Municipal Energy Consumption In 2016, Blue Island budgeted $3,500 for its gas utility bill in general operations. Its expenses were $298.22 Using the $298 expense as a benchmark, the city budgeted $250 for gas utilities in 2018 and 2019. In actuality, the municipality spent $1,788 in 2018 and $3,624 in 2019 on gas utilities in its general operations.23 24 This fluctuation and rising costs of utility expenditures could be mitigated by smarter energy solutions in its public assets. Three major public buildings fall within our study area: the City Clerk’s Office, the police station, and the fire department. All three buildings could provide adequate testing grounds for improvements in energy efficiency which could then be extended to other municipal buildings in the future. Additionally, Blue Island is in the process of updating its public street lighting from traditional bulbs to LED. The city also wishes to change the aging light poles along Western Ave. and hopes to complete both upgrades at the same time. The additional
Figure 2-8: Heat Island Map for Blue Island
1 - relatively mild heat
area (slightly above the mean for the city)
2 3 4 5 - severe heat area
(significantly above the mean for the city)
Wholesale trade makes up the largest concentration of Blue Island’s economy while the greatest proportion of jobs are in the medical and health services. Both of these sectors of the economy use a great deal of energy but are also in a position to increase their energy efficiency and transition to alternative cleaner energy sources through updating technology and changing land use patterns. Transportation Energy Consumption
Trust for Public Land (2019).
cost of the poles, however, has delayed the project due to budget constraints. Commercial and Industrial Energy Consumption In 2018, energy consumption breakdown at the state level was 43.8% for commercial and industrial (C&I) purposes.25 In 2009, it is estimated that about
60% of total electricity usage in Blue Island was for C&I.26 Current energy usage in Blue Island for commercial and industrial uses is difficult to calculate. While today’s exact proportion of Blue Island’s energy is used for C&I purposes is not reported here, it is clear that it is an important consideration when developing an energy plan.
In 2018, 34% of energy consumed in the state of Illinois was due to transportation. It is difficult to pin an exact number on how much energy is being consumed for transportation in Blue Island, but the city is taking steps to reduce energy consumption. First, they created UTOD and COD sites located within our study area. Additionally, Blue Island’s comprehensive plan introduced plans to make Western Ave. a complete street. These initiatives are likely to reduce the vehicle miles traveled and encourage traveling using alternative modes of transportation.
