather events profoundly impact human health and well-being, posing significant challenges locally and globally. More frequent heat waves, extended droughts, devastating flood events and altered ecosystems all contribute to a range of health risks.
Louisville Business First and the University of Louisville Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute are bringing together a panel of experts from different fields – healthcare, government and the arts – to discuss the myriad health impacts of a changing climate and the steps we can take as a community to mitigate them.
Moderator & panelists:
- Moderator: Dr. Wayne Tuckson, Colorectal surgeon and host of Kentucky Health on KET
- Dr. Aruni Bhatnagar, Environmental cardiologist and Director, Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute
- Dr. Kim Williams, Cardiologist and chair of University of Louisville’s Department of Internal Medicine
- Barbara Lynne Jamison, General Director & CEO, Kentucky Opera
- Sumedha Rao, Executive Director of the Mayor's Office of Sustainability, Louisville Metro Government
The panel members will discuss strategies to develop resilience and equitable policies that prioritize the health and well-being of all communities.
Event details:
Thursday, August 10
8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
The Olmsted
Click here to register https://bizj.us/1qiwbl
As Earth continues to shatter heat records, especially exacerbated by the El Nino this year, Louisville Metro Government continues to work on reducing the impacts of urban heat locally.
How does urban heat impact your neighborhood?
A recent story by the Courier Journal highlights hyperlocal data released by Climate Central that provides a neighborhood-by-neighborhood breakdown of the impacts of urban heat in Louisville.
Staying safe during extreme heat this summer
Mayor Greenberg, standing with representatives of the National Weather Service, community health leaders, and first responders last week issued an advisory and resources to exercise caution during high heat days, including information on heat related illnesses, designated cooling centers, and more. Read the full press release.
Cooling energy assistance now available
As of last week, Louisville Metro Office of Resilience and Community Services has started accepting applications for the 2023 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Summer Subsidy Cooling Component and the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP). These federally-funded programs are designed to help offset the cost of higher utility bills. Applications will be accepted beginning July 25, 2023, through Sept. 22, 2023, or until funds are depleted. Learn more.
Cool Roof Incentive Program
To mitigate urban heat island, Louisville Metro Government offers an incentive of $1 per square foot through the Cool Roof Incentive Program to any residential or non-residential property that has installed a certified Cool Roof within the last 3 years. A majority of the funding is allocated to high heat districts, which include Council Districts 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 14, and 15, but funding is currently available in all Council District across Louisville/Jefferson County. Louisville Metro encourages property owners to apply!
On Earth Day, Mayor Greenberg received a letter signed by 90+ citizens urging his administration to act expeditiously to slow climate change. In response, Mayor Greenberg committed to publicly sharing monthly updates on the city's efforts as we embark on the task of slowing climate change, particularly in the power generation and transportation sectors, per the citizens' letter. These regular progress updates will be shared in this section of this monthly newsletter from the Office of Sustainability.
Energy and Power Generation:
- Metro continues to make progress on advancing energy efficiency in government buildings through the work of Energy Manager Zachary Tyler. Energy savings have now crossed $1.8 million, 80% of which will be reinvested into energy efficiency and clean energy projects in Metro facilities. Find the latest quarterly energy report on Louisville Metro's Energy Dashboard.
- Metro has renewed conversations with LG&E to explore options to meet its goal of 100% clean electricity for Metro Government operations by 2030.
- Metro's Office of Sustainability continues to administer the Cool Roof Incentive Program, the Solar Over Louisville program, the U.S. Department of Energy-supported Communities Local Energy Action Program, and recently published the Green Resources For Residents guide to help residents better access the benefits of energy efficiency and clean energy.
- Louisville Metro Government (LMG) has joined Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government (LFCUG) to intervene in Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities' filing with the Kentucky Public Service Commission that seeks to build new fossil fuel infrastructure, solar facilities, battery storage facilities, deploy demand side management programs, and retire coal plants. Case filings can be accessed here.
Transportation
- The Complete Streets Coalition continues to utilize an innovative participatory budgeting process to implement road safety improvements expeditiously, with an average time to construction of 2.5 months. Metro Public Works continues to make progress on Vision Zero initiatives.
- The Office of Planning has announced that CycLOUvia will return to Three Points on September 10 to reimagine our streets without cars.
- Metro continues to transition its fleet to electric vehicles and pursue funding to support this transition.
Land Use and Development
- Mayor Craig Greenberg and the Owsley Brown II Family Foundation announced that Louisville Metro Government and the Foundation have together committed $1 million to the preservation nonprofit Vital Sites. The money will establish a revolving loan fund to assist owners of historic properties in completing eligible repairs to stabilize and revitalize those structures. The fund will prioritize properties in underrepresented neighborhoods, including those in west Louisville.
- As part of Land Development Code reform process, Planning and Design Services launched a dedicated Middle Housing website to share resources on housing diversity.
Air Quality
- The Air Pollution Control District invites businesses to sign-up to be Air Quality Action Partners to improve air quality in Louisville. In 2022, 23 businesses voluntarily took action to reduce air pollution and in 2023, 29 have already signed up to participate.
Waste
- Metro Solid Waste Management Services continues to host Pop-up Drop-off waste disposal events for hard-to-recycle items. The next event is on August 26 at the University of Louisville Shelby Campus.
While this list is not comprehensive, the Office of Sustainability will strive to highlight sustainability efforts across Metro more substantially as we increase staffing capacity.
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