Housely
When you think about the city of Las Vegas, Nevada and also think about a city that is going green, the two do not automatically sync in the mind as companions. Las Vegas is well known for its entertainment venues including casinos which light up the night sky and copious amounts of traffic filtering in and out of its many grand attractions. This in itself is a maelstrom of carbon emissions and high energy usage. In spite of this, the city has made a commitment and followed through to do its part to help save the planet. Here is a description of how they have accomplished this remarkable feat that will contribute to the preservation of the earth and life as we know it.
Long term planning
Although not everyone was privy to the information, the city officials have been working on a plan that would be more eco-friendly and help to conserve on the precious resources which our society has become dependent upon for sustaining the current lifestyle that so many have grown accustomed to. Their goal was to achieve the status of drawing one hundred percent of the power that is used in the city from energy sources which are renewable. It has taken them ten years of planning and taking action in incremental steps to accomplish this lofty goal. The best news of all is that they have accomplished this and the city is now running fully on power that is generated solely through renewable sources.
How this was accomplished
Carolyn Goodman, the mayor of Las Vegas shared that the city is now one of the world leaders in sustainability. Just last year, those in charge were excited about nearing their ultimate goals. The city formed partnerships which were expanded with NV Energy which agreed to provide the power for operating their facilities. The streetlights, parks, community centers and City Hall are all connected with the new resource. The use of clean energy sources has been a goal that will ultimately lead to a cleaner environment within the city. Boulder Solar 1 is the name of the project which took place near Boulder City. It has just recently gone online and the change has been completed. It has taken years of work, but the project has been completed and the city is celebrating the accomplishment.
At a glance you will find that there are solar panels which have been placed near City Hall along with solar shade canopies located within the parks of the cities and in addition, at the treatment plant for waste water.
Where is the power coming from?
Much of the power that is being used is generated by the sun and converted to usable power though processes that create solar energy. Any additional power that is required is drawn from hydropower plants. There are plans in place to begin using this type of clean and renewable energy from Hoover dam by the latter part of 2017. Currently there are over one hundred and forty buildings which are being powered by a blend of credits and direct generation with clean and renewable energy resources.
The cost of renewable energy
NVEnergy operates a GreenEnergy program that is designed for use of larger entities and it contracts with them for a premium for provision of green energy. The increased costs are minimal and the rewards are more valuable than the slight increase that they will be paying for participating in eco-friendly practices.
What this means for Las Vegas
The city began cleaning up their act with regard to the type of energy used a few years ago. They began implementing new energy saving strategies and have managed to lower their overall consumption of energy by well over thirty percent, which amounts to a significant decrease. This amounts to a five million dollar annual savings for the city.
In addition to saving money, there are other benefits which will come along with the switch to clean energy. The production of carbon emissions will be reduced as well as other forms of pollution that come with the traditional forms of power production. This will also cut down on the use of non renewable resources and it will further distance the dependence upon them and set a good example for the rest of the nation to follow. Any decrease in the carbon footprint that is left on the earth is a very good thing. It means that the city of Las Vegas will be a healthier place to live.
Doing away with more dangerous energy sources
Although there is still some use of natural gas and coal, they are minimal and will continue to decrease as other companies within the area are jumping on the band wagon for clean and renewable energy sources. The city has set the example and there are others who are developing their strategies to follow suit. It appears that most businesses are looking towards the future and shifting their focus on joining the revolution.
Final thoughts
The city of Las Vegas has made some fairly remarkable changes in support of the health of the planet. They set an example that is worthy of following. As trail blazers in the efforts to make the change over to cleaner and renewable energy, they have become a world leader. In essence, they have shown the cities that have not yet made this commitment that it can be done, and how it can be accomplished. They are to be commended for being among the first major cities to complete the transition.
Although it has taken them a decade to get where they wanted to go, their persistence and willing to take action has paid off. Although they are not the first to make the move towards sustainable energy and intelligent use of the best resources, they have as a city government been at the head of the pack in making it a reality for one hundred percent of their energy requirements. Kudos to the leaders of Las Vegas for giving us a model to emulate.
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