RALEIGH - When Mayor Charles Meeker listed the top priorities for his fourth term in office, he declared that Raleigh would seek to become a model "green city."

It was time, the mayor told a room full of reporters in late November, that Raleigh pursue energy-efficient policies even if they require more money up front.

"The city needs to show the public what we need to do here," Meeker said. "We need to lead by example."

A review of Raleigh's current green initiatives shows that the city is moving forward on Meeker's goal, though at a pace that is not likely to turn heads.

The City Council's most recent actions involve pledging to reduce Raleigh's fossil fuel consumption by 20 percent over the next five years, and creating two staff positions that will focus solely on energy reduction.

Residents wondering what more officials could be doing need only look west to Asheville.

Last year, Asheville's City Council passed an ordinance requiring all new municipal buildings larger than 5,000 square feet to achieve certification in the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, rating system. Asheville also now waives most permit and inspection fees for developers whose projects achieve a certain level of energy conservation.

Meeker said he has no immediate plans to propose similar measures in Raleigh, noting the city would continue to approach energy-efficiency on a project-by-project basis.

Raleigh officials have said they plan to make the city's new 15-story public safety center a green building, and the new convention center is expected to be LEED certified when it opens in September.

Meeker also points to the city's use of LED lights in parking garages, and its experimenting with plug-in hybrid vehicles as evidence that Raleigh is headed in the right direction.

Councilman Thomas Crowder, an architect who frequently talks about the importance of sustainability, said he thinks the new City Council would support more aggressive measures.

"We have a long way to go," Crowder admitted. "We do need to move in that direction if we want to reduce costs for our taxpayers."

Selling 'green'

Robin Cape, an Asheville councilwoman who helped push through many of that city's tougher green policies, said it's important that politicians build consensus with other officials and the public before pressing for widespread changes.

"You don't want to try and bring things forward before you have the support, otherwise they may be pushed back even further," she said.

Doug Brinkley, a Raleigh architect whose firm, PBC + L Architecture, built several green buildings at Wake Technical Community College, said the key is explaining exactly where the savings are going to occur.

"It's got to make economic sense," he said.

To get architects, builders and developers on board, Brinkley said officials should talk up how having a LEED-certified building could lead to higher rental rates and more money per square foot.

A similar information campaign needs to be aimed at taxpayers, said Dona Coleman Stankus, an N.C. State University instructor who heads the Triangle chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council.

"We're not spending the public's money properly if we're not dealing with energy and water conservation," Stankus said.

Energy footprints

In Asheville, Public Works Director Mike Colmes said the city focused heavily on promoting green building practices after learning that more than 60 percent of its $4.1 million annual energy budget went to heating buildings.

Raleigh is just beginning to get a handle on its energy footprint. The city just completed energy audits on three of its largest buildings over the past two months.

Colmes said his staff has embraced the mandates put in place by Asheville's City Council.

"It's an opportunity, not a burden," he said.