Jacksonville
City Scorecard Rank
n/a
Jacksonville, FL
Scored out of 250Updated 05/2024
Community-Wide Initiatives
Score: 1 out of 15 points
Community-Wide Climate Mitigation and Energy GoalsList All
Climate Mitigation Goal
The city does not have a community-wide climate mitigation or greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal.
Energy Reduction Goal
We did not find information regarding a community-wide energy reduction goal for the city.
Renewable Energy Goal
We did not find information regarding a community-wide renewable energy goal for the city.
Last updated: September 2021
Equity-Driven Approaches to Clean Energy Planning, Implementation, and EvaluationList All
Equity-Driven Community Engagement
We were unable to determine whether relevant decision-makers have taken a unique and expanded approach in conducting engagement for multiple clean energy initiatives with marginalized groups compared to engagement with other city constituencies.
Equity-Driven Decision-Making
We were unable to determine if the city has created a formal role for marginalized community residents or local organizations representing those communities to participate in decision-making that affects the creation or implementation of a local energy, sustainability, or climate action plan.
Equity Accountability Measures
We were unable to determine whether the city has adopted specific goals, metrics, or protocols to track how multiple energy, sustainability, or climate action initiatives are affecting local marginalized groups.
Last updated: June 2021
Adaptive Mitigation List All
UHI Mitigation Goal
We could not verify if the city has adopted a quantifiable urban heat island mitigation goal.
UHI Policies and Programs
Jacksonville has adopted a private tree protection policy.
Last updated: September 2021
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Workforce DevelopmentList All
JEA had partnered with a local trade group, the Northeast Florida Builders Association (NEFBA), to create E-Council, a venue for building science education and training across the Northeast Florida community. Through NEFBA, JEA provided several training opportunities for contractors and home energy professionals and was considering offering additional training opportunities for field-level personnel who install energy efficiency upgrades in local homes.
We could not verify if this program is ongoing or if the city currently offers any other program committed to developing a dedicated energy efficiency/renewable energy workforce.
Last updated: July 2021
Buildings Policies
Score: 3 out of 30 points
Building Energy CodesList All
Overview
State of Florida law requires that residential and commercial buildings comply with the 7th Edition Florida Building Code, Energy Conservation. The 7th Edition Florida Building Code, Energy Conservation is based on the 2018 IECC with amendments. The state bars cities from adoption codes more stringent than the state codes. To learn more about Florida’s building energy codes, please visit the State Policy Database.
Commercial
Commercial construction in Jacksonville complies with the Florida building energy codes. The city’s zEPI score for its commercial energy code is 52.3. Jacksonville has not yet begun to advocate to the state level for increased stringency in commercial building codes.
Residential
Residential construction in Jacksonville complies with the Florida building energy codes. The city’s zEPI score for its residential energy code is 60.7. Jacksonville has not yet begun to advocate to the state level for increased stringency in residential building codes.
Solar-readiness policies
We could not find information on whether the city has adopted solar-ready ordinances.
EV-charging readiness and infrastructure policies
We could not find information on whether the city has adopted EV-ready ordinances.
Low-energy use requirements
The city's Sustainable Buildings Program requires municipal buildings to be built to LEED standards.
Last updated: July 2021
Building Energy Code Compliance and EnforcementList All
We could not find information on the number of full-time employees the city staffs to enforce the energy code. The city requires plan reviews and site inspections to verify energy code compliance. We could not find information regarding upfront support for code compliance.
Last updated: July 2021
Policies Targeting Existing BuildingsList All
Incentives
The city expedites building plan review for developments achieving LEED certification.
JEA, the city’s municipal utility, offers energy efficiency rebates to commercial property owners.
Last updated: August 2021
Transportation
Score: 6 out of 30 points
Sustainable Transportation Planning List All
Sustainable Transportation Plan
The City of Jacksonville has a 2030 Mobility Plan, released in 2011, that includes several strategies for reducing transportation energy use and emissions.
VMT/GHG Target and Stringency
Through the implementation of the mobility plan and multi-modal transportation study, the City aims to reduce its per capita VMT by 10% by 2030 from a 2010 baseline. This requires a 0.5% reduction per year.
Progress Achieved Toward VMT/GHG Targets
We could not confirm if the City is on track to meet its goal.
Last Updated: November 2021
Location Efficiency List All
Location Efficient Zoning Codes
Jacksonville’s Traditional Neighborhood Development ordinance is a citywide form-based ordinance that has been in place since 1987.
Residential Parking Policies
The City allows two parking spaces, at a minimum, for single-family homes, and 1.5 spaces per multifamily unit. There are no minimum parking requirements for the downtown core area.
Location Efficiency Incentives and Disclosure
There are no incentives available through the City to promote location efficiency.
Last Updated: November 2021
Mode Shift List All
Mode Shift Targets
At this time, the City does not have a codified mode share target for trips within the city.
Progress Achieved Toward Mode Shift Targets
No progress has been achieved, as there are no targets in place.
Complete Streets
Jacksonville has not yet written or codified a Complete Streets Policy.
Last Updated: November 2021
Public Transit List All
Transportation Funding
The transportation entities that serve the City of Jacksonville have received $88,762,588.20 on average annually between 2015 and 2019. That equates to roughly $79.13 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 Jacksonville's Transit Connectivity Index value is 3.8, scoring 0 points in the City Scorecard.
Last Updated: November 2021
Efficient VehiclesList All
Vehicle Purchase Incentives
Jacksonville's utility, JEA, offers EV tax benefits and rebates for citizens to purchase or lease a plug-in or EV vehicle.
Vehicle Infrastructure Incentives
There are no incentives available for the construction of EV charging infrastructure.
EV Charging Locations
The City has 150 charging ports available for public use, equivalent to 16.5 ports per 100,000 people.
Electric School Bus Goal
Jacksonville does not have an electric school bus goal.
EV Transit Bus Goal
Jacksonville does not have an EV transit bus goal.
Last Updated: November 2021
Freight System EfficiencyList All
Jacksonville's UNF sustainability report outlines strategies to increase freight efficiency.
Last Updated: November 2021
Clean, Efficient Transportation for Low-Income CommunitiesList All
Affordable New TOD Housing Policy
Jacksonville does not have any requirements or incentives in place to encourage the development or preservation of affordable housing in transit-served areas.
Connecting Existing Affordable Housing Stock to Efficient Transportation Options
Jacksonville does not currently provide rebates or incentives to low-income residents for efficient transportation options.
Last Updated: November 2021
Community Energy Infrastructure
Score: 2 out of 15 points
Community Energy Infrastructure Summary List All
JEA (Jacksonville Electric Authority) is the municipal utility that provides electricity, drinking water services, and wastewater treatment to the City of Jacksonville. TECO Peoples Gas, an investor-owned utility (IOU), is Jacksonville’s primary natural gas utility. The State of Florida requires all electric utilities (municipal and IOU) with sales of 2,000 GWh or more to implement cost-effective energy efficiency programs and to conduct energy efficiency potential studies. Natural gas programs are required by orders and legislation. To learn more about the state requirements for electric and gas efficiency, please visit the Florida page of the State Database.
The Jacksonville Stormwater Utility manages the stormwater for Jacksonville, and JEA manages Jacksonville's drinking water supply.
Last Updated: July 2021
Electricity and Natural Gas Efficiency SavingsList All
In 2019, JEA reported 40,335 MWh in net incremental savings, representing 0.33% of retail sales. In 2019, JEA spent $5,114,000 on energy efficiency programs, which represents 0.42% of its retail revenue.
In 2019, TECO Peoples Gas reported 0.65 MMtherms of net natural gas savings at the meter, which represents 0.65% of its retail sales across the utility’s service territory. In 2019, TECO Peoples Gas spent $16,619,336 on energy efficiency, which equates to $45.97 per residential customer. These savings and spending figures cover the entire jurisdiction of both utilities, not just the City of Jacksonville.
JEA offers electric efficiency incentives and technical assistance to residential and commercial/industrial customers. TECO Peoples Gas similarly offers natural gas efficiency programs to residential and business customers.
JEA works with the City of Jacksonville’s Department of Housing and Neighborhoods to implement a low-income program called the Neighborhood Energy Efficiency Program, which assists low-income customers in making energy and water efficiency upgrades to their homes.
Last Updated: July 2021
Low-Income & Multifamily EE Programs List All
Low-Income Programs
JEA offers the Neighborhood Energy Efficiency Program to qualified low-income residential customers. This program includes upgrades such as LED bulbs, LED night lights, low-flow showerheads, faucet aerators, toilet flappers, new EPA WaterSense toilets, AC filters, exterior door weather stripping, caulking, and attic insulation.
The program is implemented in partnership with the City of Jacksonville’s Department of Housing and Neighborhoods and coordinates with the Weatherization Assistance Program. Customers who received federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program dollars are automatically qualified for the program. JEA partners with the Northeast Florida Community Action Agency and City of Jacksonville Community Development Block Grant program to provide attic insulation to eligible customers, allowing for other funds to be spent on health and safety issues as needed.
In 2019, according to JEA, it achieved 1,075 MWh in energy savings, while spending $414,743 on its low-income programs and serving 1,253 low-income customers.
TECO People’s Gas does not offer energy efficiency programs targeted at low-income customers in Jacksonville at this time.
Multifamily Programs
At this time, JEA and TECO People's Gas do not offer energy efficiency programs targeted at multifamily properties. Even so, JEA’s Commercial Energy Efficient Upgrade program has provided rebates to multifamily buildings for interior and exterior common areas lighting retrofits, and other prescriptive and custom upgrades, and the JEA Custom Commercial Program can provide whole-building energy retrofits. JEA’s low-income program (Neighborhood Energy Efficiency Program) has also provided energy savings measures for customers residing in multifamily buildings.
Last Updated: July 2021
Provision of Energy Data by UtilitiesList All
TECO Peoples Gas does not provide building managers with automated benchmarking data through ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager for multitenant commercial or multifamily buildings. JEA can provide benchmarking services if housing units have individual meters. JEA provides Jacksonville with energy usage information on a monthly basis, though the city does not make this data available to the public for planning and evaluation purposes. The City of Jacksonville does not advocate for better access to utility data for ratepayers or the establishment of data-sharing agreements between the city and its utilities.
Last Updated: July 2021
Decarbonization and Climate Change Mitigation Efforts of Cities and Energy UtilitiesList All
Utility Climate Mitigation Goal
In 2017, JEA’s board established a goal to reduce carbon emissions by 30% by 2030 from a 2007 baseline. We were unable to measure the stringency of the goal due to a lack of baseline and current emissions data.
City-Led Efforts to Decarbonize the Electric Grid
We were unable to determine the carbon emissions per capita from JEA in 2019.
Last Updated: July 2021
Efficiency Efforts in Water ServicesList All
Citywide Water Efficiency and Goals
JEA provides direct installation of high-efficiency toilets, showerheads, and aerators through the Neighborhood Efficiency Program. JEA also provides a free computer-based home energy assessment that provides a review of both water and electricity use, as well as abnormal consumption alerts, and free irrigation assessments. There is no adopted water efficiency goal for the city of Jacksonville.
Water Plant Efficiency and Self-Generation
The City of Jacksonville has not yet established a goal or comprehensive strategy for energy efficiency in its municipal water service operations. JEA’s Buckman Wastewater Treatment Facility, however, does self-generate energy that is used on site. Buckman Wastewater treatment plant electric consumption is offset by an 800-kW generator fueled by biogas produced at the plant. Biogas produced by the sludge digestion process is used in place of a portion of the natural gas used to heat and dry the biosolids. In addition, updated controls installed in 2014 optimize the UV disinfection system, resulting in an energy reduction of 200 kWh.
Last Updated: July 2021
Local Government Score:
0.5 out of 10 points
Local Government Climate and Energy Goals List All
Climate Mitigation Goal
We were unable to find information regarding a municipal climate mitigation or greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal.
Energy Reduction Goal
We were unable to find information regarding an energy reduction goal for municipal operations.
Renewable Energy Goal
We were unable to find information regarding a municipal renewable energy goal.
Last updated: June 2021
Procurement and Construction Policies List All
Fleet Policies and Infrastructure
Executive Order 2008-3 established a policy that light-duty vehicles in need of replacement be replaced with hybrids or alternative-fuel vehicles, or the most fuel-efficient and least polluting vehicles available, whenever cost and reliability are similar to traditional vehicles. Jacksonville does not have any other fuel efficiency requirements for its vehicle fleet. The executive order also established an anti-idling policy for the city fleet. Jacksonville is currently developing a right-sizing policy for their fleet as well, but it is not yet in place. We were unable to find data regarding fleet composition.
Public Lighting
Jacksonville has not adopted a policy requiring efficient outdoor lighting, such as the International Dark-Sky Association’s Model Lighting Ordinance. JEA, the municipal electric and water utility, is in the process of conducting a study to determine the feasibility of LED outdoor lighting for the City of Jacksonville.
Onsite and offsite renewable systems
We were unable to find information regarding onsite and offsite renewable energy systems in Jacksonville.
Inclusive procurement
We were unable to verify if the city has inclusive procurement and contracting processes.
Last updated: June 2021
Asset Management List All
Building Benchmarking
Jacksonville regularly enters energy use for municipal building space into the ENERGY STAR program. However, we were unable to confirm the percentage of overall city-owned square footage that the benchmarked square footage represents.
Comprehensive Retrofit Strategy
We were unable to confirm the existence of comprehensive retrofit strategies for public buildings in Jacksonville.
Last updated: June 2021