This indicator tracks total annual energy use at City-owned facilities, broken down by source — natural gas and grid electricity. The City has set a goal of achieving zero-emission buildings and operations across all of its more than 400 municipal facilities by 2035.
Reducing energy use overall is important, but the breakdown between gas and electricity tells an equally important story. As the City replaces gas-powered appliances and systems with electric alternatives, and as more City vehicles are charged at City facilities, electricity use may rise even as natural gas use falls. This shift is a sign of progress — the City's electricity is carbon-free through its subscription to San Diego Community Power's Power100 plan, so every gas-powered system that switches to electric effectively becomes a zero-emission operation.