The city council of Boise, Idaho, has voted to adopt “Boise’s Energy Future,” a plan to move the city’s electricity to 100% renewable sources by 2035.
After years of community advocacy, the Sierra Club’s Idaho Chapter and Ready for 100 Action campaign are celebrating Boise’s becoming the first city in Idaho – and 115th municipality nationwide – to adopt this goal. Boise’s commitment also comes on the heels of Idaho Power’s recent announcement that it will move to 100% carbon-free electricity by 2045.
“The City of Boise has initiated and led the growing conversation about 100 percent clean energy across Idaho,” comments Zack Waterman, director of the Sierra Club’s Idaho Chapter. “By listening to the concerns of residents, businesses and local organizations, the city has shown that local leadership is really about making decisions with and for the entire community.
The city’s plan maps a course to 100% renewable electricity alongside financial costs and benefits. The plan accounts for energy efficiency measures and shows 47% of the city’s electricity demand could be provided by renewable energy sources already operating today. The transition to 100% renewable electricity is estimated to result in $610 million total in benefits for Boise, says the Sierra Club.
The City of Boise developed the plan over the course of a year and with consultation by a stakeholder group consisting of community organizations, businesses and local utilities. The resolution approving the plan can be found here.
“This is an important step for Boise,” says Lauren McLean, president of Boise’s city council. “I led the effort to set 2035 as our city’s goal because pushing ourselves to achieve clean energy sooner will set Boise and her residents up to take advantage as technology changes and create economic opportunity for all in our value. Ensuring access to energy efficiency programs and to clean energy for all Boiseans is important, so we made clear our commitment to affordable power and equitable access in our goal this evening. I know that together we can achieve this goal for Boise.”
