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Local towns top scales for consumption of residential energy

Energy efficiency is often about numbers. Here are some that the Town Council of Portola Valley will consider at its Wednesday, Dec. 9, meeting in the Historic Schoolhouse.

• Portola Valley ranks seventh of the 10 communities with the largest residential consumption of energy per household in the service area of Pacific Gas & Electric Corp., according to Acterra, the Palo Alto-based environmental nonprofit. (Holding down first and second place are Atherton and Woodside, respectively.)

• Portola Valley is eligible for $25,000 in state grant money for residential energy audits, enough to evaluate 150 homes. (This program also will evaluate 240 homes in Atherton and 180 in Woodside.)

• Audited homes tend to reduce electricity use by 20 percent and natural gas use by 10 percent. If all 150 homes were audited, Portola Valley could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 184 metric tons.

The council will consider a resolution that would include authorizing Acterra to publicize and arrange the energy audits.

Field fee hike

The council will also hold a public hearing on a proposal to increase fees for the use of athletic fields. The increase would raise a total of $65,900 in 2010, up 62 percent from the $40,650 raised in 2009.

The proposal for 2010 would raise $84,300, still short of the council's goal of having those who use the fields pay about half the $168,600 cost to maintain two ball fields and two soccer pitches.

A staff report included a 25 percent fee increase for 2011, but the council chose to consider that at a future meeting.