Strategic Energy & Water Management Plan

The Town of Black Mountain has committed itself to the goal of continually improving its energy and water efficiency. Investing in measures that reduce and conserve the use of energy in municipal facilities and other town managed properties protects both the environmental interests of the community and saves valuable tax dollars over time. In the spirit of environmental protection and fiscal responsibility, in 2015, the Town of Black Mountain updated its Strategic Energy and Water Management Plan to guide future goals and provide an analysis of current energy use of town-operated facilities. The Strategic Energy and Water Management Plan focuses on the four major categories of municipal energy use: buildings and parks, streetlights, the water department, and vehicle fuel consumption.

Goals

In each section, analysis of current conditions and future strategies to achieve specific goals for each category are discussed. The town developed the strategic energy and water plan with the following goals:

• Continuing improvements in efficiency for good stewardship of our environment and energy resources
• Reduce energy consumption of town facilities and fleet operation
• Produce water efficiently and promote conservation of its use
• Reduce costs for our citizens and taxpayers

Accomplishment Examples

The Town of Black Mountain has a record of being conscientious about energy efficiency. Examples of recent accomplishments include: 

• Major improvements in building heating and cooling and lighting efficiency, (especially in the Carver Center, which saw a over a 50% reduction in energy use between 2013 and 2014)
• Conducting energy audits on major town buildings
• Permitting a biodiesel pump and purchasing two electric-powered vehicles for the fleet
• Installing solar power on the town Emergency Services radio tower

Strategies

In order to build upon past success, the town is committed to improving efficiency in the years to come by making changes that are outlined within the strategic plan. The initiatives included in the strategic plan are far reaching and would result in major energy savings across a variety of town departments. Strategies included in the plan that are considered top priority are:

• Upgrading the lighting systems in town owned buildings
• Annually review electric bills for water production in relation to operating times
• Track fleet fuel usage and costs
• Develop a fuel conservation plan for fleet vehicles and rightsizing the fleet

The Town of Black Mountain also encourages residents to look into energy saving techniques for their homes and businesses. Making simple switches can lead to major energy savings.