We've been hearing and reading excitedly recently that communities are committing to running 100% on renewable energy... First there were 5, and then the number rose to 23 and counting!  Cities are being announced in the news, but it would be helpful to have a few places to view "the list" and to really see what's going on and to watch this trend.  Fortunately,  several organizations have stepped forward to provide this information - pretty much in real time!   

Hello Solar has developed this 100% renewable map: https://www.hellosolar.info/blog/2017/4/18/wxv8qw4gfockpeb7wiz1j0dfj4zeox
This is exciting to watch, but a grid to review locations would be helpful.   

According to Hello Solar, 32 US communtities  have committed to priducing 100% of their energy from renwable sources (at the time of this post!), primariy hydroelectric, solar and wind.   

4 Cities already produce 100% of their energy only from renewable resources, according to Hello Solar:

-Aspen, Colorado
-Burlington, Vermont
-Greensburg, Kansas
-Scituate, Massachusetts

Go100% is attempting to document projects and communties committed to 100% renewable enrrgy worldwide, and lists 42 locations to date: http://www.go100percent.org/cms/index.php?id=18

ICLEI - Local Governments for Sutainability - is also working to document and network sustainable and related cities worldwide, by prodicing tools, advocacy services, networking, and budgetg and training services: http://www.iclei.org/activities/agendas/sustainable-city.html. 

According to their website, ICLEI has gathered 1500 cities, towns and regions committed to building a sustainable future. 

The Solutions Project is another resource documenting and supporting 100% renewable enetgy communities, with a library and a host of tools.  Among other resources, the Solutions Project hosts a live google document which lists current US cities running 100% renewable, those which have committed to doing so, and also a set of cities "wokring towards" 100% renwable energy.  

The Solutions Project lists a slightly different set of 7 cities already running at 100% renewable energy:

-Aspen. Colorado
-Burlington, Vermont
-Columbia, Maryland
-Greensburg, Kansas
-Kodiak Island, Alaska
-Rockport, Missouri
-Santa Monica, California

This organization also documents countires that are making 100% commitments. 

Clearly, this information is changing as more and more citities and communities commit!  It's terrific to have multiple resources documenting and supporting this effort.  

ICLEI points out that two thirds of all people will live in cities by 2050 - our population clearly puts tremendous pressure on our resources, including energy, and this statistic makes it pretty clear that cities must be an important priority.  The organization reports to impact 25% of the world's urban population, with great goals to create a "sustainable, low-carbon, resilient, ecomobile, biodiverse, resource-efficient and productive, healthy and happy" future for all. Who can argue with that list? 

Do you know of other resources documenting 100% Renwable Communities?  Let us know!

• Filed Under: Energy
• Keywords : 100% Renewable Energy

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