Powering the New Energy Future from the Ground Up: Profiles in City-Led Energy Innovation
This report profiles the early results of a diverse range of small- to medium-sized American cities with different economic and energy profiles that are pioneering the clean energy economy. Many communities used federal grants to jumpstart long-term strategies to test and refine various clean energy and energy efficiency solutions. Others developed innovative financing strategies in the absence of grant money. The report highlights specific city-led efforts to catalyze local clean energy economic development.
The communities profiled in this report demonstrate that clean energy innovation is occurring across the country. Through trial and error, communities are breaking down barriers, testing various marketing strategies to drive demand for clean energy solutions, and creating finance mechanisms that can serve as models for other communities.
The full report (link below) includes ten profiles of communities that have either pursued a variety of clean energy solutions (building energy efficiency, renewable energy development, low carbon transportation strategies, and/or advanced grid technology) or have used various innovative tactics to achieve results in a single clean energy category. Additionally, the report includes 12 community projects that demonstrate community-led clean energy leadership in one area of the following: renewable energy, energy efficiency, smart grid, or electric vehicle innovation. Finally, the report includes key findings from across the various community profiles and projects (link below).
The following cities are included in the report:
Community Profiles
- Babylon, New York
- Bainbridge Island, Washington
- Bellingham, Washington
- Boulder, Colorado
- Eugene, Oregon
- Fort Collins, Colorado
- Hailey, Idaho
- Jackson, Wyoming
- Knoxville, Tennessee
- Oberlin, Ohio
Community Projects
- Bedford, New York
- Bremerton, Washington
- Burlington, Vermont
- Gainesville, Florida
- Hillsboro, Oregon
- Issaquah, Washington
- Madison, Wisconsin
- Pendleton, Oregon
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- Santa Fe, New Mexico
- West Union, Iowa
- Williamson, West Virginia
The report was written by Eileen V. Quigley and Elizabeth Willmott of New Energy Cities. New Energy Cities works with small- to medium-sized Northwest communities to accelerate the transition to a clean, renewable, super-efficient energy system that integrates smart grid technology, green intelligent buildings, electric vehicles, and renewable power. New Energy Cities is a project of Climate Solutions, a Northwest-based clean energy economy nonprofit that works to accelerate practical and profitable solutions to global warming by galvanizing leadership, growing investment, and bridging divides.
Energy that comes from sources that are not depleted by use. Examples include energy from the sun, wind, and small (low-impact) hydropower, plus geothermal energy and wave and tidal systems.Energy efficiency is the process of using less energy to produce the same or increased functions. Often used mistakenly as a synonym for ENERGY CONSERVATION. The ability or potential of a physical body to do work. The most common forms of energy are heat, light, mechanical (moving parts), and electrical.
