Can Whole Cities Go To 100% Renewable Energy?

Many people jeer the leaders of cities around the world who talk about moving to 100% renewable energy.  But the folks I most respect among all this ridicule are those who are calmly making it happen.  Here’s an article on Greensburg, Kansas and their spectacular achievement in rebuilding their town, after an enormous tornado, with zero dependence on fossil fuels and nuclear.

The author also notes that others have done the same…

among them Güssing, Austria; King Island, Australia; and Naturstrom, Germany.

It’s not just cities with the ambition. Eight nations are 100 percent renewable or moving in that direction: Denmark, Iceland, Scotland, Costa Rica, Maldive Islands, Cook Islands, Tuvalu, and Tokelau. Add 42 cities, 49 regions, 8 utilities and 21 organizations, and going ‘all green’ looks like a bona fide trend.

Obviously, this whole process is easier for regions that happen to be blessed with bountiful renewable resources. The author notes:

Iceland, which produces all stationary energy from renewables, relies on its vast hydropower and geothermal resources. Costa Rica already has achieved 95 percent to 98 percent renewables, mostly from indigenous hydro. Similarly, New Zealand, which is moving toward a 90 percent goal, gets 75 percent of its power from renewables, mostly hydro and geothermal, and is now working on developing its wind power.

Greensburg, while it’s not blessed with abundant hydro and geothermal, is most assuredly blessed with people who care enough to fashion their city to be a part of a world that is trying hard to come together and address a severe crisis.  Great going.