LES reports 36% drop in emissions, but it’s only part of Lincoln’s climate plan

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – One of Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird’s top priorities when she was first elected was to develop a climate action plan.

It eventually came together by October 2020.

“We have committed to a goal of an 80% net reduction in our greenhouse gas emissions here in Lincoln, by the year 2050,” Baird said then.

This includes transportation emissions and energy use by buildings, among other things.

We’re a few years into the plan now, and where are we?

Some of the strategies were to increase energy efficiency, employ natural climate solutions, generate more electricity from renewable sources and switch to electric vehicles.

Lincoln Electric System is a part of this plan, but Scott Benson, manager of resource and transmission planning, said steps have been taken since 2010.

“The city’s got a much broader goal than just LES,” Benson said. “It encompasses a lot of things outside of electricity, but there’s no doubt that we make up a big cornerstone of what it’s going to take for them to achieve it, so it’s important for us to do our part.”

In fact, LES has seen a 36% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions since 2010.

In 2020, emissions dropped to 50% below 2010 levels.

“We got a long ways to go, but we’re making good progress to date,” Benson said.

In figuring these numbers out, LES determines how much CO2 is coming from all of its resources combined.

That number is what it is trying to drive as close to zero as it can.

“The primary contributors are the coal resources, followed by natural gas,” Benson said. “Then we have a bunch of things in our portfolio like hydroelectric power, wind, solar. Those aren’t contributing CO2 emissions, so they’re already where you need to be. It’s trying to get the rest of the stuff on board with those.”

And leaders said they are not chasing this CO2 goal at the expense of causing other environmental problems.

But more questions than answers remain.

There are still many other pieces to the pie to check in on.

The mayor’s office said Gaylor Baird and the chief sustainability officer are looking to present a formal update soon.