Sarasota, Florida Commits To Transition To 100% Renewable Energy

On June 19th, the Sarasota City Commission adopted a goal of powering all of Sarasota with 100 percent clean, renewable energy by 2045. Sarasota joins St. Petersburg as the only two cities in the state of Florida to commit to transition to 100 percent clean and renewable energy.

In addition to the establishing a community-wide target for 100 percent renewable energy, the Sarasota City Commission also voted to adopt a goal of powering all municipal operations in the city with 100 percent renewable energy by 2030 and at least 50 percent by 2024.

“The Sarasota Climate Justice Coalition commends the City of Sarasota for establishing these crucial target dates. Renewable energy will help clean our air and water while creating good, green jobs for members of our community. We look forward to working with the City and other stakeholders to make concrete progress towards these goals in the months and years ahead,” said Sean Sellers, Chair Sarasota Climate Justice Coalition.

“By adopting a goal of 100 percent renewable energy in our community, Sarasota is solidifying its commitment to sustainability and to implementing concrete, local solutions that decrease our carbon emissions. It will provide structure for the City to look seriously at how we can transition our community to 100 percent clean energy. We look forward to working with community members to identify strategies to reach this ambitious goal.” Stevie Freeman-Montes, City of Sarasota Sustainability Manager

More than 30 cities across the United State have committed to transition to 100 percent clean, renewable energy. In June alone, Santa Barbara, California and Portland, Oregon have both adopted goals of 100 percent clean energy. Multnomah County, Oregon recently became the first county in the country to adopt a community-wide goal of transitioning to 100 percent renewable energy.