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La Crosse County planner presents indicators report showing falling energy use and rising on-site solar
Summary
County planner Dylan Constant presented the La Crosse County Sustainability Indicators Report, highlighting cumulative savings from reduced natural gas and electricity use (an estimated $1.1 million since tracking began), about $75,000 in fuel savings, and expected growth of on-site solar to roughly 11% of county electricity.
Dylan Constant, La Crosse County planner and the county's sustainability lead, presented the county's annual sustainability indicators report to the Climate Action Plan Steering Committee on Jan. 12, reviewing energy, fuel, water and waste trends and several community metrics.
Constant said the county has tracked these indicators annually since 2012 and reported cumulative savings of roughly $75,000 on fleet fuel usage and an estimated $1.1 million in savings tied to reduced natural gas and electricity versus a 2007/2008 baseline. "We saved cumulatively $75,000 on our fuel usage," he said, and added that electricity reductions and solar installations contributed to recent declines in county emissions.
He noted on-site solar capacity will increase to about 11% of county electricity use as additional arrays come online, citing projects funded in part by ARPA dollars and county partnerships. Constant identified the county's 24-hour facilities (law enforcement center, Hillview, Lakeview) as high-use targets for future efficiency upgrades and said fleet fuel consumption remains an area to address in upcoming implementation work.
Committee members thanked County staff for the work and discussed related projects, including a downtown microgrid study and a Slipstream presentation the committee plans to host in February to share the study's findings.
Constant said some community-level metrics (solid waste tonnage and municipal recycling rates) showed mixed trends and cautioned that single-year changes can reflect exceptional events; he suggested focusing on measurable actions tied to the climate plan's top priorities.
