Climate and Air Quality
Our team has led numerous projects to address our clients' concerns with climate change
and regional air quality. Each client has a different emphasis based on their needs which
can involve CEQA and NEPA entitlements, criteria and GHG pollutant reductions, energy
efficiency improvements, adaptation planning, or public transportation improvements.
Example projects our team has led or worked on include:
City of Santa Clarita Climate Action Plan. Led the development of a City wide
Climate Action Plan (CAP) and the CEQA documentation
(IS/ND) for the Plan. The CAP considered the full range of mitigation measures
available to the City and developed a GHG reduction plan to achieve California
requirements under AB 32, SB 375, and others in the most cost-effective manner.
Port of Portland Carbon and Energy Management Master Plan.
Led a project involving a series of energy and facility audits, prioritization
of energy and GHG reduction measures, and implementation of prioritized actions.
Program elements included assistance in obtaining external financing and
development of an Energy Measure Portfolio Management Tool which enables the
Port to reprioritize implementation activities as key parameters – budgets,
energy prices, GHG reduction targets – change over time.
Port of San Diego Climate Mitigation and Adaptation Plan.
Co-directed the development of a comprehensive Climate Mitigation and Adaptation
Plan which includes a GHG Inventory for all Port activities and cargo
transportation, strategies to reduce GHG emissions from these operations,
climate change impact (primarily sea level rise (SLR)) analysis, and long range
planning to better deal with sea level rise impacts. The sea level rise study is
combining future SLR projections with storm surge analysis to develop focused
inundation maps that take into account existing shoreline protection and
armoring. A detailed vulnerability analysis of the projected impacts and a
comprehensive risk assessment was also performed.
UK North Sea Flare Transfer Pilot Trading Scheme (FTPTS)
Steve Messner was the founding Chairman of the UK's FTPTS. This trading program
was successfully tested between 2000 and 2008 and provided a mechanism to reduce
flaring emissions while maintaining operational flexibility. This pilot program provided
industry and the regulator (DTI) with valuable, practical experience with trading and was
a success in getting operators focused on more ways to reduce flaring. The program
ended after 2007 when the EU's Emission trading Scheme (ETS) decided to include
flaring emissions in Phase 2 of the ETS. The program worked well in part because DTI
had a history of setting fair but challenging flare targets for oil & gas installations and
carried this experience over into the trading pilot. DTI could and did also help facilitate
transactions among the parties needing to trade. The FTPTS could potentially be
emulated by any State or region in the US. Additional information on the FTPTS are as follows:
uk_flare_consent_trading.pdf
flare_trading_2004.pdf
A presentation Steve Messner made to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District
on the viability of flare trading for their jurisdiction is here:
baaqmd_flare_discussion_april_06.ppt
City of Carson - Oilfield development. Managed the development of an air quality
and GHG emission inventory and CEQA analysis for a proposed project in an urban area.
This work also included a life cycle analysis of the produced oil and how it affects
refining and transportation emissions versus current feedstock blends (i.e. less imported
crude).
Proposed Keystone pipeline project. Led the preparation of a comparison of environmental
and social indicators in Canada as well as countries currently importing oil into the US that are
alternatives to the proposed Canadian pipeline imports.
City of Richmond. Developed GHG mitigation strategies for the City to address impacts of a local
refinery expansion.
City of Los Angeles. Led the development of the 2009 Municipal Operations and 2009 City-wide GHG
inventories for the City.
Sacramento Metropolitan Utility District (SMUD) - Climate change strategic
plan. Developed a comprehensive climate change strategic plan outlining seven future
GHG regulatory scenarios, taking into account physical changes in the
environment; anticipating changes in state and federal laws; and suggesting
prioritized actions such as renewable energy, demand side measures, Carbon
Capture and Storage (CCS), distributed generation and cogeneration. The study
looked closely at the opportunities and challenges for SMUD associated with a significant
expansion in the use of plug in hybrid vehicles. The study also analyzed the implications
to electric rates for the various scenarios, and reviewed CO2 offset
opportunities in the region including solar pool heating and algae to energy.
California Natural Resources Agency - Climate Adaptation Strategy,
Managed contractor staff that prepared the first climate change adaptation
strategy (2009) for state agencies in California. This included summarizing
climate change impacts in California, working with six state working groups to
develop vulnerability assessments, and developing a framework for synthesizing
and ranking response strategies.
Focus 2050 San Diego Regional Climate Change Study,
Developed the Energy Chapter for the Focus 2050 report, evaluating electricity trends
expected through 2050 and how climate change and population growth in inland
areas will affect regional energy use. Also wrote the summary report for the
entire regional adaptation study which was published in the State of
California’s 2008 Climate Assessment Report.
Major US Bank - green initiative. Supported a major bank in the implementation of a
corporate-wide $20 billion climate change initiative which included revisions to energy
and home mortgage lending products, supply chain GHG analysis and internal
sustainability and renewable energy development targets. Reviewed residential and commercial
lending options for energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements
including direct lending, assisting utilities with on-bill financing, assisting
cities, counties and States with property tax based financing, accessing low
interest CEC loans, and managing larger revolving funds.
and regional air quality. Each client has a different emphasis based on their needs which
can involve CEQA and NEPA entitlements, criteria and GHG pollutant reductions, energy
efficiency improvements, adaptation planning, or public transportation improvements.
Example projects our team has led or worked on include:
City of Santa Clarita Climate Action Plan. Led the development of a City wide
Climate Action Plan (CAP) and the CEQA documentation
(IS/ND) for the Plan. The CAP considered the full range of mitigation measures
available to the City and developed a GHG reduction plan to achieve California
requirements under AB 32, SB 375, and others in the most cost-effective manner.
Port of Portland Carbon and Energy Management Master Plan.
Led a project involving a series of energy and facility audits, prioritization
of energy and GHG reduction measures, and implementation of prioritized actions.
Program elements included assistance in obtaining external financing and
development of an Energy Measure Portfolio Management Tool which enables the
Port to reprioritize implementation activities as key parameters – budgets,
energy prices, GHG reduction targets – change over time.
Port of San Diego Climate Mitigation and Adaptation Plan.
Co-directed the development of a comprehensive Climate Mitigation and Adaptation
Plan which includes a GHG Inventory for all Port activities and cargo
transportation, strategies to reduce GHG emissions from these operations,
climate change impact (primarily sea level rise (SLR)) analysis, and long range
planning to better deal with sea level rise impacts. The sea level rise study is
combining future SLR projections with storm surge analysis to develop focused
inundation maps that take into account existing shoreline protection and
armoring. A detailed vulnerability analysis of the projected impacts and a
comprehensive risk assessment was also performed.
UK North Sea Flare Transfer Pilot Trading Scheme (FTPTS)
Steve Messner was the founding Chairman of the UK's FTPTS. This trading program
was successfully tested between 2000 and 2008 and provided a mechanism to reduce
flaring emissions while maintaining operational flexibility. This pilot program provided
industry and the regulator (DTI) with valuable, practical experience with trading and was
a success in getting operators focused on more ways to reduce flaring. The program
ended after 2007 when the EU's Emission trading Scheme (ETS) decided to include
flaring emissions in Phase 2 of the ETS. The program worked well in part because DTI
had a history of setting fair but challenging flare targets for oil & gas installations and
carried this experience over into the trading pilot. DTI could and did also help facilitate
transactions among the parties needing to trade. The FTPTS could potentially be
emulated by any State or region in the US. Additional information on the FTPTS are as follows:
uk_flare_consent_trading.pdf
flare_trading_2004.pdf
A presentation Steve Messner made to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District
on the viability of flare trading for their jurisdiction is here:
baaqmd_flare_discussion_april_06.ppt
City of Carson - Oilfield development. Managed the development of an air quality
and GHG emission inventory and CEQA analysis for a proposed project in an urban area.
This work also included a life cycle analysis of the produced oil and how it affects
refining and transportation emissions versus current feedstock blends (i.e. less imported
crude).
Proposed Keystone pipeline project. Led the preparation of a comparison of environmental
and social indicators in Canada as well as countries currently importing oil into the US that are
alternatives to the proposed Canadian pipeline imports.
City of Richmond. Developed GHG mitigation strategies for the City to address impacts of a local
refinery expansion.
City of Los Angeles. Led the development of the 2009 Municipal Operations and 2009 City-wide GHG
inventories for the City.
Sacramento Metropolitan Utility District (SMUD) - Climate change strategic
plan. Developed a comprehensive climate change strategic plan outlining seven future
GHG regulatory scenarios, taking into account physical changes in the
environment; anticipating changes in state and federal laws; and suggesting
prioritized actions such as renewable energy, demand side measures, Carbon
Capture and Storage (CCS), distributed generation and cogeneration. The study
looked closely at the opportunities and challenges for SMUD associated with a significant
expansion in the use of plug in hybrid vehicles. The study also analyzed the implications
to electric rates for the various scenarios, and reviewed CO2 offset
opportunities in the region including solar pool heating and algae to energy.
California Natural Resources Agency - Climate Adaptation Strategy,
Managed contractor staff that prepared the first climate change adaptation
strategy (2009) for state agencies in California. This included summarizing
climate change impacts in California, working with six state working groups to
develop vulnerability assessments, and developing a framework for synthesizing
and ranking response strategies.
Focus 2050 San Diego Regional Climate Change Study,
Developed the Energy Chapter for the Focus 2050 report, evaluating electricity trends
expected through 2050 and how climate change and population growth in inland
areas will affect regional energy use. Also wrote the summary report for the
entire regional adaptation study which was published in the State of
California’s 2008 Climate Assessment Report.
Major US Bank - green initiative. Supported a major bank in the implementation of a
corporate-wide $20 billion climate change initiative which included revisions to energy
and home mortgage lending products, supply chain GHG analysis and internal
sustainability and renewable energy development targets. Reviewed residential and commercial
lending options for energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements
including direct lending, assisting utilities with on-bill financing, assisting
cities, counties and States with property tax based financing, accessing low
interest CEC loans, and managing larger revolving funds.
