Georgetown, Texas, is a conservative town in a conservative state. So it may come as something of a surprise that it's one of the first cities in America to be entirely powered by renewable energy. Mayor Dale Ross, a staunch Republican who attended President Trump's inauguration, says that decision came down to a love of green energy and "green rectangles" — cash. When Georgetown's old power contract was up in 2012, city managers looked at all their options. They realized wind and solar power are more predictable; the prices don't fluctuate like oil and gas. So, a municipality can sign a contract today and know what the bill is going to be for the next 25 years. That's especially appealing in a place like Georgetown, where a lot of retirees live on fixed incomes. "First and foremost it was a business decision," Ross says. City leaders say the debate over renewables never even mentioned climate change, a wedge issue in Texas politics. It's not just Georgetown that is defying
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