Boise Becomes First Idaho City to Commit to 100 Percent Renewable Energy

BOISE, ID -- Today, the Boise City Council voted to adopt “Boise’s Energy Future,” a plan to move the city’s electricity to 100 percent renewable sources by 2035. After years of community advocacy, the Sierra Club’s Idaho Chapter and Ready for 100 Action campaign celebrate Boise becoming the first city in Idaho -- and 115th nationwide -- to adopt this goal.

The City’s plan also maps a course to 100 percent renewable electricity alongside financial costs and benefits. The plan accounts for energy efficiency measures and shows 47 percent of the city’s electricity demand could be provided by renewable energy sources already operating today. The transition to 100 percent renewable electricity is estimated to result in $610 million total in benefits for Boise.

Boise’s commitment to 100 percent renewable energy comes on the heels of Idaho Power’s announcement last week stating that it will move to 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2045. The utility -- the largest in the state -- cited growing customer demand for clean energy as a driving force behind its decision.

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.

In response, Zack Waterman, Director of the Sierra Club Idaho Chapter, issued the following statement:

“The City of Boise has initiated and led the growing conversation about 100 percent clean energy across Idaho. 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. Boiseans know that continued reliance on out-of-state fossil fuels harm our environmental and economic health. To address our collective future, City leaders brought stakeholders together, involved the community, and undertook a comprehensive planning process to chart a viable pathway to 100 percent clean electricity by 2035. As this plan shows, moving away from fracked gas and coal in favor of local renewable energy can save residents many millions of dollars while growing our economy at the same time.

After years of advocacy for ambitious climate action, the Sierra Club stands in proud support of Boise’s leadership. We look forward to continuing to work with the city to ensure the path to 100 percent uplifts all members of this community.”

Emily Her from Climate Justice League issued the following:

“When the Climate Justice League held a press conference last July, turning over more than 1,000 petitions from students, we asked for three things: the city to commit to 100 percent clean energy, that student voices to be elevated, and that Boise would lead an equitable transition to cleaner energy for all. With today’s vote, it is clear that our Boise leaders are all in on our vision for clean energy.

Today marks the first step in a long journey to our clean energy future. As the work continues, I am committed to help advocate for and build the programs that ensure Boise’s clean energy future is accessible and affordable to everyone in our community.”

Boise City Council President Lauren McLean issued the following:

“This is an important step for Boise. 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.”