Benicia has received a pair of awards for its efforts to save energy and its policies and practices that promote sustainability, Climate Action Plan Coordinator Alex Porteshawver said Tuesday.

The Spotlight Awards were given during the League of California Cities’ annual conference in Los Angeles.

“The city’s achievements were recognized as a part of its participation in the sustainability recognition program, the Beacon Award: Local Leadership toward Solving Climate Change,” Porteshawver said.

Benicia received a Gold Spotlight Award for achieving 11 percent in energy savings and a Platinum Spotlight Award for engaging in 72 sustainability best-practice activities, she said.

Among the city’s activities that led to the awards, Benicia started giving away free compost to residents twice a year for use in their gardens.

The city also has offered incentives to those who install residential solar panels, she said.

The Institute for Local Government started the Beacon Award program in 2009. It is funded by California utility ratepayers and administered by Southern California Gas Company, San Diego Gas and Electric Company, Pacific Gas and Electric Company and Southern California Edison, under the authority of the California Public Utilities Commission.

“We are extremely excited to be recognized by the Institute for Local Government for our efforts to reduce energy and water use and promote sustainable practices and programs in our city,” City Manager Brad Kilger said.

Benicia has a history of climate action activities.

It has joined Local Governments for Sustainability, formerly known as the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives and still identified by its earlier acronym, ICLEI.

Benicia also participates in the Healthy Eating Active Living Cities Campaign, a League of California Cities and California Center for Public Health Advocacy program. It’s a signatory of the United States Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, and annually earns its designation as a Tree City.

Benicia researched its energy use on municipal sites in 2002 and 2003, and completed its initial greenhouse inventory in 2005.

In 2009, it adopted its Climate Action Plan, and it seated the Community Sustainability Commission early in 2010.

Programs recommended by the commission have provided both homeowners and commercial operators with the opportunity to have their buildings analyzed for power and water use, and to receive recommendations about ways to reduce those costs.

In addition, the city has been protecting agricultural lands through its urban growth boundary; built solar arrays on 10 municipal sites; developed a Benicia Air Friendly Vehicle Policy; and used its capital improvement program to improve bicycle and pedestrian travel.