SHARE:  

Upcoming Events

Environmental Sustainability RFP

Virtual workshop

July 11th, 3:00 pm

Register here.

Learn more about the RFP here.


IRA for Nonprofits Webinar

Free webinar

July 18th, 12-1:30 pm

Register here


Uptown Waste Diversion

Event hosted by Keep Cincinnati Beautiful

July 24th - August 4th

Volunteer here.

This Month's News


  • The Official Site for Electrify Cincy is here
  • GCP Seeds of Change Updates
  • Welcoming a New Staff Member to OES
  • Applications for Americorps VISTA roles at OES Are Open
  • New Market Solar Project Completed


Electrify Cincy Website is Live!


The City of Cincinnati’s Office of Environment and Sustainability and partners are thrilled to announce the launch of the official Electrify Cincy website - electrifycincy.org! As a collaborative effort that supports Cincinnatians to accelerate electrification of our homes and businesses, Electrify Cincy aims to educate residents and contractors as we work towards the Green Cincinnati Plan goal of 20,000 electrified homes by 2028.

 

Building electrification is the shift from powering buildings with fossil fuels like natural gas, coal, and propane to powering them with electricity to reduce costs and improve our environment. There is no one correct place to start, which can be a daunting effort. With the launch of our new site, however, we hope to empower Cincinnatians with the information and understanding needed to make the switch to fossil fuel-free buildings as we grow towards even more stable, comfortable, and healthy lives. 


Explore the site and share it with others, and remember - “when it dies, electrify!” 

VISIT THE SITE

GCP Seeds of Change Updates

Inaugural Awardees Announced!


The City of Cincinnati’s Office of Environment and Sustainability (OES), the Green Cincinnati Fund Advisory Committee, and the Greater Cincinnati Foundation (GCF) are proud to announce the awardees from the inaugural round of the Green Cincinnati Plan Seeds of Change Grant Program. Nineteen small nonprofits were chosen to receive grants totaling $196,769 in this first round. Projects were selected by a diverse volunteer review committee based on meeting basic eligibility requirements and strongly aligning with stated priorities. View a complete list of awardees and their projects here. 

Youth Focused Round Applications Still Open!



There is still time to apply for the GCP Seeds of Change Youth Climate Action Grant Program!


Youth-led and youth-serving organizations can apply for microgrants ranging from $1,000-$5,000 to fund new, actionable sustainability projects in Cincinnati. Applications are due July 15th by 11:59 pm.


Interested in being a grant reviewer? Fill out this short interest form.


Read more about it here.

OES Staff Updates

This month, OES was joined by Purva Khanna, a Bloomberg Summer Scholar focusing on advancing climate equity in the city. Purva is an engineer and a social scientist by training and is pursuing a Master of Arts in International Relations at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, with a focus on development, climate, and sustainability. She is enthusiastic about contributing to the city's efforts in creating a more equitable and sustainable future. Join us in welcoming Purva to Cincinnati!

The City of Cincinnati's Office of Environment and Sustainability (OES) is excited to announce two full-time Americorps VISTA roles for the 2024-2025 year. OES seeks two justice-oriented, critical-thinking, and proactive collaborators to join our team as we build a more sustainable, equitable, and resilient city for all. The Americorps VISTAs will help OES and partners more effectively reach the 2023 Green Cincinnati Plan goals.


Energy Poverty & Engagement VISTA - August start - Apply Now!

Read about the role here.


Food Access & Communications VISTA - October start - Apply Soon!

Read about the role here.

LEARN MORE

IRA for Nonprofits: Free Webinar

Are you or do you know someone working in nonprofits, faith communities, or local governments who might be interested in learning about the Inflation Reduction Act? With nearly $370 Billion in projected impact, the IRA is the most significant American investment in climate solutions in history, and we can tell you all about it - for free!



This webinar will be presented by Nikki Vandivort, who is a FUSE Executive Fellow at the City of Cincinnati’s Office of Environment and Sustainability. She has 17 years of environmental consulting experience. In her role for the City, she has assisted with the production of a Clean Energy Solutions RFP for the City’s electricity load, submitted a coalition application for a Department of Energy grant in partnership with the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Green Umbrella, SonLight Power, and the Cincinnati Development Fund, and is working towards SolSmart designation for the City (making it easier for our community to go solar). 

REGISTER FOR THE WEBINAR

New Market Solar Project

Cincinnati is celebrating the completion of a 100MW solar farm that powers city government and thousands of homes. This is a project that has spanned two mayoral terms, two administrations, and a global pandemic.


The site is the largest municipal solar array in the United States, covering about 1,000 acres with more than 310,000 solar panels. The array will transfer up to 30% of the city's power from fossil fuels to renewable energy, while helping power resident's homes through the Energy Aggregation Program.


A project of this scale has many to thank: Deep thanks to former Mayor John Cranley, current Mayor Aftab Pureval, and Councilmember Meeka Owens for seeing this through from idea to reality. The City team included Michael Forrester, John Juech, Andrew Garth, Robert McCracken, Kevin Frank, Larry Falkin, Andrew Sampson, City Manager Sheryl Long, Virginia Tallent, and Billy Weber. The project is an example of a successful public-private partnership, with a team that was built by Ron DeLyons. We had tremendous strategic and technical support from Carla Walker, Emily Barkdoll, Sonya Suter, Alek Suni, Rushad Nanavatty, Jacob Corvidae, Stephen Abbott, Ali Rotatori, Lori Bird, Jeff Wedgeworth, Rich Bohon, and more!


Photos courtesy of David Chimusoro.

READ THE FULL STORY

GCP Partner Spotlight: Common Orchard

OES has selected to spotlight GCP partner, Common Orchard, for their waste diversion and reduction efforts, and exemplifying what it means to champion GCP actions. 

 

Common Orchard is an organization focused on establishing local orchards to decrease food insecurity, promote environmental education, and provide greenspace access in disinvested communities. Incubated by Green Umbrella, Common Orchard's work touches many GCP focus areas including food, zero waste, and natural environment. Partnering with the Camp Washington Perennial Farm, they have established a composting program where residents can discard food scraps to be transformed into finished compost product which is then available for purchase. Common Orchard is a wonderful example of how building a Cincinnati that embodies the goals of the GCP requires intentional collaboration and community engagement. 

  

To learn more about Common Orchard, visit their website here!

  

If your organization's mission aligns with any of the GCP priority actions, please visit our website to learn more about becoming an official GCP Partner. 

Photo courtesy of www.commonorchard.com

RESOURCES

Cincinnati Office of Environment and Sustainability

Cincinnati Recycles

Green Umbrella

City of Cincinnati

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST

The Office of Environment and Sustainability (OES) leads City government and the broader community in building a more sustainable, equitable, and resilient Cincinnati.

X Share This Email
LinkedIn Share This Email