How to Get Your Local Government to 100 Percent Clean Electricity

RMI developed the Local Energy Action Framework (LEAF) to help US local governments move from setting carbon-neutrality goals to implementing efficient energy projects. By analyzing six US cities and counties, the framework emphasizes a holistic approach that considers the interaction between energy efficiency, electrification, and renewable procurement. Key findings suggest that prioritizing high-demand facilities like water treatment plants for efficiency and using flexible loads or batteries to manage peak demand are critical for achieving 24/7 clean electricity. The guide also highlights that while electrification significantly reduces emissions, it increases building loads, necessitating the use of efficient technologies like heat pumps and the procurement of off-site non-solar renewable energy to fill remaining gaps.

• Prioritizing energy efficiency in facilities with the highest electricity demand yields the most savings. Water and wastewater facilities are typically the largest users, representing up to 70 percent of city electricity usage, though specific drivers like airports can vary by city.
• Electrifying vehicle fleets and buildings can contribute up to 52 percent of total carbon emissions reductions by 2030. However, this increases annual building loads (excluding water facilities) by 5-17 percent. In cold climate zones, electrifying heating can increase winter building loads by 170 percent, particularly during early morning peaks.
• To achieve 24/7 clean electricity, local governments must address the fact that 60–80 percent of electricity consumption occurs between 5 p.m. and 8 a.m. This can be managed by shifting flexible loads to daytime, using solar-charged batteries, and optimizing smart EV charging to avoid peak hours.
• Because most local governments lack sufficient land or roof space for full on-site solar coverage, they must procure off-site renewable energy. Non-solar resources like wind and geothermal are recommended for large overnight loads, often facilitated through green tariffs, virtual PPAs, or power purchase agreements (PPAs).

APA

RMI (2023). How to Get Your Local Government to 100 Percent Clean Electricity. https://rmi.org/resources/how-to-get-your-local-government-to-100-percent-clean-electricity/

Chicago

RMI. How to Get Your Local Government to 100 Percent Clean Electricity. 2023. https://rmi.org/resources/how-to-get-your-local-government-to-100-percent-clean-electricity/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=How to Get Your Local Government to 100 Percent Clean Electricity |date=1 February 2023 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/how-to-get-your-local-government-to-100-percent-clean-electricity/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2023how, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{How to Get Your Local Government to 100 Percent Clean Electricity}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2023}, month = feb, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/how-to-get-your-local-government-to-100-percent-clean-electricity/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }