The Sierra Club shared this week that its Ready for 100 program has reached a milestone with 25 US cities now committed to transition to 100% renewable energy.
The milestone was hit when the cities of Madison, Wisconsin, and Abita Springs, Louisiana, made the commitment. This news is particularly exciting because these cities represent both ends of the US political spectrum. 75% of voters in the Abita Springs area voted for Trump, and on the flipside, 70% of voters in Madison, Wisconsin, voted Democrat. This divide beautifully highlights how the benefits of renewable energy generation transcend politics. Everyone loves to implement high-tech solutions like solar and wind while saving a buck at the same time.
Wind and solar installation at the community-owned Saerbeck Bioenergie Park in Germany | Image Credit: Kyle Field
The Mayor of Abita Springs hit the nail on the head with his statement on why he is making the push for the city to move to 100% renewables:
“Transitioning to 100 percent renewable energy is a practical decision we’re making for our environment, our economy, and for what our constituents want in Abita Springs. Politics has nothing to do with it for me. Clean energy just makes good economic sense.
“By establishing a 100 percent renewable energy goal, we have an opportunity to use solar power that we can control in our community, for our community. Clean energy is a way that we can save money for Abita Springs both today and in the future.”
Essentially, renewables present a nice savings opportunity for the city, they enable the city to generate its own power … and they just so happen to be good for the environment. This reveals just how close solar is to truly going mainstream. With so many other factors propelling cites, companies, and individuals towards a solar-powered future, it is just a matter of time before average citizens start catching on en masse and filling their rooftops with solar panels.
The Ready for 100 program provides a framework for activists to educate and motivate city leaders on the road towards a 100% renewable future.
Source: Sierra Club
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