July 11, 2018
New Hampshire

Concord passes resolution to work toward 100 percent renewable energy

By Leah Willingham, Monitor staff | Concord Monitor | July 11, 2018 | www.concordmonitor.com

The Concord City Council voted unanimously Monday night to pass a resolution that will push the city toward a goal of operating on 100 percent renewable energy.

“The goal will apply to the entire city – not just city government,” Concord Energy and Environment Committee member Chuck Willing said. “In taking this step, Concord will join over 70 cities and towns in the U.S. – and others around the world – that have committed to similar goals.”

The objective of the resolution is to have Concord work toward getting all of its electricity from renewable resources by 2030 and that all transportation and thermal energy will be renewably sourced by 2050.

The resolution was first proposed last May, but with a more aggressive push.

The original resolution referred to the goal of renewable energy as a city “policy” that would be implemented by the administration. But after concerns about the economic and logistical challenges of such a policy, all direct responsibility on the city for implementation have been removed, and the onus for developing a plan is now squarely on the Concord Energy and Environment Committee.

The revised resolution emphasizes that the goal is purely aspirational and “shall not be construed to either impose any mandate on the City or its residents and businesses,” according to the resolution.

“This goal will not be easy, but we have advantages today that we did not have before. We have the technology, wind power, solar power, energy storage, electric vehicles and more,” Willing, who is also a lawyer for the Rath, Young & Pignatelli, said before the meeting Monday night. “In addition, the cost of renewable energy is coming down so rapidly that renewable energy is expected to become the cheapest form of energy across the board within the next decade. We are on the brink on being able to limit climate change while saving money on energy.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2018/07/11/concord-passes-resolution-to-work-toward-100-percent-renewable-energy/