All 411 Chicago City Buildings Now Run on Renewable Energy
All 411 buildings owned by the City of Chicago now run on renewable energy or offset emissions, powered largely by the largest solar farm east of the Mississippi.
InnovationGNGV Editorial Team4 min readLast reviewed September 28, 2026
In a laudable civic accomplishment, all 411 buildings owned and operated by the City of Chicago now either run on renewable energy or offset their emissions through financing renewables. The milestone was powered largely by the 593-megawatt Double Black Diamond solar farm in Illinois.
'Every Chicagoan interacts with a city-owned building, whether City Hall, O'Hare Airport, or their local library. To be able to achieve this milestone on behalf of city residents is exciting,' said Angela Tovar, Chicago's chief sustainability officer.
The move will reduce the city's carbon emissions by around 290,000 metric tons — equivalent to taking 62,000 vehicles off the roads. The city has set a new goal of powering all buildings within city limits with renewable energy by 2035, which would make it the largest city in America to do so.
