Energy Commission (Inactive)

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The Energy Commission is inactive. Please visit the Sustainability and Resiliency Commission page.

The Rochester Energy Commission was created in 2009. The Rochester City Council has charged the Commission with a leadership role in the development of the City's sustainable energy future. By the direction of the Council, and assistance of City Staff, the Commission has the following objectives:
  • Creation of a baseline inventory of energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
  • Recommendation of targets to lower energy use and GHG emissions.
  • Development of a local Energy Action Plan as part of the City's Comprehensive Plan to implement actions that reduce energy use and GHG emissions to targeted levels.
  • Implementation of the local Energy Action Plan.
  • Measurement, verification, and reporting of performance.

Rochester's Energy Action Plan

Sustainability goals

Implementing the Energy Action Plan

Rochester emissions per capita bar graph 2020 update

Goals 2017-2022

  • GHG emissions reductions of:
    • 15% by 2015
    • 30% by 2025
    • 80% by 2050

In September 2022 the City Council adopted new targets reflecting

  • GHG emissions reductions of:
    • 50% by 2030
    • 100% by 2050

To help meet the City's adopted goals a GHG reduction impact analysis was completed in 2022. This analysis outlined the top five priority areas the city can focus on to see the greatest impact in emissions reductions.

CoR GHG emissions reduction opportunity categories

 The Commission has assisted on the following accomplishments to date:

  • LED Street Lights
  • Retro-commissioning of City Hall
  • Support of RPU’s 100% Renewable Resource Plan
  • Guidance and support for City Building Temperature Guidelines
  • Addition of a City Facility Manager position
  • Creating of Sustainability Office for City of Rochester
  • City idling policy
  • Adoption of updated GHG emissions reduction goals in alignment with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Regional Indicators Initiative: Measuring City-Wide Performance

Tracking Rochester’s performance through key indicators is essential to assessing progress and promoting efficiency. Actual data is collected for four primary indicators – energy, water, travel, and waste - which comprise over 90% of the total GHG emissions for the City of Rochester. GHG emissions and the retail costs to the consumer associated with each of these indicators is also collected, providing a common metric to compare the economic and environmental impacts of each. Click THIS LINK to visit the website for more background on the initiative and to explore the data. 

The Rochester Energy Commission shall consist of nine members. The Mayor shall appoint the Commission members with the City Council's advice and consent. One member of the Commission shall be a current City Council member.
  • John Goetz, Chair    
  • Amanda Holloway, Vice-Chair
  • Dave Reichert
  • Roger Nelson
  • Ivan Idso
  • Jidong Zhang
  • Gwen Stevens
  • Wesley Varela
  • Kelly Rae Kirkpatrick, Council Representative
  • Steven Nyhus, Ex-Officio

Click here to access the online application for a position on the Energy Commission.

Click here to email the Energy Commission. 

Meeting Information

For meeting agendas, packets and minutes go to the City's Meeting Portal.