Texas Town to Flip the Switch—100 Percent Renewable Energy

Georgetown, located north of Austin and home to 54,000 Texans, will soon be a part of the future, by running completely on renewable energy.

1 minute read

March 18, 2015, 1:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


163:365 - Green Energy

Nomadic Lass / Flickr

"Georgetown says it plans to be the first city in Texas entirely powered by renewable energy," reports James Osborne.

"The city’s electrical utility is planning to announce Wednesday that it is signing a deal with solar developer SunEdison for 150 megawatts of solar power beginning in 2016," adds Osborne. That new capacity will be added the power delivered by a wind energy deal from 2014.

For the record, and in a potential sign of more deals like this to come in the future, Osborne reports that Georgetown officials made the decision for business reasons rather than environmental reasons. The deal with SunEdison is actually cheaper than their previous arrangement.

The article notes that according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's website, 12 municipalities have set a target of 100 percent renewables. Burlington, Vermont claims to have already reached its goal of 100 percent renewables, but there is some debate about whether its energy sources can be considered renewable.

Wednesday, March 18, 2015 in The Dallas Morning News

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight