The clock to 2030 is ticking.
Both Buncombe County and the city of Asheville have resolved that, by the end of that year, government operations will be powered entirely by renewable energy. A 2019 report produced by The Cadmus Group, a Massachusetts-based consulting firm, laid out numerous ways for the two local governments to achieve those goals.
Perhaps in keeping with Western North Carolina’s crafty ethos, the first strategy Cadmus listed for both governments was a do-it-yourself approach: install, own and operate renewable energy projects. Asheville and Buncombe leaders have proceeded to place solar panels on everything from fire stations and downtown’s bus depot to libraries and a county training facility.
Since then, local and global officials have only reiterated the importance of solar power and other renewable sources as ways to replace fossil fuels and combat climate…
How much solar energy does local government produce?
