Daily edition | Dec. 10, 2019 Note from the editor Aspen was first able to claim 100% renewable in 1885 when it became the first city West of the Mississippi to get all its electricity from hydropower. But as power demand grew and coal prices dropped, the city's power mix became more typical of a small Colorado mountain town.
That changed in the 2000s with an ambitious carbon-free road map developed by the City Council. But the path toward renewable power was not easy, marred by ecological concerns over the impact of bringing more hydropower into the region and questions about water rights.
This is the last of a four part series on cities that can claim they power 100% of their electricity from renewable resources. All four installments can now be found here.
Thanks for reading,
Catherine Morehouse
Associate Editor, Utility Dive
Twitter | E-mail The utility said Monday it will retire units 1 and 2 at its St. Petersburg plant, but the Sierra Club is pushing for the closure of the much bigger units 3 and 4, noting Indianapolis' renewable energy goals. |
Deep Dive Controversy over hydropower in the Mountain West politicized the city's 100% renewables goal, bringing in a wave of opposition. |
Dive Awards Prioritizing the state's transition away from fossil fuels triggered pushback, but clean energy and labor groups largely supported the administration's move. |
Regulators set up a "bridge" program as the state phases out its solar credits that cap the price utilities pay for solar power. Advocates fear those caps will hinder development. |
All of the leading Democratic candidates for president have discussed efficiency improvements, but Mayor Pete Buttigieg had his name on a major study a decade ago. |
Dive Awards The annual awards highlight the biggest trends in innovation in the electric utility sector: from penciling out electrification efforts to pioneering new revenue streams for distributed resources. |
Deep Dive Utility Dive visited four U.S. cities powered by 100% renewables, getting local insights on the political will and economic drivers that got them there. |
Opinion Integration of the IEEE standard will mean that distributed energy resources can automatically respond to certain grid conditions, enabling significantly higher penetrations on the grid, the author writes. |
| Utility Dive's State of the Electric Utility annual survey is a vital piece of research, providing invaluable information. Help us understand what's in store for the future of electric utility. You'll receive first access to the survey report once complete. Take the survey |
|
What We're Reading Upcoming Event Feb. 17, 2020 - Feb. 19, 2020 | Omni Austin Hotel Downtown in Austin, Texas
|
Dive Into a Topic | 