By Lacey Shaver, World Resources Institute Blog

When a city decides to transition from fossil fuels to clean energy, headlines follow. But the work has only just begun. Cities have many options for generating and purchasing renewable electricity, each of which comes with distinct benefits and challenges. Read more here.

Flickr Photo: Black Rock Solar

About the Renewables Accelerator
Together with Bloomberg Philanthropies, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and the Urban Sustainability Directors Network, World Resources Institute formed the American Cities Climate Challenge Renewables Accelerator to provide technical support to all U.S. cities as they explore new and innovative strategies for procuring renewable energy to meet their goals. Tools and Resources.

THE NEW REBA PROGRAM

• The World Resources Institute is also one of four major nonprofits that founded the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance (REBA). WRI statement on the new REBA initiative announced yesterday:
  U.S. Companies Charge Forward on Renewables with Launch of New REBA Organization
• Big business gets organized in its call for clean energy, PV Magazine
  Google, Walmart, Facebook and GM and more than 200 companies with combined revenues of over $1 trillion have joined together under the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance, and have set a goal to bring 60 GW of renewable energy online by 2025.

ALSO IN THE NEWS

• Florida Power & Light’s Huge Solar-Plus-Storage System the ‘New Norm’ for Utilities, Greentech Media. The NextEra-owned utility’s 409-megawatt Manatee Energy Storage Center will be powered by utility-scale solar.
• Florida utility plans world’s largest battery combined with solar, Energy Storage News
• $6 million in state funding proposed for solar energy at UMN, Minnesota Daily
  A bill in the Legislature would appropriate money to the University for its transition toward renewable energy.
• Virginia schools among latest to explore solar for savings, environmental benefits, Education Dive. The U.S. Department of Energy’s EnergySmart Schools report finds that K-12 schools spend more than $8 billion annually on energy, making that the highest operating expenditure for schools after personnel. With that in mind, it makes sense to find ways to cut back these costs as much as possible.
• Lego owner moves into U.S. solar, PV Magazine
  An investment firm owned by the family behind Lego has bought a majority stake in solar asset owner Enerparc’s U.S. business. “The majority stake in Enerparc gives Kirkbi…the unique opportunity to bring solar power to more Americans,” said Thomas Lau Schleicher, the Danish group’s chief investment officer.
• Goldman Sachs Buys 233 Megawatts of Commercial Solar Leases from SunPower Greentech Media. Deal covering 200 project sites reflects growing interest in commercial solar assets from institutional investors.
• Department of Energy Announces $28 Million in Funding for Wind Energy Research