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Local Government Spotlight: Gillette, Wyoming

Creating Sustainability in America's Energy Capital

Summary

To generate buy-in for implementing new sustainability initiatives, the sustainability manager in Gillette, Wyoming, strategically aligned his pitch for new initiatives with the city's values and goals. The sustainability manager identified that lowering operating costs in city-owned buildings was well-aligned with the city's goal of fiscal responsibility and used this framework as the value proposition to encourage the Gillette City Council to join the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Better Buildings® Challenge. By employing this strategy, the sustainability manager got buy-in from city leadership, and Gillette officially joined the Better Buildings Challenge in 2012. As of 2015, Gillette reduced its energy usage in city buildings by 18% from a 2009 baseline, making significant progress toward its goal to achieve a 20% cumulative reduction across city-owned buildings by 2022.

Goal: Get buy-in from city leadership to join the DOE Better Buildings Challenge.

Barrier: Lack of strategy to communicate program benefits to decision makers for buy-in.

Solution: Identified that lowering operating costs in city-owned buildings was well-aligned with the city's goals and principles of fiscal responsibility, and therefore, joining the Better Buildings Challenge would be an attractive value proposition to the City Council.

Outcome: Gillette officially joined the Better Buildings Challenge in 2012. As of 2015, Gillette reduced its energy usage in city buildings by 18% from a 2009 baseline, making significant progress toward its goal to achieve a 20% cumulative reduction across city-owned buildings by 2022.

Background

Gillette, Wyoming, with a population just over 30,000,[1] is in Campbell County, the self-proclaimed energy capital of the nation where approximately 30% of U.S. coal is produced.[2] While energy is abundant and relatively low cost, one of the city's goals is to demonstrate to its citizens, utility customers, and neighboring communities that the city government is a good steward of taxpayer dollars and natural resources.

[1] U.S. Census Bureau. "Quick Facts: Gillette city, Wyoming." Last modified July 2019.

[2] Campbell County, Wyoming. "About the County." Living Here. Accessed June 2020.

While the city has engaged in various energy efficiency and sustainability efforts over the years, an opportunity to significantly expand these efforts presented itself with the launch of the DOE Better Buildings Challenge in 2011. The Better Buildings Challenge invites participating partners to set a voluntary goal to reduce energy use in buildings by 20% within 10 years, track and report their progress on an annual basis, and receive technical assistance and recognition for their leadership.

Implementation Strategy

The sustainability manager approached the City Council to propose that Gillette join the Better Buildings Challenge. When considering this new initiative, the sustainability manager identified that lowering operating costs in city-owned buildings was well-aligned with the city's goals and principles of fiscal responsibility, and, therefore, this would be an attractive value proposition to the Gillette City Council.

Strategies used for generating buy-in across the organization included:

  • Identifying leadership's drivers and goals
  • Creating and framing solutions that addressed these goals
  • Fostering teamwork and collaboration across the city's participating divisions
  • Developing a process that integrated energy management into procurement decision making.

Outcome

Following multiple meetings and presentations to the City Council, the sustainability manager got City Council buy-in, and Gillette officially joined the Better Buildings Challenge in 2012—the first and only local government in Wyoming to take the Challenge. As of 2015, Gillette reduced its energy usage in city buildings by 18% from a 2009 baseline, making significant progress toward its goal to achieve a 20% cumulative reduction across city-owned buildings by 2022.

By aligning the value proposition of joining the Better Buildings Challenge with existing leadership priorities, the Sustainability Division elevated its relevance and visibility with decision makers. This sustainability initiative is helping the city meet its commitment to fiscal responsibility through energy efficiency, while also anticipating energy-related funding needs to plan more effectively.

Additionally, the Sustainability Division led a stakeholder engagement process that improved internal communication and teamwork among the participating divisions. As a result, the Sustainability Division now regularly participates in procurement decision-making.

Note: The information in this case study is based on primary research conducted in 2014. Learn more about the guide's research and development.

To learn more about how to align your energy data management program with your organization's mission and goals, see Step 2.

Sources

Gillette, Wyoming. 2012. Sustainability in America's Energy Capital.

DOE. "Gillette, WY's Inventory and Tracking Process for HVAC Optimization." October 2013.