{"id":17684,"date":"2018-04-24T10:56:54","date_gmt":"2018-04-24T14:56:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/?p=17684"},"modified":"2018-04-24T14:17:50","modified_gmt":"2018-04-24T18:17:50","slug":"how-this-300-year-old-city-is-leading-on-u-s-solar-energy-water-and-climate-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/2018\/04\/24\/how-this-300-year-old-city-is-leading-on-u-s-solar-energy-water-and-climate-action\/","title":{"rendered":"How this 300-year-old city is leading on U.S. solar, energy-water, and climate action"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>By Kate Zerrenner<\/a>, Jaclyn Rambarran<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

On May 5, 2018, the city of San Antonio will officially be 300 years old! On that day in 1718, the Presidio San Antonio de B\u00e9xar (a Spanish fort)\u00a0was founded. The city\u2019s tricentennial celebration will culminate in a weeklong celebration of history, art, and culture the first week of May.<\/p>\n

San Antonio is a unique place that should be honored in Texas and beyond. In addition to its strong Hispanic heritage<\/a>, the city boasts a large military population, straddles the border between eastern, western, and southern U.S., and claims to be the birthplace of breakfast tacos<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This growing city also has a powerful role to play in the future of Texas and the United States in terms of climate change and air quality, as evidenced by its initiatives around renewable energy, the energy-water nexus, and climate action. With all this in mind, let\u2019s take a moment to celebrate not just San Antonio\u2019s momentous birthday, but also its impressive efforts to ensure the sustainability of the city going forward.<\/p>\n

Leading in Texas solar<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Alamo City has taken great strides to incorporate more renewable energy sources into its electricity generation mix, hitting 20 percent of its overall capacity in 2016, four years before the city\u2019s target year. Texas advocates have commended<\/a> San Antonio\u2019s municipally owned electric and gas utility, CPS Energy, for the way it values the long-term benefits of solar to the community.<\/p>\n

[Tweet “How this 300-year-old city is leading on U.S. solar, energy-water, and climate action”]<\/p>\n

In fact, San Antonio recently jumped to number six<\/a> on a list of U.S. cities with the most solar, due to a growth in solar capacity of 37 percent in 2017. The city was also one of 18<\/a> with a \u201cSolar Star\u201d designation for averaging more than 50 watts of solar per person. In total, there are 1,400 installments throughout the city, including community solar, utility-scale farms, and rooftop panels.<\/p>\n

Through its utility, San Antonio is choosing to invest in clean energy<\/a> over expensive retrofits for dirtier energy sources<\/a>, which in turn helps reduce power sector pollution and better protects the vibrant community that resides there.<\/p>\n

Energy-water nexus<\/strong><\/p>\n

A major part of San Antonio\u2019s culture is the river that runs through downtown. The San Antonio River first brought settlers to the area, and the city was built around it, creating one of the city\u2019s most popular destinations: the River Walk. San Antonians don\u2019t get their water from that river (it comes mainly from the Edwards Aquifer), but in this dry South Texas town, water is central.<\/p>\n

San Antonio has long been a leader in water conservation, and in recent years, it\u2019s been leading<\/a> the pack on the energy-water nexus, where the two sectors intersect. Because the city has local control over both its electricity and water, as well as a water-smart population, it has embodied best practices that can be adopted and applied to other cities\u2019 energy-water challenges. Environmental Defense Fund\u2019s (EDF) new case study<\/a>, Capitalizing on energy-water nexus opportunities at the utility level<\/em>, can help other cities learn from San Antonio\u2019s example.<\/p>\n

Specifically, other cities can follow San Antonio Water System\u2019s (SAWS) and CPS Energy\u2019s collaborative efforts, which have included:<\/p>\n