These U.S. Cities Are Proof: 100% Renewable Energy IS Possible!

For renewable energy enthusiasts, 100% renewable energy generation is the ultimate goal. We are incredibly excited to hear that 3 U.S. cities have already stepped up to the plate and achieved 100% renewable energy generation—and they may not be the cities you’d think!

These three cities are Burlington, VT; Greensburg, KS; and Aspen, CO.

Burlington, Vermont gets its power solely from wind, solar, hydroelectric, and biomass sources. In fact, the entire state of Vermont has a statewide goal of achieving 90 percent of its energy from renewables by 2050—that’s everything from electricity and heating to transportation! Considering that Burlington is the largest city in the state, they are off to a great start.

Greensburg, Kansas’s journey to complete renewable energy dependence is an incredibly inspirational one. After a 2007 tornado that killed 13 and injured more than 60 others, the town was left in shambles. The devastation was so bad that over 95 percent of the town was completely destroyed.

In the process of rebuilding their city, the citizens of Greensburg decided that their town should have a better infrastructure. This resulted in the development of a plan to achieve 100% renewable electricity. Greensburg rose from the ashes as clean energy and environmental champions, and the town is now known as “America’s greenest little town.” Such a great story!

Aspen, Colorado is the most recent entry into the list. Aspen gets the vast majority of its energy from wind and hydroelectricity, though they also get some energy from solar and geothermal sources. Aspen had been at the ~80% mark for quite a while, finally reaching 100% with an August 2015 agreement to get wind farms from the Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska.

You can contribute to America’s renewable energy sources by choosing Star Energy Partners for your electricity needs. Our programs let you choose from several renewable energy options including wind, solar, biomass and hydropower, all while supporting the renewal energy industry. Click here to learn more!