The City of Sydney has followed the lead of Melbourne to commit to 100 per cent renewable electricity.

Under the plans the city would see a 44 per cent reduction in emissions in just two years, and the adoption of 100 per cent renewables in the city’s electricity supply by 2021, ahead of the 2030 target date.

The Lord Mayor Clover Moore last Thursday made the announcement, pledging to cut emissions by around 18,000 tonnes a year, the equivalent of the yearly power consumption of 4,000 households.

Under the plan, council will procure only renewable power either from wind or solar, encouraging bidders to come forward with community-generated sources.

By mid-2021 council hopes to have more than 7,800 solar panels generating power for its buildings, with the aim of being 100 per cent renewable well ahead of target.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore told Government News the city’s CEO will be seeking proposals from the market in accordance with council’s standard procurement practices.

The substantial growth in demand for renewables has seen numerous projects coming online as they become cheaper to operate, Clr Moore said, presenting unprecedented opportunities for green procurement. But the procurement process nonetheless will be much the same as traditional energy procurement, she says.

“The City will inform bidding retailers that we want our electricity sourced from 100 per cent renewable resources, it will be their responsibility to source this energy from generators,” she said.

“As part of this procurement, the City will also encourage potential bidders to propose community-based renewable electricity projects.”

The news comes after a series of green energy commitments by the City of Sydney, which in 2011 became the first local government to achieve carbon neutral certification. Among these projects is the Alexandria Canal Depot, which is powered by 1,600 solar panels.

Already, the City of Sydney has slashed emissions after making a series of clean energy commitments which have seen it cut electricity consumption by 26 per cent since 2006.

Clr Moore said that slicing greenhouse gas emissions is council’s “top priority.”

“This decision by Council will allow us to achieve our commitment to reduce emissions by 70 per cent, ten years ahead of our own 2030 deadline, well on the way to net-zero by 2050,” she said.

“The City’s strong economic position and the money we’ve saved by investing in energy efficiency allows us to act responsibly by committing to 100 per cent renewable energy.”

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