Fully 25 U.S. cities now have committed to transition entirely to clean and renewable energy, following city council votes on March 21 establishing 100 percent renewable energy goals in Madison, Wisconsin, and in Abita Springs, Louisiana, Sierra Club reported this week.
And the support for renewable energy is bipartisan according to the group. Indeed, in November, more than 70 percent of Madison voters cast ballots supporting Hillary Clinton; while nearly 75 percent of voters in St. Tammany Parish, where Abita Springs is located, supported Donald Trump.
Tuesday’s 100 percent clean energy commitments illustrate the common and bipartisan benefits that renewable energy presents to both big cities and rural towns alike, from lower energy costs and local job creation to pollution reduction and climate mitigation, the Sierra Club said.
“Whether you’re Republican or a Democrat,” said Sierra Club’s “Ready for 100” campaign Director Jodie Van Horn, “from a liberal college city or a rural Louisiana town, clean energy is putting America back to work and benefitting communities across the country. That’s why Madison, Wisconsin and Abita Springs, Louisiana, today join the ranks of 23 other cities and towns across the United States that are going all-in on clean, renewable energy.”
“Transitioning to 100 percent renewable energy is a practical decision we’re making for our environment, our economy, and for what our constituents want in Abita Springs. Politics has nothing to do with it for me. Clean energy just makes good economic sense,” stated Mayor Greg Lemons. “By establishing a 100 percent renewable energy goal, we have an opportunity to use solar power that we can control in our community, for our community. Clean energy is a way that we can save money for Abita Springs both today and in the future.”
Finally, Madison Common Council member Alder Zach Wood (District 8) issued the following statement: “Madison’s historic commitment to 100 percent clean energy shows that we are determined to lead the way in moving beyond fossil fuels that threaten our health and environment. The benefits of a transition to 100 percent clean energy are many. These goals will drive a clean energy economy that creates local jobs, provides affordable and sustainable electricity, and results in cleaner air and water. I am proud to be a part of this council that has made the historic commitment that will lead our community to a more sustainable future.”
