- Target: 100% renewable energy
- Status: In progress
- RES: Varied (via renewable energy certificates)
- Implementation: In January 2012, the City of Ithaca, NY began purchasing Green-e Energy-certified renewable energy credits (RECs) to cover all the electricity demand of its municipal buildings, street lights and traffic lights with renewable electricity. The REC purchase was conducted through Municipal Electric and Gas Alliance Inc. (MEGA), a non-profit aggregator of gas and electricity in which Ithaca participates. Energy aggregators like MEGA bundle participants in order to be able to build buying power and bid for lower prices. In purchasing RECs, the city has helped increase the market for renewable-sourced generation facilities, decrease the generation of greenhouse gases, and offset the city government's emissions. In February 2012, following the implementation of the RECs contract, the City joined EPA's Green Power Partnership program committing to continue to pursue and support renewable energy sources. The city already has a history of implementing renewable energy projects. In 1996, the city installed a geothermal heating and cooling system at the Ithaca Youth Bureau building, which is still being used today, thus reducing energy costs and the use of fossil fuels for heating/cooling. In 2011, the city was awarded a grant to install solar thermal hot water systems on 2 city buildings.
- Population: 53,661 urban, 101,564 metro (2010)
- Area: 24.581 sq mi (63.66 km2) urban, 474.649 sq mi (1,229.34 km2) metro
- Link: https://www.cityofithaca.org/425/Energy
Ithaca, NY, USA
