Back in 2014, the city of Las Vegas in the US was rated as one of the most polluted cities in the country. From that moment, the municipal corporation went to work, adopting measures to reverse this problem. Today, the town hall and municipal services are powered by 100% renewable energy. Surely the largest city in the country that depends 100% on renewable sources.
Among the measures that were taken in the city to meet its ambitious goal, we can talk about the construction of the Boulder Solar 1 plant, a 100-megawatt solar farm located on the outskirts of the city, the ambitious plan to install solar panels solar panels on city buildings, in addition to an energy efficiency plan for municipal buildings, which has reduced their electricity consumption by more than 30%. The city’s annual energy savings are estimated at $5 million. Las Vegas is now the largest city in the US to be powered by 100% renewable energy.
But how did Las Vegas go from being one of the most polluted cities in the United States to being a responsible model for other cities?
We talk about some factors that have played an important role in this transformation:
Green Building Resolution.
In 2006, Las Vegas introduced the Green Building Resolution. This resolution obliges both newly constructed and renovated buildings to adapt to the United States Green Building Code and Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). This resolution sought to ensure that all new buildings built in the city met at least the Silver certification level.
The City of Las Vegas invested more than $70 million in the Green Building Resolution. They insisted that sustainability has become one of their top priorities in the 21st century.
Concern about water scarcity.
Climate change is causing drinking water sources around the world to dry up. This is wreaking havoc on many communities as drinking water shortages around the world will be inevitable if we cannot stop climate change.
Las Vegas was founded near a spring, which is why it became the largest city in Nevada. However, the rapid growth of the city’s population over the years thanks to the growing tourist industry of the game, quickly exhausted its limited water supply. The huge footprint that Las Vegas casinos have could be minimized if online casino gaming spread massively, which would also make the city of Las Vegas more sustainable.
The community is trying to minimize its carbon footprint to avoid depleting its wells and wasting unnecessary water. Instead of wasting the water, they are redistributing it to meet the city’s energy needs. This includes harnessing the Hoover Dam, one of the city’s most spectacular tourist destinations, for renewable energy generation.
Solar and geothermal energy.
According to data from the US Department of Energy, Nevada overtakes California as the leader in solar and geothermal power generation. Nevada’s sunny, open terrain makes it the perfect place to generate power from these renewable sources.
Gov. Brian Sandoval goes against the grain of his own party and says investments in green energy have been a boon to his state’s economy. Sandoval says that green energy projects in Nevada have generated more than $7 billion in investment.
“We have created more than 4,600 jobs statewide, with an average wage of more than $37 an hour.”
The case of Nevada in general and the city of Las Vegas in particular, can serve as an image for other cities. Now they are reaping the fruits of years of work and policies aimed at responsible energy consumption and generation.
