Las Vegas becomes the largest US city to run solely on renewable energy
Renewable energy is gradually moving from the shadows and into the limelight with major projects underway, or already completed, around the world, now Las Vegas is the latest in a string of cities to meet all of its energy needs from renewables
Key takeaways
- The city began building its sustainable energy programs in 2006, implementing energy saving measures across the city and putting solar arrays on and around city facilities where it made sense.
- Pat Egan, NVEnergy senior vice president, said his company continues to decrease its reliance on coal.
- Coal currently accounts for 8 percent of NVEnergy’s generating resources, compared with 74 percent natural gas and 18 percent renewable resources.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2016) 'Las Vegas becomes the largest US city to run solely on renewable energy', 311 Institute, 20 December. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/las-vegas-hits-its-goal-of-running-the-entire-city-on-renewable-energy/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
On Monday, after the launch of the NVEnergy 100 Megawatt Boulder Solar II energy plant just outside of the city, the Mayor of Las Vegas, Carolyn Goodman, announced that Vegas, the "City of lights", had finally reached its decade long goal of powering the entire city with renewable energy. And in the process it's become America's largest city to be completely powered with renewable energy, ahead of Burlington, Vermont who achieved the goal back in 2014.
Using a combination of direct generation and credits, the entire city, from facilities to streetlights, are powered with solar energy from the Boulder I and Boulder II solar plants which between them generate over 150 Megawatts of electricity at a wholesale cost of 10 cents per kilowatt hour.
In addition to pulling its energy from the Sun Vegas also has the option of temporarily drawing down energy from the nearby hydroelectric plant, Hoover Dam, just in case it can't generate enough from tree shaped solar panels in the City Hall plaza, solar shade canopies at city parks or the thousands of solar panels that are mounted on many of the roofs around the city, and, after all, even though the city bakes in the Nevada sun almost all year round who knows when an inconsiderate cloud might blot out the sun...
The city began building its sustainable energy programs in 2006, implementing energy saving measures across the city and putting solar arrays on and around city facilities where it made sense. Since then, the city has reduced its energy consumption by more than 30 percent, according to Tom Perrigo, the city’s planning director and chief sustainability officer and they're now saving over $5 million a year on their energy bills as a result.
Pat Egan, NVEnergy senior vice president, said his company continues to decrease its reliance on coal. Coal currently accounts for 8 percent of NVEnergy’s generating resources, compared with 74 percent natural gas and 18 percent renewable resources.
Goodman called Monday’s announcement “huge” and said it solidifies the city’s cutting edge approach to sustainability.
“When we say something’s going to happen, it’s going to happen,” she said.
What this means for your organisation
Efficiency came before supply.
The city cut energy use by more than 30 percent before reaching its renewable goal. Lower demand made the switch cheaper and faster. Leaders should start with efficiency before buying new supply.
Credits and backup fill the gaps.
The city mixes direct generation with credits and can draw on hydroelectric power when needed. Full renewable supply does not mean every watt is solar at every hour. Build a blended plan with clear backup.
Utilities are shifting slowly.
Coal is still 8 percent of NVEnergy's generation, with natural gas at 74 percent. City goals can move faster than the wider grid. Corporate buyers should push suppliers for cleaner contracts.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
- How much could we cut energy use before buying renewable supply?
- What mix of direct generation and credits suits our sites?
- Are our power suppliers moving fast enough on coal and gas?
The trends and technologies behind this story
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s article and 311 data. First published on Fanatical Futurist.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
Renewable energy is gradually moving from the shadows and into the limelight with major projects underway, or already completed, around the world, now Las Vegas is the latest in a string of cities to meet all of its energy needs from renewables
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
Read full bio
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 17-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
- NVEnergy nvenergy.com
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 20 December 2016. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2016). Las Vegas becomes the largest US city to run solely on renewable energy. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/las-vegas-hits-its-goal-of-running-the-entire-city-on-renewable-energy/
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