Melissa Ross
Whether it’s the construction of green buildings, pushing more public transit, or investing in sustainable infrastructure, the Sunshine State is practically flunking when it comes to energy efficiency.
That’s according to a new scorecard by a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit.
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy has issued grades to Florida’s four largest cities.
Jacksonville got a 26 out of 100 for efficiency. That puts it 40th out of the 51 cities surveyed.
Tampa’s at 42, with an even lower score of 25, while Orlando does relatively better, with a ranking of 30 and a score of 33.50. Miami comes in at 36 in the rankings with a 28.50 score overall.
The survey shows Jacksonville lacks in every category, from the amount of energy-efficient buildings to a robust public transportation system. But Council analyst David Ribiero says there’s at least one sign of improvement.
“The city’s 2030 mobility plan, which was actually developed or adopted in 2011, that was something that we actually didn’t recognize in the 2013 edition. That was an oversight on our part, but we gave the city credit for it this time around,” Ribiero says.
The city’s mobility plan is aimed at decreasing the amount of miles people drive per year by 10 percent by 2030.
Jacksonville Chief Resiliency Officer Charles Moreland says the city is reviewing the survey to find ways to improve its score, but he doesn’t offer any specifics.
“There is so much more that I will be more exposed to in order to inform the mayor of things, which we need to do as a city,” Moreland told WJCT.
This isn’t a new issue for Florida. The American Society of Civil Engineers gave the Sunshine State a D grade for both its infrastructure and energy consumption two years ago.
