Seventeen Mayors in Volusia and Flagler Counties Commit to 100 Percent Clean Energy

Seventeen Mayors in Volusia and Flagler Counties Commit to 100 Percent Clean Energy

By Kris Cunningham, acting Volusia/Flagler Group Chair and Sierra Club Florida Vice Chair

The Volusia/Flagler Sierra Club group has had an amazing few months of signing our mayors up for the Ready for 100 campaign. After sending out our introduction letter to all the mayors in our two counties, we followed up with appointments to give our presentation to them and their city councils. As of now, 17 mayors have signed on. They include:

Volusia Mayors:
Daytona Beach: Derrick Henry
Debary: Bob Garcia
DeLand: Robert F. Apgar
Deltona: John C. Masiarczyk Sr.
Edgewater: Michael Ignasiak
Holly Hill: John Penny
Lake Helen: Daisy Raisler
New Smyrna Beach: Jim Hathaway
Ponce Inlet: Gary L. Smith
Port Orange: Donald O. Burnette
Oak Hill: Douglas A. Gibson
Orange City: Gary A. Blair

South Daytona: William C. Hall

Flagler Mayors:
Beverly Beach: Steve Emmett
Flagler Beach: Linda Provencher
Marineland: Leslie Babonis
Palm Coast: Jon Netts

Our goal in engaging our local leadership is to bring unity and focus to our counties to make the transition to 100% renewable energy. By getting as many mayors as possible to sign in our counties, we can build the transition as a team.

There are almost 600,000 people in Volusia and Flagler counties, nearly one-third over the age of 60. Many jobs here offer low wages. By bringing the Ready for 100 campaign to our area, we can address the issues of high electric costs relative to income, poor energy efficiency in homes and businesses and social inequity.

This program can help all communities by generating local jobs, creating new businesses, and supporting the transition to energy efficient homes. In addition, instead of relying on dirty coal and gas power plants, we can bring our electric grid to the local level with clean power.

We thank our dedicated volunteers, who have been vital to our success, and also the National and Florida Ready for 100 teams for their support and guidance.

Support your local Ready for 100 team — they are making a difference!

Sierra Club's Ready for 100 Campaign is urging mayors and cities across the country to commit to a goal of 100 percent clean and renewable energy. In Florida, 28 mayors have signed on to the Mayors for 100 Percent campaign and three cities — St. Petersburg, Orlando and Sarasota — have passed resolutions with target dates to move forward with renewable energy. 
 
In addition, we have initiated clean energy or sustainability conversations with 16 cities or municipalities in Broward County, five in Miami-Dade, three in Sarasota County, seven in Pinellas County, three in Palm Beach County, Alachua, Gainesville, Tampa, Kissimmee, Altamonte Springs and Brevard County. If you would like to work on these initiatives or with your local elected officials on joining the clean energy revolution, let us know! Contact Phil Compton at phil.compton@sierraclub.org.

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