San Jose - Green Vision

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San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed unveiled a 10-point "Green Vision" calling for a 50% reduction in per capita energy use and a switch to 100% renewable energy sources. Reed also calls for the construction or retrofit of 50-million-sq.-ft. of green building space - 22 times the city's current inventory of green building space. In addition, Reed envisions adding 25,000 new clean-tech jobs, mostly in the solar industry, replacing incandescent light bulbs in the city's 58,185 streetlights with solar-powered LEDs, converting waste to energy and recycling or reusing 100% of San Jose's wastewater (the city currently converts none of its waste to energy and only recycles about 10% of its wastewater). Reed says San Jose should account for 100,000 of the 1 million solar roofs the governor envisions for California, and he wants all city-owned buildings on solar power by 2022.

Green Vision Goals
Within 15 years, the City of San José in tandem with its residents and businesses will:

  1. Create 25,000 Clean Tech jobs at the World Center of Clean Tech Innovation
  2. Reduce per capita energy use by 50 percent
  3. Receive 100 percent of their electrical power from clean renewable sources
  4. Build or retrofit 50 million square feet of green buildings
  5. Divert 100 percent of the waste from their landfill and convert waste to energy
  6. Recycle or beneficially reuse 100% of their wastewater (100 million gallons per day)
  7. Adopt a General Plan with measurable standards for sustainable development
  8. Ensure that 100 percent of public fleet vehicles run on alternative fuels
  9. Plant 100,000 new trees and replace 100% of their streetlights with smart, zero-emission
    lighting
  10. Create 100 miles of interconnected trails

Additional Information