On July 1st, 2019 Fairfax County’s Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination (OEEC) officially launched. The new office was established by the Board of Supervisors as part of its adopted FY 2020 Budget in May.
The OEEC is responsible for the cross-organizational development and implementation of effective environmental and energy policies, goals, programs and projects and engaging county departments, authorities, businesses and residents to advance environmental and energy priorities.
Areas of focus for the OEEC include:
- Community-wide Energy and Climate Action Plan.
- Goal to offset county energy use through locally generated green energy sources like solar.
- Potential new land-use and green building policies to encourage environmentally sustainable development.
The new office will also lead many existing environmental and energy initiatives such as:
- The Operational Energy Strategy that aims to cut energy consumption in county facilities by 20% per square foot over 10 years, lowering greenhouse gas emissions by 533,000 metric tons compared to today.
- Energy Action Fairfax, a public education and outreach program to help residents lower their utility bills, save energy and reduce their carbon footprint.
- The Green Business Partners Program, which recognizes local businesses for their sustainable practices.
- Fairfax Employees for Environmental Excellence, which helps county employees work and live more sustainably.
