Cities And Communities Can Lead The Way
America’s major cities play a key role in the clean energy revolution and stand to reap tremendous benefits from solar energy. They are major sources of electricity demand and, with millions of rooftops suitable for solar panels, they have the potential to be major sources of clean energy as well.
Cities helped solar power grow at a record-breaking pace in 2016
The United States now has 42 gigawatts (GW) of solar photovoltaic (PV) energy capacity, enough to power 8.3 million homes and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 52.3 million metric tons annually.
Even top solar cities still have vast amounts of untapped solar energy potential
San Diego has developed less than 16 percent of its technical potential for solar energy on small buildings.
Top U.S. cities for solar

America’s top solar cities have adopted strong pro-solar public policies and taken other important steps to advance solar energy
Leading by example: The city government of Las Vegas now receives 100 percent of its energy needs from renewable sources, including a total of 6.2 MW of solar electric capacity. Solar energy systems are installed on 40 public buildings, including community centers, fire stations and parks. A 3.3 MW solar plant also provides power for the city’s wastewater treatment plant. Cities that invest in solar power on public buildings not only save money on electricity, but they also demonstrate the value of solar energy to their residents.
U.S. cities have only begun to tap their solar energy potential.
Cities such as Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and San Antonio have the technical potential to generate tens to hundreds of times more solar energy than they currently do, according to a National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) analysis of technical rooftop solar potential on small buildings.
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Contact: Rob Sargent
Environment America Energy Program Director
(617) 747-4317

Contact: Bret Fanshaw
Environment America Solar Energy Coordinator
(602) 252-9225