Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski (D) has announced that the amount of renewable energy powering city government operations will increase from 6% to 12% by the end of the year.
In addition, Mayor Biskupski has set a 2020 goal to have 50% of municipal operations powered by renewable energy, and 100% by 2032, the mayor said in a May 10 news release.
Salt Lake City is working with the Rocky Mountain Power-sponsored program, Subcriber Solar.
Subscriber Solar is a new program offered by the Berkshire Hathaway Energy utility Power that allows customers to align their energy needs with power generated from the new Pavant 20-MW solar center in Holden, Utah, about two hours south of Salt Lake City.
The project will be completed in December 2016. Enrolled customers will be switched over to the Subscriber Solar rate schedule starting in January 2017, according to the Salt Lake City news release.
“We are thrilled to align with Subscriber Solar and invest in clean, carbon-free energy to better serve our community,” Biskupski said. Salt Lake City currently has more than 4,000 solar panels installed on its government properties. The new Subscriber Solar initiative will provide more renewable energy output than all municipal projects completed to date.
“It is our hope other communities, businesses and residents will follow Salt Lake City’s lead on Subscriber Solar,” said Rocky Mountain Power CEO Cindy Crane.
Salt Lake City is the capital and the biggest city in Utah with an estimated population of 190,000 in 2014.
