Oakland County sustainability office presents 2024 annual report; commissioners receive and file

Julie Lyonsberger, chief sustainability officer for the Office of Sustainability, presented Oakland County’s 2024 annual report to the Board of Commissioners committee and the committee voted to receive and file the report.

Lyonsberger said the office’s central greenhouse-gas goal is a 50% reduction by 2035 from a 2018 baseline and a long-term target of net-zero emissions by 2050. She told commissioners county operations emissions are dominated by buildings and facilities — “more than 75% of our emissions” — with vehicle fleet the second-largest source.

The presentation summarized grants, technical assistance and programs the office advanced in 2024. Lyonsberger reported a $100,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy for energy management and said the county earned a DOE EECBG award that remains pending because of federal administrative changes and a required principal-investigator change. She also said the office obtained roughly 80 hours of technical-assistance support from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to assess projects including HVAC updates at the Judson Building.

The report highlighted Oakland Saves, an energy-efficiency rebate program funded with $5 million in ARPA dollars. Lyonsberger said the county allocated that $5 million in about four-and-a-half days and served roughly 1,100 households; the program leveraged the county dollars to about $7.3 million in total investment. Program details presented to the committee included 47 of 62 county volunteer/partner teams participating, 52 of 90 participating contractors from Oakland County, estimated lifetime electricity savings of about $734,000, lifetime gas savings of about $2.8 million and an estimated avoidance of about 17,900 tons of CO2 over the lifetime of the upgraded equipment.

Lyonsberger described internal campus work planned for 2025: a comprehensive campus energy assessment, an energy manager in Facilities Management, interior LED upgrades and continued coordination with the facilities department around building decarbonization and fleet transition. She noted the county added two pursuit-rated electric SUVs to the sheriff’s fleet as a pilot and installed the first public EV charging station in the Board of Commissioners parking lot.

Commissioners asked about inventory methods (the county used a 2018 baseline and is updating the inventory in-house using software provided through a membership) and about program details such as whether airport aircraft emissions were included (they were not). Commissioners and staff discussed grant timing: Lyonsberger said the DOE award required a PI transfer from Aaron Quatel to her and that approval of that change was received the prior week, with a reimbursement or award agreement expected in the coming weeks.

Commissioner Johnson moved to receive and file the 2024 annual report; Commissioner Markham supported the motion. The committee voted 6-0 to receive and file the report.

The office said it will continue internal operations work while expanding external engagement with cities, townships, nonprofits and businesses in Oakland County in future years.