The City of Sydney, the central borough of the larger metropolis of Sydney, Australia, is now powered completed by renewable energy.
Home to about 250,000 inhabitants, the city will, from now on, run on green energy. This means that all the operations of the city, which include street lights, libraries, depots, sports fields, council buildings, and even the iconic Sydney Town Hall will run on renewable sources of energy.
The energy is sourced from one wind farm and two solar farms located in New South Wales through electricity retailer Flow Power. The deal is valued at about $60 million, making it the biggest agreement of its kind by any council in Australia. While 75 per cent of the energy will be generated by wind, the other 25 per cent will be solar-generated.
Remarkably, the City has been an icon for sustainability – it has been carbon neutral since 2007. Also, due to this new move, it will reduce its carbon emissions by about 70 per cent by 2024, which is much ahead of its goal of doing so by 2030. This fantastic move will also reduce its emissions by approximately 20,000 tonnes every year, and will save an estimated A$500,000 (€308,000) per annum over the next decade.
Apart from the environmental benefits, this green initiative will also create more jobs and save taxpayer money.
“Cities are responsible for 70 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, so it is critical that we take effective and evidence-based climate actions,” said Clover Moore, Sydney Lord Mayor, who has championed this initiative of moving to green energy.
“This ground-breaking $60 million renewable electricity deal will also save our ratepayers money and support regional jobs in wind and solar farms in Glen Innes, Wagga Wagga and the Shoalhaven,” she added.
Isn’t this an amazing move that all other governments should aim to follow? Do let us know your views in the comments section below.
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