Synapse: This Week's News for LA’s Best Buildings
California’s Quest for Water Could Drive Up Carbon Emissions
A news report, released Thursday from nonprofit think tank Next 10 and researchers at the Pacific Institute, estimates that if California’s water demand and use stay the same, population growth means that urban water demand could increase 24% by 2035. That, in turn, could drive up water-related electricity use by 21% over that same time period, with an accompanying 25% increase in natural gas use.
LADWP's La Kretz Innovation Campus Recognized for Its Continued Commitment Toward Benefiting Local Communities
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), along with eight other publicly-owned electric utilities and water agencies, were recognized in the 2021 California Municipal Utilities Association (CMUA) Resource Efficiency & Community Service Awards for outstanding projects advancing best practices and innovative ideas in the water and power industry. LADWP took top honors in the Community Service Programs category for its facility, La Kretz Innovation Campus (LIKC), and its continued commitment to sustainability and L.A.’s green economy.
Clean, Efficient, Equitable Buildings Infrastructure
As part of its Build Back Better budget reconciliation proposal, the U.S. House of Representatives has included historic provisions to help clean up the homes and buildings in which we live, work, shop, and dine. Specifically, they have proposed approximately $50 billion in investments that will lower our energy bills, power our buildings with increasingly clean energy, improve indoor and outdoor air quality, and cut the greenhouse gas emissions that are driving the climate crisis.
These investments are an important first step, but they are a small down payment for what is necessary to truly meet the need for averting the worst impacts of the climate crisis and advancing equity as laid out in President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda.
Goldman Sachs Swarms to Real Estate Sustainability With Beehive Program
Alvéole, an organization that brings bees to buildings to help businesses improve engagement and sustainability goals, is partnering for the first time with the institutional real estate investor at more than 30 Goldman Sachs locations in major markets with eyes on future expansion as a standard offering. The initial launch at Goldman Sachs buildings in the New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and Denver regions coincided with National Honeybee Day on Aug. 21.
New DOE Microgrid Database To Help Build Resiliency, Cut Energy Costs
The U.S. Department of Energy has released a new, interactive tool that contains a comprehensive listing of microgrid installations across the United States. The Microgrid Installation Database on the Better Buildings Solution Center lists the nation’s 461 operational microgrids that provide a total of 3.1 gigawatts of reliable electricity.
Photo by Ethan Swope via AP Images