Energy
The City of South Lake Tahoe has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas footprint in alignment with the best available science. A substantial portion of baseline greenhouse gases can be reduced by sourcing renewable electricity rather than fossil electricity. In 2017, Council passed a resolution committing to 100% renewable electricity city-wide by 2032. In 2021, Council passed a resolution aspiring to 100 percent renewable electricity, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, from carbon-free sources connected to the local distribution grid, city-wide by 2030.
City Hall offsets its electricity usage via a large rooftop solar project. Other project locations for renewable energy are being developed now. Technology is developing rapidly and all options are on the table.
The City is supportive of evaluating the value and scalability of updated innovative and locally relevant technologies. Longtime partner, South Tahoe Refuse, is seeking to submit an application to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency for a small scale 125 kW wood waste gasifier to provide power to their facility. For more information on that project idea, please follow this link.
The City of South Lake Tahoe is signatory to the United Nations Carbon Free Energy Compact. This means that we are seeking to see carbon-free electricity provided to our businesses and residents 24 hours a day, every day, from sources as local as possible. The City is working with several partners along this journey, including the World Resources Institute and Sustainable Energy for All.