Orlando Now a ‘Solar America City’
Orlando, Florida, recently became one of 12 cities across the U.S. chosen as a federal Department of Energy (DOE) “Solar America City.”
Each of the dozen cities will receive $200,000 to advance the use of solar technologies in their communities. All the cities were selected for “their commitment and comprehensive approach to the deployment of solar technologies and the development of sustainable solar infrastructures,” according to the DOE.
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The other newly designated Solar America Cities include Denver, Colorado; Houston, Texas; Knoxville, Tennessee; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Sacramento, California; San Antonio, Texas; San Jose, California; Santa Rosa, California; and Seattle, Washington. Part of the president’s Solar America Initiative, the Solar America Cities program now includes 25 communities across the country.
Orlando has already initiated a variety of environmental programs as part of its “Green Works Orlando” program. Under the program, the city has built three wastewater treatment plants that produce reclaimed water for irrigation, established green office standards for city facilities, explored ways to generate energy from solid waste gasification and wastewater sludge and opened two LEED-certified fire stations, the only fire stations in the state to receive the green building rating.
