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 What Your City Does:
Energy Conservation
How we generate, use, and manage energy in the City of Chicago is changing dramatically. Power outages, fuel shortages, and changing business practices are affecting our energy costs as well as the environment.
That's why it's so important for the City of Chicago to monitor these changes closely, and to continue looking for opportunities to increase energy efficiency, ensure adequate power for the region, and reduce emissions that lead to pollution and habitat destruction.
Some of these opportunities involve exploring alternative forms of energy, such as solar or wind power. Others include developing new ways to renovate existing buildings so that they conserve energy and protect our natural resources.
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 Chicago Solar Partnerships
The sun provides an endless source of power, and solar energy doesn’t pollute the environment. As part of the Solar Partnership Program, the City is working with schools, businesses, and institutions to install solar panels as alternative forms of energy generation.
The Chicago Department of Environment recently sponsored the installation of solar panels on the Field Museum’s roof. In fact, the Museum’s solar array is the largest photovoltaic installation in the State of Illinois and one of the largest in the Midwest! It decreases the Museum’s use of nonrenewable resources and helps cut electricity costs.
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Wind Power
In Chicago, we certainly seem to have no shortage of wind—an excellent source of clean, renewable energy. Wind energy is quickly becoming one of the least expensive forms of renewable energy available.
The Chicago Department of Environment is currently working with many local institutions and corporations to capture and analyze wind data in Chicago. As a result, the City has recently partnered with several companies to design and construct wind turbines in various locations across Chicagoland. You can visit one of these wind turbines, sponsored by the Department of Environment, on the front lawn of The Field Museum.
The Department of Environment is also partnering with the Illinois Institute of Technology and the Chicago Park District to install and monitor wind speed measurement devices at several locations in the City.
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 Purchasing Renewable Energy
The Mayor has announced that the City of Chicago will purchase at least 20% of its power from renewable resources—such as solar and wind power—by 2005. Currently, the City is buying about 10% from these technologies.
The CTA, Park District, Public Building Commission, and City Colleges are committed to following the lead of the City, making this the largest non-utility purchase of renewable power in the country!
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Chicago Industrial and Commercial Rebuild Programs
The Chicago Department of Environment has been helping industries and commercial, non-for-profit institutions become more energy efficient. In the Industrial Rebuild Program, the City has already helped metal caster, chemical, and candy-maker companies to conserve energy and create less pollution.
The Chicago Commercial Rebuild program has targeted major museums, City schools and colleges, and hospitals for upgrades in energy efficiency and emission control. To date, more than 50 million square feet of facility space has been audited and improved.
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Find Out More
For details on any of these programs, check out the Chicago Department of Environment website.
Introduction | Investigate Biodiversity | YBC | Meet the Scientist | Explore Global Diversity | Events and Programs | Take Action! | Teaching Biodiversity | Biodiversity Exhibition | Credits
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