The timing of the announcement of deeply ambitious energy goals by the city of Portland and the county of Multnomah was not coincidental.
"On the day the Trump administration withdrew from the Paris climate agreement, the City of Portland and Multnomah County committed to a goal of meeting 100 percent of community energy needs with renewable power by 2050," reports Ted Sickinger. Community energy needs include transportation and industry for the entire county.
The city's version of the resolution represents a "veritable Christmas tree of commitments," writes Sickinger. Included in the resolution are commitments for "more energy efficiency, demand control, community-based renewable energy, job training, transit expansion, electric buses, minority- and women-owned business participation, and climate justice measures such as rate protections, low transit fares and job training for low-income residents that could be disproportionately affected by climate change and the transition to clean power."
The article includes quotes from a statement by Portland Ted Wheeler saying the action by the city and county "will serve as a beacon of hope" on a day that "the United States is effectively turning its back on the rest of the world."
Read the full story: Portland, Multnomah County set 100% renewable energy goal
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