PALMDALE – Less than a week after receiving three awards from the High Desert Branch of the American Public Works Association (APWA), the City of Palmdale’s public works department added yet another award to its collection — this one for the Project of the Year in the Creative and Innovative category for the City’s energy action plan, presented by the Southern California Chapter of the APWA at its annual holiday dinner held on Wednesday, Dec. 7 in Lakewood.
Palmdale’s Energy Action Plan (PEAP) is a comprehensive outline of how several sustainability actions taken by the City will help achieve energy independence, energy efficiency and conservation, and land uses that reduce transportation time and costs to encourage jobs-creation and to identify strategies to increase investment in the local economy.
“Our staff worked long and hard to put together a comprehensive plan to help Palmdale achieve maximum results in its energy use and conservation,” said Palmdale’s Director of Public Works Mike Mischel. “It’s quite an honor to be recognized by your peers for a project as important as this, and I’m proud of everyone who played a role in creating this plan.”
The City was also recognized at the meeting for becoming the first agency in its chapter to become an APWA Accredited Agency.
Highlights from the PEAP include:
- The Palmdale Hybrid Power Plant, a project that will contribute to the City’s compliance with greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and sustainability related requirements.
- A GHG emissions study and evaluation with measures necessary for Palmdale to comply with GHG related legislation such as AB 32 and SB 375.
- Having a High Speed Rail station in the City is an important part of the City’s compliance with GHG and sustainability related requirements.
- Buying local also contributes to the City’s compliance efforts, especially since transportation comprises approximately 40% of the City’s GHG generation.
The plan is available for review on the City’s Web site at www.cityofpalmdale.org.
The American Public Works Association exists to develop and support the people, agencies, and organizations that plan, build, maintain, and improve our communities. Working together, APWA and its membership contribute to a higher and sustainable quality of life. For information on APWA, please visit www.apwa.net. The Southern California Chapter of the APWA covers member communities in the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino.
For more information about the PEAP, call Benjamin Lucha, Senior Administrative Analyst, at 661-267-5300.
(Information via press release from the City of Palmdale.)
Mayor Ledford says
Great work from dedicated professionals, that is what keeps our city focused as we work together to meet our goals.