Chicago’s clean-energy breakthrough is not sitting on a rooftop where everyone can see it. It is hiding in plain sight.
It is in the library light that flickers on before a morning rush. It is in the fire station door lifting before dawn, the water plant humming through the night, and the airport terminal glowing while travelers hurry toward their gates.
As of January 1, 2025, more than 400 city-owned buildings and facilities began using 100% renewable electricity, according to Grist and WBEZ. That includes 98 fire stations, two international airports, and two large water treatment plants. Together, those city operations use about 700,000 megawatt-hours of electricity each year.…