Best of Arlington 2020

Green Ambition

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As the effects of climate change continue to accelerate, Arlington is not sitting idly by. The county has set a series of ambitious clean energy goals, starting with making all county government operations, including public schools, 100 percent reliant on renewable electricity sources by 2025, and then bringing residents and local businesses into the equation by 2035. These targets, which officials hope to achieve with stricter building codes, electric transit, on-site solar power, sustainable land use, the phasing out of fossil fuels and other measures, are spelled out in Arlington’s Community Energy Plan, which the county board updated in September by unanimous vote. The ultimate goal is for Arlington County to become carbon neutral by 2050. Now comes the hard part: County staff are charged with engaging the community—one that continues to see surging population growth—and delivering an implementation plan by June 2020. –Jenny Sullivan

environment.arlingtonva.us/energy/community-energy-plan-cep/