The plan, announced by Mayor Villarairosa when he assumed office, was to obtain at least 20% of the city’s energy from renewable sources.
City officials claim that they managed to do it with minimal increases in costs, and that the switch was the first by any city in the nation.
From the Los Angeles Daily News:
By turning away from coal and harnessing the wind, Los Angeles met its goal of drawing 20 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2010, it was announced today.
Even as city officials celebrated the milestone, however, they acknowledged that continuing the march toward cleaner energy — which is more expensive than fossil fuels — will inevitably result in higher rates. They vowed to minimize any increases.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa set the “20 percent by 2010” goal when he assumed office, and the Department of Water and Power accomplished it largely by switching to wind power, which now accounts for 47 percent of the utility’s renewable energy.
Read the full article here.