Across the globe, cities have been pushing for commitment and action towards climate change for decades. In recent years, many mayors across the United States have committed to transitioning to 100% Clean and Renewable Energy (100RE) by their respective target year. A commitment of this nature is good for the environment, local economy, and overall health of a city. 

To date, there are 160+ cities and towns across the US and over 100 million people now living in a place that has committed to 100RE targets. If you live in Cleveland, you are one among those 100 million, as Mayor Frank G. Jackson has committed to adopting the goal of 100RE for all by 2050. On September 20th, 2018, Cleveland became the first city in the state of Ohio to commit to powering itself with 100RE.  

Currently, the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability is working on a plan that will arm Cleveland residents, stakeholders, and decision-makers with the information they need to transition to 100RE by 2050 in a beneficial, achievable, and equitable manner. Sustainable Cleveland is working with Greenlink Analytics that uses an AI-driven modeling platform called ATHENIA to produce an accurate simulation of the energy grid. This Equitable Clean Energy Implementation Plan would be available to be shared with city residents by spring 2021.

Oftentimes, people who are impacted the most by energy burden (energy bills that amount to a major financial burden) are disconnected from the conversation. We want to bridge that gap and would like to hear from our community members. The first step in our engagement efforts is to hear the voice of the community through a survey we have created called the 100% Renewable Energy Survey. Please complete the survey and express if you would like to continue to be informed and be a part of our future engagement efforts on the topic of 100RE.

If you or someone you know is struggling to pay their utility bills, we have many resources available about energy and utility assistance programs, including contact information here. To learn more about adopting energy efficiency into your daily habits, please see our blog on energy efficiency tips.

For more information on the Equitable Clean Energy Implementation Plan or if you have any questions about the survey, please contact our Sustainability Manager Deepa Vedavyas at [email protected].

Take the Survey!