More Than 100 American Cities Charge Toward a Renewable Future
Cities across America look to turn ambitious renewables commitments into real action – and support is on its way
WASHINGTON (February 26, 2019)—American cities know that the future is renewable: more than 100 cities across the United States have made commitments to increase their use of renewable energy. But with these commitments come challenges.
To help U.S. cities meet – or beat – their renewable energy goals, the Bloomberg American Cities Climate Challenge, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), World Resources Institute (WRI), and the Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) today kicked off a joint effort to help cities procure over 2.8 gigawatts of renewable capacity – more than the total existing solar capacity in Nevada, Florida or Texas.
The new program, called the American Cities Climate Challenge Renewables Accelerator (Renewables Accelerator), will provide powerful resources for cities across America to achieve their renewable goals, with the help of RMI’s and WRI’s technical support and expertise. The program will help cities procure large-scale, off-site renewable energy; deploy renewables locally; and navigate regulatory, policy and institutional barriers by engaging with utilities and policymakers.
“The role cities must play in spurring demand for renewable energy and accelerating the clean energy transition has never been more important,” said Antha N. Williams, Head of Environmental Programs at Bloomberg Philanthropies. “We are excited to work with some of America’s most ambitious cities to deepen their renewable procurement efforts, tackle climate change and ultimately deliver for their communities.”
The effort will support both the 25 winning cities selected for Bloomberg Philanthropies’ American Cities Climate Challenge and make assistance available to the nearly 200 USDN members seeking to power their communities with low-carbon renewable energy. This week, representatives from more than two dozen cities and communities across the U.S. are meeting in Washington to participate in an in-person training on renewables procurement approaches for large-scale, off-site clean energy projects.
Minneapolis, MN, a Climate Challenge winner and Renewables Accelerator participant, is evaluating renewable procurement options as it develops a blueprint to power its entire community with 100 percent renewable energy by 2030.
“Many of the largest cities in the U.S. are working through these issues at the same time,” said Kim Havey, Director of the City of Minneapolis’ Division of Sustainability. “Minneapolis is excited to work with the Renewables Accelerator to come up with innovative solutions that allow us and Xcel Energy, our utility, to work together on decarbonization, and pave the way for other cities to follow suit.”
Pittsburgh, PA, another Climate Challenge winner and Renewables Accelerator participant, hopes to encourage its whole region to move toward clean electricity by working with the Western Pennsylvania Energy Consortium (WPEC), which allows Pittsburgh to purchase energy on the wholesale market.
“Through WPEC, we’ve created the opportunity to influence how we source our electricity – the next step is legally enabling this group to directly procure or invest in large-scale clean energy projects,” said Grant Ervin, Chief Resilience Officer of the City of Pittsburgh. “With assistance from the Renewables Accelerator, we hope to make that goal a reality and enter into agreements that both have positive impacts locally and help Pittsburgh reach our 100 percent renewable energy commitment.”
Cities across America are joining forces with the Renewables Accelerator to achieve their renewables goals – and the support and resources the Accelerator provides are available for even more cities. To inquire about partnering with the Renewables Accelerator, please contact Ali Rotatori (arotatori@rmi.org) or Celina Bonugli (celina.bonugli@wri.org).
For more information on the Renewables Accelerator, visit www.cityrenewables.org.
For more information on the American Cities Climate Challenge, visit the ACCC website.
Media inquiries please contact:
Nick Steel, RMI, +1 347-574-0887, nsteel@rmi.org
Lauren Zelin, WRI, +1 202-729-7736, lzelin@wri.org
About the Bloomberg American Cities Climate Challenge
Recognizing that cities account for more than 70% of global carbon emissions, the Bloomberg American Cities Climate Challenge was formed with an investment of $70 million to enhance the work already being done by mayors across the U.S. and to support cities in the fight against climate change. The Bloomberg American Cities Climate Challenge aims to go beyond the theoretical and scale up high-impact urban climate solutions that are already proven to succeed – specifically, from the buildings and transportation sectors. World-class partners for the Bloomberg American Cities Climate Challenge will be led by the Natural Resources Defense Council and Delivery Associates. The Bloomberg American Cities Climate Challenge is part of Mike Bloomberg’s American Cities Initiative, a suite of more than $200 million in investments to strengthen city halls and advance critical policies.
About Rocky Mountain Institute
Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI)—an independent nonprofit founded in 1982—transforms global energy use to create a clean, prosperous, and secure low-carbon future. It engages businesses, communities, institutions, and entrepreneurs to accelerate the adoption of market-based solutions that cost-effectively shift from fossil fuels to efficiency and renewables. RMI has offices in Basalt and Boulder, Colorado; New York City; Washington, D.C.; and Beijing. More information on RMI can be found at www.rmi.org or on Twitter @RockyMtnInst.
About World Resources Institute
World Resources Institute (WRI) is a global research organization that spans more than 60 countries, with offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and the United States. Its more than 800 experts and staff work closely with leaders to turn big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity and human well-being. WRI’s Energy Program has in-depth expertise engaging with utilities to shape renewable energy offerings that meet the needs of buyers. More information on WRI can be found at www.wri.org or on Twitter @worldresources.
About the Urban Sustainability Directors Network
The Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) is a group of 200 cities and counties that are leading the way to a sustainable, low-carbon future by developing, adopting, and sharing practices that create equitable and prosperous communities and a healthy environment. USDN’s work is member-led and member-driven. Members collectively determine what priorities they will focus on each year and lead the work to carry them out. More information on USDN can be found at www.usdn.org.