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Tempe advances residential energy equity roadmap to help heat‑vulnerable residents afford cooling
Summary
City staff introduced a residential energy equity roadmap Feb. 24 that was co‑created with neighborhood residents and community partners; the plan focuses this year on energy efficiency outreach and advocacy, streamlining rooftop solar permitting, and an urban cooling tree stewards program and will return for formal approval March 6.
The Tempe Sustainability and Resilience Division presented a residential energy equity roadmap to City Council on Feb. 24 aimed at lowering energy burden for heat‑vulnerable residents by advancing energy efficiency, renewable energy access and urban cooling. Energy Equity Coordinator Andy Escobar sought council feedback and said staff will return for formal approval March 6.
Escobar said the roadmap was co‑created with residents from the Allegre, Escalante and Victory Acres neighborhoods and informed by the city’s heat priority scores and federal energy‑burden data. "We believe it's important that our residents should be able to afford to cool their homes," Escobar said.
Staff described three themes and sample near‑term actions. Under energy efficiency, staff will advocate for stronger access to federal programs such as the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Weatherization Assistance Program and will increase local outreach to connect residents to those programs. Community Development will review building codes this year with an opportunity to incorporate stronger energy performance standards. Under renewable energy, staff said they will work to streamline rooftop solar permitting and connect households to creative financing and nonprofit partners to increase access. Under urban cooling, staff highlighted the Growing Together Tree Stewards program, an eight‑week, grant‑funded program that trains and compensates residents to plant and maintain trees in residential spaces, and said staff will evaluate long‑term funding options.
The roadmap reflects more than 20 strategies identified through bilingual workshops with residents and partners including CHISPA Arizona, Veil CDC, Community Health and Human Services and Tempe Community Action Agency. Members of the Sustainability and Resilience Commission including Jake Swanson and Joshua Randall spoke in support during public comment; Swanson said the plan is “well thought out” and expected it to have a large impact on cleaner air and community resilience.
Escobar asked council for feedback and approval to advance the highlighted actions this year; staff said items would return March 6 for formal council action. Council members expressed broad support in the Feb. 24 session and offered to help with state‑level advocacy and outreach to schools and congressional meetings; no formal vote was recorded during the work study session.
