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Edina reports 17% community greenhouse‑gas cut since 2019; municipal operations down 26%
Summary
Sustainability manager Marissa Baer told the City Council the city is tracking toward its Climate Action Plan but that transportation remains the largest remaining challenge; municipal buildings and grid decarbonization showed the biggest gains.
Sustainability manager Marissa Baer told the Edina City Council on March 18 that the city’s latest greenhouse‑gas inventory shows a 17% reduction in community‑wide emissions from the 2019 baseline, and a 26% decline for municipal operations.
Baer said the municipal improvements — including building efficiency upgrades, a new solar system on City Hall and an expanded electrified fleet — were the main drivers of the reductions. “The buildings and energy sector is a green check for us,” Baer said while walking council members through a sector‑by‑sector inventory.
The climate action plan the council adopted in 2021 sets a community goal of reducing emissions 45% by 2030 and reaching net‑zero by 2050. Baer said the city was not on a linear trajectory toward the 2030 target in every sector: transportation is the largest shortfall, while buildings and energy have made the most progress. She said grid decarbonization by Xcel Energy and city facility projects together account for much of the municipal progress.
Baer outlined the funding sources used in 2024, including roughly $1.9 million in grant awards and expenditures from the Conservation and Sustainability (CAS) fund, financed primarily by the utility franchise fee. She said the city spent approximately $1.8 million in 2024 on electrifying the city fleet, facility efficiency upgrades and renewable energy projects, and that those programs leverage private investment — Baer said roughly $98,000 in city incentives for the Community Climate Action Fund catalyzed about $1 million in private investment.
Council members pressed for details. Council Member Jackson asked for clearer benchmarking slides and a breakdown of the efficient‑buildings ordinance compliance; Baer said the city had benchmarking data for 238 buildings with a 90% submittal rate for required properties. Member Agnew and Member Pierce urged staff to attach dollar savings and multi‑year ROI estimates to energy investments so the council can weigh climate projects against other budget priorities.
Baer also noted practical limits on the city’s authority: local transportation outcomes depend heavily on regional and state partners such as the Met Council and Hennepin County. She said roughly 63% of the remaining emissions reductions needed to meet the 2030 goal must come from transportation and land‑use changes, with the remainder from buildings and energy.
The council and staff agreed to continue the city’s outreach, grant work and targeted programs for 2025, and to reprioritize CAP actions based on the 2023 inventory and near‑term grant opportunities.
Ending: Baer said the city would produce a 2025 greenhouse‑gas inventory and recommended continuing funding of the CAS fund programs; council members asked staff to return with clearer benchmarking and dollarized savings information to aid budget decisions.
