Tag: United States

San Jose, California, USA

San Jose, California, USA

  • Target: 100% renewable electricity by 2022
  • Status: In progress
  • RES: Solar energy
  • Implementation: San Jose is California’s third largest city by population. In October 2007 the city launched its Green Vision, with plans to shift towards clean renewable energy. This 15-year-plan focuses on the creation of jobs, the improvement of the city life, and the preservation of the environment. It set the target that all sectors of the city are to be powered exclusively with renewable energy by 2022, and that per capita energy consumption should also be reduced by 50%. The city aims to achieve this by envisioning itself as a solar-powered community. Due to its location, the city possesses enough sunshine for solar and is already home to several solar technology companies. To finance this plan, the city is looking at ways to support the financing of solar projects by the creation of incentives and through the provision of regulatory strategies, such as abolishing building permits required for rooftop solar panels in residential areas. To carry out activities, the city adopts a participatory approach that engages the City Departments, and external stakeholders, such as the California Solar Energy Association. The city has plans to install solar panels on city buildings and to support and incentivise homeowners and businesses to do the same. In addition, it is supporting investments in solar power technology innovation. Aside from solar power, the city is evaluating the potential of other renewable energy sources, such as wind, water, hydro power and biomass.
  • Population: 1,035,317 (2017)
  • Area: 180.52 sq mi (467.55 km2)city, 2,694.61 sq mi (6,979 km2)metro
  • Link: CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSE
San Jose, California, USA

Santa Barbara, California, USA

Santa Barbara, California, USA

  • Target: Free of fossil fuels by 2033.
  • Status: In progress -  To date, about 30% of the City's electricity comes from renewable sources.
  • RES: Wind and solar power.
  • Implementation: The City of Santa Barbara has committed to a plan to make the city free of fossil fuels by 2033. Milestones so far include a city ordinance requiring new and remodeled buildings to be carbon neutral, and the construction of a 100 MW wind farm. In Point Arguello, it has commissioned PG&E to conduct a study into the feasibility of wave power. The city found that the earmarking of land for specific developments, an aging grid infrastructure, and high real estate values, have posed technical and permitting challenges for the implementation of larger renewable energy projects. However, the distributed energy option through rooftop solar has made implementation easier. Incentives created by the city with regards to small rooftop systems have attracted more residents and thus increase renewable energy uptake. Other residents have adopted a solar purchasing program, launched by the Community Environmental Council (CEC), a local educational and advocacy group, which has resulted in over 300 MW of solar power being generated.
  • Population: 92,101 (2017)
  • Area: 41.99 sq mi (108.75 km2)
  • Link:
Santa Barbara, California, USA

Santa Monica, California, USA

Santa Monica Pier, California, USA

  • Target: 100% renewable energy
  • Status: In progress
  • RES: Solar energy
  • Implementation: Santa Monica is a beach city in California USA. The city is taking action to achieve carbon neutrality by using electricity through renewable electricity sources. They are achieving this by giving residents and businesses the option to switch to renewable electricity though the Clean Power Alliance (CPA) of Southern California, a Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) program. 100 percent renewable energy will be the default product for all residential electricity customers in Santa Monica beginning in February 2019. This program will allow Santa Monicans to know where their power is coming from and be able to choose from multiple renewable options. This choice was not possible previously.  The new rates are expected to be on average between $56 and $72 more annually. Low-income qualified customers will receive the same discount on their rates and experience no net increase in cost compared to Southern California Edison (SCE) rates. Santa Monica City Council approved a '100 percent renewable energy tier' law whereby 100 percent renewable energy will be applied to all Santa Monica residents who do not choose to opt out. 50 percent and 36 percent renewable options will be available for residents who do opt out. The CPA is a Joint Power Authority consists of 31 public agencies across the region, who are working together to bring clean, renewable power choices to customers. The 100% Renewable Energy initiative is part of 'Santa Monica Green' program, which also includes other sustainability actions including public transportation and micro mobility, water conservation, compostable good waste collection, plastic ban, and organic food. (Via THRIVEGLOBAL)
  • Population: 89,736 (2010)
  • Area: 8.42 sq mi (21.80 km2)
  • Link: https://smspoke.org/2018/10/24/santa-monica-leads-again-with-clean-renewable-energy/
Santa Monica Pier, California, USA

Scituate, Massachusetts, USA

Scituate, Massachusetts, USA

  • Target: 100% renewable power for the municipality by end of 2013.
  • Status: Achieved
  • RES: One wind turbine and a 3 MW solar array.
  • Implementation: Scituate is a coastal town located between Boston and Plymouth in Massachusetts, USA. It achieve its target of 100% renewable electricity through local wind power and a 3 MW solar array, both constructed in 2012. The wind turbine was installed on town land through a joint venture between Palmer Capital and Solaya Energy. The town signed a 15-year contract to rent out the land and buy the electricity produced by the wind turbine.  In June 2013, the wind turbine was hit by lightening, causing it to go offline and then run partially during repairs. Until that time, the wind turbine had produced 22,000 kWh of power. When the solar array was constructed in 2012 over the town's capped landfill, it provided the additional backup energy. The 30 solar PV systems provided a total capacity of 115.2 kilowatts. Today, the town has 3 electric hybrid municipal vehicles and has installed a charging station at its Town Hall. The wind and solar projects are projected to bring the town US$500,000 per year in revenue, and to provide Scituate with the ability to offset debt service for new construction.
  • Population: 18,133 (2010)
  • Area: 31.8 sq mi (82.4 km2)
  • Link: https://www.scituatema.gov/community-profile-vision/pages/renewable-energy-plan-and-projects
Scituate, Massachusetts, USA

Yolo County, California, USA

Yolo County, California, USA

  • Target: 100% renewable electricity
  • Status: In progress
  • RES: Solar energy.
  • Implementation: Yolo County is located about 90 miles north-east of San Francisco. The city of Davis, Yolo’s largest, was the first city in the USA to formally legislate the creation of bicycle lanes throughout city streets. Yolo was also ahead when it created its 1982 Energy Plan. One result of the Plan was the construction of a gas-to-energy facility in 1985. Located at the Yolo Co. landfill, the plant generates 20,000 kWh/year of electricity while capturing 90% of methane emissions. Continuing to set trends in sustainable development and planning, Yolo Co. became one of the 12 charter members of the 2007 Cool Counties Initiative (CCI), a nation-wide pledge to an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. It adopted the ‘2030 General Plan’, containing more than 350 specific policies benchmarking exactly how Yolo Co. residents and businesses can reduce GHG emissions and energy usage. Yolo County is now America’s first grid-positive PV solar producing county.

    Beginning in the early 2000s, a plan to bolster the financial security in Yolo Co. was put in place. Utilizing a combination of state/federal subsidies and other innovative financing tools, Yolo Co. was able to procure US$23 million in financing and constructed three utility scale photovoltaic (PV) sites with no upfront capital expenditure. Yolo Co. now produces 152% of its electricity needs via 6.8 MW of PV electrical production, creating a long-term revenue stream for Yolo Co.’s once shrinking county budget. Starting with a US$1.4 million per year electric bill, Yolo Co. is now estimated to generate an annual income of over US$500,000 from the sale of electricity to Pacific Gas & Electric, CA’s largest electrical generator. Over the next 35 years, Yolo Co.’s projected revenue for the three PV sites is over US$60 million.

    Yolo Co. Office of Education has also established a sustainability academy, Project SOLAR or Sustaining Our Local Alternative Energy Resources. This program helps to educate K-12 students on the impacts of sustainability on the individual and the community. Project SOLAR offers several sustainability based educational programs; operating a summer energy academy for high school students at a local community college, integrating courses about energy and sustainability into existing educational curriculums and training courses for educators to help spread sustainability based curriculums throughout California.
  • Population: 215,802 (2016)
  • Area: 1,015 sq mi (2,630 km2)(land)
  • Link: https://valleycleanenergy.org
Yolo County, California, USA