Hartford
City Scorecard Rank
18
Hartford, CT
46.00Scored out of 100Updated 10/2020
Community-Wide Initiatives
Score: 4.5 out of 15 points
Community-Wide Summary List All
The City of Hartford adopted the Climate Action Plan in 2018.
In 2012, the Hartford City Council, in partnership with neighborhood associations and the Advisory Council on the Environment, organized a regional energy summit for local and surrounding communities, the Hartford Environmental Summit. During the summit, the city discussed steps communities can take to transform into sustainable communities. Otherwise, Hartford has few community-wide initiatives related to energy efficiency, but does pursue strategies that reduce the urban heat island effect.
Last updated: September 2021
Community-Wide Climate Mitigation and Energy GoalsList All
Climate Mitigation Goal
In its comprehensive plan, Hartford's Energy Improvement District Board states its goal of reducing GHG emissions 45% below 2001 levels by 2030. ACEEE was unable to project if the city will achieve its near-term community-wide GHG emissions reduction goal because insufficient GHG emissions data were available for our analysis.
Energy Reduction Goal
Hartford does not have a quantitative community-wide energy reduction goal, though it aims to reduce energy use through programs like the Energy Equity Challenge. The Climate Action Plan also states broad intentions to reduce energy use.
Renewable Energy Goal
We did not find information regarding a quantitative community-wide renewable energy goal for the city, but the Climate Action Plan states the intention to increase renewable energy use.
Last updated: September 2021
Equity-Driven Approaches to Clean Energy Planning, Implementation, and EvaluationList All
Equity-Driven Community Engagement
While developing the Climate Action Plan, Hartford's Office of Sustainability co-hosted meetings with local grassroots organizations such as the Center for Latino Progress's BiCi Co., Keney Park Sustainability Project, and KNOX. These meetings were also held after traditional working hours and were family-friendly, which resulted in much more diverse community representation.
The Hartford Office of Sustainability is working to ensure that its events are held in partnership with grassroots nonprofits, resident activists, youth, and local resident-run Boards and Commissions. The city specifically reaches out to different stakeholder groups when hosting events and has designed grant-funded programs with nonprofits rooted in community action. When the city hosts resident climate action meetings, it does so after traditional working hours, and designs them as family-friendly so that childcare is not an issue.
While resident climate action meetings provide information to citizens regarding clean energy initiatives, we were unable to determine if they also focused on engaging marginalized groups in a discussion to elicit their feedback or suggestions regarding implementation of multiple initiatives connected with the city’s Climate Action Plan.
Equity-Driven Decision-Making
The City’s Climate Stewardship Initiative, which is made up of the Climate Stewardship Council (CSC) and the Office of Sustainability, is working to achieve equitable outcomes for marginalized residents. The 34-member CSC, which was founded by Mayor Bronin, brings together residents, neighborhood revitalization zone groups, representatives of key area boards and commissions, grassroots nonprofits, and more. The city’s Climate Action Plan reflects feedback solicited by the CSC from 200 stakeholders. The Plan was brought by CSC members to neighborhood meetings, local Boards and Commissions staffed by resident volunteers, and the City Council, for feedback. The city hosted a national conference that brought together practitioners from across the country to review the Plan and ensure that every effort was made to use best practices. The CSC makes recommendations to the Mayor related to environmental justice issues. A list of Climate Stewardship Council members is available here.
While Hartford's Climate Stewardship Council advises the Mayor on environmental justice issues, it is also focused on economic development and public health. We were also unable to verify if the Council's membership consists of residents from marginalized communities.
Equity Accountability Measures
When the Climate Action Plan was adopted by City Council, the related resolution requires the Office of Sustainability to report annually on progress related to the Plan. The Plan features three core shared values: social equity, economic development and public health. The Office of Sustainability must report on the ways in which the plan fundamentally improves these three areas.
While the Office of Sustainability must report on its progress towards achieving equitable outcomes, we were unable to determine if the city has adopted specific goals, metrics, or protocols to track how multiple climate action initiatives are affecting local marginalized groups.
Last updated: September 2021
Clean Distributed Energy ResourcesList All
Article XIV of the Hartford Municipal Code created the Energy Improvement District (EID). The purpose of the EID and its board is to enter contracts for the creation of several distributed energy resources.
Hartford's EID recently released a request for proposal for the installation of a community solar system. The EID identified battery storage as a resource that may be included in proposals.
Last updated: September 2021
Mitigation of Heat Islands List All
UHI Mitigation Goal
The city’s Climate Action Plan established a goal to plant 2,500 trees per year and to increase urban canopy coverage to 40%. Additionally, the City of Hartford and KNOX, a local nonprofit, commissioned American Forests to create Hartford’s Urban Tree Canopy Assessment & Planting Plan. The plan includes an urban heat island mitigation goal to plant 20,000 trees in 20 years between 2010 and 2030, increasing the city's tree canopy by 10%.
UHI Policies and Programs
The City of Hartford’s zoning code includes both incentives and provisions for low impact development. Zoning Code 4.3.2.E.(5) allows density bonuses for developments that include a green roof. Chapter 4 of the Zoning Code also places impervious surface limitations based on the development type. Zoning Code 6.14 requires low impact development on private construction projects, and prohibits developers from altering the project site in a way that would increase the volume of stormwater runoff. Zoning Code 6.14.1.B also requires developments restore the floodplain to its natural purpose where feasible.
Last updated: September 2021
Buildings Policies
Score: 12 out of 30 points
Buildings Summary List All
The City of Hartford enforces the state’s energy code. The city’s subdivision regulations and zoning code include solar- and EV-ready provisions, respectively. Hartford has not adopted a benchmarking and disclosure policy. The city offers several incentives for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.
Last updated: June 2021
Building Energy CodesList All
Overview
The State of Connecticut requires residential and commercial buildings to comply with the Connecticut State Building Code. The state’s code references the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). To learn more about the required building codes for the State of Connecticut, please visit the State Policy Database.
Commercial
Commercial buildings must comply with the Connecticut State Building Code. The city’s zEPI score for their commercial energy code is 51.6.
Residential
Residential buildings must comply with the Connecticut State Building Code. The city’s zEPI score for their residential energy code is 55.5.
Solar-readiness policies
Hartford’s subdivision regulations and zoning code include solar-ready provisions. Section 32 of the city’s subdivision regulations requires developers to orient buildings to optimize exposure to passive solar benefits and to maximize generation from a future or current solar energy system.
EV-charging readiness and infrastructure policies
Hartford’s subdivision regulations and zoning code include EV-ready provisions. Section 7.2.2.D of the city’s zoning code mandates the number of EV-charging stations required per development type.
Last updated: June 2021
Building Energy Code Compliance and EnforcementList All
The city does not staff any full time employees solely dedicated to energy code enforcement. Verification of energy code compliance may occur through plan reviews. Hartford normally provides upfront support to owners and developers through walk-in consultations at the Licenses and Inspections Division, but during the pandemic it has offered much of its services and assistance remotely.
Last updated: June 2021
Policies Targeting Existing BuildingsList All
Incentives
Sections 4.3.2.B.(13).C and 4.3.2.B.(13).B grant density bonuses to developments that respectively install a renewable energy system providing at least 25% of energy demand and a combined heat and power system cover 50% of the building’s heating and cooling needs.
The city also offers commercial property owners access to property assessed clean energy finance for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.
Hartford also offers residents no- or low-interest loans for housing improvements through the Housing Preservation Loan Fund.
The City of Hartford's Energy Equity Challenge included promoting the CT Green Bank's Solar for All initiative, which is a program that increases access to solar for low-income homes through incentives, loans, and other measures.
Voluntary programs
Hartford runs the Energy Equity Challenge, a voluntary program that seeks to reduce energy use through discounted or free energy audits and weatherization upgrades.
Last updates: June 2021
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Workforce DevelopmentList All
In addition, the City of Hartford's Energy Improvement District Board supports critical local workforce development programs, such as the engineering and green technology at Hartford Public High School.
Last updated: October 2021
Transportation
Score: 12.5 out of 30 points
Transportation Summary List All
The transportation authority serving the City of Hartford is CT Transit. CT Transit provides the public transportation for the city and the broader metropolitan area, including standard and express bus service. The Greater Hartford Transit District also provides public transit in the Hartford area. Capitol Region COG is the MPO in charge of conducting metropolitan transportation planning. Its area of jurisdiction encompasses the Hartford area as well as many surrounding counties. The Department of Public Works is the city agency charged with managing the city’s transportation network.
Last updated: January 2017
Sustainable Transportation Planning List All
Sustainable Transportation Plan
The Climate Action Plan cites reducing VMTs as a critical goal and includes over a dozen strategies that can help decrease VMTs. These strategies range from initiating a traffic signal synchronization program, encouraging businesses to develop transportation demand management programs, and increasing sustainable transportation alternatives such as public transit and biking. This plan was formally adopted by City Council in 2018. The EID Board's Comprehensive Plan, which was updated in November 2019, proposes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through transportation mode shift and electrification. This proposed reduction is nested within the larger goal of communitywide reductions.
VMT/GHG Target and Stringency
At this time, the City does not have a codified vehicle miles traveled (VMT) or greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction target.
Progress Achieved Toward VMT/GHG Targets
Hartford has two community-wide GHG inventories in progress, both of which account for transportation. One was recently released by Google in 2019 (after the City's review for accuracy). This inventory is particularly useful in that it includes transportation emissions with greater accuracy. According to 2018 data, Hartford had 2 million vehicle kilometers traveled and 574,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions. The second GHG inventory for Hartford was completed by a volunteer from nonprofit PACE and a graduate fellow from the City of Hartford Mayor's Office of Sustainability. This inventory is particularly useful as its building and vehicle data was directly informed by the City's grand list, and it also used energy consumption data available via the electric utility. This current inventory has a series of assumptions that are under review.
Last Updated: November 2021
Location Efficiency List All
Location Efficient Zoning Codes
Provisions on all of these areas were adopted in January 2016 in the Zoning Regulations. Section 5.3 creates a Transit-Oriented Overlay District whose purpose is to “allow greater flexibility and require greater density in the vicinity of fixed nodes of public transportation,” particularly around the fixed stations for the CTfastrak Bus Rapid Transit System (the only BRT system in the state). The regulations require a minimum of 3 stories and a maximum of 14 stories, with a mix of uses that is the same as what is available downtown. This TOD District has already spurred a lot of development.
The TOD District requires more compact and mixed land use development. In addition, the zoning regulations (see Figure 3.2-A) also provide a much broader array of uses than has ever been allowed. It has created, for example, a “Craftsman Industrial” category that allows “maker spaces” (ranging from breweries to printmakers) in nearly every zoning district. The zoning code has at its very core the desire for a variety of uses to coexist and flourish. The form-based code provisions in Chapter 4 of the Zoning Regulations are also focused on compact and mixed-use land development, within the architectural vocabulary that already exists in Hartford. Finally, street connectivity is a significant priority in Hartford. The City adopted a Complete Streets Policy into its municipal code, and in the Zoning Regulations, it has an entire Chapter, Chapter 9, devoted to Complete Streets and street design.
Residential Parking Policies
In 2017, Hartford eliminated all minimum parking requirements for every zoning use (except for car sales lots, which are state mandated). It also imposes maximums on every parking use. The City instead imposes minimum requirements for bicycle parking for all but 1-, 2-, and 3-family uses.
Location Efficiency Incentives and Disclosure
The City requires through its Zoning Regulations compact development compatible with existing neighborhoods through Chapter 4 – its form-based code chapter. In addition, the City offers generous density bonuses for downtown and transit-oriented development districts when property owners provide particular amenities (see 4.3.2.E. and 4.4.2.E.). The Regulations also allow a full range of uses that have fast-track permitting (no public hearings) in districts citywide (see Figure 3.2-A).
Last Updated: November 2021
Mode Shift List All
Mode Shift Targets
The city adopted a Complete Streets Policy into its municipal code, and in the Zoning Regulations, it has an entire Chapter, Chapter 9, devoted to Complete Streets and street design. The EID Board's Comprehensive Plan, which was updated in November 2019, proposes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through transportation mode shift and electrification.
Progress Achieved Toward Mode Shift Targets
Hartford has an inventory released by Google in 2019 (after the City's review for accuracy) that is now available for online. This inventory is based on 2018 data for both transportation emissions and those related to the built environment. The Google data is particularly useful in that it includes transportation emissions with greater accuracy. The total emissions are assumed to be more than 1.4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. Alternative traffic data is available online.
Complete Streets
Hartford adopted a complete streets policy in 2016 through executive order.
Last Updated: November 2021
Public Transit List All
Transportation Funding
The transportation entities that serve the City of Hartford have received $20,727,046.40 on average annually between 2015 and 2019. That equates to roughly $16.60 per capita between 2015 and 2019 within the Authority's service area.
Access to Transit Services
The Transit Connectivity Index measures transit service levels. It is based on the number of bus routes and train stations within walking distance for households scaled by frequency of service. The City of Hartford's Transit Connectivity Index value is 8.5, scoring 1.5 points in the City Scorecard.
Last Updated: November 2021
Efficient VehiclesList All
Vehicle Purchase Incentives
No data or city is not pursing.
Vehicle Infrastructure Incentives
There was an incentive offered for the installation of EV chargers. However, this program is no longer active. The City of Hartford does not have incentives as the City instead requires the use of EV charging stations in all lots of over 35 cars. In other words, the City goes beyond EV-readiness requirements by requiring EV charging. There are also carbon credits available for installing EV charging infrastructure. The CT Green Bank administers and aggregates these credits.
EV Charging Locations
The City has 57 charging ports available for public use, equivalent to 46.7 ports per 100,000 people.
Electric School Bus Goal
Hartford has a goal to convert 100% of the city and school bus fleets to electric by 2035.
EV Transit Bus Goal
Hartford has a goal to convert 100% of the city and school bus fleets to electric by 2035.
Last Updated: November 2021
Freight System EfficiencyList All
Hartford does not have a sustainable freight transportation plan in place, nor does it have any policies that address freight efficiency.
Last Updated: November 2021
Clean, Efficient Transportation for Low-Income CommunitiesList All
Affordable New TOD Housing Policy
The City offers density bonuses (an additional 2 stories) for downtown and transit-oriented development districts when property owners provide affordable housing that is more than 15% of residential units (see 4.3.2.E. and 4.4.2.E. of the Zoning Regulations).
Connecting Existing Affordable Housing Stock to Efficient Transportation Options
Community partners such as the BiCi Co. program at the Center for Latino Progress offer opportunities for low income or carless residents and youth. BiCi Co. has a Bikes for Jobs program, where low-income participants can receive an upcycled bicycle, bike lock, lights, and helmet for only $20. BIKELIFE is another annual BiCi Co. program for youth and teens (ages 10 to 19) in Hartford that includes a bicycle safety course. For a $20 registration fee, the participant receives an upcycled bicycle, bike lock, lights, and a helmet. The bike safety classes and BIKELIFE Festival coincide with Hartford schools April spring break.
The transit system is managed by CTDOT, which offers discounts to youth and seniors. The state’s U-Pass system also offers free use of buses and trains for students in our community colleges and state university system.
Last Updated: November 2021
Energy & Water Utilities
Score: 12 out of 15 points
Energy & Water Utilities Summary List All
Eversource, an investor-owned utility (IOU), is the primary electric utility serving Hartford. Connecticut Natural Gas, an IOU, is Hartford’s primary natural gas utility. In 2007, the Connecticut legislature enacted Public Act 07-242, an act concerning electricity and energy efficiency, which places new requirements for energy efficiency and establishes new regulatory mechanisms for utilities. To learn more about the state requirements for electric and gas efficiency, please visit the Connecticut page of the State Database.
The Metropolitan District (MDC) for the City of Hartford is the regional utility that provides the city with drinking water services, wastewater treatment, and stormwater management.
Last Updated: July 2021
Electricity and Natural Gas Efficiency SavingsList All
In 2019, Eversource reported 299,864 MWh in net electric incremental savings, representing 1.45% of retail sales. In 2019, Eversource spent $132,014,000 on electric energy efficiency programs, which represents 4.55% of its electric retail revenue. These figures cover the entire Connecticut service territory, not just Hartford.
In 2019, Connecticut Natural Gas reported savings of 1.79 MMtherms from natural gas efficiency programs, representing 0.61% of its retail sales. In 2019, Connecticut Natural Gas spent $14,185,295 on natural gas energy efficiency, which equates to $85.66 per residential customer. These figures cover the entire Connecticut service territory, not just Hartford.
Eversource offers electric efficiency incentives and technical assistance to residential and commercial customers. Connecticut Natural Gas similarly offers natural gas efficiency programs to residential and business customers.
City staff meet regularly with the utilities through the Energy Opportunities program, which involves tracking projects and monthly meetings with energy project stakeholders. The City of Hartford also has a series of letters of agreement with Eversource, reflecting anticipated incentives that will offset project costs related to energy efficiency measures. In addition, the City’s Energy Improvement District Board and the Climate Stewardship Council also have representatives from Eversource. Most recently, the City jointly partners with several utilities on the Energy Equity Challenge, which encourages local property owners and renters to measure and reduce energy. Additional resources, such as solar for low-income households, are also offered.
Last Updated: July 2021
Low-Income & Multifamily EE Programs List All
Low-Income Programs
Both Eversource and Connecticut Natural Gas provide the Home Energy Solutions—Income-Eligible Program to qualified low-income residential customers in both single and multifamily buildings. Eversource also runs New Construction, Retail Products, and Residential Financing programs for income-eligible customers. The Home Energy Solutions program provides no-cost weatherization measures and low-cost energy efficiency upgrades. Weatherization measures include air sealing, duct sealing, lighting fixtures, water efficiency measures, and insulation. Energy-efficient upgrades include appliance replacements, water heaters, HVAC systems, and windows. The program also includes funds to address health and safety issues. The utilities streamline eligibility with the federal Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) and Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) requirements, as well as the CT Green Bank application. The program is supported by Energize Connecticut and utilities partner with community action agencies to cost share for WAP-funded projects.
Additionally, the utilities have implemented its retail lighting programs directly targeted at the low-income segment of the market. They have done this through outreach to local retailers who serve the hard-to-reach (“HTR”) customer market segment. HTR markets are defined as customers not typically reached through conventional retail and marketing channels, and are typically described in demographic terms (i.e., income-eligible, ethnic, urban, or rural). The utilities’ efforts regarding this market segment began in 2017 with a focused effort of offering LED incentives, marketing, and educational focus to HTR retail outlets and local retailers. Eversource and Connecticut Natural Gas partner with the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to administer and provide cost-sharing opportunities with the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). The utility has limited funding for health and safety barrier remediation and can leverage funding from other sources.
In 2019, data on electric savings, spending and customers served for Eversource was not available. In 2019, according to Connecticut Natural Gas, it achieved 0.36 MMtherms in energy savings, while spending $4,515,924 on its low-income programs and served 5,785 low-income customers.
Multifamily Programs
Both Eversource and Connecticut Natural Gas participate in Energize Connecticut’s Multifamily Initiative. The Multifamily Initiative accomplishes comprehensive energy efficiency upgrades by assessing the property holistically throughout the building’s dwelling units, common areas, and exterior spaces. A combination of residential and commercial energy savings measures is evaluated, and custom incentives are offered through an incentive commitment letter provided to the property owner. Tenant-occupied areas (e.g., apartments and condominium living spaces) can receive direct install dwelling unit measures as part of these Multifamily Initiative services. These measures include building envelope air sealing, domestic hot water (“DHW”) savings measures, sealing of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (“HVAC”) ductwork, and the installation of energy-efficient lighting. The Multifamily Initiative also provides incentives for many measures beyond the direct-install dwelling unit measures, called add-on measures, which includes insulation, HVAC equipment, DHW heating equipment, HVAC and DHW controls, appliances, windows, connected Wi-Fi Thermostats, lighting fixtures and lighting controls in dwelling units, exteriors and common areas and other custom measures.
The Multifamily Initiative is tailored to the multifamily segment and combines aspects of the Companies’ residential energy efficiency programs, such as Home Energy Solutions (“HES”) and HES-Income Eligible, with the Companies’ commercial and industrial (“C&I”) programs, including the Energy Opportunities, Energy Conscious Blueprint, and Small Business Energy Advantage (“SBEA”) programs. This approach offers flexibility to multifamily property owners and their tenants to save energy and money under a seamless umbrella initiative.
In 2019, according to Connecticut Natural Gas, it achieved 0.2MMtherms from its multifamily program while spending $2,293,463 serving 5,981 housing units in 67 multifamily properties. Eversource’s spending, savings, and participation data was not available for 2019.
Last Updated: August 2021
Provision of Energy Data by UtilitiesList All
Both Connecticut Natural Gas and Eversource provide automated benchmarking data to building managers for automated input into ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. The city of Hartford provides community wide energy usage information for planning and evaluation purposes through their state energy dashboard which is updated annually.
The City of Hartford advocates for utility bill transparency its comments to the state, including through Department of Energy and Environmental Protection regarding the Governor's Executive Order 3 and testifying to the state legislature on SB 882 Climate Change Mitigation and Home Energy Affordability. The Office has also testified on several energy-related topics including virtual net metering, energy stretch codes, and transportation emissions reductions
Last Updated: July 2021
Decarbonization and Climate Change Mitigation Efforts of Energy UtilitiesList All
Utility Climate Mitigation Goal
In 2019, Eversource Energy set a company-wide goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2030. To achieve this goal, Eversource Energy will need to reduce emissions by 9.09% annually from 2019 levels.
City-Led Efforts to Decarbonize the Electric Grid
The Mayor’s Office of Sustainability had previously testified before the state legislature’s Energy and Technology Committee in favor of SB 336, which advocated for the adoption of a shared and community solar program to likely be administered by the utilities. The city also advocated for the preservation of net metering during the same testimony.
The City of Hartford’s Office of Sustainability also staffs the Energy Improvement District Board, which supports the addition of renewable energy capacity throughout Hartford. The City of Hartford's Energy Improvement District is in a unique position to distribute electricity. As a result, the EID Board issued an RFP and selected a contract to establish a shared clean energy facility. In addition, the City’s Energy Improvement District Board issued a Comprehensive Plan, which identified neighborhoods and facilities for potential solar installations. This report focused on community solar as a tool for expanding renewable energy access to our residents, who are primarily low-income.
Last Updated: July 2021
Efficiency Efforts in Water ServicesList All
Citywide Water Efficiency and Goals
Although the local water and energy utilities do not offer joint efficiency programs in Hartford, Eversource and Connecticut Natural Gas’s Home Energy Solutions and Home Energy Solutions-Income Eligible programs will replace inefficient faucet aerators and showerheads. Energize CT is a portal for incentives and programs related to both energy and water efficiency measures. On Energize CT, there is an option to search for natural gas-powered water heaters and hot water-related rebates and incentives. In addition, the City of Hartford and MDC, the water utility, have collaborated to directly provide water conservation materials. In 2018, the City began its Retain the Rain program, and during the fall phase, MDC provided 200 upcycled rain barrels to support the initiative. In 2019, the City received a national grant to fund the next phase of Retain the Rain, a stormwater management program with free green materials for Hartford residents. The water utility has assisted in outreach efforts for this program. Although stormwater is a focus of the program, the main purpose of rain barrels is water conservation, capturing and storing water for later use.
Hartford Metropolitan District (MDC)’s strategic plan includes water conservation as a priority, with several strategies in place to reduce water consumption.
Water Plant Efficiency and Self-Generation
The MDC has not yet established an energy efficiency goal for water operations, but there have been a series of measures undertaken to improve the efficiency of its wastewater treatment facility. Through subsidies from an Energize CT program, the utility was able to complete energy efficiency upgrades as part of its “Bio Nutrient Removal” Phase II Project. A total cost savings for the project is anticipated to be $8.2 million from avoided consumption of 55 million kWh over the lifetime of the equipment.
There is a waste heat recapture system at the wastewater treatment facility. The MDC facility converts biosolids to energy which generates up to 40% of the facility’s energy.
Last Updated: August 2021
Local Government Score:
5 out of 10 points
Local Government Climate and Energy Goals List All
Both the City of Hartford’s Climate Action Plan and Energy Plan include climate and energy goals for municipal operations.
Climate Mitigation Goal
The city joined the We’re Still In campaign and adopted a citywide greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal of 26-28% below 2005 levels by 2025, which aligns with the Paris Climate Agreement.
Energy Reduction Goal
Hartford's Plan of Conservation and Development includes a goal to retrofit 100% of municipal buildings by 2035.
Renewable Energy Goal
The city's Plan of Conservation and Development includes a goal to achieve 100% clean energy by 2030.
Last updated: June 2021
Procurement and Construction Policies List All
Fleet Policies and Composition
Hartford’s Climate Action Plan lists converting municipal fleet passenger cars to more efficient vehicles as a goal. Hartford’s updated Plan of Conservation and Development has a goal to convert 100% of municipal fleet passenger cars to more efficient vehicles by 2035. We were unable to find information on the City's fleet composition.
Public Lighting
In the Site Lighting section of the City's Zoning Regulations, which includes International Dark-Sky Association’s Model Lighting Ordinance considerations, regulations set maximum light levels. Working with Eversource and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the City of Hartford received a $5 million state grant to replace local streetlights, park lights, and other exterior lighting with high-efficiency LED models. Both city and utility-owned lights are composed of 100% LEDs.
Onsite and offsite renewable systems
Hartford has installed 2.2 MW of solar capacity on municipal facilities.
Inclusive procurement
The City of Hartford has a certification program that permits small contractors, minority and women-owned businesses to participate in the city's set-aside programs. The City of Hartford Energy Improvement District also issued a Supplier Diversity Policy to support local energy innovation and green jobs.
Last updated: June 2021
Asset Management List All
Building Benchmarking
Hartford tracks electricity, natural gas, and water consumption data on over 40 of its most energy intensive public buildings on the WegoWise platform. This amounts to 85% of the area of its public facilities over 5,000 square feet. Energy use per square foot is posted for all benchmarked facilities.
Comprehensive Retrofit Strategy
The City is in the process of a three-part retrofit strategy for municipal facilities, including benchmarking, inputting historical energy performance metrics, and installing energy conservation measures. These measures have included comprehensive interior and exterior lighting upgrades, improving space use timing, plus more time and cost-intensive retrofits to our mechanicals such as HVAC and a fuel cell. The Office of Sustainability regularly reports on energy projects to the Energy Improvement District Board, which meets regularly. The City directs some revenue from energy projects into an Energy Efficiency Revolving Fund. This is a dedicated account that can only be used for energy-related initiatives, and has funded activities outside of regular maintenance such as the City’s energy dashboard and school retrofits.
Last updated: June 2021