Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) will run entirely on renewable energy by 2045, including both wind and solar energy. With new agreements with NextEra Energy Resources and Recurrent Energy, BART will install more than 100 combined megawatts of capacity. Both projects expect to be online at the beginning of 2021 with a 20-year contract, according to a report by Green Matters.

Using more renewable energy is part of BART’s efforts to address climate change. Another priority for BART is promoting transit-oriented developments, which will increase public transportation usage and decrease the number of cars on the roads. BART expects to receive at least 50 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2025, putting them on track to reach the 100 percent mark by 2045.

Currently, BART gets just four percent of its energy from renewable sources. BART’s commitment to increasing their dependence on renewable energy is not only a favor to the environment, but will also save the company money. Over the 20-year contract, BART is expected to save $173.9 million in energy costs.

As traffic gets crazier and commutes get longer, it’s critical to have an environmentally friendly public transit system that connects San Francisco with cities in Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Mateo counties.