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Palo Alto to Use 100 Percent Renewable Electricity

The cost per household will be just pennies per month.

 

The City of Palo Alto owns all of its own utilities, giving it the autonomy to make decisions based strictly upon the best interests of Palo Altans, without worrying about shareholders. City leaders also have the opportunity to make decisions that reflect the political beliefs of residents—and that’s precisely what the city council did Monday evening when it voted to use only 100 percent carbon free electricity, effective immediately.

The City Utilities Department reports that Palo Alto is one of very few entities worldwide who can claim to be purchasing completely carbon-neutral electricity.

Find out what's happening in Palo Altowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“Palo Alto has been a leader in reducing its carbon emissions,“ Mayor Greg Scharff said of the decision, “but when we realized we could achieve a carbon neutral electric supply right now, we were compelled to take action. Climate change is one of the critical challenges of our generation and we hope our actions will inspire others to follow suit.”

About 50 percent of the city’s electric supply is currently hydro-electric. The city also purchases electricity generated by wind farms, solar arrays, and renewable gas captured from landfills. If Palo Alto’s entire electric needs can’t be supplied by renewable sources, City Utilities will buy non-renewable power with “renewable energy certificates [RECs].”

The added cost to the typical homeowner’s bill: less than $3 per year.

Find out what's happening in Palo Altowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“As a City, we’ve had cheaper, greener power for our citizens for decades, and being able to make this recent move to 100% carbon-free electricity is just another example of how owning our own utilities pays off,” said City Manager James Keene.

Palo Alto established its Climate Action Plan in 2007, setting goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from all sources.

“The impact of climate change—with its predictable disasters— is increasing at a frightening rate, so it’s heartening that Palo Alto has chosen to generate its electricity from carbon-free sources, thereby demonstrating the kind of bold action that is urgently needed,” said Walt Hays, a resident who is active in Carbon Free Palo Alto, an advocacy group founded in 2011.

Learn more about the City's Carbon Neutral Plan.

 

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