Cities setting clean energy goals now have a new leader to emulate: Des Moines, Iowa. The Des Moines city council voted 7-0 on Monday in favor of a resolution that sets a goal of reaching 24/7 carbon-free electricity by 2035, making it probably the first city in the United States, and maybe the first in the world, to pass a plan that emphasizes a target of relying solely on clean energy around-the-clock. The goal will require a combination carbon-free sources, and ditching fossil fuels altogether. The city’s approach is in contrast to the more common policy of cities moving toward 100 percent renewable energy by generating renewable energy or buying renewable energy credits to offset—at least in an accounting sense—whatever fossil fuels they continue to use.
By Dan Gearino. Inside Climate News. January 14, 2021.
