Wichita
City Scorecard Rank
99
Wichita, KS
4.00Scored out of 100Updated 10/2020
Community-Wide Initiatives
Score: 0 out of 15 points
Community-Wide Summary List All
We could not verify if Wichita has adopted a climate, clean energy, or sustainability plan.
Last updated: September 2021
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: September 2021
Clean Distributed Energy ResourcesList All
We could not verify if the city has adopted a formal policy, rule, or agreement that supports the creation of clean distributed energy systems.
Last updated: September 2021
Mitigation of Heat Islands 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
We were unable to determine if the city has adopted specific policies or programs that incorporate requirements or incentives to mitigate the urban heat island effect.
Last updated: September 2021
Buildings Policies
Score: 0 out of 30 points
Buildings Summary List All
The City of Wichita has not implemented an energy code. The city offers one incentive program to encourage energy efficiency investments. We could not find information on city-mandated benchmarking policies or above-code energy action requirements.
Last updated: June 2021
Building Energy CodesList All
Overview
The State of Kansas is a home-ruled state, and there are no statewide building energy codes. No jurisdiction is required to adopt building codes, but they may adopt the applicable 2006 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) standards. To learn more about Kansas’s building energy codes, please visit the State Policy Database.
Commercial
The City of Wichita has adopted the 2018 International Building Code with local amendments that eliminate the energy code requirements. NBI was unable to calculate a zEPI score because the city does not enforce any energy code requirements.
Residential
The City of Wichita has adopted the 2018 International Building Code with local amendments that eliminate the energy code requirements. NBI was unable to calculate a zEPI score because the city does not enforce any energy code requirements.
Solar-readiness policies
We could not find information on whether the city has adopted solar ordinances.
EV-charging readiness and infrastructure policies
We could not find information on whether the city has adopted policies requiring buildings to include EV-charging infrastructure or be EV-ready.
Low-energy use requirements
We could not find information on whether the city sets low-energy use requirements for municipal or certain private buildings.
Last updated: June 2021
Building Energy Code Compliance and EnforcementList All
The city has not adopted an energy code and therefore has no enforcement policies.
Last updated: June 2021
Policies Targeting Existing BuildingsList All
We were unable to identify any policies targeting energy efficiency and renewable energy in existing buildings.
Last updated: August 2021
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Workforce DevelopmentList All
We could not verify if the city has programs committed to developing a dedicated energy efficiency and/or renewable energy workforce.
Last updated: June 2021
Transportation
Score: 1 out of 30 points
Sustainable Transportation Planning List All
Sustainable Transportation Plan
No data or the city is not pursuing.
VMT/GHG Target and Stringency
The City of Wichita does not yet have a codified VMT reduction target.
Progress Achieved Toward VMT/GHG Targets
The City of Wichita is not yet tracking community GHG or VMT levels
Last Updated: December 2021
Location Efficiency List All
Location Efficient Zoning
The Community Unit Plan (“CUP”) Overlay District is intended to provide well-planned and well-organized Developments for residential Uses of varying densities and for office, commercial, industrial, and/or mixed uses.
Residential Parking Requirements
No data or the city is not pursuing.
Location Efficiency Incentives and Disclosures
No data or the city is not pursuing.
Last Updated: December 2021
Mode Shift List All
Mode Shift Target
No data or city is not pursuing
Progress Toward Mode Shift Target
No progress has been achieved, as there are no targets in place.
Complete Streets
No data or city is not pursuing
Last Updated: December 2021
Public Transit List All
Transportation Funding
The transportation entities that serve the City of Wichita have received $6,609,285.80 on average annually between 2015 and 2019. That equates to roughly $16.70 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 Wichita Transit Connectivity Index value is 2.8, scoring 0 points in the City Scorecard.
Last Updated: December 2021
Efficient VehiclesList All
Vehicle Purchase Incentives
Neither the City of Wichita nor any of the utilities that serve its residents are providing incentives towards the lease or purchase of EVs at this time.
Incentives for EV Charging Stations
Neither the City of Wichita or any of the utilities that service its resident are providing incentives towards the installation of EV charging infrastructure at this time.
EV Infrastructure
The City has 36 charging ports available for public use, equivalent to 9.2 ports per 100,000 people.
Electric School Bus Goal
Wichita does not have an electric school bus goal.
EV Transit Bus Goal
Wichita does not have an EV transit bus goal.
Last Updated: December 2021
Freight System EfficiencyList All
Wichita does not have a sustainable freight transportation plan in place, nor does it have any policies that address freight efficiency.
Last Updated: December 2021
Clean, Efficient Transportation for Low-Income CommunitiesList All
Affordable New TOD Housing Policy
Wichita does not have any policies in place to address or help encourage affordable TOD housing development.
Connecting Existing Affordable Housing Stock to Efficient Transportation Options
Neither the City of Wichita nor the transit authority that services the city's residents provide rebates or incentives that better connect low-income residents to efficient transportation options.
Last Updated: December 2021
Energy & Water Utilities
Score: 1.5 out of 15 points
Energy & Water Utilities Summary List All
Evergy, an investor-owned utility (IOU), is the primary electric utility for the City of Wichita. The primary natural gas supplier for Wichita is Kansas Gas Service, an IOU. The Kansas Corporation Commission encourages and collaborates with individual utilities on a case-by-case basis to provide customer programs. Most of the state’s utilities do offer some customer energy efficiency programs. To learn more about the state requirements for electric and gas efficiency, please visit the Kansas page of the State Database.
The City of Wichita Public Works and Utilities is the municipal utility that provides the City of Wichita with drinking water services, wastewater treatment, and stormwater management.
Last Updated: July 2021
Electricity and Natural Gas Efficiency SavingsList All
In 2019, we were unable to verify energy efficiency program spending and savings for Evergy. In 2019, Kansas Gas Service either did not spend or did not report spending or savings on natural gas efficiency programs. These savings and spending figures cover the entire service jurisdiction of both utilities, not just the City of Wichita.
Evergy offers electric efficiency incentives and technical assistance to residential and business customers.
At this time, the City of Wichita does not have a formal partnership with Evergy or Kansas Gas Service in the form of a jointly-developed or administered energy saving strategy, plan, or agreement.
Last Updated: July 2021
Low-Income & Multifamily EE Programs List All
Low-Income Programs
Westar Energy (Evergy) offers the Income Eligible Weatherization Program. Through this program, eligible customers may receive free in-home upgrades, financial assistance for weatherization services, and staff support. Westar Energy’s savings, number of customers served, and spending value for its 2019 low-income programs were not available.
At this time, Kansas Gas Service does not offer any energy efficiency programs targeted at low-income customers.
Multifamily Programs
Westar Energy offers the Income Eligible Multi-Family (IEMF) to help customers replace aging, inefficient equipment and systems with energy-efficiency technologies. The program provides a walk-through assessment by a program manager and offers a selection of energy-saving measures that may be installed by an energy efficiency professional in the property at the time of the visit. Westar Energy’s savings, number of customers served, and spending value for its 2019 multifamily programs were not available.
At this time, Kansas Gas Service does not offer energy efficiency programs targeted at multifamily customers.
Last Updated: July 2021
Provision of Energy Data by UtilitiesList All
Neither Evergy nor Kansas Gas Service provides building managers with automated benchmarking data through ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager for multitenant commercial or multifamily buildings.
The city of Wichita does not provide community-wide energy usage information at the aggregate level for community planning and evaluation purposes.
The City of Wichita 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 Energy UtilitiesList All
Utility Climate Mitigation Goal
In 2020, Evergy set a goal to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050 from 2005 levels. To achieve this goal, Eversource Energy will need to reduce emissions by 1.72% annually from 2019 levels.
City-Led Efforts to Decarbonize the Electric Grid
At this time, we cannot confirm whether or not the city of Wichita participates in activities or strategies to help spur or encourage more utility-scale or distributed renewable energy generation from its local electric utility, such as testifying in public utility commission proceedings related to renewable energy, creating a formal partnership with the electric utility on renewable generation, or participating in utility planning efforts to increase renewable generation.
Last Updated: June 2021
Efficiency Efforts in Water ServicesList All
Citywide Water Efficiency and Goals
The energy and water utilities do not currently offer joint energy and water efficiency programs. However, the water utility does offer rebates for water and energy-efficient products. At this point, the City of Wichita has not established a water savings target or goal.
Water Plant Efficiency and Self-Generation
The water utility has not set specific energy efficiency targets or strategies. The city’s water system does not self-generate its own energy.
Last Updated: July 2021
Local Government Score:
1.5 out of 10 points
Local Government Climate and Energy Goals List All
Climate Mitigation Goal
Wichita does not have a climate mitigation or greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal for municipal operations.
Energy Reduction Goal
We were unable to find information regarding a municipal energy reduction goal.
Renewable Energy Goal
We were unable to find information regarding a municipal renewable energy goal. However, Wichita currently offsets 70-80% of the City's annual consumption through the purchase of wind energy.
Last updated: June 2021
Procurement and Construction Policies List All
Fleet procurement and composition
We were unable to find information on Wichita’s fleet procurement policies or fuel efficiency requirements. We were unable to find data regarding fleet composition.
Public lighting
We did not find information regarding the adoption of a policy requiring efficient outdoor lighting, such as the International Dark-Sky Association’s Model Lighting Ordinance. There are currently over 28,400 lights currently occupying public street right-of-way. Evergy, the local utility, owns and maintains approximately 92%, while the City owns and maintains the remaining 8%. In collaboration with Evergy, 100% of streetlights have been converted to LED.
Onsite and offsite renewable systems
We were unable to find information regarding onsite or offsite renewable energy systems in Wichita.
Inclusive procurement
The city has inclusive procurement and contracting processes through its Emerging & Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program which were applied to a recent renewable energy contract.
Last updated: June 2021
Asset Management List All
Building Benchmarking
We were unable to find information regarding Wichita's benchmarking practices.
Comprehensive Retrofit Strategy
We were unable to find information regarding a comprehensive retrofit strategy in Wichita.
Last updated: June 2021