Policy & Implementation Details
How you talk about and understand the values of Ready For 100 will affect the success of your campaign.
Understanding Renewable Energy
You don’t have to be an expert in fossil fuels or energy policy, but you do need to feel comfortable using some terms, understanding the landscape, staying consistent, and ensuring equity. Reach out to RF100.Policy@sierraclub.org at any time with questions about specific energy resources and policies that are not answered within this guide.
What is “clean, renewable energy,” and why do we need it?
100% clean, renewable energy can be derived from the sun, wind, and other naturally replenishing sources. The Sierra Club also supports other advanced technology like geothermal and battery storage. It’s important to make clear that “clean, renewable energy” isn’t interchangeable with “carbon-free” or “carbon-neutral,” terms that leave room for polluting sources that still rely on dirty infrastructure, such as supposed “renewable” gas, or that generate waste that remains toxic for thousands of years, such as nuclear plants.
Sierra Club Energy Policy on Nuclear Power
The Sierra Club opposes the licensing, construction and operation of new nuclear reactors utilizing the fission process.
Examples of 100% clean, renewable energy resources:
- Solar energy
- Wind energy
- Ocean energy resources like tidal or wave power
- Geothermal energy
- Electrical energy storage technology (including batteries)
Examples of energy sources that might sound clean/green, but aren't:
- Fossil fuels combined with “carbon capture”
- “Renewable” gas (biomethane)
- Nuclear energy
- Municipal waste incineration
- New, large hydroelectric dams
Sierra Club Energy Resources Policies
A list of Sierra Club policies relating to Energy Resources
Distinguishing what is 100% clean and renewable from what is not is especially important as polluting industries try to re-brand themselves as “environmentally-friendly” in an effort to protect their profits and remain in power (this attempt to look green without actually changing much is known as “greenwashing”).
As renewables continue to get cheaper and more mainstream, opposition and false solutions will also continue to intensify—greenwashing is only the start. Being crystal clear about what you mean by “clean” and “renewable” is essential, and shortcuts like so-called “bridge fuels” (which often include fracked gas buildout) that will pose harm to communities are not acceptable. Learn more about the right words to use below.
The reality is: the current fossil fuel economy is not only damaging our physical health, it’s also helping to compound historical inequalities in our nation. The majority of our current power production releases harmful emissions and waste into our shared air, water, and land that disproportionately impacts the most vulnerable members of our society. These pollutants have a harsher impact on the bodies of children and the elderly, and these impacts are especially pronounced in low-income communities and communities of color, according to the Washington Post. Part of the disparity comes from the fact that polluting facilities are often deliberately placed in historically marginalized communities where residents don’t have the means or ability to pick up and move when the effects become apparent. We can see this as the climate crisis raises sea levels. Wealthier families are able to flee to higher ground, leaving poorer families to contend with devastating floods. This reality reinforces divisions in our society along racial and economic lines.
Now, we’re at a turning point
The emerging clean energy economy is providing a huge opportunity for positive change. The cost of solar and wind is competitive with fossil fuels, solar energy boasts the fastest employment growth of any industry according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and battery storage for wind and solar continues to get cheaper and cheaper. A cleaner, greener future isn’t just possible, it’s knocking on our door.
Still, the fossil fuel industry, worth an outrageous $4.6 trillion, is fighting the technology that can save our communities. To protect its own interests, this industry—which is responsible for over 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions—spends millions of dollars each year to place misleading ads, sponsors schools and community centers to bolster their brands, and infiltrates our national and state governments.
What can cities do to achieve 100% clean, renewable energy?
The cities (and now states) making 100% clean energy commitments are united by a common vision of running entirely on renewable energy. Regardless of differences in size, geographic location, and relationship with their energy utilities, all of these cities are showcasing their power to help meet residents’ demands for clean energy.
Cities forging their own paths to reach this goal are setting examples by pushing utilities for more clean energy, switching city-owned buildings (like city halls and water reclamation plants) to renewables, and prioritizing energy efficiency to reduce energy waste with community workshops and weatherization for low-income homes. Additionally, cities are showing their power by banding together to advocate for improved energy policies at the state level, like in Utah and Colorado.
Overall, a 100% clean, renewable energy commitment is the first step a city can take on the path to renewable energy transition. To really do it right, it is imperative that the communities most affected by environmental injustices are at the center of planning a roadmap for reaching a 100% goal. Involvement of the communities most impacted by fossil fuel pollution is critical to equitably reaching this vision.
Case Study
Clean Energy Atlanta
Read Atlanta’s plan for an example of a strong, community-led campaign.
For advice on how to plan a strategy pursuing a 100% clean, renewable energy commitment, check out the RF100 Campaign Roadmap.
Start with the Roadmap
Work doesn’t start with drafting a strong policy—first, you’ll want to identify your communities’ needs to inform the strongest solutions.
Go to RoadmapCentering equity: Making sure that 100% is for everyone
Not only is the transition to renewable energy a moral imperative, it is also an opportunity to create a new system that doesn’t further cement injustices along lines of race and socioeconomic status. By responsibly planning for a 100% clean, renewable future, cities can also dismantle the divisions that fossil fuels have reinforced throughout the past century.
Communities that are planning their energy future with historically marginalized peoples at the forefront are giving us powerful examples of what a just and equitable transition can look like. Examples of equitable and just energy policies include:
- Adding weatherization and rooftop solar to public housing
- Developing community solar programs
- Designing workforce training programs for family-sustaining jobs
- Ensuring intentional and direct benefits to communities of color
- Implementing programs to reduce monthly energy costs for poorer families
- Focusing on local programs and small-scale power generation builds resilience and keeps the benefits of the clean energy transition within the community
Energy infrastructure also creates demand for construction and maintenance jobs. Good-paying, often unionized, employment has been a bargaining chip of the fossil-fuel industry at the expense of the health of its workers and fenceline community members. As we transition to clean, renewable energy, it’s important to prioritize local, equitable solutions to grow the family-sustaining jobs and economic impact of green technology.
The transition to 100% clean, renewable, just, and equitable renewable energy requires grassroots action, and cities have the structure to apply and amplify grassroot demands.
Once your local decision makers have made a strong 100% clean, renewable energy commitment, you’ll need to channel the same grassroots energy that pushed them to take that step forward into holding them accountable to make the transition a reality. In December 2019, 44 diverse leaders in community engagement, government, environmental justice, energy, policy and science from around the United States came together in Miami, Florida. The goal was to co-create an accountability framework to help communities achieve 100% clean and renewable energy for all.
These are powerful tools to work through with your local team to hold leaders accountable to their commitments and the needs of those they serve. Refer to Phase 6 of your Campaign Roadmap for more information on applying these resources!
Phase 6: Implementation & Accountability
Phase 6 of the Roadmap helps you hold leaders accountable after the pledge by forming an accountability team.
Read Phase 6How to talk about 100%
Distinguishing between “100% clean” vs. “100% renewable” vs. “100% carbon-free,” or “energy” vs. “electricity,” can get complicated. Moreover, the different terms you use might actually mean different things.
When making decisions about terminology, be sure to keep your specific audience in mind.
Define your audience
Defining your audience is an important early step in your campaign. Visit the Communications Guide to help with this step.
The RF100 national team consistently uses “100% clean, renewable energy” in most of its public communications. This phrasing is both descriptive and accurate. Whenever we mention 100%, it’s important to signal that we are referring to specific energy sources that, unlike fossil fuels, do not pollute our air and water.
Data shows that “100% clean energy” polls best among general audiences. So, for social media, posters, and other public places where your messaging will be widely viewed but adding “renewable” might be too wordy, we recommended using this shorthand.
The policy implications for using different terminology can be huge. In language within legislation (including resolutions), climate action plans, and other official government or utility documents, look for specific definitions of energy sources. The more specific “clean” and “renewable” can be spelled out, the better. Without absolute clarity, these words can be interpreted many different ways—and therefore may not mean much in practice.
As for “energy” vs. “electricity”—be sure you know if your city’s commitment is for all energy sectors (including heating/cooling and transportation) or just electricity. While general audiences may not know the difference, you can bet decision makers and energy companies do!
How you talk about and understand the values of Ready For 100 will affect the success of your campaign.