Park City is developing a strategic implementation plan to decarbonize buildings across Park City and Summit County as part of a larger effort to reach net-zero carbon by 2030. The initiative, developed by sustainability staff in collaboration with Utah Clean Energy, seeks to address the built environment, which accounts for nearly 60 percent of community-wide carbon emissions.
Addressing Existing Buildings
The proposed strategies to address building emissions are categorized into several key areas: existing buildings and retrofits, new construction, financing, and community engagement. Because Utah law prevents local municipalities from setting energy codes more stringent than the state level, the city is exploring alternative pathways to spur sustainable design and building practices.
New Construction and Incentives
To address existing structures, the plan suggests several measures aimed at increasing awareness of energy use, costs, and carbon footprints. One proposed strategy is a Time-of-Listing Home Energy Score, which would require residential properties in Park City to undergo an energy assessment during the listing process. The city intends to begin this as a pilot program to refine the process, noting that similar models have been implemented in Portland, Oregon, and Boulder, Colorado.
Additionally, the plan includes a Commercial Building Energy Transparency Ordinance, which would require a Building Energy Performance Disclosure for commercial properties, a model currently being used in Salt Lake City. For the residential rental market, the city is considering a Residential Rental Energy Transparency Policy. This would require long-term rental owners to obtain a license from the city every four years to ensure they meet basic safety and code requirements. As part of that licensing, rentals would need an energy audit to verify that appliances and units are in good repair, with owners required to disclose utility data and average costs to tenants.
Financing and Implementation
Since local governments in Utah cannot adopt mandatory energy codes for new builds, the implementation plan focuses on voluntary pathways. These include implementing a Net-zero Building Benchmark to define and recommend net-zero design, as well as providing incentives for building designers and builders who meet the City's Net-zero Building Recommendation.
To support these efforts, the plan outlines three primary financial strategies. The first is the development of a statewide Clean Energy Fund to drive investment in clean energy solutions, including efficiency improvements for homes and buildings. The second is the promotion of Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) financing to local developers. The third strategy involves allocating a portion of Municipal Energy Tax or Franchise Tax revenue to support decarbonization projects, specifically to drive the uptake of major energy retrofits and net-zero buildings throughout the community.
Community Engagement and Equity
A central priority of the decarbonization plan is ensuring equitable outcomes. To achieve this, Park City sustainability staff and Utah Clean Energy conducted two anonymous surveys to gather feedback on the energy performance of homes, with a specific focus on affordable housing.
Furthermore, the city organized two listening sessions—one conducted in English and one in Spanish—to hear community stories regarding energy performance behaviors and the overall comfort of homes. These sessions were held with assistance from Mountainlands Community Trust and Holy Cross Ministries to ensure diverse perspectives were included in the planning process.
Achieving Net-Zero Goals
To foster community buy-in, the plan emphasizes the importance of engaging local businesses and residents. The city is considering a certification and recognition program for environmental leadership to motivate builders, realtors, property managers, and homeowners associations. By recognizing and rewarding environmental leadership, the city aims to provide cost-effective resources and solutions that help local businesses decarbonize their operations and buildings.
Municipal Standards
The city has already established a baseline for its own operations, having implemented a net-zero energy performance standard for municipal buildings in 2017. The new strategic plan aims to extend these sustainability goals to the broader community and the private sector to meet the 2030 carbon goals.
