ORLANDO, FLA. Where Sunshine = Solar Energy

“Orlando has been a rock star,” says NRDC’s Firestone. The City Beautiful (also known as “O-Town”) is taking full advantage of its 230-plus sunny days a year to become a leader in solar power. Orlando launched its second solar co-op in 2020, helping residents band together to get bulk pricing on installing home solar systems. And its Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF) offers low-cost loans to people in low-income communities so they can make earthfriendly home improvements, from solar water heaters and attic fans to a roof full of solar panels. More than {,äää people have benefite` from SELF loans since 2012, leading to a 25 percent savings on home energy bills (and a reduction of more than 1,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide). Solar energy now powers more than 10 percent of the city’s municipal electricity demand.

The nation’s capital placed fourth on WalletHub’s 2019 Greenest Cities in America list, the only city in the top 10 that’s not on the West Coast. With one of the lowest percentages of commuters who drive (even before the pandemic), D.C. helped launch America’s bikeshare movement. (It’s the most bicycle-friendly community in the U.S., says the League of American Bicyclists.)

If you don’t bike, you can walk: D.C. is the seventh most walkable large city in the U.S. It even provides healthy destinations for your stroll: D.C. has more farmers markets than any other city, averaging 8.2 markets per 100,000 residents, and more green space per person (592 square feet) than most U.S. cities.