Takoma Park Named Quarterfinalist for Energy Prize
The City of Takoma Park was notified this month that it is advancing to the quarterfinalist round of the Georgetown University Energy Prize (GUEP), a $5-million incentive competition to reduce America’s energy consumption.
According to a news release issued by Georgetown University, Takoma Park has created a challenging and promising Sustainable Energy Action Plan that involves homeowners, apartment and condo dwellers and city officials in an effort to reduce energy use, save money, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions together.
“It’s an honor to be chosen,” said Gina Mathias, Takoma Park’s sustainability manager. “This competition is a tremendous opportunity to showcase how innovative the City of Takoma Park is, while giving the city a new, meaningful challenge that will benefit residents, the city, and the environment, regardless of the prize.”
Takoma Park is among a select group of 52 small and medium-sized cities and counties from across the country that have advanced to the quarterfinalist round of the competition. The closest competing jurisdiction is Arlington, Virginia.
In total, over the two years of the GUEP competition, Takoma Park and fellow participants have the potential to save more than $1 billion in total energy costs and cut millions of tons of CO2 emissions.
Dr. Francis Slakey of the GUEP said that, “the communities we selected are leaders in energy efficiency who will develop innovative approaches that will inspire and enable others to follow in their footsteps.”
Over the next several months, Mathias will work with city officials and partners to develop a two-year plan that will incorporate the existing Sustainable Energy Action Plan, as well as new strategies that will make the city a strong competitor for the $5 Million prize.
To learn more about the Georgetown University Energy Prize and to track the competition’s progress, visit www.guep.org, or follow the Prize on Twitter.
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