Sustainability, reduced energy usage, and efficiency are key goals behind the Energy Wise Ogden Strategic Implementation Plan that brings residents, businesses, and city leaders together to create a stronger quality of life for all. This plan was enacted in 2020, after Ogden City partnered with Utah Clean Energy in hopes that various energy saving programs offered through both state and local agencies would increase energy resiliency and create job opportunities.
Lorenzo Long is Sustainability Coordinator for Ogden, and part of his job is to keep the city on track to meet those goals. The job takes him to all corners of Ogden whether he’s working with the city’s vehicle fleet as they install charging stations or as he directs the Natural Resources and Sustainability Stewardship Committee, researching efficient recycling options. “There’s a lot of different people I work with because every department has a hand in sustainability. My job is to coordinate all those moving parts,” explains Long. The Energy Wise Ogden Plan leads the collaboration not only within local government, but also residents, businesses, and state utility programs.
Homeowners continue to take advantage of programs such as Thermwise through Dominion Energy and Rocky Mountain Power’s Wattsmart, but many local businesses aren’t aware they can also benefit from these energy-saving programs. This is a key piece to Ogden City meeting their Energy Wise goals. “Residents make up 90% of utility customers in Ogden, but business uses up to 70% of the energy consumed in the city,” explains Long. That means these programs can not only help with the bottom line of local businesses, but Ogden city as a whole. He goes on to say, “Helping the business community become more energy efficient is a huge part of the city becoming more efficient. A way to implement that is to meet with these businesses.”
After a request from Ogden’s Sustainability Committee and Business Development, representatives from Rocky Mountain Power, Dominion Energy, Intermountain Industrial Assessment Center, kW Engineering, and Utah Clean Energy recently met with the area’s small businesses to discuss cost-saving opportunities. This business roundtable connected several small businesses to those incentives. Ogden City Business Development Manager, Sara Meess, saw many positives come out of the roundtable, “We're excited to see the wide array of energy savings programs and incentives that are currently available for businesses. The roundtable speakers provided a great introduction to these resources and emphasized that they can help businesses to navigate these programs.”
Taking advantage of these programs will improve the economic position of local businesses and help the residents in Ogden get closer to the goals of sustainability and efficiency. “Reach out, you could potentially be missing out on a lot of monetary savings,” says Long. “If you have a facility that is energy efficient, you are going to be saving money and that can help your business.”
Ogden City will host another roundtable highlighting ways to save on energy bills. Details are currently being hammered out, but Long expects it to be this summer. Unlike the last meeting, this one will be virtual, making it more accessible. Ogden City has two more years to meet the energy goals outlined in the Energy Wise Ogden Strategic Implementation Plan. Right now, Long says we’re on track, but there’s still far to go. “What these programs mean is energy savings and energy efficiency, which makes us a more resilient community,” says Long. “Those savings translate into some real-world effects. By pursuing these programs, we become a stronger community.”