Lake County reports 22.9% cut in government emissions since 2017; officials outline next steps

Robin Groom, the county sustainability programs manager, told the Lake County Planning, Building, Zoning and Environment Committee on June 25 that county operations produced 27,623 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2024, down from a 2017 baseline of 35,823 metric tons — a 22.9% drop.

The reduction leaves the county short of targets set in a 2020 Lake County Board resolution calling for a 50% reduction by 2030 and a 90% reduction by 2040, Groom said. “A greenhouse gas inventory is an important metric for us to be measuring progress towards our policy goals,” Groom said.

Groom told the committee the county uses the ClearPath platform to track emissions and breaks county emissions into buildings and facilities, street and traffic lights, vehicle fleet, employee commute and water/wastewater treatment. She said the largest categories are buildings and facilities, employee commute and vehicle fleet, and that the fleet is the only category to increase slightly since 2017.

Groom and committee members discussed year-to-year drivers of the change. Groom said buildings and facilities emissions fell because the county’s electricity became greener and natural gas use declined partly because of closures of two facilities and reduced use of a biosolids dryer. Vehicle emissions rose because of higher-than-usual snowplow callouts and no change in driver efficiency, she said. Employee commute emissions decreased because average commutes became shorter and fewer employees drove alone; the county’s data show 93% of employees still drive alone.

Committee members pressed for context about timing and programs. Member Kanishnik asked why a strategic energy plan and an energy program position are being developed now rather than earlier; Groom and staff said the county waited for available technical tools, grant opportunities and staffing and that an energy programs manager has been hired to lead engineering and building-specific planning.

Groom listed projects slated for 2025–26: using energy efficiency and conservation block grant funds to complete energy assessments, updating vehicle-replacement procedures to require EV light-vehicle adoption and plan for charging infrastructure, designing solar generation for the Waukegan campus, and updating work-from-home policies to reduce commute emissions. “This position will do some crucial work of narrowing in on those very specific engineering and architectural needs that we'll need in order to transition to a green building portfolio,” Groom said.

Members asked about employee incentives to purchase electric vehicles and how work-from-home policy changes could affect emissions. Groom said the inventory includes employees who take public transit (about 1% of county employees) and noted on-site charging is currently free, which partially acts as an incentive. County staff said work-from-home policy changes are complex, involve equity and collective-bargaining considerations and are being handled by a cross-office work group.

The presentation concluded with county officials noting the inventory helps identify where reductions are occurring and which areas need more attention as the county approaches its board-adopted targets.

Looking ahead, staff said the energy assessments funded by grants will provide building-level baselines needed to prioritize projects and finalize a strategic energy plan.