US: Third city is running on 100% renewable energy

Aspen in Colorado is usually known as a winter holiday resort for the rich and famous in the world. This has also meant that the city, which is located well secluded in the Rocky Mountains, is now regarded as the richest city in the country and one of the richest cities in the world. Real estate prices have risen to exorbitant heights in recent years so that an average American family can no longer afford to live there.

Now, however, Aspen is making headlines in an entirely different area: According to the city’s environmental and project department, the community gets its energy supply completely from renewable sources since the end of last week.

David Hornbacher, Utilities and Environmental Initiatives Director of Aspen, explains this success to the Aspen Times: The city was reaching for a dedicated and progressive target which led to success in the end. Now they get their electricity mainly from water and wind and some solar and gas projects.

Landscape near Aspen (via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Aspen, with a population of just 6,700, is the third city in the United States to reach the target of 100% renewable energy. The other two cities are Burlington, VT, (43,000 inhabitants) and Greensburg in Kansas (777 inhabitants). The latter got famous as large parts of town were destroyed by a tornado in 2007. Reconstruction of the city took place in connection with special attention to environmental and climate protection and was accompanied by a television documentary.

After ten years, Aspen has now reached its own target: A week ago, city officials signed a utility contract with Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska, to achieve their target of an energy supply from 100% renewable sources. Previously, the city was on the level of 75 to 80% energy from renewable sources, but now they made the last steps to achieve their target, as Hornbacher told the media.

Aspen City Hall (by Daniel Case. Own work licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons)

The foundation for this target has already been laid in the 1980s, when the city began to get large amounts of their energy from two hydroelectric power plants in the vicinity. Ten years ago, finally the plan of 100% renewables was adopted. They phased out their supply of coal and instead increased their supply of wind energy to 20-25%. Aspen gets its wind energy from four wind farms in Nebraska and South Dakota.

Officials are proud to have reached the target and hope to inspire more cities in the US to follow their example as it shows what is possible if the community sticks together and aims for high targets.