U.S. Mayors Embrace Clean Energy at Miami Beach Conference
The U.S. Conference of Mayors approved a historic resolution that establishes support from the nation's mayors for the goal of moving to 100 percent clean and renewable energy in cities nationwide. Meeting June 23-26 in Miami Beach, the conference hosted leaders from more than 250 cities.
Mayors, left to right: Henry (Dayton Beach, FL), Benjamin (Columbia, SC), Kriseman (St.Pete, FL), Biskupski (Salt Lake City, UT)
The weekend kicked off with Sierra Club's "Sunrise for Solar," a human aerial art image on the beach behind the conference hotel, which aimed at encouraging the U.S. Conference of Mayors to adopt the resolution. The bipartisan group of mayors unanimously backed the commitment for U.S. cities to run entirely on renewable sources such as wind and solar in two decades.
The Sierra Club's new Mayors for 100% Clean Energy campaign was launched nationally this spring and is co-chaired by Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine. Jodie Van Horn, national Sierra Club organizer of the Ready for 100 campaign, attended the conference, and met with a group of Sierra Club leaders from across the state.
So far, 36 cities across the United States have now committed to transition to 100 percent renewable energy, and 129 mayors have signed onto this vision.
Miami Beach Mayor Phillip Levine and Sierra Club Ready for 100 Campaign Director Jodie Van Horn
"Cities don't need to wait for Washington, D.C. to act in order to move the ball forward on clean energy," said Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune.
Sierra Club's Emily Gorman worked tirelessly, along with a core team of volunteers, to pull off the early-morning aerial art on the beach. It required renowned aerial artist John Quigley to create the design to scale and organize over 100 volunteers to form the letters in the sand with the aid of beach chairs and umbrellas. The image was broadcast nationally on news outlets and social media.
Past measures at the U.S. Conference of Mayors have been instrumental in setting standards and providing resources to cities, says Gorman. The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program, for example, was the result of efforts at the U.S. Conference of Mayors. For the first time in U.S. history, the EECBG program made it possible for cities, counties and states to receive grants specifically to fund energy-efficiency projects.
Shifting from dirty fossil fuels to clean sources of energy like wind and solar strengthens communities by spurring economic growth, addressing climate change, and reducing pollution, says Gorman. "These leaders recognize the importance of lower energy costs, improved public health, and stable, local jobs in protecting the physical and financial well-being of their residents."
Sierra Club Florida has the support of many other environmental groups and community organizations across the state involved in the Ready for 100 clean energy campaign.
Congratulations to these Florida mayors for joining the Ready for 100 clean energy campaign:
To learn more about Ready for 100, contact Phil Compton at phil.compton@sierraclub.org.