Every year, we release a Year-in-Review featuring our high-level accomplishments as well as priorities for the year ahead. This is an important time and opportunity for us to take stock, learn from the experiences we had the previous year, and to continue to improve our programs, services, and operations.
While we engage with Salt Lakers mostly through recycling questions and efforts, we do so much more! Here are some highlights from 2024 and keep a lookout for more details in our 2024 Year-in-Review booklet coming soon. (Check out our full 2023 Year-in-Review booklet here!) Let’s take a moment to look back at what we’ve accomplished in just this year.
- Completed first phase of the waste characterization study to begin identifying opportunities in remapping the road to Zero Waste by 2040.
- Began working on three-year EPA Recycling Education & Outreach grant, which will be foundational in evolving our educational program to take a more equity centered approach in supporting our long-term waste reduction goals.
- Launched residential yard care equipment incentive program that includes lawnmowers, leaf blowers, trimmers and snow blowers.
- Launched first year of electric bike incentive program with a focus on equity, affordability, and safety.
- Finalized internal electrified fleet study.
- Finalized community transportation electrification study funded in FY23. Develop recommendations for proposed policies and projects.
- Installed seven new public-facing electric vehicle chargers at parks and libraries across the city.
- Worked with Salt Lake County, the Utah Division of Air Quality, UTA, the University of Utah, and HEAL Utah to launch the e-bus air quality map.
- Engaged the wider community of stakeholders in our metropolitan area to identify preferred strategies that will achieve significant emissions reductions. Collaborate with community partners to pursue additional grant funding to implement solutions.
- Launched an Environmental Justice Resident Committee in partnership with University Neighborhood Partners to center resident input and ideas in the City’s pollution-reduction planning processes and support more federal funding reaching all areas of our community to reduce pollution, improve quality of life, and project high-quality green jobs for more people.
- Established an Energy Equity Fund that is funded by Renewable Energy Certificates generated on municipal facilities to support community-based air quality, energy equity, and microgrant projects.
- Opened the 80 MW Elektron solar project this summer, after successfully navigating significant international trade headwinds, supply chain obstacles and other challenges facing renewable energy development.
- Supported the successful application of the Utah Renewables Communities program to state regulators. Once approved, lead program strategy through ordinance adoption, communications and outreach, and renewable energy procurement.
Other Notable Accomplishments:
- Applied for and managed multiple federal grants to make use of funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act.
- FUSE Corps Workforce Fellow: Positioned the City as a leader in convening partners to identify pathways to green workforce development – which will ensure community members have access to good jobs that support the clean energy transition and overall environmental health. In 2024, the FUSE fellow conducted a thorough landscape analysis of existing gaps and opportunities, facilitated stakeholder engagement, and supported the development of a strategic green workforce roadmap, which will be completed in 2025.
- Community Food Microgrant Program: In 2024, 62 individual residents or households received $250 awards from the Home Food Production Grants category, and ten community groups received funding from the Community Grants category. Awards focused on helping Salt Lakers improve resiliency by building gardens, chicken coops, or other home food production infrastructure. Community grants ranged from $1,000 – $5,000 and bolstered organizations doing everything from working to enhance gardening with indigenous plants and a storytelling lens, to creating a garden for unsheltered individuals, to teaching New American youth about goat husbandry, and much more described here.
Going into the new year, we recognize people may be feeling discouraged and worried about climate action with the incoming federal administration. But there is meaningful, sustained action taking place locally and will continue to take place. Moving toward a more sustainable SLC takes everyone, from City government, various levels of other government agencies, non-profits, business partners, community councils, neighborhood groups, and individuals.
Thank you to our many partners who have helped and continue to help along the way, and to Salt Lake City residents. We could not accomplish this work without your support. We’re excited to share even more impactful upcoming projects and goals!…