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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Local Action Update
Virtual public hearing on Columbus' Climate Action Plan sparked conversation around the right goal for 2023
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On Tuesday, March 9, Columbus community members, experts and advocates gathered in a virtual public hearing to discuss measures to lower the greenhouse gas emissions in Columbus through the city’s Climate Action Plan.
A draft of Columbus’ Climate Action Plan states the city aims to make a 25% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030, but many that testified urged the city to go bigger. With other Ohio cities setting more aspirational and aggressive goals, Columbus officials and leadership welcomed the input from stakeholders and the community as they work to develop and implement a robust and impactful plan. Two coalition members testified as invited experts during the hearing.
“As the nation’s sixth-largest carbon emitter, Ohio is ripe with opportunities to reduce carbon,” said Sarah Spence, Director of Climate Programs for OEC Action Fund. “Cities are responsible for 70% of the carbon emissions at the root of the climate crisis, and Ohio cities, like Columbus, are stepping up to reduce their carbon emissions.” Spence provided key recommendations on equity provisions, increasing residential solar and setting more aggressive energy waste reduction targets.
Leo Almeida with The Nature Conservancy in Ohio testified as well stating, “This Climate Action Plan comes at a crucial time as we continue to experience the impacts of climate change, which has led to record-breaking changes in weather patterns as 2019 concluded the hottest decade ever recorded.”
Several speakers voiced how they believe Columbus can strengthen their Climate Action Plan with the hopes of creating a more equitable and resilient community. Read more about the public hearing in this Columbus Dispatch article. Another virtual public meeting about the plan is scheduled March 28 at 6 p.m.
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PCFO Celebrates Women's History Month |
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As we celebrate Women’s History Month, Power a Clean Future Ohio would like to recognize three of Ohio’s Mayors who are leading the way in clean energy development, carbon reduction and climate action. All three of these cities are PCFO Communities, and we are proud to honor these three champions.
Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley
Mayor Whaley is working to remake Dayton into a more sustainable and resilient community. Under her leadership, the city is transitioning some of its municipal facilities to 100% renewable energy, reducing their annual greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of 45 million miles of driving by the average passenger vehicle. Broader work to transition the entire city to clean energy is underway. The city is also working on plans to switch much of its gas-powered fleet over to electric vehicles. Thank you, Mayor Whaley for your leadership in combating the threat of climate change!
Lakewood Mayor Meghan George
Mayor George has been an advocate for clean energy since her first day in office. Under her leadership, the City of Lakewood has committed to 100% renewable energy by 2025. Lakewood was the first Ohio suburb to make this commitment. The city is developing green initiatives, including installing public charging stations through the city and solar panels on various municipal buildings, as well as continued park enhancements in the area. We salute Mayor George for moving her city toward a clean energy economy!
Euclid Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer Gail
Mayor Holzheier Gail is leading the City of Euclid toward reducing its carbon emissions by 150 tons per year through solar and wind energy development. With the installation of solar panels on top of their public library and city hall, Euclid is finding practical, economical ways to cut carbon, promote job growth and demonstrate leadership in clean energy development for the city. The city is also moving forward with LED light conversion on city streets. Hats off to Mayor Holzheimer Gail for her dedication to a better future for the City of Euclid.
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Taking Action: City Carbon Reductions & The #Ohio30by30 Goal on March 15 at 4 p.m.
PCFO is hosting Mayor John Cranley of Cincinnati to lead a conversation with colleagues across the state about committing to carbon reduction goals. We will also hear from other local leaders across the state that have committed their community to this important goal. We are also providing cities the opportunity to adopt the #Ohio30by30 goal of reducing emissions by 30% below 2010 levels by 2030 with PCFO's support. If you are a local elected official or local staff, please register here to attend!
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Equity Coaching Info Session on March 18 at 11 a.m.
Power A Clean Future Ohio (PCFO) will host an information session on the newly launched Equity Coaching for Sustainable Cities Program on March 18 at 11 am. This program provides a small group of city leaders and staff the chance to engage with each other on the issues of racial equity, access to resources, and representation. The city can also receive a greenhouse gas inventory to baseline their emissions as another benefit of participating in the program. We have funding and capacity for up to 10 cities to participate, so please apply soon! During the information session, we will describe the different components of what is included in the program: equity coaching, greenhouse gas inventories, policy recommendations and personal and professional development. We will also discuss the process to match your city with a coach and a timeline for this collaborative work. We are always open to your feedback and want to be sure we answer any questions you may have.
Please register for the information session in advance here.
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Ohio Clean Energy Summit: Local Communities Lead will be on May 20 from 10-11:30 a.m.
Join PCFO, our partners, and the City of Cincinnati for a week of panels to learn how you can transform your city by committing to a 30% carbon footprint reduction by 2030. This summit is a great place to learn more and begin creating your city's plan. More information to come!
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PCFO Partner Spotlight: BRITE |
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Tell us about BRITE
BRITE Energy Innovators empowers founders to launch energy technology solutions. A non-profit headquartered in Warren, Ohio, it is the only energy-tech incubator in the state and is a partner of JumpStart and the Ohio Third Frontier program. BRITE actively works with over forty current clients, providing solutions to today’s challenges and tomorrow opportunities for a wide range of technologies including but not limited to renewable power, energy storage, grid resiliency, building efficiency and e-mobility. Since launching its entrepreneur services that are at no-cost to Ohio based startups, the organization has served 480 clients that have created over 1,100 jobs and $200 million in investment.
Why is it important for BRITE to be involved in PCFO?
Power a Clean Future is an exciting and growing network of communities and other stakeholders innovating how governments and other organizations can access and adopt clean technologies and do so equitably. BRITE works with a vast national network of experts and founders with potential solutions. Being a part of Power a Clean Future allows us to better understand limits and challenges for adoption and connect new technologies to communities that may wish to pilot or deploy them.
How do you see local action on clean energy impacting your work/efforts?
At our core, BRITE is an economic development organization. We were created through the commitment of the City of Warren and manufacturers, utilities and universities in Northeast Ohio over a decade ago. Warren affirms our mission as part of the way small and medium-sized cities can create jobs for the new economy as well as improve the quality of life with cleaner technologies.
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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 organizations 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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