Shane Levy, Sierra Club – shane.levy@sierraclub.org
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Today, the Sierra Club released a new report showcasing 10 U.S. cities that have made ambitious commitments to be powered with 100 percent clean, renewable energy like wind and solar.
Ahead of the Global Climate Action Summit beginning this week in San Francisco, the report illustrates the progress and impact that cities in the United States are making to lead climate action globally by driving the transition to 100 percent clean energy, as well as the pathways these communities are pursuing to achieve their goals in an equitable way.
More than 80 U.S. cities have now committed to transition to 100 percent clean energy, including big cities like Atlanta, Georgia and small towns such as Abita Springs, Louisiana. At least six U.S. cities have already achieved 100 percent clean energy and are powered today with entirely renewable sources.
In California, where nearly 20 cities have committed to 100 percent clean energy, Governor Jerry Brown on Monday signed Senate Bill 100 (SB100) into law, setting the fifth largest economy in the world on a path to 100 percent clean energy by 2045.
“As leaders from around the world gather in San Francisco this week for the Global Climate Action Summit, one need only look at America’s cities to see how local leadership is having a global impact,” said Jodie Van Horn, Director of the Sierra Club’s Ready For 100 campaign. “Cities are taking meaningful steps to realize a vision for healthy, vibrant, and more equitable communities powered with 100% clean energy. A transition to 100% clean energy is within reach, and together we can create a new energy economy that transforms not only how we power our country but also who has power to decide what’s best for our communities.”
This is the third annual case studies report from Ready For 100, a Sierra Club campaign launched in 2016 working in cities across the United States to accelerate a just and equitable transition to 100 percent clean energy.
The cities profiled in this year’s report include: Columbia, South Carolina; Concord, New Hampshire; Denton, Texas; Denver, Colorado; Fayetteville, Arkansas; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Norman, Oklahoma; Orlando, Florida; Santa Barbara, California; St. Louis, Missouri
View the report here: sc.org/10-case-studies.
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.