Nashville
City Scorecard Rank
33
Nashville, TN
70.50Scored out of 250Updated 05/2024
Community-Wide Initiatives
Score: 8 out of 45 points
Community-Wide Climate Mitigation and Energy GoalsList All
Climate Mitigation Goal
Nashville's Metro Council adopted a community wide greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal of 80 percent from 2014 by 2050 via RS2022-1358. 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.
The Livable Nashville Recommendations include greenhouse gas inventory results from the years 2005, 2011, and 2014.
Energy Efficiency Goal
We could not find information regarding a community-wide energy efficiency goal.
Renewable Energy Goal
We could not find information regarding a community-wide renewable energy goal.
Last updated: January 2024
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
Nashville's annual budgeting process requires each Metro department to complete a budget equity evaluation that documents how department expenses and activities will further diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout their department and the community.
Last updated: January 2024
Clean Distributed Energy ResourcesList All
The City of Nashville provided land at no cost to Nashville Electric Service, the city’s municipally-owned utility, for Music City Solar, a 2 MW community solar farm. It was completed in 2018 and is now operational. The city also reserved shares for low-income households.
Last updated: January 2024
Adaptive Mitigation List All
Heat Island Mitigation Policies and Programs
The city has adopted a private tree protection ordinance. The city requires that sites undergoing construction use low-impact development measures in accordance with the city’s Low Impact Development Manual. The city also allows for cluster subdivisions that encourage the permanent protection of land alongside dense residential development patterns.
Resilience Hubs
We were unable to determine if the city has supported the creation of resilience hubs that incorporate clean energy resources and are sited in disadvantaged communities.
Last updated: January 2024
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Workforce DevelopmentList All
Workforce development for disadvantaged workers
We could not determine if city has partnered with a local education institution, labor union, or community-based organization to create, support, and/or incentivize the development of clean energy workforce development initiatives that target training and support services for potential or existing workers from disadvantaged communities to obtain and keep in-demand jobs.
Workforce development for the broader community
We could not determine if city has partnered with a local education institution, labor union, or community-based organization to create, support, and/or incentivize the development of clean energy workforce development initiatives that target training and support services for potential or existing workers from the broader community to obtain and keep in-demand jobs.
Outcomes tracking
We could not determine if the city has instituted a mechanism to measure the performance and/or success of equitable workforce development initiatives focused on the clean energy sector.
Last updated: January 2024
Buildings Policies
Score: 15.5 out of 70 points
Building Energy CodesList All
Overview
Tennessee allows municipalities to adopt home-rule charters and thus adopt and enforce building energy codes at the jurisdictional level. Nashville has adopted the 2018 International Building Codes. To learn more about the building energy codes in Tennessee, please visit the State Policy Database.
Commercial
Commercial properties must comply with the 2018 International Building Codes. The city’s zEPI score for its commercial energy code is 49.5.
Residential
Residential properties must comply with the 2018 International Building Codes. The city’s zEPI score for its residential energy code is 57.75.
Solar-readiness policies
The city has not passed an ordinance mandating new construction be solar-ready. However, Nashville received Bronze SolSmart designation in 2022 and allows solar use in all zones.
EV-readiness policies
The city has not adopted policies requiring buildings to be EV-ready, but is considering such legislation.
Low-energy use requirements
New constructed municipal buildings are required to meet LEED certification requirements.
Electrification policies
The city is prohibited from adopting electrification policies by the state.
Last Update: September 2023
Building Energy Code Compliance and EnforcementList All
We were unable to determine the amount of staff effort dedicated to energy code enforcement. The city requires plan review and performance testing to verify code compliance. Nashville also requires residential building developers to use certified third parties to conduct blower door and duct blast tests. The codes department has partnered with a private company to provide training to developers, owners, tradespeople, contractors, and designers. The city also offers pre-submittal meetings with developers, architects, and owners to discuss code compliance (including energy code) on projects.
Last Update: September 2023
Policies Targeting Existing BuildingsList All
Commercial and multifamily benchmarking
Nashville is considering a commercial benchmarking program and is gathering stakeholder input.
Incentives
In 2023, Nashville also adopted a local C-PACER program, which enables access to low-interest and long-term financing for commercial energy efficiency, renewable energy, and resiliency improvements.
Through the Nashville Energy Works program, city residents may access low-interest loans from $1,000 to $35,000 for energy-efficient upgrades.
Nashville offers a density bonus for developments in the Central Business District if the projects achieve LEED certification. The density bonus scales with the stringency of the certification.
The city's Barnes Affordable Housing Fund offers competitive grants to nonprofit housing developers to preserve and create affordable housing options for Nashvillians. The program requires units to be sustainable and energy efficient, which is reflected through sustainability standards included in its scoring rubric.
The Metro Government, NES, and TVA have launched a home weatherization program called NES Home Energy Uplift for limited-income families who own homes in Davidson County. Energy upgrades may include weatherization, air sealing, high-efficiency heat pumps, high-efficiency air conditioners, duct replacement/repairs, ENERGY STAR windows, building envelope insulation, high-efficiency lighting, crawl space, and attic insulation, heat pump water heaters, ENERGY STAR appliances, and/or whole-house ventilation.
Program outcomes
The city's public utility collects data on its incentive or financing programs to understand participation rates and allocation of program benefits among disadvantaged communities
Last Update: September 2023
Transportation
Score: 15.5 out of 70 points
Sustainable Transportation Planning List All
Sustainable Transportation Plan
The Metro Nashville Transportation Plan was released in 2020 and includes sustainable transportation strategies.
VMT/GHG Targets and Stringency
The City of Nashville does not have a codified VMT or transportation GHG reduction target.
Progress Achieved Toward VMT/GHG Targets
The City of Nashville does not have a codified VMT or transportation GHG reduction target, and therefore cannot make progress toward the target.
Last Updated: September 2023
Location Efficiency List All
Location Efficient Zoning Codes
We were unable to find information indicating that the City of Nashville has made changes to its zoning code in the past 10 years to facilitate more residential density, mixed-use development, or transit-oriented development.
Parking Requirements
Nashville has eliminated parking minimums in certain districts.
Location Efficiency Incentives and Disclosure
Nashville offers floor area bonuses, residential bonuses, and parking exemptions for mixed-use developments.
Affordable Housing around Transit
The Metro Nashville Barnes Housing Trust Fund builds affordable housing near transit by offering preference in grant funding to affordable housing developments near transit.
Last Updated: September 2023
Mode Shift List All
Mode Shift Targets
According to the city's Climate Change Mitigation Action Plan, released in 2021, the City has a goal of reducing the drive-alone rate to 40% of all trips by 2050.
Progress Achieved Toward Mode Shift Targets
The City of Nashville does not have a codified mode share target, and therefore cannot make progress toward the target.
Subsidized Access to Efficient Transportation Options
WeGo, the city’s primary transit agency, offers free bus passes for homeless and housing-insecure individuals as well as free unlimited 2-hour trips on the bike share network when residents check out a book from a public library.
Last Updated: September 2023
Public Transit List All
Transportation Funding
The transit entities that serve the City of Nashville have received $76,182,752.80 on average annually between 2017 and 2021 from local sources. That equates to roughly $109.75 per capita between 2017 and 2021 within the service area.
Access to Transit Services
The AllTransit Performance Score measures a given community's transit access and performance. The score considers connections to other routes, access to jobs, service frequency, and the percent of commuters who ride transit to work. The City of Nashville’s AllTransit Performance Score is 3.7, scoring 0 points in the City Scorecard. Last Updated: December 2021
Efficient VehiclesList All
Vehicle Purchase Incentives
Neither the City of Nashville nor the local utility provide incentives for purchasing efficient vehicles.
Vehicle Infrastructure Incentives
Neither the City of Nashville nor the local utility provide incentives for the installation of EV charging stations.
Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Requirements
The City of Nashville does not require new developments to install EV charging stations.
EV Charging Locations
The City of Nashville has 58.6 vehicle charging ports per 100,000 people available for public use.
Electric School Bus Goal
Neither the City of Nashville nor the local school district have set an electric school bus goal.
EV Transit Bus Goal
Neither the City of Nashville nor the local transit agency have set an electric transit bus goal.
Last Updated: September 2023
Freight System EfficiencyList All
Sustainable Freight Plans
Nashville does not have a sustainable freight plan or freight mobility plan. However, the city is pursuing curbside management strategies through a smart loading zone pilot program in downtown Nashville.
Open Data Portals
The City of Nashville does not have an open data portal with real-time freight data.
Last Updated: September 2023
Community Energy Infrastructure
Score: 17 out of 40 points
Community Energy Infrastructure Summary List All
Nashville Electric Service (NES) is a municipal utility that provides electricity to the City of Nashville. Piedmont Natural Gas, an investor-owned utility (IOU), is Nashville’s primary natural gas utility. The Tennessee Regulatory Authority sets the rates and services standards of the investor-owned natural gas, electric, and water utilities. The municipal energy utilities implement Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)-funded energy efficiency programs which are outlined in the TVA Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). To learn more about the state requirements for electric and gas efficiency, please visit the Tennessee page of the State Database.
Metro Water Services, a department of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville, is the municipal utility that provides drinking water, wastewater treatment and stormwater management services for Nashville.
Last Updated: September 2023
Electricity and Natural Gas Efficiency SavingsList All
In 2021 according to TVA, NES achieved 2,059 MWh in savings. We could not confirm NES’s spending for 2019.
In 2021, Piedmont Natural Gas either did not spend or did not report spending or savings on natural gas efficiency programs. These savings and spending figures cover the entire jurisdiction of both utilities, not just the City of Nashville.
NES offers natural gas and electric efficiency tools and technical assistance to residential and commercial/industrial customers.
At this time, the City of Nashville does not have a formal partnership with NES or Piedmont Natural Gas in the form of a jointly-developed or administered energy saving strategy, plan, or agreement.
Last Updated: September 2023
Low-Income & Multifamily EE Programs List All
Low-Income Programs
Nashville Electric Service and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) offer the Home Uplift program. This program is available to income-qualified participants, through this program participants receive whole home weatherization services. Home Uplift is offered in 7 LPC service areas as a partnership with LPCs and other community partners. The program provides free home weatherization with measures totally about $8,000 per home, with health and safety costs accounting for about 10% or less of the total. Program funding is available from TVA with equal matching funds from NES, state environmental office grants, national banks from affordable housing, and other third parties. NES and TVA have partnered with local non-profits to apply and execute grants to match TVA funding for Home Uplift. Additionally, they have partnered with the Weatherization Assistance Program in Tennessee to provide energy efficiency kits to all clients and a technical platform to manage the overall WAP program throughout Tennessee.
In 2021, according to TVA, NES achieved 749 MWh savings while serving 279 customers, while spending $14,723,248 on electric low-income programs.
At this time, Piedmont Natural Gas does not offer energy efficiency programs targeted at low-income customers.
Multifamily Programs
In 2019, NES and TVA utilized strategic energy management principles and residential energy education to pilot da multifamily energy efficiency program. The program provided technical advice for the building staff and behavioral advice for residents.
At this time, Piedmont Natural Gas does not offer energy efficiency programs targeted at multifamily properties.
Last Updated: September 2023
Provision of Energy Data by UtilitiesList All
Neither Nashville Electric Service nor Piedmont Natural Gas provides building managers with automated benchmarking data through ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager for multitenant commercial or multifamily buildings.
The city requests community-scale electricity and gas usage from the utilities when compiling its GHG emission inventories. The city completed its most recent GHG inventory of 2017 data.
The City of Nashville does not advocate for better access to utility data for ratepayers or the establishment of data-sharing agreements between the city and its utilities, but the city meetings annually with TVA to facilitate communication and data sharing between the parties.
Last Updated: September 2023
Decarbonization and Climate Change Mitigation Efforts of Cities and Energy UtilitiesList All
Utility Climate Mitigation Goal
In 2019, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the electric power provider of KUB, committed to achieving reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 70% reduction by 2030 and by 80% by 2035 from 2005 levels. To achieve this goal, TVA will need to reduce emissions by 3.6% annually from 2019 levels.
City-Led Efforts to Decarbonize the Electric Grid
In 2019, TVA emitted 5.7 metric tons of CO2 per capita.
Clean Distributed Energy Resources
The City of Nashville provided land at no cost to Nashville Electric Service, the city’s municipally-owned utility, for Music City Solar, a 2 MW community solar farm. It was completed in 2018 and is now operational. The city also reserved shares for low-income households.
Municipal Renewable Energy Procurement
Nashville has installed a total of approximately 2.32 MW solar capacity on city facilities.
City Renewable Energy Incentive and Financing Programs
In 2023, Nashville also adopted a local C-PACER program, which enables access to low-interest and long-term financing for commercial energy efficiency, renewable energy, and resiliency improvements.
Nashville offers a density bonus for developments in the Central Business District if the projects achieve LEED certification. The density bonus scales with the stringency of the certification.
Last Updated: September 2023
Efficiency Efforts in Water ServicesList All
City-wide water efficiency and goals
Metro Water Services has not established any water efficiency programs, policies, or goals. The City of Nashville does have a water loss strategy, which involves replacing old water mains, reducing leakage rates, quickly repairing leaks, and running a MeterSense Meter Data Management System that evaluates water losses.
Water plant efficiency and self-generation
The City of Nashville has established an energy management strategy aimed at increasing energy efficiency throughout the city’s water service operation system. This strategy is focused at analyzing and optimizing energy usage in treatment plants and in watershed management operations. Metro Water Service has upcoming energy reduction projects designed and ready for construction. These projects include solar panel installation at three of the plants, switching to fine bubble aeration at the Whites Creek wastewater treatment plant, designing and pursuing LEED certification on all new buildings, and utilizing digester gas from the Dry Creek wastewater treatment plant in a CHP system.
Nashville’s wastewater treatment plant uses biogas captured from the treatment process to generate electricity onsite. Metro Water Services utilizes approximately 75% of its digester gas onsite to assist in biosolids production at the large Central Wastewater Treatment Plant. The digester gas is used to power the dryers and boilers instead of purchasing natural gas. By refining the use of the digester gas, Metro Water Services saves nearly $1,000,000 by not purchasing natural gas.
Last Updated: September 2023
Local Government Score:
14.5 out of 25 points
Local Government Climate and Energy Goals List All
The City of Nashville’s draft Livable Nashville Recommendations guides the city’s municipal sustainability actions.
Climate Mitigation Goal
The Recommendations establish a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from municipal operations by 80% by 2050, with interim reduction targets of 20% by 2020 and 40% by 2030.
Energy Reduction Goal
The Recommendations include a goal to reduce building resource use by 80% by 2050, with interim reduction targets of 20% by 2020 and 40% by 2030. Additionally, the city's Department of General Services is developing a plan to achieve a 20% average reduction in energy and emissions across 9% of city buildings by square footage by 2024. The plan also calls for retrofitting 12.5% of city buildings by square footage to LEED Zero standards from 2026 to 2032.
Renewable Energy Goal
Nashville adopted a renewable portfolio standard that has a goal to use 100% renewable energy by 2041.
Last updated: June 2021
Procurement and Construction Policies List All
Fleet Policies and Composition
Nashville recently passed new legislation to electrify the municipal fleet. According to the legislation, the Department of General Services shall establish a fleet electrification program that will require all vehicles to be zero-emission vehicles by 2050. The program will take place in phases. The city plans to have 25% of the municipal fleet be low or zero-emission vehicles by 2025, 50% by 2035, and 75% by 2040, and 90% by 2045. Nashville's WeGo transit fleet is currently developing a zero-emissions fleet transition plan and our MNPS school bus fleet is preparing to take part in the TVA Fleet Advisor program which will provide technical assistance for fleet transition and installation of charging infrastructure. Currently, Nashville municipal fleet is composed of 17% efficient vehicles, including hybrid and battery electric vehicles.
Public Lighting
In 2021, Nashville adopted an outdoor lighting policy consistent with the International Dark-Sky Association’s Model Lighting Ordinance. The City is currently negotiating a retrofit of over 55,000 streetlights from high pressure sodium to LED. The retrofit will occur over a 5-year period and is anticipated to begin in late 2023.
Inclusive procurement
Metro Nashville has an Equal Business Opportunity Program. For Metro contracts, percentage targets for MBE/WBE subcontractor participation are set and prime contractors are required to meet these targets or otherwise demonstrate good faith effort. Metro curates a certified directory of MBE/WBE. Metro also has a Small Business Reserve and a Mentor-Protege Program which seek to build capacity and increase government spending with small businesses. Nashville's recently adopted C-PACER program encourages developers to use and report out on MWDBEs used to perform the work. The City frequently uses a woman-owned sustainability consulting firm, Wilmot, Inc., for planning and assessing many sustainability projects, including a recently completed solar cost benefit analysis across all Metro properties. They frequently use Fairpointe Planning, a MBE/WBE, for transportation and mobility planning, including the Connect Downtown study looking about mobility in the urban core.
Last updated: February 2024
Asset Management List All
Building Benchmarking
Nashville’s Department of General Services (DGS) manages and benchmarks all facilities in the city's new Energy Management System. In 2022 Metro Nashville collected energy data on 335 facilities across 11 departments, with continued annual benchmarking.
Comprehensive Retrofit Strategies
Nashville’s general services department administers an energy savings revolving loan fund program that uses savings to reinvest in future energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. Over 35 energy efficiency projects have been completed by general services since 2020 alone with data being tracked. This energy revolving fund supports facility retrofits targeting the lowest-performing facilities to support legislation requiring a minimum of 20% energy reduction in municipal facilities. DGS retrofits buildings by doing pre and post-commissioning followed by test and balance. Nashville is planning for an energy retrofit program across at least 9% of metro government-owned buildings by square footage between 2021 and 2024, prioritizing buildings that have core systems and equipment nearing the end of their useful lives, with a goal of achieving at least 20% reductions in average energy and greenhouse gas emissions, as measured in BTUs; and a LEED Zero retrofit program across at least 12.5% of metro government-owned buildings by square footage between 2026 and 2032. In 2021 the city allocated $2 million toward the revolving fund for building retrofits, and now has a $1 million revolving fund for monitoring utility usage, reducing costs, and retrofitting buildings.
Municipal Employee Transportation Benefits
Metro Nashville covers the cost of transportation to and from work on WeGo, the city's public transit system. Metro Nashville offers a Green Parking Permit providing free downtown metered parking for owners of clean technology vehicles or those who purchase carbon offsets. The Department of General Services collects information on emissions from municipal employee commutes every 2-3 years for our greenhouse gas emissions inventory. This data is collected via employee survey.
Last update: February 2024