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The City of Chicago will source all its municipal building power from renewable energy starting January 1, 2025. This ambitious initiative, fueled by a partnership with Constellation and Swift Current Energy, leverages the city’s substantial purchasing power to spur new clean energy development. The effort will significantly reduce Chicago’s carbon footprint, estimated at a decrease of 290,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually – equivalent to removing 62,000 cars from the road. This encompasses over 400 municipal buildings, including O’Hare and Midway International Airports, City Hall, and numerous fire stations, libraries, and police stations, requiring approximately 700,000 megawatt hours of energy per year. The majority of this renewable energy will come from the Double Black Diamond Solar Field, the largest solar installation east of the Mississippi River, built as part of a five-year, $422 million agreement.
Chicago’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Angela Tovar, highlighted the plan’s dual benefit: addressing climate change while creating economic opportunities for Chicagoans and the state. The city’s already clean energy mix, comprised of over 50% nuclear power, will be further enhanced by this transition to renewable sources. This initiative, initially established by Mayor Rahm Emanuel in 2017 and finalized by Mayor Lori Lightfoot in 2022, represents years of planning and negotiation. Chicago will purchase roughly half of the Double Black Diamond Solar Field’s output, covering about 70% of its municipal electricity needs; the remaining 30% will be met through renewable energy credits, a strategy city officials see as beneficial for stimulating further local clean energy development.
The $422 million deal also includes a $400,000 annual commitment from Constellation and Swift Current for clean energy workforce training, supporting initiatives like Chicago Women in Trades. The project will also generate an estimated $100 million in new tax revenue for Sangamon and Morgan Counties, where the solar field is located. Experts praise Chicago’s approach, highlighting its “additionality” – bringing new renewable energy resources onto the grid – and its scale, making it the largest municipal deal of its kind. This initiative serves as a model for other cities, demonstrating how local governments can shape energy markets and support a more equitable renewable energy future, particularly relevant given potential shifts in federal policy.
While many cities have set renewable energy goals, few mandate the creation of new renewable energy production on the scale of Chicago’s plan. This aggressive approach is a first step toward a broader city-wide goal of sourcing all energy from renewable sources by 2035, positioning Chicago as a leader in the national transition to clean energy. The initiative underscores the crucial role of local action in driving decarbonization efforts, even amid potential changes in federal policy.