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

Large historic homes and white picket fences line a street.

The End of Single-Family Zoning in Arlington County, Virginia

Arlington County is the latest jurisdiction in the country to effectively end single-family zoning.

March 23, 2023 - The Washington Post

Amtrak Acela Express train passing through Harrison station in Newark, New Jersey

‘Train Daddy’ Andy Byford to Oversee Amtrak’s High-Speed Rail Efforts

Byford, who formerly ran NYC Transit and Transport for London, could bring renewed vigor to the agency’s plans to expand regional rail in the United States.

March 28, 2023 - StreetsBlog NYC

Buses in downtown Seattle on the dedicated 3rd Avenue bus lanes

Seattle Bus Lane Cameras Capture Over 100,000 Violations

An automated traffic enforcement pilot program caught drivers illegally using transit lanes more than 110,000 times in less than a year.

March 28, 2023 - Axios

View of Statue of Liberty with New York City skyline in background

Immigration Grows, Population Drops in Many U.S. Counties

International immigration to the country’s most populous areas tripled even as major metropolitan areas continued to lose population.

March 31 - The New York Times

Detroit Sports Arena

$616 Million in Development Incentives Approved for District Detroit

The “Transformational Brownfield” incentives approved by the Detroit City Council for the $1.5 billion District Detroit still require approval by the state.

March 31 - Detroit Free Press

A red sign reads, “Welcome to New Canaan.”

Affordable Housing Development Rejected for Lack of Third Staircase in Connecticut

The New Canaan Planning Commission rejected a development proposal, including 31 below-market-rate apartments, for lack of a third staircase, among other reasons, at a time when advocates are pushing to relax two-staircase requirements.

March 31 - Stamford Advocate

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

HUD’s 2023 Innovative Housing Showcase

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.