Global, National, State & Municipal 100% Renewable Energy Commitments

March 16, 2017

Global, National, State & Municipal 100% Renewable Energy Commitments

As leading enterprises make dramatic transitions toward renewable energy throughout their portfolios, global, national, state and municipal commitments are acting to push for 100% renewable energy. Our previous blogs, A Revolution Towards Renewable Energy Portfolio-wide (January 9, 2017 update & April 26, 2016 update) and Innovators for a Clean Energy Future reflect the importance of technical, market and regulatory change in corporate renewable energy portfolios. Nearly a dozen SR Inc SBER Charter Members have joined RE100, a collaborative, global initiative of influential businesses committed to a public goal to procure 100% of their electricity from renewable sources by a specified year. As SR Inc helps Member-clients set company goals, many have requested an outline of public sector commitments – especially those affecting the utilities. Consequently, we drafted the below blog to highlight global, national, state and municipal commitments which are helping to set the public sector context for the renewable energy revolution.

Global Renewable Energy Commitments

In Paris in December 2015, the U.N.’s 21st Conference of Parties brought widespread agreement by all the governments of the world on goals, metrics and reporting to avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change. Under the Paris Agreement, countries agreed to hold the increase in global average temperature to well below 2 degrees C (3.6 degrees F), pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees F), and achieve net-zero emissions in the second half of this century. The G20 could advance this global climate action by making further progress on the topic of fossil fuel subsidy reform. The G20 have agreed to phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption over the “medium term”. Related, a Boston-based nonprofit organization, Ceres created the “Clean Trillion” investment campaign, a clarion call to invest more than $1 trillion per year in clean energy through 2050. Meeting the Clean Trillion goal will be an immense challenge, but it’s achievable if businesses, investors and policymakers join forces.

National Renewable Energy Commitments

Germany

Germany is well recognized as an international leader in renewable energy. The Energiewende (German for energy transition) is the transition by Germany to a low carbon, environmentally sound, reliable and affordable energy supply. Hermann Scheer, who was a member of the German Parliament for three decades, was a driving force in making Germany a world leader in renewable energy. Scheer was the main architect of Germany’s pioneering Renewable Energy Act, which set up a system of incentives paid for by utilities to encourage hundreds of thousands of home owners and investors to build solar and wind power systems. Scheer, named as one of Time Magazine’s five “heroes for the green century” in 2002, won the Alternative Nobel Prize in 1999 for his commitment to renewable energy. Visit Hermann Scheer’s website for his complete bio.

Germany has promised to transform its electricity supply to 100% renewable energy by 2050.
Germany aims to cut GHG emissions by 40% by 2020 and up to 95% in 2050, over a 1990 base year.
On December 26, 2015, German renewable energy met 81% of the nation’s energy demand.
Annually, Germany generates about 30% of its electricity from renewables.
By 2022, all 17 of Germany’s nuclear plants will be closed.
Polls reveal citizens’ support for Energiewende from a study by the Universities of Stuttgart and Münster in cooperation with Fraunhofer ISI and ISE. Key phrasing for measuring citizens’ 2016 support for Energiewende: “The Energiewende is…”
- Very Important: 57%
- Important: 36%
- Less Important: 5%
- Not at all Important: 1%

Denmark

Denmark’s goal is to achieve 100% renewable power and heat by 2035 and 100% renewable energy in all sectors by 2050.

Denmark already achieved moments of 100% + renewable energy attributed to its excellent – and similar to Massachusetts – offshore wind resources. Denmark’s population is 5,690,750 (2016) while Massachusetts’ population is 6,811,779 (2016).
The Danish Government’s plan “Our Energy” is based on the previous government’s Energy Strategy 2050, but raises the bar higher.
The long-term goal of the plan is to implement an energy and transport network that relies solely on renewable energy sources.
By 2020, the initiatives will lead to extensive reductions in energy consumption, making it possible for half of the country’s electricity consumption to be covered by wind power.
Coal is to be phased out of Danish power plants by 2030.
Denmark’s 2015 GDP was $295.09 billion (World Bank).

Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s goal is to achieve 100% renewable energy (no target given), with an additional goal of carbon neutrality by 2021.

In 2015, the nation had achieved supplying 99% of electricity demand with renewable sources, approximately 80% of which was by hydropower. The previous year, renewables covered about 90% of demand as electricity generation in Costa Rica broke down by source to:
- Hydropower (including pumped storage): 6717 GWh (IEA) / 65.75% (Natl. Energy Plan VII)
- Geothermal: 1538 GWh (IEA) / 15.06% (Natl. Energy Plan VII)
- Oil: 1043 GWh (IEA) / 10.21% (Natl. Energy Plan VII)
- Wind: 735 GWh (IEA) / 6% (Natl. Energy Plan VII)
- Bioenergy: 181 GWh (IEA) / 2.96% (Natl. Energy Plan VII)
- Solar PV: 3 GWh (IEA) / .02% (Natl. Energy Plan VII)
The population of Costa Rica is 4,857,218 (2016).
Costa Rica’s 2015 GDP was $54.137 billion (World Bank).

United States

100% Clean & Renewable Energy Resolution by 2050 (Markey and Merkley)

On December 7, 2016, Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Oreg.) introduced a Senate Resolution calling for generating 100% of the electricity consumed in the United States from clean and renewable energy resources by 2050. The resolution highlights the following goals:

Supports a national goal of phasing out fossil fuel emissions and, by 2050, generating 100% of the electricity consumed in the United States from clean energy resources, such as solar, wind, geothermal, and other renewable resources; and
Supports policies to achieve that goal that will—
- Create jobs for all individuals, especially in communities with high rates of unemployment or underemployment, and build a sustainable economy; and
- Ensure universal access to clean energy for all homes and businesses in the United States, including for moderate- and low-income families.
Res.632 Co-sponsors:
- Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
- Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD)
- Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI)
- Senator Bernard Sanders (I-VT)
- Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI)
- Senator Al Franken (D-MN)
- Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)

State Renewable Energy Commitments

Massachusetts

In 2017, State Representative Sean Garballey (D-Arlington), State Representative Marjorie Decker (D-Cambridge), and State Senator Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton) filed a bill that would commit Massachusetts to obtain 100% of its energy from clean, renewable sources like solar and wind.

An Act to transition Massachusetts to 100% Renewable Energy (HD.3357) would require the state to achieve 100% renewable electricity generation by 2035, and Bill SD 1932 phases out the use of fossil fuels across all sectors, including heating and transportation, by 2050.
The bill supplements an already concerted effort by Massachusetts to pursue a low-carbon economy– the Massachusetts Global Warming Solutions Act which requires the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80% from 1990 levels by 2050.
The bill has been co-sponsored by 53 Massachusetts lawmakers in the House and Senate.

California

Two years ago, California pushed through a law requiring the state to generate half of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. However, in February 2017, California Senate leader Kevin de León increased the percentage and introduced legislation (SB 584) that, if approved, would require the state to source 100% of its electricity from renewables by 2045.

Timeline of CA Renewables Portfolio Standard:

2002: Senate Bill 1078 establishes the RPS program, requiring 20% of retail sales from renewable energy by 2017.
2003: Energy Action Plan I accelerated the 20% deadline to 2010.
2005: Energy Action Plan II recommends a further goal of 33% by 2020.
2006: Senate Bill 107 codified the accelerated 20% by 2010 deadline into law.
2008: Governor Schwarzenegger issues Executive Order S-14-08 requiring 33% renewables by 2020.
2009: Governor Schwarzenegger issues Executive Order S-21-09 directing the California Air Resources Board, under its AB 32 authority, to adopt regulations by July 31, 2010, consistent with the 33% renewable energy target established in Executive Order S-14-08.
2011: Senate Bill X1-2, signed by Gov. Edmund G. Brown, Jr., codifies 33% by 2020 RPS.
2015: Senate Bill 350, signed by Gov. Edmund G. Brown, Jr. codifies 50% by 2030 RPS.

New York

In 2014, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo launched New York’s signature energy policy, Reforming the Energy Vision (REV), mandating that the state get 50% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. REV aims to build an integrated energy network able to harness the combined benefits of the central grid with clean, locally generated power.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has plans to cut carbon pollution in New York by 40% by 2030 and 80% by 2050.
He has pledged to add 150,000 solar panels and 300 wind turbines around the state.
In its initial phase, utilities and other energy suppliers will be required to procure and phase in new renewable power resources starting with 26.31% of the state’s total electricity load in 2017 and grow to 30.54% of the statewide total in 2021.
Nearly 23% of New York’s electric power today comes from a variety of renewable sources, mainly hydroelectric with significant contributions from wind, biomass and solar resources.

Hawaii

Gov. David Ige signed into law a bill (HB623) regarding Hawaii’s commitment to clean energy by directing the state’s utilities to generate 100% of their electricity sales from renewable energy resources by 2045. Under Hawaii’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), each electric utility company that sells electricity for consumption in Hawaii must establish the following percentages of renewable electrical energy sales:

10% of its net electricity sales by December 31, 2010
15% of its net electricity sales by December 31, 2015
30% of its net electricity sales by December 31, 2020
40% of its net electricity sales by December 31, 2030
70% of its net electricity sales by December 31, 2040
100% of its net electricity sales by December 31, 2045

Municipal Renewable Energy Commitments

Aspen, Colorado commits to 100% Renewable Electricity at Aspen Electric (municipality) by 2015:
- As of 2015, Aspen achieved 100% renewable power.
Burlington, Vermont commits to owning or contracting with renewable power generation facilities to cover the equivalent of 100% of electricity demand citywide:
- In September 2014, the Burlington Electric Department reached its aim to own or purchase enough power generated by renewables to cover the equivalent of 100% of the demand citywide.
Columbia, Maryland announced in 2015 it would offset 100% of its energy use from renewable sources and signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with SunEdison:
- Columbia is now powered by 100% renewable electricity – a mix of 75% wind and 25% solar.
Greensburg, Kansas commits to 100% renewable power, including electricity, as part of a master sustainability plan:
- The Greensburg Wind Farm, which was built as part of the master plan, produces enough electricity to power every home, business, and municipal building in the town and surrounding area.
San Diego, California set a goal to achieve 100% renewable electricity community-wide by 2035:
- In September 2014, Mayor Kevin Faulconer (R-San Diego) presented his Climate Action Plan, which includes among other provisions, a target of reaching 100% renewable power for all of San Diego’s homes and businesses by 2035, with an emphasis on using local resources. After a year of state-mandated environmental review, the Climate Action Plan, which received broad, multi-stakeholder, bipartisan support, was officially adopted by the City Council on December 15, 2015.
Additional cities who have pledged 100% renewable energy: Del Mar, California, East Hampton, New York, Georgetown, Texas, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Lancaster, California, Moab, Utah, Nassau, New York, Palo Alto, California, Park City, Utah, Pueblo, Colorado, Rochester, Minnesota, Salt Lake City, Utah, San Francisco, California, San Jose, California, Santa Monica, California, Taos, New Mexico.
17 cities and towns in Massachusetts have set ambitious goals to promote clean energy and to reduce their energy usage.

Select Relevant SBER Executive Guidance & Tools:

Brittany Doherty, Program Director joined SR Inc at the start of 2015. Brittany has two years of experience managing and writing Sustainability Reports for the Town of Dartmouth in accordance with the comprehensive, credible, and widely used standard, the Global Report Initiative (GRI). Brittany graduated with a B.S in Organizational Behavior Management & Sustainability from the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, while actively developing a variety of sustainability initiatives for the university. Brittany served as the President of Net Impact at her university for three years, was a member of the Fair Labor Association Student Committee for two years, and also launched a pilot-teaching-program to integrate Sustainability into the global network of Junior Achievement. While Brittany was attending graduate school, earning a certificate in Environmental Policy, she worked as an Analyst for the Town of Dartmouth, assisting in the advancement of the Town’s economic, environmental, and social policies. Outside of her work at SR Inc, Brittany has volunteered on the Sustainable Belmont Committee and assisted in the Town’s GHG Inventory project, as part of the Climate Action Plan. She also served as a valuable member for the Belmont Solar Campaign (BSC).

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