City Sustainability Projects
The City of Helena makes energy efficient upgrades, and sustainable options a priority in every project it completes. Below are some of the Sustainability projects that the City is currently working on or completed.
Composting and Food Waste Reduction Pilot Project- July 2024
In June of 2023, the City submitted a grant through USDA's Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production, to participate in its Composting and Food Waste Reduction Program. In December of 2023, the City was awarded $66,317.60 to deploy a food waste reduction pilot project, with the goal of reducing the amount of food waste being sent to the Lewis and Clark County Landfill.
On July 16th, this project kicked off, with several local businesses volunteering to participate. Every week, the City's Solid Waste Department will service food waste bins, and transport them out to the landfill to be mixed in with existing compost piles. The food waste is a great addition to the compost piles, as its moisture and nutrients will help break down and process the compost faster as well as produce a higher quality finished compost product. The goal of this pilot project is for USDA to work with local agencies to develop and test strategies for planning and implementing municipal compost and food waste reduction plans.
Stay tuned for more information on this exciting new project!
Bill Roberts Golf Course Solar Project- Summer 2024
More information on this project coming soon!
Sustainability Audit/Plan- April 2024
In February 2020, the Helena Commission passed resolution 20592 that gave the City a goal of 100% clean, renewable energy by 2030, with an interim goal of 80% by 2025. In this resolution, it was stated that the Helena community was approximately 39% fossil fuel based. For the City to move its clean energy and sustainability goals forward, an evaluation of existing infrastructure and operations needed to be done. An audit of city facilities will show the current fossil fuel usage and give the City a plan on how to reduce energy and overall costs, and identify opportunities for sustainability projects. In June of 2023, the City's Public Works Department released a Request For Proposal "RFP"(PDF, 114KB) to perform a sustainability audit on municipal facilities to identify opportunities for energy efficiency, electrification, water conservation, renewable energy, and Electric Vehicle Charging Station (EVCS) installation. The scope of this project was be an ASHRAE Level II Energy Audit that included HVAC equipment, domestic hot water heating, general building envelope assessment, lighting systems, and other miscellaneous systems such as plug loads, elevators, etc.
In March of 2024, this audit was complete, and the City of Helena Sustainability Plan/audit was released. This report gave detailed information on several Energy Conservation Measures (EMS's) the City can take, to move its energy conservation and GHG goals forward. The read the Full Sustainability Report Click The Link Here,(PDF, 8MB) and for more information Watch the presentation HERE!
Sustainability Grants Update- March 2024
Below is a list of Sustainability focused grants, the City of Helena has recently applied for
- Climate Pollution Reduction Grant- April 2024 (Unsuccessful)
- Requested $2,161,3400 to purchase grinder and make improvements to the Green Waste operations at the Transfer Station.
- Solar for All- September 2023 (Unsuccessful)
- Requested $25,000,000 to lead a Coalition through the Montana League of Cities and Towns, to provide solar loans for low income MT residents
- Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling- February 2023 (Unsuccessful)
- Requested $3,289,990 to Purchase Compost Equipment and Cardboard Bailer.
- Recycling and Education Outreach- February 2023 (Unsuccessful)
- Requested $293,032 to increase diversion of recycled materials through public outreach and education.
Electric Vehicle Charging Station- January 2024
The City of Helena recently installed two electric vehicle charging stations available for public use after installation was completed in early December. The charging stations are located at the Bill Roberts Golf Course and the Jackson Street Parking Garage in downtown Helena. Each charging station is a level two charger and can accommodate two vehicles at a time.
The charging stations are currently being tested to help the City identify issues. The stations will be free to use until testing of the stations is complete, which is set to be completed in March 2024, after that there will be a modest fee for usage. The project cost $50,000, however The City was awarded a $17,000 grant from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality’s Charge Your Ride Grant to help with the project.
The goal of this pilot project is to expand EVC infrastructure in the state of Montana, and see if there is a need for further expansion in the future.
Transportation Shop Solar Panel Project- July 2023
The City has completed install of a 50kW AC ground mounted solar project at the City’s Transportation Shop located at 3001 E Lyndale.
- This solar project will be the City’s first large scale renewable energy project.
- The project is projected to produce up to 65,000 kWh of electricity per year.
- The City received a $50,000 Universal System Benefits grant from NorthWestern Energy to help partially fund the project that has an estimated total cost of $140,000.
- This project was completed in July 2023.
Electric Street Sweeper- April 2023
In September of 2021, Transportation Systems was made aware of a grant opportunity through DEQ, via a settlement with the auto manufacturer Volkswagen. The grant program focuses on the replacement of a range of vehicles and equipment employing diesel engines manufactured between 1992 and 2009. The intent is to replace older units with newer, more efficient units.Transportation Systems had one piece of equipment that qualified under the requirements of the program, a diesel-powered street sweeper. Transportation Systems submitted an application in January 2022 and was conditionally approved for the program.
In April of 2023, the City of Helena unveiled its new electric street sweeper that was purchased with the help of a grant from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. The City hosted a small public event at the City-County Building parking lot to showcase the 100 percent emission-free sweeper. The street sweeper, which was manufactured by Global Environmental Products, and is a $625,000 investment. The City applied for a $500,000 grant through DEQ, which was awarded in 2022, covering most of the cost of the sweeper. Some of the highlights of the new sweeper include quiet sweeping operation and up to 11 hours of operation time. Batteries can be recharged overnight (9-11 hours), allowing it to be used daily.
