June 2017 Group Watch: Birmingham to Reduce Greenhouse Emissions
Birmingham Mayor William Bell recently announced that he will join a network of more than 200 mayors in the United States supporting local efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change. The City is investing about $61.3 million in upgrades to reduce energy usage and save the city $100 million over the next two decades. Birmingham is expected to see a $3.2 million savings the first year. The project is expected to take about two years and will include replacing lights in city buildings with LED lights; replace plumbing fixtures with low-flow fixtures; and institute a control system for energy systems across all city buildings, which will allow the city to control lights and HVAC when buildings are not occupied. According to the mayor’s office, some 10,022 streetlights have been converted to LED so far.
