The City of Savannah is launching new measures designed to keep its operations more sustainable for the future. The city has demonstrated its commitment to sustainability through energy project partnerships, water conservation and transportation. 

In 2021, the city adopted the 100% Savannah Clean Energy Plan to establish goals and initiatives for the long term – focusing on energy, transportation, economic development, and education. Savannah is primarily guided by its Clean Energy Plan, which is charting a path to transfigure Savannah’s electricity supply entirely to clean and renewable energy by 2035. 

Savannah’s collaboration with Cherry Street Energy, the city’s renewable energy provider, began in 2022, with the installation of battery storage systems and solar panels on municipal buildings. Today, Cherry Street Energy powers 27 city sites. 

“It’s not really a project as much as a fully fleshed out program that the city continues to grow,” said Kenneth Darisaw, director of public partnerships at Cherry Street Energy. “We handle everything from site analysis to installation, helping the city identify where solar can offset energy costs and emissions.”

Savannah has already saved more than $130,000 since installations began and has replaced 1.68 million kilowatt hours of electricity with clean solar power – enough to power more than 200 homes and offset over 1,000 metric tons of carbon emissions over the past 12 months. 

“What makes Savannah stand out is the teamwork,” Darisaw said. “Every department – from fire and police to Parks and Rec – railed behind the Office of Sustainability. That kind of support is rare, and it’s what allows the city to move forward so quickly.”

He added that Cherry Street Energy’s no-upfront-cost model makes renewable energy accessible to municipalities that otherwise may not have the capital for such projects. 

“Our model allows us to own, operate, and maintain the arrays,” Darisaw explained. “That means Savannah can further its sustainability goals, save money, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions without having to invest taxpayer dollars upfront.”

While city partnerships such as this push Savannah closer to its 2035 clean-energy goal, much of the sustainability movement’s strength also comes from grassroot efforts. Savannah local businesses are equally vital, helping lead the charge through green building practices and waste-reduction efforts. 

Local Businesses Leading Sustainability

One of Savannah’s early sustainability leaders is The Sentient Bean, a coffee shop on the south end of Forsyth Park that has been promoting sustainability long before it became a citywide talking point. 

“Reducing waste is just something I’m passionate about,” said Kristin Russell, owner of The Sentient Bean. “Day to day we compost our food scraps, recycle glass, metal, cardboard, and plastics, and we work with a composting company to compost our go-to ware. We source bread, dairy, and most of our produce locally and buy energy credits in renewables to offset our energy use. 

Russell said the cafe’s commitment to sustainability often means balancing profit margins with ethical sourcing – a challenge made tougher by issues with supply chains. Still, she’s optimistic about sustainability’s growing awareness in Savannah. 

“I feel like maybe I’m seeing an uptick in people caring about sustainability – possibly from the wild weather changes we’re seeing from global warming,” she said. “Over the long term, there are a lot more businesses in Savannah making efforts toward reducing waste.”

Her perspective highlights the importance of local businesses supporting the city’s sustainability goals – not only just by changing their own practices, but by educating customers and building a culture of environmental awareness in Savannah. 

Both the city’s large-scale solar installations and local businesses committed to sustainability reflect Savannah’s broader vision of a clean-energy future built through collaboration. 

“It’s not something that happens overnight,” Darisaw said. “But Savannah is proving that when everyone’s at the table – from city departments to small businesses – you can make meaningful progress toward a sustainable future.”

Savannah’s commitment to sustainability represents that meaningful change doesn’t have to come at the expense of efficiency or budgets. The city has created a model where environmental responsibility and practical results go together by combining solar initiatives with grassroots business efforts. From local businesses embracing zero-waste practices to hundreds of homes being powered by clean energy, the impact is tangible and growing. 

Savannah’s Clean Energy Plan sets ambitious goals for 2035, but what makes this effort remarkable is the collaboration that is driving these goals forward. With every local business, city department, and resident contributing to the effort, Savannah is showing that a cleaner, greener future isn’t just in the works – it’s happening right now.