Shane Levy, Sierra Club - shane.levy@sierraclub.org, 201-679-9507
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – On Tuesday evening, the Buncombe County Commission voted to commit to transition to 100 percent clean and renewable energy for all municipal operations by 2030 and countywide by 2042.
Buncombe County now represents the first community in Western North Carolina and the second county in the state to commit to transition to 100 percent clean, renewable energy. In September, the Orange County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a goal of moving to 100 percent clean energy by 2050. This commitment was followed by the town of Hillsborough, North Carolina establishing a similar goal. Communities from across the state, including Asheville, have also called for a national transition for 100 percent clean energy.
Olufemi Lewis, organizer with the Sierra Club’s Ready For 100 Campaign in Asheville, said, “This commitment means that Buncombe County residents who are overburdened with high energy costs will save money on their bill for more important things, like taking care of their family. This is just the start on the path to energy equity for Buncombe County, but it shows an important commitment to fair and affordable energy prices for all.”
Brownie Newman, Buncombe County Commission Chair, celebrated the resolution, "I am proud that Buncombe County has committed to utilizing 100 percent renewable energy for our public facilities and operations. We also support 100 percent renewable energy for our community as a whole. Runaway climate change is the greatest threat we face but we have many viable tools to respond to this challenge. I look forward to working with many community partners to achieve this ambitious goal.”
Mayors from some of the largest cities in North Carolina including Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Durham, and Raleigh, have endorsed a goal of powering their communities entirely with renewable energy and have joined the Mayors for 100% Clean Energy initiative. In May, Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer endorsed the goal of powering all of Asheville with 100 percent clean, renewable energy through Mayors for 100% Clean Energy. This commitment in Buncombe County builds on local sustainability leadership and drives forward the clean energy movement in North Carolina and the nation.
North Carolina Sierra Club Political Chair and local clean energy leader Ken Brame said, “I am really excited to see our County Commission taking this important step to power our county with 100 percent renewable energy. As we are aware from Duke Progress Energy’s latest call for a 17 percent rate hike, electricity costs charged by our local fossil fuel utility are only going to increase in the coming years. By transitioning to renewable energy, we can save taxpayers and other energy users money while protecting our environment at the same time.”
The county will now begin the implementation process, and will seek partnerships with North Carolina businesses and organizations to achieve this goal. This victory shows how local government can step up and work in the best interest for its constituents by protecting air and water quality, improving energy affordability, and bolstering the local economy.
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.