FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 22, 2019
Contact: Olivia LaVecchia
(802) 734-0617
Burlington Named Top City in Northeastern U.S., and Fourth in Country, for Solar Per Capita
Environment America names Burlington a “Solar Star” in annual survey of top U.S. cities for solar energy
Burlington, VT – Burlington has more solar PV capacity installed per capita than any other city in the Northeastern United States, a new report from Environment America finds, and is ranked fourth in the country for solar capacity per capita.
“All Burlingtonians should be proud to see our City’s environmental leadership highlighted in this report,” said Mayor Miro Weinberger. “At the same time, we’re not stopping here. We’ve set some of the most ambitious climate goals of any city in America, and we are serious about meeting them. By taking action now, we are saving Burlingtonians money, giving our city a competitive advantage, and showing the world that it is possible to decarbonize our communities.”
Today, Burlington has more than 16 times the amount of solar capacity as it did at the end of 2011, and continues to pursue new solar opportunities. Through that period, Burlington also has achieved other climate milestones: In 2014, Burlington became the first city in America to source 100 percent of its electricity from renewable generation, and in 2016, Burlington doubled down on this progress and announced its goal to become a Net Zero Energy City across the electric, thermal, and ground transportation sectors by 2030. This summer, the Burlington Electric Department (BED) will release a Net Zero Roadmap that moves the City closer to that goal by comprehensively analyzing current energy use and outlining strategies to achieve Net Zero. Meanwhile, throughout this decade of progress, BED has held rates steady.
“Burlington Electric has a strong record of supporting solar projects throughout Burlington as part of our Net Zero Energy City strategy,” said Darren Springer, General Manager of BED. “For Burlingtonians interested in exploring the opportunity of going solar at your homes, we invite you to visit www.burlingtonelectric.com/solar to sign up for our Solar Shopper program that will help you decide the potential of adding solar at your homes.”
The Environment America report also categorizes cities based on watts of solar capacity per person, with cities having more than 50 watts per person falling in the top category of “Solar Stars.” Burlington well exceeds the 50 watts threshold, with more than 187 watts of solar capacity per person. As the report notes, “All of the ‘Solar Stars’… are setting the pace nationally for solar energy development.” The full “Shining Cities 2019” report is available online at: https://environmentamerica.org/feature/ame/shining-cities-2019.
Along with progress on energy goals, this Earth Day, the City has a number of upcoming opportunities for hands-on action to protect and strengthen our environment:
- Saturday, April 27: Tree planting in Strathmore neighborhood
- Saturday, May 4: Vermont’s 49th Annual Green Up Day
- Saturday, May 4: Planting Pride at Oakledge Park
- Sunday, May 19: Tree planting at Oakledge Park
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