In 2018 the City of Asheville adopted Resolution 18-279 that establishes a 100% renewable energy goal for municipal operations by 2030 and to support Buncombe County’s communitywide goal by 2042. The City of Asheville and Buncombe County are just two of the many local governments in North Carolina that have adopted climate goals. These ambitious goals are vital to addressing the climate emergency and are also challenging to track. Population growth, coupled with changes to construction regulation and the local economy make it hard to estimate how much energy Buncombe County will need in 2042. This is one reason the City appreciates the Local Government Clean Energy report produced by the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA). This report highlights the number of renewable energy systems and electric vehicle chargers installed within the City of Asheville.
The report also compares the progress made locally with other NC metropolitan areas. It is great to see all our local NC communities advance the installation of renewable energy.
Here are a few highlights from the report:
- Of the 10 cities with the most residential solar photovoltaic (solar PV) systems, Asheville has the most systems per 1,000 people.
- Of the 10 cities with the largest residential solar PV capacity, Asheville has the 3rd highest capacity per 1,000 people.
- Of the 10 counties in North Carolina with the highest number of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles per 1,000 people, Buncombe County ranks 5th.
- Of the 10 counties in North Carolina with the highest total populations, Buncombe County ranks 3rd in the number of electric vehicles per 1,000 people.
To read more about clean energy in Asheville you can read the full report here.
Want to be a part of the transition to a clean energy future? Take action through the Blue Horizons Project.