Community discussion, Sept. 6, 2023

Welcome to all in attendance tonight and a special thanks to Scott Sklar, and Demetra McBride.  Delegate Patrick Hope was going to speak tonight, but had to attend emergency session of the General Assembly in Richmond.

Our purpose tonight is to provide more information to Arlington residents about how the county can get to a carbon neutral future by 2050 as the county board determined as our goal in 2019.  Over the past decades, advances in building materials and solar and geothermal heating and cooling, and design have made it possible to build and operate homes and commercial buildings that are truly carbon neutral. 

It is far cheaper to build such buildings new rather than attempt to renovate, and thus critical to start with a carbon neutral design.  About one percent of existing buildings and homes are demolished or substantially remodeled every year, and thus over the next 30 years or so, all existing homes and buildings will be torn down or remodeled in Arlington.

Goal set in the CEP for carbon reduction:  36% drop during 2012-21

The county community energy plan (CEP) adopted in 2019 gave details on energy use in the county and some approaches to getting to carbon neutrality.  The CEP indicated that about 62 percent of carbon emissions in the county come from buildings, both residential and commercial