| Austin Becomes First City to
Accept Energy Freedom Challenge
Austin, Texas, Mayor Will Wynn announced last month that Austin will be
the first city to enter a nationwide contest that challenges cities to
obtain more than half of their electricity from clean renewable energy
sources like wind, solar, and bioenergy. “As your mayor, I will accept the challenge that Austin remain the No. 1 city, the No. 1 utility in the country for renewable sales and that we in fact become the first city in the country to reach the 50 percent renewable goal,” he said. “We accept the challenge, and we’re going to figure out how to get there from here.” The Energy Freedom Challenge: America's Race to Independence Through Renewable Energy is a national competition aimed at reducing reliance on unstable, polluting energy sources. Launched in November 2005, the challenge will help accelerate homegrown clean energy technologies at the municipal level. "The Energy Freedom Challenge will inspire U.S. cities to hasten their transition from fossil fuel based power to clean, renewable energy", said Jane Pulaski, co-chair, Solar Austin. "What city wouldn't want the coveted title of "Clean Energy Capital of the U.S.?" Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Million Solar Roofs (MSR) Initiative awarded funding for the challenge. Solar Austin, a member of the Texas MSR Partnership, will administer the campaign. The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) will provide technical support by establishing a system to track each city's commitment.
|
