On Thursday, the city council of Keene, N.H., voted 14-1 to establish a goal of transitioning to 100% clean and renewable energy, the Sierra Club has announced.
Keene joins the communities of Concord, Cornish, Hanover and Plainfield to become the fifth municipality in New Hampshire to establish the goal.
The resolution adopts a goal of using 100% renewable energy for electricity by 2030 and for all sectors, including heat and transportation, by 2050. Keene is the 104th municipality in the U.S. to commit to transition to 100% clean, renewable energy, notes the Sierra Club.
Through numerous efficiency measures implemented over the past 20 years, the City of Keene has reduced emissions from municipal operations by 25% while cutting operating costs significantly, according to the Sierra Club.
Further, many area businesses and homes are already powered with clean energy through competitive electricity suppliers. For example, the Monadnock Food Co-op’s solar panels generate 50,000 kWh annually. Keene State College, the Savings Bank of Walpole, Target, MOCO, and the Keene Unitarian Universalist Church are all generating solar energy. In addition, the city recently installed a 662 kW solar array on the Police and Public Works facility on Marlboro St., bringing the community’s total solar generation to over 2 MW.
Citing the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the Sierra Club also says New Hampshire obtains more of its electricity generation from wind power than from coal-fired power plants.
A full copy of Keene’s resolution can be found here.
