At this year’s WEST (Water, Energy, Smart Technologies) Summit, an event created by Sustainable Silicon Valley last week in Palo Alto. The keynote speaker, Rex Parris, Mayor of the City of Lancaster, California, challenged attendees to combat the effects of climate change by taking action. Mayor Parris used his southern, gentle but serious, style to persuade the City of Lancaster, a community outside of Los Angeles to generate solar power on every roof top.

Under his leadership, the City of Lancaster created policies and incentives requiring solar installation for new home construction. KB Homes, a national residential developer, was the pilot case-study. KB Homes installed a 1kW solar system on all new home development. Why that size? The answer is simple. Regardless of other factors, every house can generate savings from their energy bill with a 1kW solar system. While the cost for a 1kW is minimal, often times it sparks a conversation between the buyer and the builder, which can lead to a larger and more optimal system. KB Homes’ positive experience with the City of Lancaster redefines their business model for sustainable construction nationally.

With a strong sustainability policy and long-term vision, the City of Lancaster transformed itself from a non-descript suburban city outside of Los Angeles to a Net Energy Positive City in three years. What does a Net Energy Positive City mean? It means Lancaster will generate more power from renewable sources (mostly solar) than it consumes. Mayor Parris demonstrated that local governments can take the lead to change land-use, water, energy, and transportation policies towards a more sustainable future.

Building on this success story, recently Lancaster got some more good news in October. BYD Motors, an electric bus manufacturer, announced that they would open a large manufacturing facility in Lancaster. Each 60 foot articulated electric bus can carry 120 passengers over 170 miles on a full charge. That is more than enough for the electric buses to complete a round-trip commute from Lancaster to downtown Los Angeles. Lancaster residents are producing energy at home and helping to reduce pollution at work.

While Lancaster is a model for action oriented local policies, each city has to chart its own path on its journey towards long-term environmental and economic sustainability. You can see Fremont’s journey to sustainability here

http://cleantechnica.com/2014/05/21/mapping-fremonts-journey-sustainability-infographic/.