They offer residents rebates for being environmentally friendly
Straits Times 29 Dec 07;
PARKLAND (FLORIDA) - FREE hybrid-car parking. Cash rebates for installing solar panels. Low-interest loans for energy-saving home renovations.
Frustrated by what they see as insufficient action by state and federal government, municipalities around the country are offering financial incentives to get people to go green.
'A lot of localities recognise they are going to get a lot more done using carrots and incentives rather than regulatory means,' said Mr Jason Hartke, director of advocacy for the US Green Building Council.
In Parkland, Florida, where the motto is 'Environmentally Proud', the city plans to begin dispensing cash rebates to its 25,000 residents next year for being more environmentally friendly.
'We will literally issue them a cheque,' said Vice-Mayor Jared Moskowitz.
'We are sick of waiting for the federal government to do something, so we have got to do what we can.'
Residents who install low-flow toilets or shower heads will get US$150 (S$220). Replacing an old air-conditioner with a more energy-efficient one brings US$100.
Buying a hybrid car? An additional US$200 cash back. And the list goes on.
Based on an estimate of 1,000 residents participating in the rebate programme during the first year, the city predicts it will cost up to US$100,000.
'Could this bankrupt the city if the programme grows by leaps and bounds?' Mr Moskowitz asked.
'I can only wish that so many residents want to go green that that becomes an issue.'
Many states already offer similar rebates and incentives through tax breaks, loans and perks such as allowing hybrid-car drivers to use car-pool lanes.
Utilities have long provided incentives to buy energy-efficient appliances, solar panels and toilets that use less water. The federal government also offers tax incentives for the purchases of many hybrid vehicles and energy-saving products.
Still, for many cities, it is just not enough.
'In terms of waiting for the federal government, we have waited a long time, and frankly, we have not gotten very much,' said Mr Jared Blumenfeld, director of San Francisco's Department of Environment.
'And how do you change someone's behaviour? The simple answer is cash.'
Starting next year, San Francisco will offer home owners rebates of up to US$5,000 for installing solar panels if they use a local contractor.
Coupled with state and federal incentives, that could cut in half the US$21,000 cost for an average household, Mr Blumenfeld said.
The city will also cover up to 90 per cent of the costs of making apartment buildings more energy-efficient, and will pay residents US$150 to replace old appliances.
Meanwhile, in Arizona, many cities pay residents to replace grass with artificial turf or plants that use less water. Scottsdale, outside Phoenix, will pay up to US$1,500.
'We are in the middle of a desert, and water is absolutely the most precious resource we have,' said city spokesman Mike Phillips.
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