Don’t forget to join us at McCoy Stadium this Thursday night, June 16, for “Clean Energy Night” as the Pawtucket Red Sox take on the Columbus Clippers, the triple A affiliate of the New York Yankees. The stadium that evening will be powered by clean energy, the first 4,000 kids will receive a clean energy switchplate provided by SmartPower & Coast 93.3, and the clean energy companies Sterling Planet, People’s Power & Light and Community Energy, along with on-site solar power developer Solar Wrights will be on hand to spread the word on your clean energy choices. Don’t miss a chance to see the best of minor league baseball and support clean energy in the process. For tickets and information, see the Pawtucket Red Sox website.

DThe city of Stamford, Connecticut, one of SmartPower’s 20% by 2010 cities, received a Climate Champion Award at the Clean Air – Cool Planet Global Warming Solutions 2005 conference in New York earlier this month. The award is given every two years to individuals and organizations for actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the threat of global warming. Stamford received its award for reducing its emissions that contribute to global warming by 20 percent while at the same time saving the city more than $1.1 million in energy costs annually. The award also recognizes the city’s plans to enhance public transportation and its effectiveness in partnering with local groups to leverage local action. Stamford Mayor Dannell Malloy accepted the award for the city. At the same conference, SmartPower president Brian F. Keane spoke on ways to attract clean energy investment to local communities. For more information on the awards, see the Clean Air – Cool Planet press release.

Last year, Rhode Island committed to a renewable energy standard calling for 16 percent of its energy to come from clean, renewable sources by 2020. But the City of Providence may be upping the ante.

SmartPower and Clean Water Fund announced plans earlier this month to encourage the City to join the 20% by 2010 Clean Energy Campaign. The organizations plan to continue their effective clean energy collaboration by working with local leaders to help the City Council and Providence Mayor commit to and purchase 20% clean energy by 2010. City leaders joined collaboration representatives to announce the new initiative at a press conference on June 1.

“We are laying the groundwork to build on the growing momentum from across New England for clean energy use by cities and towns,” stated Bob Wall, New England Regional Director for SmartPower. “The collaboration of SmartPower and Clean Water is asking the city council to pass a resolution committing Providence to purchase 20% of the city’s electricity demand from clean energy sources by the year 2010.”

City Council member Miguel C. Luna makes the case for clean energy while Clean Water Fund’s Emily Rochon looks on.

To date, the 20% by 2010 campaign has successfully realized the commitments of 12 cities and towns in Connecticut along with Worcester, Massachusetts. Providence is the first municipality in Rhode Island to be asked to join the campaign. If Providence commits to 20% by 2010, it would be the first state capital in the region to make such a significant commitment to clean energy as its source for electricity generation. The collaboration left open the possibility that Providence would be just the first Rhode Island city it worked with.

"We are at a crossroads with climate change and our growing dependence on fossil fuels, said Emily Rochon, Climate Campaign Organizer for the Clean Water Fund in Rhode Island. “Providence city leaders should now follow the path of clean energy and clean air. We look to the Council members, along with the Mayor and other city and civic leaders, to commit to a 20% by 2010 clean energy purchase to promote a better quality of life for people in Providence."

“Clean energy is no longer idealistic science fiction,” said city council minority leader David Segal. “It is a robust reality, and it will become more and more real to the degree that Providence city government buildings, schools, and even street lights use 20% clean energy by 2010.”

SmartPower, the Clean Water Fund, and the Interreligious Eco-Justice Network created this collaboration in 2002 because they realized that cities and towns across New England must be leaders in the effort to increase clean energy use. The success of the 20% by 2010 campaign elsewhere in New England should encourage city and civic leaders in Providence to work together to realize the mutually beneficial goal of clean energy use and help address climate change in the region.

“The challenges facing this city are significant,” continued Councilor Segal. “However, I stand here today committed to 20% by 2010 because I know that we can all work together in Providence to make clean energy a reality without impacting our invaluable city services.”

In February 2004, as a result of the 20% by 2010 collaboration, the City of New Haven became the first municipality in New England to commit to 20% by 2010 and is now working toward realizing that commitment. Over the past seven months, eleven more cities and towns in Connecticut have joined Worcester, Massachusetts, to make the 20% by 2010 campaign one of the most successful methods of increasing clean energy purchases.

“It’s great to have public officials showing leadership on clean energy,” said Clean Water’s Rochon. “We are eager to work with the Council President, Minority Leader and our hundreds of activists across Providence to make this city the first State Capitol in the region to commit to a 20% clean energy purchase by 2010.”