The City of
Richmond received a silver designation from the national SolSmart
program for taking bold steps to remove obstacles to solar development and
encourage solar energy growth during the 2017 National League of Cities (NLC)
City Summit which took place Nov. 15-18 in Charlotte, NC.
SolSmart is
led by the Solar Foundation and the International City/County Management
Association (ICMA). It is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot
Initiative. More than 100 cities, counties and small towns have achieved
SolSmart designation since the program launched in 2016.
To receive
designation, cities and counties make changes to their local permitting
processes, as well as planning and zoning procedures, to reduce the time and
money it takes to install a solar energy system. SolSmart designees may also
develop innovations in areas such as market development and finance.
“SolSmart
designation is part of our RVAgreen 2050 initiative to reduce community
greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050,” said Mayor Levar M. Stoney. “As a
SolSmart Silver designee, we’re helping our residents and businesses obtain
affordable, reliable and clean electricity through solar. We’ve also
signaled our community is open for solar companies to do business here, which
drives economic development and creates local jobs.”
SolSmart uses
objective criteria to award communities points based on the actions they take
to reduce barriers to solar energy development. Communities that take
sufficient action are designated either gold, silver or bronze.
For more information contact Alicia.Zatcoff@richmondgov.com or call 646-3055.
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