A proposed energy consumption and preservation plan is offering a greener vision of Henry County.
County staff, in conjunction with researchers from George Mason University, are spearheading the Local Energy Efficiency Action Plan, which seeks to establish paths for the county to optimize commercial, residential and governmental energy usage.
“An energy action plan examines the sources of a locality’s energy consumption and seeks to reduce this consumption, and in turn, reduce emissions of greenhouse gasses,” reads part of the plan.
The plan is the culmination of a year’s worth of research conducted by county staff and community members who make up the study’s advisory task force.
“I’ve been working with George Mason since fall of last year to help develop a local energy efficiency plan,” said Henry County Public Information Officer Brandon Martin at the May board of supervisors meeting.
Martin said that the university approached Henry County last summer.
Professors Joel Hicks and Paul Bubbosh helped staff prepare the plan as it exists now. Hicks is a research fellow at the school’s Center for Energy Science and Policy, and Bubbosh is the former director of the Energy Security Division in the U.S. Department of Energy.
Both attended the supervisors’ May meeting to detail the current plan, which not only sets out a path for the county to become more sustainable but also opens the door for grant funding.
“There is a lot of money available,” Bubbosh said, adding that an energy efficiency plan would allow the county and possibly Henry County towns access to things like bipartisan infrastructure funds. “In order to get that money, you have to have an energy efficiency plan in place. The government is saying … you have to think about what it is you want to do for your future.”
Martin echoed Bubbosh.
“The driving force for developing an EAP [efficiency action plan] is that there are a lot of grant funds available through the Inflation Reduction Act to assist governments and residents with initiatives to upgrade their infrastructure to be more energy efficient,” Martin said. “Having an EAP in place is often a requirement to receive those grants. So, GMU offered to assist the localities with developing their EAPs and to help apply for some of the grants.”
In an email, Hicks said Henry County isn’t necessarily behind the curve, compared to other small communities, but its work with George Mason does provide a sense of urgency to the matter.
“Henry County, and other Virginia rural municipalities … are generally aware of opportunities to reduce energy costs,” Hicks said. “What we attempted to do working with the Henry County Energy Action Plan Task Force was two things: help Henry County understand the magnitude of their prospective policy choices on energy demand/costs/emissions, and ensure Henry County is aware of state and federal funding opportunities to help them defray the costs of those transitions.”
The 50-page plan touches on a myriad of topics, from energy consumption to greenhouse gas emissions.
Henry County’s top three sectors that use the most energy are residential, commercial and transportation.
“Addressing these sectors will be necessary to meet the county’s goals,” reads the study.
A number of solutions are offered, such as transitioning to electric vehicles, transitioning to renewable energy sources and increasing energy efficiency of buildings. The study describes retrofitting existing buildings (including residential housing) with energy-efficient components, while ensuring that new construction is done with energy savings as a top priority.
The study describes changing at least 30% of the county’s combustible-engine vehicles to electric vehicles, while also emphasizing public transportation. It suggests that by 2035, around 40% of the electricity used in the county would be from renewable sources such as solar.
By 2030, Henry County should reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 35% and should be carbon-neutral by 2050, the task force determined.
“If Henry County takes no additional concrete actions to reduce emissions … it will emit over 690,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent annually by 2030,” reads the report. “There are many actions, such as education, that can result in more emission reductions but simply cannot be modeled. If Henry County implements all its recommended actions, it may meet both the intermediate and long-term goals.”
Staff wants to gather public input about the plan, which can be accessed via Henry County’s documents portal. The public can submit comments or questions through June 24 by emailing Martin at bmartin@henrycountyva.gov.
