The City of Goleta will join thirty communities in five states this August in taking the Sustainable States Community Energy Challenge, which offers tools and support to assess clean energy goals and initiatives. The challenge will compare clean energy achievements across similarly-sized cities, assess future initiatives, and provide project implementation assistance. Additionally, the Goleta Sustainability Program will be a part of an in-state peer cohort along with the Cities of San Luis Obispo, West Hollywood, Manhattan Beach, Dublin, and Cupertino. Together these cities will receive technical assistance to complete a pressing clean energy initiative, demonstrating that you don’t need to be a big city to have a big impact.

The project is a partnership of the Sustainable States Network, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), and five state-level sustainability programs, including Green Cities California, which Goleta is a member, as well as Sustainable CT, Sustainable Maryland, Minnesota GreenStep Cities, and Sustainable Jersey.

Given the very real financial challenges cities face because of COVID-19, this opportunity helps municipalities promote energy savings for residents, businesses, and local government operations.