Sustainability

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• 50 years ago, Ames became the first city in the nation to operate a municipal waste-to-energy facility. The Arnold Chantland Resource Recovery Plant takes in garbage from throughout Story County, pulls out metals for recycling, and processes the burnable trash into refuse derived fuel (RDF). RDF is sent to the Ames Power Plant to provide a supplemental fuel for producing electricity.

• In 2007, the Ames mayor joined mayors from across the country in signing the U.S. Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement. Part of signing the agreement involves conducting a baseline inventory of energy usage, collecting data about energy management, recycling, waste reduction, transportation, and land use. While Ames is working hard on going green, we are encouraging our residents to do the same.

• In 2016, the Ames Power Plant converted from coal to cleaner burning natural gas reducing its carbon footprint by 40 percent.

• The community's first greenhouse gas inventory was completed in 2020. This data provided a foundation from which to build a climate action plan and community goals for reduction.

• From 2021 to 2023, the community, City staff, a consultant worked to develop a comprehensive Climate Action Plan. This involved dozens of public feedback opportunities and a Supplemental Input Committee comprised of 27 community members.

• In June 2023, City Council accepted the Climate Action Plan, setting ambitious greenhouse gas reduction goals of 70% by 2030 and 94% by 2050.

• In July 2024, the City of Ames hired it's first full time Sustainability Coordinator, Nolan Sagan. The Sustainability Coordinator serves as a resource for the community and City departments on implementation of the Climate Action Plan. The City previously partnered with Iowa State University to share a Director of Sustainability/Sustainability Coordinator position for more than 10 years.