“Runaway climate change is the greatest threat we face but we have many viable tools to respond to this challenge,” said Chairman Brownie Newman. “I look forward to working with many community partners to achieve this ambitious goal.”

The commitment pledges for all municipal operations to use clean and renewable energy by 2030 and countywide operations to follow by 2042. Buncombe County is the first county in Western North Carolina and the second in the state to make such a commitment. In September, the Orange County Commissioners unanimously approved a goal to move toward 100 percent clean energy by 2050, with the town of Hillsborough establishing a similar goal shortly thereafter. Communities from across the state, including Sylva and Asheville, have also called for a larger-scale transition to 100 percent clean energy.