Omaha, NE

Background

Omaha is the nation’s 42nd largest city in the country and has a population of 408,958. In 2009, the City hired its first sustainability coordinator to work on several energy efficiency grants awarded by the DOE. Since then, the City has implemented programs and tracked the resulting energy use reductions as well as dollar savings. The City will use these savings, both from an environmental and economic perspective, to facilitate future transactions involving energy efficiency upgrades.

The City of Omaha is taking a strategic approach to managing energy use and encouraging their community to tackle this very important issue. From energy efficiency projects implemented in 2011 and 2012, the City anticipates achieving a $500,000 annual reduction in energy costs. The City is committed to continuing to reduce energy use by 20 percent by 2020 in several key City buildings, including fire stations, police stations, libraries, community centers, and public works facilities. In total, the City of Omaha is committing 212 facilities, totaling approximately 4 million square feet, to the Challenge. In addition, Mayor Jim Suttle is extending this challenge to private building owners, the non-profit sector, churches, and schools. Many of these entities are eligible to receive technical assistance toward achieving their goals from the City’s reEnergize Program.