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Sandpoint committee approves University of Montana pilot to inventory city energy use
Summary
The Sandpoint Sustainability Committee voted to move forward with a student pilot led by Dr. Robin Saha of the University of Montana to create a baseline inventory of the city’s energy expenditures and identify savings opportunities; scope, deliverables and a memorandum of understanding will be finalized before any city funds are committed.
The Sandpoint Sustainability Committee on Jan. 27 approved a motion to pursue a student pilot with the University of Montana to inventory city energy expenditures and develop a baseline for potential energy-efficiency work.
Staff reported that Dr. Robin Saha and a small team of graduate students expressed interest in conducting an inventory and producing deliverables the committee could use alongside an updated energy audit. Rachel McKinley, the committee’s staff liaison, said the arrangement would be defined through a memorandum of understanding and would not obligate city funds under the motion: "We're not obligating any fund," McKinley said.
Committee members explained the pilot could provide the kind of data Avista recommended in a 2018 audit and help produce return-on-investment estimates for measures the city might include in the March budget process. Mikaela Sundquist agreed to follow up on logistics and timing with the university team.
A motion to proceed with Dr. Saha and the proposed student team was made, seconded and approved by voice vote. The committee recorded the vote as "Aye"; no roll-call tally was recorded in the meeting transcript.
Next steps include outlining scope, timeline and deliverables in an MOU and determining what city data would be accessible for student research. The committee expects to report back with a refined scope after additional conversations with the university.
