Each year, approximately 700,000 megawatt hours of electricity are expended to power Chicago’s 411 municipal buildings. The beginning of 2025, however, signaled a major milestone in the city’s efforts toward increased sustainability. As of January 1, all buildings owned and operated by the city are officially powered by 100% renewable energy, including O’Hare International Airport, Harold Washington Library, 98 fire stations, and two of the world’s largest water treatment facilities.
This transition to renewable energy is anticipated to cut Chicago’s carbon emissions by 290,000 metric tons per year—the equivalent, per city officials, of removing 62,000 cars from the road. This extraordinary achievement positions Chicago as one of the largest cities in the U.S. sourcing the power for its operations with renewable, carbon-free energy. It’s also an achievement that has taken nearly a decade to realize.
The effort was originally proposed by then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel in 2017, and, in 2022, his successor Mayor Lori Lightfoot struck a deal with the electricity supplier Constellation. As outlined in the agreement, the city would purchase its energy from the developer Swift Current Energy beginning in 2025. Shortly thereafter, the developer began construction on Double Black Diamond, a massive solar farm in central Illinois.
Today, Double Black Diamond is the largest solar installation east of the Mississippi River at 3,800 acres and 593 megawatts. Now, 70% of Chicago’s renewable energy will be sourced from the farm, while the remaining 30% will come from purchased renewable energy credits.
“That’s really a feature and not a bug of our plan,” Jared Policicchio, Chicago’s deputy chief sustainability officer, told Grist. “Our goal over the next several years is that we reach a point where we’re not buying renewable energy credits.”
According to city officials, the step propels Chicago even closer to the goal of a 62% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 through direct investment and action by the City of Chicago.
“From both an environmental and equity perspective, this is a major achievement for the City,” Angela Tovar, Chicago’s chief sustainability officer and DOE commissioner, says. “As one of the nation’s largest cities, we have a responsibility to lead through climate action that benefits the people and the planet.”
To learn more about Chicago’s energy initiatives, visit the city’s renewable energy page.
Chicago has realized a major sustainability achievement: all of the city’s municipal buildings are now powered by 100% renewable energy.
Chicago’s renewable energy is sourced from Double Black Diamond, the largest solar installation plant east of the Mississippi River.
Source: Mayor Brandon Johnson Announces 100% Renewable Energy Milestone For City Of Chicago
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