Climate and Energy Action Plan (CEAP)

Funding Funding for near-term actions of the CEAP will come from a variety of sources within the City budget depending on the type of action, the responsible department, and the legal and operational limitations of the particular funding source. Additionally, some of the actions recommended in the plan are expansion of existing City programs or efforts and therefore already have funding sources. However, incremental funding increases may be needed to meet the higher level of action called for in the plan. Current and potential funding sources include: • City general fund • Electric Utility revenues • Stormwater Utility revenues • Water Utility revenues • Bonneville Power Administration • Federal and state grants • Revolving loan funds • Newly identified funding sourcesAs the implementation commences in earnest, City staff and the proposed CEAP advisory committee should pay particular attention to additional funding sources. This examination should include exploration of specific grant opportunities targeted at individual plan actions, potential new local revenue streams such as from a carbon/fuel tax, and multi-jurisdiction or public/private partnerships to provide the resources needed for City and community goal achievement. OFFSETS Every time Ashland completes its greenhouse gas inventory, the City and community can evaluate the need to purchase carbon offsets to help meet emission reduction goals. Offsets provide a pathway for achieving emission reductions beyond what can be achieved internally. Purchasing offsets means counting emission reductions achieved by another party and often in another geographic area. For example, Ashland could purchase offsets from Bonneville Environmental Foundation, which offers emissions reduction credits from regional and global renewable energy projects, forest enhancement projects, and waste methane and heat capture projects. When an entity sells their carbon offsets, those emission reductions cannot be counted by anyone except the party that purchased the offsets, thereby minimizing the risk of double counting. 109ASHLAND CLIMATE & ENERGY ACTION PLANIMPLEMENTATION PLAN ASHLAND CLIMATE & ENERGY ACTION PLANIMPLEMENTATION PLAN