Burlington, Vermont's electricity now 100 percent renewable

After a decade of planning, Burlington, Vermont, now gets 100 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, including wind and water.

"The transition in thought from 2004 to 2008 was 'We want to do this' to 'This actually makes economic sense for us to do this,'" Ken Nolan, manager of power resources for Burlington Electric, told The Associated Press.

The city — population 42,000 — joined the Washington Electric Co-operative this month, which reached 100 percent renewables earlier this year. "It shows that we're able to do it, and we're able to do it cost effectively in a way that makes Vermonters really positioned well for the future," says Christopher Recchia, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Public Service.

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There is a statewide goal of getting 90 percent of Vermont's energy from renewable resources by 2050. Read more about Burlington's milestone at The Associated Press.