Foundation News

In February, Pueblo, Colorado, and Moab, Utah became the 22nd and 23rd cities in the United States to commit to transition to 100 percent clean, renewable energy. The Pueblo City Council approved a resolution committing to power the community entirely with renewable sources of energy like wind and solar by 2035. One day later, the Moab City Council approved a resolution committing Moab to 100 percent renewable energy by 2032.

Cities like Pueblo and Moab have long suffered the consequences of dirty energy and utility reliance on fossil fuels. Pueblo, for example, has a sizable low-income population that has been suffering from the high cost of electricity due to the local utilities’ decision to build new gas infrastructure and put the cost on ratepayers. More than 7,000 people in Pueblo have had their electricity shut off due to high costs. For more than five years, a coalition of groups in Pueblo, including the Sierra Club, has been organizing to safeguard local residents from the high cost of energy, while expanding access to affordable renewable energy.

Utah is celebrated for its iconic national parks, stunning scenery, and world-class recreation. Canyonlands, Arches, Capitol Reef, Bryce, and Zion national parks are an economic engine for the state’s economy and local recreation businesses that rely on the protection of these natural places. Moab is the gateway to Canyonlands National Park, which suffers from elevated levels of haze pollution from two neighboring coal plants, threatening the local tourism industry. With the 100 percent renewable energy announcements, both communities are poised to confront these threats.

The Sierra Club Foundation is a major funder of the Sierra Club’s Ready for 100 Campaign, the goal of which is to accelerate clean energy leadership by achieving 100 percent renewable energy commitments from municipal and institutional decision-makers and activating widespread public demand for clean energy solutions.