City:
Athens
Mayor:
Steve Patterson
Population:
24,688 (approx.)
Ohio’s climate action pioneer: Athens.
The City of Athens has become a groundbreaking leader on climate issues in Ohio, Appalachia, and the Midwest. Look at any critical policy area to reduce emissions and Athens has probably pursued a solution. Last year, residents voted in favor of adding a carbon fee to electric bills that will help fund local solar projects. In February of this year, the city passed a resolution declaring a climate emergency, becoming the first city in Ohio to take that step. This spring, Athens along with private sector partners hosted a ribbon cutting for a public EV fast charger and the city continues to prioritize purchasing EVs for the city’s fleet. The city’s Tree City USA designation for 29 years only further demonstrates Athens’ place as Ohio’s climate action pioneer.
Partnerships are key.
The city has shown that in pursuing this work identifying helpful partners is key. SOPEC manages the electric aggregation program in Athens, including the carbon fee. SOPEC is also a PCFO partner and serves Southeast Ohio as a governmental electric aggregator that also provides energy efficiency financing programs and renewable energy development technical assistance. Another key partnership is the work Mayor Patterson does to connect with other local governments in the region through the Mayors’ Partnership for Progress, an organization that provides municipalities in Southeast Ohio the critical information and resources to address shared challenges.
