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The 2,010 by 2010 Program (Slated to begin in 2008)

Introduction:

The 2,010 by 2010 program is an effort to reduce Dubuque, Iowa’s greenhouse gas emissions by the amount that 2,010 cars would produce annually, and we hope to achieve this by 2010.  So we’re not actually trying to take 2,010 cars off the road, but by implementing the 2,010 by 2010 plan, Dubuque will reduce its CO2 emissions by over 11,500 tons/year, which is the same amount emitted by 2,010 cars driven for one year [1].  Best of all, we could achieve this at no net cost per participating household!

Project Status & Needs:

We are currently recruiting local volunteers and discussing our plans with various local institutions and organizations in hopes of building a robust partnership between Green Dubuque, Alliant Energy, the Dubuque City Government, Dubuque area businesses, and, of course, the citizens of Dubuque.

We are also initiating a fundraising effort to support our city improvement projects, and hope to raise $40,000, which will be used for compact fluorescent light bulbs for the 2,010 by 2010 program (see below) as well as getting the word out about 2,010 by 2010 and other Green Dubuque efforts via advertising, informational sessions and materials, and our website.

We have high hopes for this project, and firmly believe that it will be an important part of the continuing growth and improvement of our city.  Here’s how 2,010 by 2010 will work:

Phase 1:

Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) use around 25% of the energy used by standard incandescent light bulbs2.  Replacing just six incandescent bulbs with six energy-efficient CFLs will prevent approximately 948 lbs of CO2 emissions annually, which is equivalent to the emissions prevented by taking over 0.08 cars off the road1 (or eliminating nearly 1,000 driving miles).  So, if all 22,560 Dubuque households3 replace six incandescent bulbs with six energy efficient CFLs, we will prevent approximately 10,688 tons of CO2 emissions annually, which is equivalent to taking 1,864 cars off the road1.

Phase 2:

Alliant Energy offers a program called Second Nature, which allows customers to support renewable energy equal to 25, 50, or 100 percent of their household electric usage.  Participating at the 25% level eliminates an average of 2.26 tons of CO2 per customer per year, which is equivalent to taking 0.39 cars off the road for one year1.  If all 22,560 Dubuque households participate at the 25% level, we will prevent approximately 50,895 tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually, which is equivalent to taking 8,876 cars off the road1.

Phase 3:  Combining phases 1 & 2:

If every Dubuque household replaces six incandescent bulbs with CFLs and participates in Alliant Energy’s Second Nature program at the 25% level, we will prevent CO2 emissions equivalent to:

That’s a grand total of 10,740 cars, which comes close to taking one car off the road for nearly six months for each of the 22,560 households in Dubuque1.  That would reduce Dubuque’s annual CO2 emissions by the same amount that would be emitted by driving the average passenger vehicle nearly 129 million miles1!

Implementing the 2,010 by 2010 Plan:

The Procedure:

The process is simple:  Each participating household receives six free CFLs in exchange for participating in Alliant Energy’s Second Nature program at the 25% level (or higher).  CFLs will be distributed via a voucher system in which, upon signing up for the Second Nature program, participants will receive vouchers for six free 15-25W CFLs (replacements for 60-100W incandescents) from participating local retailers, who will periodically tally the number of vouchers they receive and be reimbursed by Green Dubuque for the CFLs they distribute.

The Cost:

Participating in the Second Nature program at the 25% level will cost the average household $48/year4, or $96 total for a two-year commitment.  But in exchange, participating households will receive $20 worth of CFLs, over $73 in energy savings ($36.65/year[1] for two years), and $6 in savings on the incandescent bulbs that the CFLs are replacing6.  In summary:                   

What participants get: 

                $20 worth of CFLs 

                $73 of energy savings 

            + $6 saved on incandescent bulbs 

               $99 total savings 

What participants give: 

            $96 (assuming a 2-year participation in Second Nature at 25% level ($4/month)

Total Cost: 

            $96 total cost (assuming 2-year participation at ~$4/month)

          - $99 total savings

           -$3 (in other words, a $3 net profit)

So, it will cost the average Dubuque household nothing to reduce their annual CO2 emissions equivalent to driving one of their cars for just under six months (i.e. 5,713 driving miles)1.  Two years of participation prevents almost 10,500 driving miles worth of CO22 contribution by the same amount you would produce by driving 10,500 miles. emissions per household.  Just think about that; it will cost you nothing to reduce your CO

If just 20% of Dubuque’s 22,560 households participate in Green Dubuque’s 2,010 by 2010 program, it will prevent the CO2 emissions equivalent to removing 2,148 cars from the road1, which exceeds our goal of 2,010 cars by 2010.  And why stop there?  If the program is successful, it could be expanded in a very short time to include more Dubuque households and businesses, and then Dubuque could easily prevent the CO2 emissions associated with 10,000 cars or more!  Through these efforts, we envision Dubuque becoming a model of smart progress and efficiency for other cities and states to emulate as they follow our lead in reducing their contribution to global climate change.

Notes and references:

1)   Calculations and sources available upon request

2)   US Department of Energy & EPA (http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=cfls.pr_cfls)

3)   US Census Bureau.  2000.

4)   Table from Alliant Energy (http://www.alliantenergy.com/docs/groups/public/documents/pub/p014403.hcsp)

*Average monthly use for residential customers (800 kWh)

5)   6 CFLs for 4,512 households (20% of Dubuque total) comes to around 27,000 CFLs.  At wholesale prices, 27,000 CFLs will cost $40,000 or less, depending on the wattage of the bulbs acquired.

6)   Calculations for two-year cost savings on incandescent light bulb purchases (for replacing incandescents bulbs with six free CFLs): $0.50/incandescent * 6 incandescents/year * 2 years = $6 over two years, assuming that incandescent bulbs last about 1 year (1,000 hour typical lifespan) and CFLs last for several years (8,000-10,000 hour lifespan).  In other words, using 6 CFLs saves you from buying 12 incandescents over the two year period.