Going 100 percent renewable with electricity purchases is an ambitious goal, however several US towns, cities and even island have declared their intentions. San Diego’s transition was even made legally binding through its Climate Action Plan, which intends to cut the carbon footprint in half by 2035. The US presidents’ backing out of the Paris Climate Agreement might be one reason these schemes get more attention, yet many municipalities have made these commitments months or years before, tempted by favorable economics for solar and wind power and promising local business development opportunities. However, up to now, many of the respective towns’ plans are short of detailed information on how to actually reach their goals.
How many cities have actually declared the goal to cut down on fossil-fuel based energy consumption is not quite clear, as of August 40 cities and towns declared to be commited, according to the ReadyFor100-campaign by Sierra Club. Interestingly though, what most of these cities have in common is “the legal right to produce their own energy and the fact that they have strong leadership at both the top level and the grassroots level”, says Diane Moss, founding director of the Renewables 100 Policy Institute.
Sam Brooks, a former director for the energy division in Washington, D.C., and now managing director of clean-energy consulting firm ClearRock gives three recommendations for further steps cities need to take into consideration in order to achieve their energy goals on the long run:
- Get better about measuring energy efficiency
- Work on decarbonization across multiple sectors
- Be more specific about what your commitment means
GreenBiz
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