Consultant outlines municipal greenhouse‑gas inventory, sustainability framework for Taos

Lotus Engineering and Sustainability presented a scope, timeline and early findings for a municipal greenhouse‑gas inventory and sustainability framework to the Town of Taos Council on Aug. 26, 2025. The consultant said the project will examine municipal emissions sources, recommend strategies for energy efficiency and water protection, and produce a set of actionable recommendations intended to support future planning decisions.

The presentation led by Grace Sullivan, senior associate and team lead for Lotus Engineering and Sustainability, said the firm will combine review of existing planning documents with new data collection and community engagement. "A greenhouse gas inventory would help you understand where you can make the biggest decarbonization efforts," Sullivan said, and the municipal inventory would extend beyond buildings to examine transportation and fleet emissions as well as other municipal sources.

Sullivan told the council the work is designed to build off existing energy audits and other town studies rather than duplicate them. "The IGA does really focus on buildings," she said, "however, municipal inventory would also examine additional opportunities like transportation, so opportunities with your fleet and anything else that could be more fact finding here to do." She said the project includes baseline data collection, existing‑conditions analyses, a suite of recommended strategies, partner and community engagement and some reserved hours for implementation assistance.

Why it matters: the town's municipal inventory and resulting framework would give elected officials and staff a clearer picture of where municipal emissions come from and which investments would yield the largest reductions. The consultant said that clarity would also support pursuit of grant funding and planning decisions.

Council members asked technical and program questions. One asked how the proposed municipal inventory differs from the town's energy audit; Sullivan said the inventory would draw on the audit's data but add transportation and broader municipal sources. Another asked whether the team had begun work on watershed protection; Sullivan said the firm has water‑resource experts on the team and plans to coordinate with the town's ongoing water and sewer manual update and other local studies. She said potential measures could range from behavior‑change campaigns to partnerships with local businesses.

Youth engagement was raised during the session. Theo Blaustein, a youth council member attending his first official meeting, told the council he is involved in a school greenhouse and said youth engagement and watershed restoration are priorities for younger residents. Sullivan said Lotus can include an engagement plan and suggested the team could pivot to deliver outreach materials or a training manual if the council made that a priority.

Sullivan said the consultant team expects to complete the project by April 2026 and emphasized the work is intended as a framework that could inform a longer‑term adopted plan if the council wishes. "We want to make sure it's tailored and useful and that it's actionable and our documents don't stay on the shelf," she said.

The council did not take formal action on the presentation. Staff and council members indicated interest in using the work to inform land‑use code review, grant writing and education efforts.

Looking ahead: the consultant will continue data collection and outreach and return with more detailed deliverables and recommendations for council review.