.. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ..
Excerpts from the newsletter and website of Renewable Cities
Following on the heels of the City of Boulder’s September announcement that the community will move to 100% renewable electricity by 2030, Utah’s Park City has just committed to to the same target by 2032.
From Colorado to Utah to California, from mountain cities to coastal metropolises, the diversity of local governments in pursuit of wind, water, waste, and solar power demonstrates the breadth of the movement for 100% RE [renewable energy] in cities.
That’s not all—with the Los Angeles’ City Council directing staff to develop a plan for 100% renewable energy, the editorial board of North America’s most influential newspaper, The New York Times, has taken notice. Citing climate impacts and the power of cities to move the needle on energy production and consumption, the editorial board says about LA: “The next step will be to develop a realistic but ambitious timeline for the city to end its dependence on fossil fuels.”
In July of 2016, Renewables Cities together with the Sierra Club, ICLEI USA, and the City of San Francisco Department of the Environment, brought together a group of 20 local governments from around the USA and Canada to learn and share ideas on how to transition to 100% renewable energy.
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Are we making progress in renewable energy?
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Leading and learning cities—from Denver to Chicago, from Vancouver to Rochester—arrived in San Francisco for the three-day dialogue to hear about a range of new research and tools and to work collaboratively on policy solutions through a facilitated dialogue process. Participants included mayors, councillors and supervisors, energy managers, engineers, planners, sustainability directors, and economic development officers.
Along with these local government leaders, we brought together companies that are implementing 100% renewable energy, including Apple, and that are helping municipalities reach their 100% RE goals, including Google’s Project Sunroof. Groups such as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance also participated and showcased their tools and best practices.
We’re proud to release the Outcomes Report from the North American Dialogue on 100% Renewable Energy in Cities and would like to thank the California Clean Energy Fund and Sunpower for supporting this dialogue.
Download the Outcomes Report in web or print versions (PDF). For more information, including resources, presentations, photos, and blog posts, see the dialogue website.
(Thank you to Janet Hudgins, the CPNN reporter for this article)