Las Vegas’ municipal infrastructure is powered entirely by renewables

The city of Las Vegas has become the largest US city to rely solely on renewable energy for its municipal infrastructure.

City officials announced on Monday that all Las Vegas facilities – from government buildings to streetlights – are now running entirely on renewable energy.

Since beginning its transition to renewable energy in 2008, the city has decreased energy consumption by more than 30 per cent and saved roughly US $5 million annually.

The milestone was reached after the introduction of the Boulder Solar 1 Project last week: the 100 megawatts solar plant located in the southeast corner of Nevada – built by public utility company NV Energy.

Boulder Solar 1, combined with other local sources of green energy such as geothermal energy plants, will now provide 100 per cent of the city’s municipal power.

This includes all government facilities, but not all residential and commercial buildings.

City Mayor, Carolyn Goodman, said:  “We can brag that the city, this city of Las Vegas, is one of the few cities in the entire world that can boast using all of its power from a green source.”

Las Vegas will also receive power from Hoover Dam for the first time in its history, starting at the end of 2017.

Las Vegas serves as a model for the other US cities that have committed to transitioning to renewable energy, including San Francisco and San Jose in California, and Grand Rapids in Michigan.

Meanwhile, Burlington, Vermont; Aspen, Colorado; Columbia, Maryland; and Greensburg, Kansas, like Las Vegas, are already powering their cities solely on renewable resources.