Energy Efficiency, GHG Emissions, Sourcing Renewables  -  April 12, 2021

Cleveland Commits to 100% Clean and Renewable Energy Sources by 2050

Mayor Frank G. Jackson announced his commitment to combating climate change by transitioning Cleveland to powering itself with 100% clean and renewable energy sources by 2050. This update to the city’s 2018 Cleveland Climate Action Plan (CAP), features a goal to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 80% over a 2010 baseline by 2050.

To help meet this goal, Cleveland’s Clean and Equitable Energy Future report was developed to provide a roadmap. Funding from Partners for Places, the Cleveland Foundation, the George Gund Foundation, and the United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland was used to assemble a team to create the plan, including Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, Cray Consulting Group, Greenlink Analytics, and the funders developed

In a statement, Mayor Jackson said, “As a city, we have a long commitment to sustainability which includes focusing on reducing emissions. This report builds on our utility-level efforts and includes things that residents, businesses, and the city can do to generate clean electricity locally and to increase energy efficiency. One of the key takeaways is that existing state energy policy limits what we can do locally. Without a more comprehensive state energy policy focused on clean energy and energy efficiency, we cannot maximize the positive impact for our residents and neighborhoods.”

According to the statement, Greenlink Analytics modeled scenarios to show various pathways the city can take to reach its 100% renewable electricity target. Energy efficiency, solar, wind, energy storage, purchasing RECs, adopting EVs, and more efficient transit solutions are some of the routes to help the city meet its goal. Following the path toward 100% clean energy will also generate millions of dollars of public benefits, including utility bill savings, reducing energy burden for residents, the creation of green jobs, and public health benefits for Clevelanders.

Cleveland’s Clean and Equitable Energy Future includes a Clean Energy Policy Toolkit to focus on:

• Reducing the overall amount of electricity consumed by enhancing energy efficiency across residential, commercial, and industrial sectors;
• Continued implementation of clean energy installations and investments in storage system technologies;
• Transitioning the transportation sector to more-electrified, less fuel-dependent vehicles and reducing motorized trips;
• Supporting state-level policy which supports clean energy and energy efficiency adoption; and
• Identifying creative and sustainable financing mechanisms which allow increased access to energy efficiency and clean energy programs for low-to-moderate-income residents and small businesses.