I never got around to writing about Springfield being named one of the top mid-sized green cities by NRDC's Smarter Cities rankings. We're ranked #4 overall and #1 in air quality. We even beat out liberal towns like Eugene, OR and Berkeley, CA.
The city profile highlights Springfield's use of wind power, shutting down the old Lakeside power plant, and energy efficiency programs like the Refrigerator Roundup. The city got high marks in a few other areas but we didn't score as well on transportation.
The rankings and national stories about Springfield's commitment to clean energy are becoming almost routine, but we risk turning back the progress we've made if people become complacent.