Pontiac, MI, April 22, 2010 – Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson will issue the OakGreen Challenge at the 2nd Annual Oakland County Green Summit on Thursday, May 13th. The OakGreen Challenge will ask Oakland County homeowners, business owners and local governments to reduce their energy consumption by 10% within the next two years.
“Oakland County is leading by example,” Patterson says. “We have been working to reduce our energy consumption in county buildings. Our efforts have translated to a savings of $4 million in our utility bills.”
Patterson will also deliver the 2010 Oakland County Green Community Excellence Award to one or more communities that have demonstrated leadership in natural resources stewardship, energy efficiency, green building, watershed management or recycling.
Oakland County will support the OakGreen Challenge by building a new OakGreen web portal designed to centralize information about program and financing information for sustainability projects.
This year’s Oakland County Green Summit will focus on the role of local public sector policymakers and facility managers in advancing sustainability. Haris Alibasic, sustainability manager for the City of Grand Rapids, will give the keynote address. Following, a panel of experts from the private, nonprofit and public sectors will speak to attendees. Later, there will be two breakout sessions – one for facilities managers and the other for community policymakers and planners.
Topics will include:
• Sustainability and the Role of Local Government
• Oakland County’s Collaborative Energy Efficiency Program
• Energy Management Options and Alternatives for Public Agencies
• Local “Green Teams” for Community Sustainability
• Sustainable Infrastructure for Educational Facilities
• Review & Future of Energy Efficiency Community Block Grant Program
• Public Sector Policies to Encourage Private Sector Sustainability
• Public Facilities Energy Management Case Studies
• Sustainability Planning Resources for Local Governments: ICLEI
• Collaborative Energy Opportunities for Oakland County Communities
The Oakland County Green Summit will run from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Oakland Schools Building at 2111 Pontiac Lake Road in Waterford. To register for the summit or nominate a community for the Green Community Excellence Award, go to www.oakgov.com/greensummit.
Source: Oakland County Michigan
