Our Mission: Power A Clean Future Ohio is building momentum now for a clean, prosperous future by equipping local leaders for equitable, community-driven carbon reductions in Ohio. |
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Happy Juneteenth!
Saturday, June 19
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“Juneteenth may mark just one moment in the struggle for emancipation, but the holiday gives us an occasion to reflect on the profound contributions of enslaved Black Americans to the cause of human freedom. It gives us another way to recognize the central place of slavery and its demise in our national story. And it gives us an opportunity to remember that American democracy has more authors than the shrewd lawyers and erudite farmer-philosophers of the Revolution, that our experiment in liberty owes as much to the men and women who toiled in bondage as it does to anyone else in this nation’s history.”
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Local Action Update
Cleveland Heights Joins Power A Clean Future Ohio
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We are thrilled to announce that Cleveland Heights has joined Power A Clean Future Ohio after their City Council unanimously passed the resolution on Monday, June 7. This makes Cleveland Heights the 15th community to join our growing coalition of leading cities across Ohio.
“Joining Power a Clean Future Ohio is the first step in living up to our city’s values on environmental justice and prioritizing pragmatic, forward-thinking policy that benefits everyone that calls our city home," said Vice President Kahlil Seren. "I’m proud that Cleveland Heights became the 15th PCFO Community and that we are helping drive the conversation in our region. We are ready to lead on clean energy and build an economy that protects our environment and builds on the progress we’ve already made in ensuring we all have clean air to breathe and that local workers and students have access to the emerging career opportunities in these sectors.”
Council Vice President Seren sponsored the resolution to join PCFO and has been a leading voice on council on these issues.
“The City Council and the administration for Cleveland Heights are demonstrating real leadership in addressing our collective environmental challenges and planting the seeds for long-term economic growth in growing the local clean energy economy through their work with us," said Joe Flarida, Executive Director of Power a Clean Future Ohio. "Passing this resolution puts Cleveland Heights on the map as an environmental leader in our state and emerging clean energy champion. PCFO is ready to get to work with city leaders to help build a clean energy future that benefits all Cleveland Heights residents."
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Lakewood strikes deal with NOPEC to provide city 100 percent green and renewable energy |
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This was a result of the City reevaluating their current energy contract and negotiating for 100% clean energy, which all NOPEC cities can do. NOPEC cities have a unique advantage to opt for clean energy sources rather than coal and oil, and they will work with each of their communities to support its sustainability goals.
This change is estimated to increase the City’s annual cost by 2.4% but many variables, such as the solar arrays they added a few years ago, should bring down the cost.
While this is a big accomplishment in their sustainability efforts already, Lakewood City Council is also working on a climate action plan.
“The plan will have a few components, which include a greenhouse gas inventory, climate vulnerability assessment and an action plan outlying the implementation plans and reporting processes. That’s really going to guide us as we move even further into a cleaner and greener Lakewood.”
If you are interested in learning more about how you can negotiate your aggregation contract to 100% clean energy or implement aggregation on your city's ballot, please contact Mark at mark@poweracleanfuture.org.
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First Solar to Build New Solar-Panel Factory in Ohio |
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Last week, First Solar announced their plan to invest $680 million in a new solar manufacturing factory.
“The factory near Toledo, which would be the company’s third in Ohio, is expected to initially produce enough solar panels to produce 3 gigawatts of power annually, or enough to power about 570,000 homes.”
Especially after the pandemic, there is more focus on becoming a self-sufficient country, and this is a great example of how America is taking steps to do so. The goal set by the Administration of making the U.S. electric grid carbon-free by 2035 will also benefit from purchasing domestic solar equipment.
While First Solar is just a small player in the U.S. market, this is a great step toward saving money on imports and growing our own economy.
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Bridging The Energy Efficiency Divide |
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For many people, knowing how to make their businesses and homes more energy efficient is not common knowledge, nor is it very accessible knowledge. In a recent Forbes.com article, the author shares a story about a church that received an energy audit, resulting in them switching to a LED lighting system and saving a significant amount of money. Pastor Kinslow explained that he didn't know that this type of service existed, and this is unfortunately the same reality for many low-income, rural and Black and Brown communities.
“We have severe inequities within this space,” said Kinslow. “The solutions we are developing are only built for people with a certain amount of income and security. But we have to reach 100% of buildings to have 100% clean energy.”
Not only is this information not common knowledge or easily accessible but also trying to comprehend the technical jargon in our utility bills hinders us from making educated inquiries about our energy use.
“97% of people don’t understand their utility bill,” said Phil Croskey, CEO and co-founder of Maryland Energy Advisors.
To help bridge this divide, some energy companies have moved to a co-op model where, if a home is in good enough condition to withstand a 10-12 year investment, the company will pay up front for their energy-efficient improvements. These co-ops have financial success with these types of programs, because they subsequently recoup the money when the property uses less energy during high demand hours.
If more energy companies would take this approach, we could see significant change in affected communities. Everyone deserves better air quality, a warmer house in the winter, a more comfortable quality of life.
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Mark your calendars Clean Fuels Ohio's Transportation Solution Showcase premiering in July.
The Transportation Solutions Showcase will take the form of a resource hub available directly through CFO's website. The hub is free to access, and audience members are encouraged to check back regularly as content will be continuously added. Fleet managers, site-hosts, policymakers, and more can expect content to answer two central questions: “Why is this important?” “How can I make this change?” Stay tuned for more information.
For questions, please contact Malerie Holte at 614-884-7336 ext. 312 or malerie@cleanfuelsohio.org.
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Interested in getting started? Join today! |
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PCFO is an expansive, diverse coalition engaging with cities and local governments across the state of Ohio to build a clean future for our communities. Power A Clean Future Ohio is empowering local leaders with tools and resources to create carbon reduction plans and implement them in ways that are achievable, measurable, equitable and economical.
Our coalition of expert organizations wants to share our technical expertise and resources with your community. If your community wants to work on plans to reduce emissions, attract business investment, implement equitable clean energy policy, and reduce costs – contact us today to set up a meeting!
If your business or organization would like to support PCFO, we invite you to join the campaign as a PCFO Partner. Contact us for more details.
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