During this summer of persistent extreme heat, Fairfax County’s Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination (OEEC) and a network of interagency partners, local non-profits, generous residents, and volunteers, worked together to bring relief to residents of Harmony Place Mobile Home Park who were without sufficient air conditioning (AC), or no AC at all. This effort to “fill the gap” and enhance access to extreme heat-related services is in alignment with the county’s Resilient Fairfax Plan.

Extreme heat is the “silent killer,” and the leading cause of weather-related fatalities in the United States, far outpacing all others. The county administers federally-funded cooling programs that provide financial assistance and cooling equipment repair and installation for eligible residents.

Due to the eligibility criteria for these federal programs, there are residents who do not qualify due to income, age, disability status, or other factors, but would benefit from additional energy assistance.

A few examples of families in this situation included:

• A family with a child whose trailer was over 100 degrees inside on a hot day. 
• A family with a pregnant mother and her children who were without AC for over a year. 
• An adult male who had no AC at all at home. 

Within just a few days of being notified of the urgent situation at Harmony Place, government and non-profit partners across the county came together to create an innovative pilot project to provide window and portable AC units to these families.

Six additional communities have been selected for the Charge Up Fairfax program, an initiative to help community associations install electric vehicle charging stations to be shared by residents and their guests.

 The newly-selected communities are:

• Reflection Homes Association (Dranesville District)
• Shepherd Hills Homeowners Association (Mount Vernon District)
• Newbridge Cluster Association (Hunter Mill District)
• Waterview Cluster Association (Hunter Mill District)
• Westwood Village UOA (Hunter Mill District)
• Woodlake Towers Condominium (Mason District)

 “Getting more people to switch from gas-powered vehicles to electric and plug-in hybrids is critical to cut carbon emissions and improve air quality,” said OEEC Director John Morrill. “Charge Up Fairfax is helping to expand the local charging infrastructure and to make it easier for residents to choose clean energy vehicles.”

The Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination is seeking a dynamic leader in the energy, climate and environmental field to join our team as Deputy Director. This position will work closely with the office director, county staff, and community partners to advance climate mitigation, resilience and adaptation, as well as supporting other environmental initiatives.

As a Leader in the Green Business Partners program, GreenBrilliance has demonstrated its commitment to clean energy and sustainability through its actions, policies and programs.

Watch our latest video to see how the Herndon-based company has reduced its environmental impact by employing green features like power-saving LED lights with sensors, energy-efficient printers, and electric and hybrid vehicles for transportation, along with other energy saving initiatives.

Ready to join them? Visit the Green Business Partners Program page to learn more and apply.

Climate change continues to exacerbate flooding impacts, including here in Fairfax County. Weather-related flooding is already the most common and costly natural disaster across the United States.

Fairfax County continues its efforts to mitigate flooding problems for residents through the latest Floodplain Management Plan (FMP). The current plan, recently released by the DPWES Stormwater Management Program, provides an annual update on the implementation of flood mitigation actions and is a key requirement for the county’s participation in FEMA’s Community Rating System (CRS).

The Floodplain Management Plan, part of the Northern Virginia Hazard Mitigation Plan, outlines 30 actions Fairfax County is implementing to mitigate flooding.

To reduce carbon emissions and lower energy costs, Fairfax County is making energy efficiency an integral part of its facility management, capital improvement and renovation projects, including deep energy retrofits when possible.

These investments support the Operational Energy Strategy which has a goal of achieving carbon neutrality in county operations by 2040.

Through its energy performance contracting program, the county is identifying high-impact, energy-saving projects such as upgrading heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment, updating building automation & controls, improving water efficiency, installing solar photovoltaic systems, and where possible, replacing natural gas equipment with high-efficiency electric alternatives like heat pumps.

The first energy performance projects were completed in 2022 and more are in-progress, including work underway at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods and Oakmont Rec Center. As of early 2024, the county’s energy performance projects have resulted in annual avoided utility costs in excess of $471,000, and more than 900 tons of carbon emissions avoided, which are the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.

The Energy Conservation Assistance Program started in fiscal year 2016 and has approved nearly $116,000 in grants in support of 23 energy projects either completed or in progress, as of July 2024.

In total, these projects resulted in nearly $784,000 worth of efficiency upgrades for properties maintained by community organizations, nonprofits and places of worship. A few of the recent projects include energy audits at:

• Annandale United Methodist Church, Braddock District: $6,908 grant
• Lutheran Church of the Abiding Presence, Springfield District: $3,750 grant
• Mount Vernon Unitarian Church, Mount Vernon District: $2,902 grant
• Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church, Mason District: $3,750 grant

Is your homeowners association, nonprofit organization, or place of worship looking to make the buildings and grounds more energy efficient and resilient to climate change? Consider applying to the Energy Conservation Assistance Program today!

The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) recently announced that it was awarded $50.5 million from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to purchase new low emission, diesel-electric hybrid buses.

This significant investment will enable FCDOT to replace older buses as part of its ongoing fleet replacement plan, improving the efficiency and sustainability of public transportation in Fairfax County.

This funding is part of FTA's broader initiative, which includes approximately $1.5 billion in awards to support 117 projects aimed at enhancing public transportation across 47 states. Fairfax County was the only one selected within the Commonwealth.

Summer is in full swing, and Clean Fairfax has some ideas for how you can reduce waste by refusing single-use plastics and reusing food serviceware which can help turn off the tap of plastic pollution. Some ideas include:

• Skip the plastic wrap and carry food to your event in a reusable container made of glass, metal, or silicone. Try a bento box, a Mason jar, or Pyrex with a leak-proof lid.
• Instead of those red plastic cups that get used once and then thrown away, ask everyone to bring their own reusable water bottle or mug. Bring along one large container of your beverage of choice and let folks fill their bottle from it, over and over. If you can’t get away from providing cups, take a look at Ball’s aluminum cups - they are reusable and infinitely recyclable.
• You’re probably going to have to carry out a trash bag full of dirty plates, bowls, napkins, and silverware anyway, so why not invest in a reusable service ware that can be washed and reused next time instead of having to buy more? Scrape food scraps into a bag or pail and compost it when you get home.
• Make or buy a set of reusable paper towels or napkins. Check out Virginia Mercantile and Trace - The Zero Waste Store for local sourcing. Did you know that you can learn to sew at NOVALabs, a fun maker-space in Fairfax? You can also rent a sewing machine from JoAnn Fabrics and turn that old flannel sheet into dozens of hemmed reusable cloths!

Don’t get bogged down in sustainable perfectionism — tackle one thing at a time. Habits take effort to change! Enjoy your next al fresco gathering even more knowing that you are doing something positive for the planet.

If you think of it, take a pic and post to social media with the hashtags #TurnOffTheTap and #LitterFreeVA.

Fairfax County approved the Community-Wide Energy and Climate Action Plan (CECAP) with the goal of achieving zero waste by 2040 by diverting 90% of trash from landfills and incineration. The County is now updating its Solid Waste Management Plan to include actions that can help us reach our zero waste goal.

The Department of Public Works and Environmental Services is requesting feedback from residents on their current trash and recycling practices and their opinion on proposed countywide zero waste strategies through a quick online survey on the Public Input platform.

Survey responses will be summarized and shared with the Board of Supervisors to help inform their review of the draft Solid Waste Management Plan this winter. The survey will be open from August 1 through September 30, 2024.

There’s still time to enter the 2024 Conservation Youth Poster Contest — a national competition sponsored by the National Association of Conservation Districts and offered locally by the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District (NVSWCD).

This year’s theme — “May the Forest be With You, Always” — underscores the critical interplay between soil and water conservation and the resilience of our forests.

Local winners receive recognition and a prize from NVSWCD and are forwarded to the state competition. Virginia state winners will advance to the national contest. Poster submission is due by Sept. 27.

County residents, property owners, common interest communities (CIC) and places of worship may now be eligible for financial assistance with their floodproofing and mitigation efforts through the Flood Mitigation Assistance Program (FMAP).

The program took effect on July 1, 2024, through a partnership between the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES) and the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District (NVSWCD). Due to climate change, the county can expect an increase in heavy rainfall events that surpass the capacity of the stormwater management system, which will lead to more flooding. FMAP will be an invaluable resource to many who need assistance to protect their property.

Those who meet eligibility requirements may be reimbursed for 50% of the purchase and installation costs of approved flood reduction practices, up to $5,000 per property. Commercial properties are ineligible for the grant, as are residential properties in the towns of Vienna and Herndon.

Aug. 2-4 marks Virginia’s annual Sales Tax Holiday, offering residents a great opportunity to stock up on essential items without paying Virginia sales tax. The list of items includes a wide range of hurricane and emergency preparedness items as well as Energy Star™ and WaterSense™ products. The tax exemption also applies to school supplies, clothing, and footwear.

Savings are applied when you shop online, in-store, or by mail or phone.

Are you interested in learning more about what Fairfax County is doing to lower carbon emissions and build resilience to climate change and how your organization or community group can support these efforts?

OEEC has passionate and knowledgeable experts who can speak on topics like personal climate action, home energy use, and electric vehicles, as well as the county’s climate action plans. We also table at community events to spread the word about sustainability.

To request a speaker or resource table for your meeting or event, please complete our online request form. Requests should be submitted no less than 4 weeks in advance of the scheduled event, whenever possible  

Visit our Request a Speaker page to submit your request.