Chicago Becomes the Largest City in the Country Committed to 100 Percent Clean Energy

Chicago Becomes the Largest City in the Country Committed to 100 Percent Clean Energy

The Chicago City Council recently unanimously voted to establish the goal of transitioning the entire city to 100 percent clean, renewable energy, like wind and solar, by 2035.

Chicago becomes the largest city in the country to make this commitment, following cities like St. Louis, Madison, Atlanta, and San Francisco.

The city’s resolution was championed by the Ready For 100 Chicago Collective, a coalition consisting of several community- and state-based organizations, including Sierra Club Illinois Chapter, Chicago Youth Alliance for Climate Action, People for Community Recovery, Respiratory Health Association, The Climate Reality Project Chicago Chapter, SEIU Local 1, Citizens Utility Board, and other environmental, education, youth, labor, and justice groups across Chicago.

The recently introduced Illinois Clean Energy Jobs Act aims to move the entire state to 100 percent clean energy by 2050. By adopting this goal, Chicago provides a state and national model for other communities looking to transition away from fossil fuels.

The resolution also calls for complete electrification of CTA’s bus fleet by 2040. It directs the Mayor’s Office Sustainability Team, in partnership with the Ready for 100 Chicago Collective and other community groups and stakeholders, to develop a community-wide transition plan by December 2020 for achieving 100 percent renewable electricity.

Chicago joins 118 other cities across the U.S. already committed to an equitable transition to 100 percent clean, renewable energy community wide, including Evanston in Illinois.

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