Tag: United States

Boise, Idaho, USA

Boise, Idaho, USA

  • Target: 100% renewable electricity community-wide by 2035
  • Status: In progress
  • RES: Hydropower, solar, and geothermal energy
  • Implementation: Boise City Council in Idaho is committed to a 100% renewable electricity and has adopted the "Boise's Energy Future" plan to reach this goal. It builds on an earlier municipal target set by its mayor David Bieter of 100 percent clean electricity for city-owned buildings by 2030, as well as the goal set by Idaho Power, the electricity utility for the City of Boise 100 percent clean energy system-wide by 2045. The Boise’s Energy Future plan was developed over a year by the city with community organizations and businesses including local utilities. It involved extensive public outreach, including a citywide survey in partnership with Boise State University. The survey revealed that almost 80 percent of citizens either strongly or somewhat agree with the city’s goals to reduce energy use and transition to clean energy. For the city, it was imperative that the 100 percent target emphasises "affordability and equity in access to energy efficiency and clean energy for all residents.” Local renewable energy and technology would help grow its economy, creating good jobs, afford better energy choices for users, and improve public health.
    The city's plan lists several cost-effective electricity strategies. It includes supporting new electricity generation, increasing consumer participation in efficiency programs and Green Power Program, encouraging rooftop and community solar installation, and procuring green power for municipal buildings. Source: Boise's Energy Future Plan
  • Population:  228,959 (2019)
  • Area:  84.73 sq mi (219.45 km2)
  • Link: Boise Energy Plan
Boise, Idaho, USA
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Boulder, Colorado, USA

Boulder, Colorado, USA

  • Target: 100% renewable electricity community wide by 2030, interim goal of 40% renewable electricity/50 MW local installations by 2020
  • Status: In progress
  • RES: Solar energy
  • Implementation: Boulder is a small city located in the state of Colorado Rocky Mountains. In December 2016, the City Council voted to commit the City to 80% reduction in community greenhouse gas emissions below 2005 levels by 2050, 100% renewable electricity by 2030, and 80% reduction in organization greenhouse gas emissions below 2008 levels by 2030. At the time of the plan's adoption, 99% of Boulder's energy for electricity, heating, and transportation came from burning fossil fuels. Roughly half of the City's GHG emissions were coming from electricity. Approximately 22% of electricity was being generated by renewables, with approximately 30 MW of local renewable power generation installed. More than half of this was local solar installations.By 2030, an all renewable electricity system aims to include 100 MW of local renewables, which will increase to 175 MW by 2050. This increase signals the City's strategy in moving towards 80% electrification. Electric vehicles and heat pumps for example will replace equipment formerly supplied by natural gas, and will demand greater electricity supply.

    To transition to all renewable electricity, Boulder's plan relies on a three part strategy. First is to reduce energy consumption. City-funded pilot projects aim to integrate efficiency with on-site generation and natural gas and petroleum replacement strategies. The City plans to expand demand side management services through the implementation of a municipal utility in lieu of the historic investor owned utility. To lower costs of owning on-site solar, the City plans to establish collective purchase agreements that allow groups to own solar projects. This can help reduce the overall demand for the municipal utility to supply electricity and scale up renewable energy procurement or installation. Second is to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy. The City plan to analyse renewable generation and storage opportunities to replace fossil generation, as well as strategies for replacing natural gas and petroleum-based transportation. Third is to re-design critical community infrastructure and operations through mapping and strengthening resiliency and protection against power failure.

  • Population: 108,090 (2016)
  • Area: 25.85 sq mi (66.95 km2)
  • Link: Local Renewable Electricity Generation Data Dashboard
Boulder, Colorado, USA

Breckenridge, Colorado, USA

Breckenridge, Colorado, USA

  • Target: 100% renewable energy in municipal operations by 2025, and 100% renewable electricity community-wide by 2035.
  • Status: In progress
  • RES: Community solar gardens
  • Implementation: The town of Breckenridge, Colorado aims to power its municipal operations entirely with solar energy by implementing five community solar gardens. It will achieve this based on the latest community solar gardens law (HB 19-1003) adopted by the state of Colorado, which has allowed dispersed communities to be connected to a renewable energy electric grid, by expanding the concept of community solar gardens, and the concept of “community.” Four of the solar gardens will be in Logan County, in the state’s northeastern corner, and another along Interstate 70 near the town of New Castle. The community solar concept pioneered by the state in 2010 is a model that has been adopted by other states such as Massachusetts, New York, Illinois, and Minnesota.
    Initial efforts in local solar development in Colorado did not work due to land costs, jurisdiction (more than 80% of Summit County were federal lands), ownership (remainder were private), and topography (land too forested or steep). A sizeable 2 MW community solar garden required at least 10 acres, which was a challenge for the high-priced mountain resort areas and Boulder County. The previous law also limited subscriptions. Community solar gardens had to be within the same county or an adjacent county to be a subscriber. This meant subscriptions by residents, businesses, and organizations in Denver for community solar were precluded.
    The Community Solar Gardens Modernization Act removed the adjacency requirements and stipulated that the solar garden must only be within the service territory of the utility serving the subscriber. The previous maximum of 2 MW was also increased to 5 MW allowing greater flexibility for solar developers and attracting larger subscribers such as school districts.
    Calls in recent years have been made to accelerate the modernisation of Colorado's electrical grid through at least one bill introduced by the state. This is in order to build new community solar gardens in rural areas to meet urban demands.
    The town of Breckenridge expects to save over $700,000 in energy costs through a 20-year contract with little upfront capital costs. Besides decarbonising the electricity supply to municipal buildings, it is overseeing Alta Verde, an 80-unit affordable housing project with a 500-kW on-site solar array. The town aims for all new construction to be net zero. Source: mountaintownnews.net
Breckenridge, Colorado, USA
  • © David Mark

Burlington, Vermont, USA

Burlington, Vermont, USA

  • Target: Meet 90% of energy needs including electricity, heating and transport with renewable energy sources by 2050 (State of Vermont target).
  • Status: Achieved - By September 2014, 100% of the city's electricity demand was supplied by renewable energy sources. First city in the United States to source 100% of electricity from renewable energy.
  • RES: Biomass, wind power, small hydroelectric plants, solar, landfill methane and large hydro.
  • Implementation: In 2014, the city purchased the Winooski One Hydroelectric Facility, a 7.4 megawatt hydro plant. Burlington Electric Department (BED) purchases renewable electricity credits to satisfy 100% yearly target. Joseph C. McNeil Generating Station fed with biomass covers up to 60% of the energy consumption. Wind farms covers around 17% of the electricity consumption.
  • Population: 42,239
  • Area: 40.1 km²
  • Link: https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/11/burlington-what-works-green-energy-214463
Burlington, Vermont, USA

Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA

  • Target: 100% renewable energy in buildings and transportation by 2035
  • Status: In progress
  • RES:  Offshore wind and solar power, alongside energy efficiency retrofits, energy standard updates, public transportation improvements
  • Implementation: Cambridge is committed to 100%  renewable energy community-wide including  by 2035, with the goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Local organisations have also lobbied lawmakers to transition to 100% renewable electricity by 2045.
    The targets will require  strong measures to accelerate the transition via changes to current standards. The targets are underscored by the proposed H.2836 bill, which was sponsored by state Rep. Marjorie Decker and state Rep. Sean Garballey. The bill was supported by Environment Massachusetts along with the state chapter of the Sierra Club, as well as 150 local officials and other groups from across the state. The transition to renewable energy also drew strong support from medical professionals and medical students, who argued that the continued use of fossil fuels will damage public health especially amongst the vulnerable.To achieve the 100% goal, Environment Massachusetts has released a report outlining a series of measures including increasing energy efficiency efforts and updating energy standards, improving public transportation and creating walkable communities to reduce car dependency, developing offshore wind projects, and increasing solar power generation. One vital aspect of the city’s environmental and climate goal is the reduction of building energy use given that they are responsible for over 80% of the city’s total emissions, more than transportation and waste combined. The city's Cambridge Energy Alliance program assists residents and small businesses to reduce energy consumption by encouraging energy efficiency measures and investing in renewable energy technologies. Companies can refer to the city's energy requirements for LEED building and net zero energy planning. Source:cambridgema.govThe environmental group 350 Mass and Act on Mass created an initiative to collect signatures that asked voters to direct their representatives to vote for 100% renewable energy legislation, and to require that committees to make their votes on the legislation public. The aim was to convince lawmakers that voters supported renewable energy and wanted to hold their representatives accountable for their votes on this topic.

    The bill has yet to be passed due to the urgency of the coronavirus pandemic. But the topic of renewable energy and climate change have been kept in the forefront of recent discussions.

  • Population:  118,927 (2019)
  • Area:  7.10 sq mi (18.38 km2)
  • Link: Climate and Energy - CDD - City of Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cambridge Community Electricity program
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
  • © David Mark

Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania, USA

Wall House, Cheltenham Township, PA, USA

  • Target: 100% renewable electricity by 2030 and 100% renewable energy for heat and transportation by 2050
  • Status: In progress
  • RES: Solar power
  • Implementation: Cheltenham Township has the goal of achieving 100% renewable energy across all sectors by 2050 by focusing on efficiency upgrade of public and private buildings, and the transitioning of public transportation to renewable fuels. The township is developing a transition plan which will facilitate the adoption of technologies as they become available and affordable. Essential is the cost neutrality of  transitioning to renewable energy, as this will guide decisions involving buildings, vehicles and energy suppliers. It will impact transportation infrastructure and land use planning, in particular zoning codes with regards to energy efficiency. The township is presently working to review zoning requirements and remove restrictions that intentionally or unintentionally prohibit PV development. (Source: cheltenhamtownship.org)
  • Population:  37,103 (2016)
  • Area:  9.03 sq mi (23.4 km2)
  • Link: Ready for 100 - Cheltenham Township PA
Wall House, Cheltenham Township, PA, USA

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Chicago, Illinois, USA

  • Target: 100% renewable electricity by 2035
  • Status: In progress
  • RES: Solar energy
  • Implementation: Chicago is the largest city in the United States to commit to 100% renewable energy. Located on the shores of Lake Michigan, it is an international hub for finance, commerce, industry, technology, telecommunications, and transportation. Historically, Chicago has made noted contributions to urban planning and zoning standards, including new construction styles,  the development of the City Beautiful Movement, and the steel-framed skyscraper. Today, it continues its high standard of innovation by setting 100% RE as the basis for future urban development (even despite the 11 nuclear reactors already in operation in the state of Illinois). The 100% target is part of the  Resilient Chicago plan launched in 2018, which commits the city to transition "to 100% clean, renewable energy in buildings community-wide by 2035”. The plan is bolstered by the Sierra Club’s “Ready for 100” campaign, an environmental action group advocating 100% renewable energy worldwide.The city of Chicago has also set more specific sectoral targets. By 2025, all city government electricity purchases, first established in 2017, must come from 100% renewable sources. By 2040, the entire bus fleet will be electrified. The city is also making a push for community solar by supporting the Illinois Power Agency’s community incentive programs and by incentivizing community solar through voluntary programs, such as the Chicago Renewable Energy Challenge. Since the passage of the Future Energy Jobs Act, Chicago has seen a boom in community solar, with 1.8 GW of projects applying for block grants in just two weeks.
  • Population: 2,695,598 city, 9,533,040 metro (2010)
  • Area: 234.14 sq mi (606 km2) city, 10,874 sq mi (28,160 km2) metro
  • Link: Chicago Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Chicago, Illinois, USA

Chula Vista, California, USA

Chula Vista, California, USA

  • Target: 100% renewable electricity by 2035
  • Status: In progress
  • RES: Solar projects
  • Implementation: The city of Chula Vista in California aims for 100% renewable electricity community-wide by 2035. The city is commited to reduce the governments’ greenhouse emissions as well as assist residents ability to adopt renewable energy and carry out efficiency improvements result in financial savings. It implemented a climate action plan to address climate change impacts to the local community, including the goal to achieve 100% renewable energy generation. The  Clean Energy Chula Vista program was launched allowing property owners to install solar panels and other energy and water saving upgrades to their home or business, repaid through property tax bills for no upfront cost, while also enabling the receipt of federal incentives. The city's initiatives aim to provide not only environmental benefits and financial savings, but also economic growth to the region. The 1,800 solar panels installed on the government's public works building were manufactured less than 12 miles from the installation site. The city is a member of Cleantech San Diego and has installed three major solar projects totalling 500,000 watts of clean energy. The  projects provide enough energy to power 100 homes, and will save the city over $4.1 million over the lifetime of the solar system.
Chula Vista, California, USA

Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

  • Target: 100% renewable energy by 2035
  • Status: In progress
  • RES: Solar and wind power
  • Implementation: Cincinnati is the 100th U.S. city pledge for carbon neutrality by 2035. The city council aims to achieve this by transitioning to 100 percent clean and renewable energy sources in "all of the City-owned and operated facilities and fleets." It will also "ensure that 100 percent of the electricity consumed by residents and businesses within the city shall be generated by clean, renewable sources such as solar and wind." (Source: City Renewable Energy Resolution."
  • Population:  303,940 (2019)
  • Area:  79.56 sq mi (206.07 km2)
  • Link: Cincinnati’s Clean Energy Commitment
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
  • © Susan Clemmons

Clarkston, Georgia, USA

Clarkson, Georgia, USA

  • Target: 100% renewable energy by 2050, the city’s fleet vehicles will be zero-emission by 2035
  • Status: In progress
  • RES: Energy efficiency, electric vehicle, solar and net-zero building standards
  • Implementation: When Clarkson adopted the resolution to transition to 100 percent clean and renewable energy by 2050, it became the second city in the state of Georgia to make this commitment, one year after Atlanta. The aim: a future Clarkston with cleaner air, water, and more economic opportunities. The city is working with the City of Atlanta and communities across the metro area to make the clean energy transition, which will help tackle climate change and create a more resilient future. To grow in a smart and sustainable direction, the majority millennial council is updating development ordinances to incentivise more walkable, bikeable neighborhoods and greenways. It is also encouraging energy efficiency, electric vehicle, solar and net-zero building standards.
    The city's community wide plan ensures that historically marginalized communities should be the first to receive the benefits of the investments into  the transition to a clean energy economy. The city created the affordable housing trust fund to provide energy efficiency housing rehabilitation for fixed income residents to help cut down on their monthly energy bills. Source: sierraclub.org
  • Population: 12,742 (2016)
  • Area: 1.4 sq mi (2.7 km2)
  • Link: Clarkston, Georgia Commits to 100 Percent Clean, Renewable Energy
Clarkson, Georgia, USA
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