Nassau, New York, a town of 5,000 outside Albany, plans to ramp up a combination of rooftop- and ground-mounted solar, wind turbine and landfill methane-capture technologies to generate 100 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2020. “If all goes as planned, within the next four years, all six of the town buildings will be disconnected from the grid,” says Nassau Supervisor Dave Fleming.

The New York Department of Public Services wants this trend to grow through its Reforming Energy Vision (REV) initiative. Governor Andrew Cuomo’s administration is actively working to help municipalities, especially core towns and schools, move toward getting a significant portion of their power from renewable resources. Smaller, cleaner, power systems are less costly and cleaner alternatives to the traditional larger electrical stations.

San Diego, California, recently committed to securing 100 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2035. It’s the largest American city to do so. Already, at least 13 U.S. cities, including San Francisco; Burlington, Vermont; and Aspen, Colorado, have committed to 100 percent clean energy. Las Vegas is among other major cities aiming to follow suit. Hawaii has pledged the same by 2045, the most ambitious standard set by a U.S. state to date. Source: EcoWatch.com