Peter Schorsch
Clearwater has become the 13th Florida city to commit to 100% clean and renewable energy in its city operations by 2040 and citywide by 2050, with unanimous City Council approval of a resolution stating its goals.
“Our city staff has done incredible work to put us on a very strong financial path to realize these types of goals. We are already realizing significant savings with our energy efficiency programs, and we’re on track to save much more with solar projects,” Clearwater City Council member Kathleen Beckman said. “It is exciting to see our Greenprint 2.0 emission goals be joined with clean electricity goals and financial savings. A win-win!”
As part of the resolution, Clearwater took a strong leadership stance, emphasizing equity, public health and frontline worker communities within their sustainability goals.
The Thursday resolution directs “all departments to build inclusive and sustainable economic opportunities and mitigate related losses; and provide regional leadership to address equity in climate, energy, and related public health issues.”
The city is committed to working across all departments to achieve those benchmark goals.
“This step forward shows that Clearwater wants their community to be a strong leader in the fight for a just and equitable transition to 100% clean and renewable energy and that the city is committed to moving in the direction of a sustainable future for all,” Clean Energy Organizing Manager for the Sierra Club Brooke Alexander said.
Other cities that have made the clean energy pledge include Orlando, St. Petersburg, Sarasota, Tallahassee and Gainesville. The cities are part of a more than 180-city cohort nationwide.
6 comments
Paul Passarelli
December 16, 2022 at 2:47 pm
That’s great! I love it when others decide to pay *excess* for a commodity. Why? Because that means I can but the same commodity for a discount!
Andrew Finn
December 18, 2022 at 9:25 pm
Oh isn’t that special ???? I bet you can certainly say that this will not cost the taxpayers of Clearwater one single extra cent !!!! Yeah — right !!!!
Dave Sillman
December 18, 2022 at 9:53 pm
If fact, this will SAVE Clearwater taxpayers money. Renewables are already cheaper than fossils and getting cheaper every year, which is why clean energy industries are BOOMING and why the clean energy transition is well underway in rational, informed, non-Republican states and countries. Early steps by Clearwater [to heed science and act on the climate crisis] include an efficiency program projected to save the city $5,168,000 over the next 5 years, and a subscription to Duke’s Clean Energy Connections program, which will provide solar electricity for 40% of Clearwater’s (muni) demand, which is projected to save $4,688,618 over the 30 year program.
Paul Passarelli
December 19, 2022 at 12:53 am
Remains to be seen.
Dave Sillman
December 18, 2022 at 9:34 pm
Kudos to Clearwater! Not only is the transition to 100% renewable energy a scientific & moral imperative, it’s also arguably the greatest business & entrepreneurial opportunity ever! Renewables are already cheaper than fossils (and getting still cheaper every year), consequently retooling our energy system is a huge $$-saver and most capital expenditures will pay positive returns on investment [in energy savings], some quite handsome!
Paul Passarelli
December 19, 2022 at 12:42 am
Sure. Kudos. If they are earned. I’m all for solar energy. It really is a great form of energy. But it’s ain’t free, and it ain’t cheap or easy to harness.
However, if executed properly it can potentially be less expensive than fossil fuel energy, because the cost is based on the one-time fixed capital acquisition of the equipment necessary to harvest the energy and its ongoing maintenance costs alone. There is no recurring fuel bill. So over time the total outlay can be less for renewables than for fuels, but only if the maintenance is carried out smartly. Something that city governments are not well known for achieving.
Unfortunately, at our current level of technology, the *REAL* payback for a muni scale project, is many decades, if at all. Again, due to poor management & comprehension by elected officials. I don’t know the Clearwater government, so I’m quite willing to be proven wrong, if they can pull it off.
I’m just glad they’re not risking my tax dollars, like Obozo did with half a billion dollars to Solyndra.
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