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Ready for 100 and Resolution 2.0 for Clean and Renewable Energy

In June, 2017, the City of Columbia became the first city in South Carolina to approve a resolution establishing a community-wide goal of transitioning to 100 percent clean and renewable energy by 2036. The largely aspirational goal was championed by Sierra Club’s Ready for 100 campaign.

In 2023, the Sierra Club sunsetted the campaign with 200 communities committing to clean energy. The Climate Protection Action Committee saw this as an opportunity to refine the resolution, making it more specific and adding a roadmap to achieve 100% clean energy by 2036. City Council approved it unanimously and since then, the City has been operating under what is being called “Resolution 2.0.”

So why clean energy? The benefits are clear:

  • Clean energy saves money: Stanford scientists say the transition to 100% clean energy will save the average family over $200 dollars per year in energy costs and another $1,500 per year in healthcare costs.
  • Clean energy creates good-paying jobs: The solar industry already employs over 200,000 people, nearly twice as many people as the coal-mining industry.
  • According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the two fastest-growing jobs in the country are wind turbine technicians and solar panel installers. We want these jobs here in South Carolina!
  • Clean energy protects health and climate: no air pollution, no oil spills, no gas leaks.

The City’s roadmap to clean energy is detailed below:

  • Completion of energy audits on 25% of city-owned investments and infrastructure by 2025; 50% by 2028; and 100% by 2033 with recommended improvements and upgrades to be completed as soon as feasible after each audit is completed but no later than 2036.
  • Procurement of 25MW of non-combustion-based renewable energy by 2025; an additional 25MW by 2030 for a total of 50KW; and 25 additional MW for a total of 75 MW by 2036.
  • Evaluation and incorporation as appropriate of solar battery storage on any new, leased or retrofitted capital investment.
  • Inclusion of 60-day multi-stakeholder public input as part of any new energy policy and/or investment with significant environmental impacts to adjacent properties and/or citizens.
  • Creation of a City staff cohort to coordinate all aspects of this resolution and created and maintain a public web-based dashboard which is updated at least monthly and provide an annual public report on the City’s progress.
  • Coordinating with all City offices to develop, fund and implement a comprehensive plan for improving energy efficiency and reducing energy consumption.