June 7, 2007
Contact: Natalie Lewis, Assistant to the Mayor and Council, (480) 312-7806
Scottsdale Mayor Manross wins national
award for energy leadership
Scottsdale’s mayor will be among a select group of national leaders recognized at a key forum on energy efficiency in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, June 13.
The 18th annual Energy Efficiency Forum will present the Mayor’s Energy Leadership Award to Mayor Mary Manross, who will join members of Congress and other national and international leaders being honored for their commitment to energy efficiency.
Scottsdale was the nation’s first city in 2005 to adopt a goal that all new municipal buildings should be LEEDTM certified at the “gold” level. LEEDTM stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is a standard set by the United States Green Building Council. In May, the new Granite Reef Senior Center met the LEED goal and other facilities are in line for certification. In 2006, Scottsdale’s Green Building Program received the Award of Excellence for large cities during the annual Governor’s Awards for Energy Efficiency.
Gov. Janet Napolitano praised Scottsdale’s focus on green building and energy sustainability as “a great example for governments across the country.”
“I am proud that Mayor Manross will be in Washington representing an Arizona city that is leading the way,” the Governor said.
“This is an honor for our entire community, our citizen board and committee members, staff and management and my fellow City Council colleagues,” said Mayor Manross. “Successes like this are not accomplished by one individual alone—it takes a team of caring, passionate and committed citizens, staff and policy makers. I dedicate this award to them.”
The Energy Efficiency Forum is co-sponsored by the United States Energy Association – which represents public and private energy-related organizations, corporations and government agencies -- and Johnson Controls, Inc, a global company specializing in building efficiency and power solutions.
The Energy Leadership Awards were established in 1991 to recognize public officials who have provided exemplary leadership in instituting and advancing energy efficiency in the United States and abroad. Past recipients have included Senators Hillary Clinton and John Glenn, EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell and Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger.
“The award is well-deserved because of Mayor Manross’s strong leadership in this area, the support of the City Council and the substantial results that Scottsdale can show for its efforts,” said James Mulloy, member of the city’s Environmental Quality Advisory Board, and chairman of the Energy Advisory Committee. The advisory committee comprises volunteers who provide guidance on the prioritization of environmental activities and programs in Scottsdale.
Some of the city’s noted energy-related accomplishments include the following:
• The LEEDTM policy adopted in 2005 and the certification of Granite Reef Senior Center in May as the city’s first “gold level” LEED building.
• The city’s expanding Green Building Program. In 2005 and 2006, more than a third of new single-family homes built in Scottsdale met energy and environmental standards to qualify for “green” building permits.
• The city’s Green Lights initiative, which retrofitted about 1.2 million square feet of space in city buildings with fluorescent lighting that is 50 percent more energy efficient than the lighting it replaced.
• The city’s use of LED traffic signal lights that use 75 percent less energy than conventional traffic signals.
• Energy efficient air conditioning and cooling system retrofits of most city buildings that use up to 65 percent less energy.
• Installation of solar power systems at city facilities, including Granite Reef Senior Center, North Corporation Yard parking area, Civic Center Library, Mustang Library, Scottsdale Water Campus, WestWorld and the Scottsdale Airport.
• Use of solar power for flood monitoring systems at McCormick Ranch and the Indian Bend Wash and installation of a local, solar powered weather station.