The international climate agreement coming out of Paris this weekend gave us a lot to celebrate -- but now the good news is hitting even closer to home.
On the heels of the Paris negotiations, San Diego announced today that it is going all-in on clean energy, becoming the largest U.S. city to commit to 100 percent clean energy.
Not 80 percent. Not 90 percent. But 100 percent clean energy.
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the U.S. and joins cities like Paris, Sydney, and Vancouver in saying that 100 percent clean energy is not only possible, but necessary. If we want to modernize our cities, boost local economies, and create jobs, 100 percent clean energy is the bar we have to aim for.
Clean energy has hit its stride, with solar prices falling 80 percent in recent years. The solar industry now employs nearly twice as many people as the coal-mining industry. Stanford scientists say the transition to 100 percent renewable energy will save the average American family $260 dollars per year in energy costs and another $1,500 per year in health care costs.
What’s more, with a Republican mayor and a Democratic-majority city council, San Diego is showing that clean energy is not a partisan issue -- it’s the right thing to do, for our families, for our climate, and for our economy.
As Arnold Schwarzenegger (another notable Republican) recently said in an impassioned post on his Facebook page, “I don't want to be like the last horse and buggy salesman who was holding out as cars took over the roads. I don't want to be the last investor in Blockbuster as Netflix emerged. That's exactly what is going to happen to fossil fuels. A clean energy future is a wise investment, and anyone who tells you otherwise is either wrong, or lying.”
So as San Diego goes for 100 percent clean energy, join us in calling on other mayors around the country to follow suit. There are thousands of cities where clean energy can protect clean air, water, and our climate -- if we act now to make it happen.
It’s time to go all-in on clean energy.
Take action here to tell your mayor that you’re ready for 100% clean energy too!