A trend in America to utilize renewable energy, such as solar and wind, has made its way from the people to government agencies.The use of solar panels to power people’s houses has grown exponentially over the years despite push back from utility companies trying to protect their monopolies.
Many major cities such as San Francisco and New York have talked about plans to switch from the use of fossil fuels and instead rely on renewable energy like solar and wind. While these ideas are only hopeful for these major U.S. cities, San Diego becomes the first major city in California to put a plan into law.
Governor of California, Jerry Brown, has taken a stance and expressed ambitions and goals to combat climate change and reduce greenhouse gases. San Diego has expanded on these ambitions and formulated a plan that was passed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by half and make the switch to 100 percent renewable energy sources.
Mayor Kevin Faulconer was able to come together with City Council and agree on a plan of action to make the switch to 100 percent renewable energy by 2035. Many of the details are still being worked on, however, while many policies have been agreed on and are ready to be implemented throughout the city.
By 2020, half of the cities transportation systems will make the switch to electric vehicles. 98 percent of methane from sewage and water will be treated and recycled for other purposes. The government wants to get its citizens involved in the action by encouraging more residential and commercial solar power installations.
A major selling point of making the switch to renewable energy is the job creations that will result. Transforming the electric grid to accommodate solar production will boost the local economy and create a number of jobs for the city. It is estimated that San Diego will be able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by seven million metric tons per year. This is the equivalent to about 1.5 million passenger cars driven for one year.
Sol-Up has been fighting to keep solar a viable option in Las Vegas and the state of Nevada. We have a mission to make the city of Las Vegas the solar capital of the world. Contact us for more information and to start your journey to solar energy today.