The Edmonds City Council approved a resolution establishing a community-wide goal of transitioning to 100% clean and renewable energy by 2025, according to the Sierra Club.
Edmonds’ move to renewables comes days after the U.S. Conference of Mayors approved a historic resolution that sets the goal of moving to 100% clean energy in cities nationwide.
Edmonds represents the first city or town in Washington state to commit to 100% renewable energy and the 37th city in the United States to make such a commitment.
Edmonds’ move to 100% renewable energy comes just days after the U.S. Conference of Mayors approved a historic resolution that establishes support from the nation’s mayors for the goal of moving to 100% clean and renewable energy in cities nationwide.
Edmonds receives power from the Snohomish Public Utility District, which receives most of its power from Bonneville Power Administration’s hydro-heavy mix. In 2015 approximately 10% of that energy came from nuclear sources, with small amount of coal and natural gas (less than 2%) likely included.
“The majority of harmful greenhouse gas emissions come from cities, but it doesn’t have to be this way,” stated Edmonds Councilman Mike Nelson, who amended the resolution to make the 100% clean energy commitment. “Whether you are a small city, like Edmonds, or a large city, the infrastructure is in place to shift to clean, renewable energy. We hope every city in our State joins us and flips the switch to renewable energy.”
According to a new Sierra Club analysis, if cities belonging to the U.S. Conference of Mayors were to transition to 100% clean and renewable electricity, it would reduce electric sector carbon emissions by more than that of the five worst carbon polluting U.S. states combined. If the 10% energy targets were achieved by 2025, the total electric sector carbon pollution reductions would fill anywhere from 87 to 110% of the remaining reductions the U.S. would need to achieve in order to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.
“With the federal government working against our clean energy future, leadership on climate action is going to have to come from cities and states,” stated Victoria Leistman, Associate Organizer for the Sierra Club. “Kudos to Councilman Mike Nelson and the many dedicated climate activists of Edmonds for standing up to Donald Trump and making bold, decisive commitments to clean energy.”
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