Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh has announced plans to issue a request for information (RFI) for competitive pricing of large-scale renewable energy projects for U.S. cities. The RFI will compile the energy demand data across participating American cities, and ask renewable energy developers for price estimates for projects that would meet their collective energy demand.
As more cities join this renewable energy initiative, their energy demand data will be added to the collective load. The City of Boston hopes to finalize the list of participating cities and issue the RFI later this summer.
“Our effort on renewable energy will not only help cities cut carbon emissions and get us closer to the goals of Paris Climate Agreement, it will help power our cities and create more, clean energy jobs,” said Mayor Walsh. “We can do more than just address the problem of climate change, we can build a healthy, thriving future by working together.”
The City of Boston is working with partner cities now to compile the collective energy load data for the RFI. The first cities to join the initiative include: Chicago, IL; Evanston, IL; Houston, TX; Los Angeles, CA; Orlando, FL; and Portland, OR. Each of these cities are part of the Climate Mayors network, representing more than 400 cities and 70 million people that Mayor Walsh Co-Chairs.
“Cities wield the power to create demand and transform the energy market — and when we act together, we can show the world that environmental stewardship and economic prosperity go hand in hand,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “As a chair of Climate Mayors, I’m proud to stand beside Mayor Walsh in the work of amplifying the role of cities and upholding the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.”
“I applaud Mayor Walsh for taking aggressive steps to bring down carbon emissions levels in Boston, and for bringing cities together to protect the environment and grow jobs across the country,” added Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “The Trump administration has buried its head in the sand on climate change, which is why we committed all of Chicago’s municipal buildings to 100% renewable by 2025.”
As more cities join the initiative, their energy demand data will be added to the collective load. The City of Boston hopes to finalize the list of participating cities and issue the RFI later this summer. The action demonstrates the collective power of cities to invest in renewable energy and create more, middle class, clean energy jobs. If successful, a large-scale purchase of renewable energy will help power these cities, save money, and offset carbon emissions.
“All cities have a stake in the fight against climate change,” said Evanston, IL Mayor Stephen Hagerty. “I’m proud to partner with Mayor Walsh and mayors from across the country to explore ways to collectively reduce carbon emissions in our cities. Global climate action begins at the local level, and by working together we can have a much greater impact.”
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