clean energy atlanta
A Vision for a 100 Percent Clean Energy Future
Energy is at the core of economic activity in Atlanta.
In 2017, the City of Atlanta enacted the Clean Energy Resolution, a pledge to transition to 100 percent clean energy. The resolution prioritizes energy efficiency, renewable energy, and eliminating reliance on burning fossil fuels to meet Atlanta’s energy needs.
In March 2019, the City of Atlanta adopted “Clean Energy Atlanta” the result of a year-long stakeholder engagement process, in which thousands of community members weighed in to set our primary values for a clean energy transition for 100% of Atlantans.
Photo by: Shan Arora
1. About Clean Energy Atlanta
On May 1, 2017, the Atlanta City Council unanimously passed Resolution No. 17-R-3510, which directed the Mayor’s Office of Resilience to develop a plan for City of Atlanta operations to achieve 100 percent clean energy by 2025 and communitywide 100 percent clean energy by 2035.
Photo by: Greenlink Analytics
2. Atlanta’s Energy Landscape
Atlanta consumes about 8.1 million MWh of electricity annually, roughly the amount of electricity required to power 664,000 homes. Without efficiency programs of any sort, electricity consumption could increase to as much as 9 million MWh per year.
Photo by: Shan Arora
3. Stakeholder Engagement Process
An inclusive and robust stakeholder process is a key component of this Plan. The release of this Plan is just the beginning. Public outreach is a critical part of the Clean Energy Atlanta strategy and the foundation upon which this Plan rests. The public will continue to be engaged as the implementation process moves forward.
Photo by: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Photo by: City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management
4. Pathways to 100% Clean Energy
There are many possible pathways to achieving the 100 percent clean energy goal, but all are a combination of three key strategies: consuming less electricity through investing in energy efficiency, generating electricity from renewable sources, and purchasing renewable energy credits.
5. How will city operations achieve a 100% clean energy goal
The City of Atlanta is the largest consumer of electricity in the city, with combined municipal operations accounting for 7 percent of all electricity consumed in Atlanta.
6. Achieving 100% clean energy community-wide
In general, the City of Atlanta has three approaches that can be taken to achieve the 100 percent clean energy communitywide target: use less energy, generate more clean energy, and buy Renewable Energy Credits (RECs).