Clean Energy Plan
The City of Tallahassee is a longstanding leader in caring for our environment. We are a City that leads by example, and our results speak for themselves. Our Tallahassee Solar program generates 62-megawatts of solar power and is the largest airport-based solar farm in the world. Our StarMetro bus fleet contains 19 all-electric buses and is growing. Our Energy Smart PLUS (e+) program has been helping residents save energy and money through rebates, grants and loans for decades. While we’ve made great strides in sustainability and have already met our goals from the Kyoto Protocol and Paris Accords, there’s more to be done in working with the community to reach 100% clean, renewable energy.
On February 20, 2019, our City Commission took the bold and visionary step of committing to transition Tallahassee to a 100% clean, renewable energy future by 2050, with continued reductions in greenhouse gas emissions along the way, thanks to the unanimous passage of the Clean Energy Resolution. Tallahassee is now one of over 160 cities in the U.S., and one of only 10 cities in Florida, to set this ambitious and important goal.
Healthy, vibrant living is a hallmark of Tallahassee. The City works to protect the community in doing our part to ensure a high-quality way of life for generations to come. This means prioritizing the reduction of our greenhouse gas emissions and incorporating clean, renewable energy into the fabric of our infrastructure.
Clean, renewable energy means cleaner air, healthier residents, new green jobs and a stronger more resilient community.
To achieve a 100% clean, renewable energy future, a plan must be developed to get there. To ensure success, feedback is needed on issues including affordability, equity, local job creation, access to local power, opportunities for public health, benefits to the environment and more.
This plan can only be developed with your input and through strong community partnerships. Let’s get started!
The Clean Energy Resolution was developed in partnership with Tally100, the City’s Utility Citizens Advisory Committee and the local Sierra Club chapter. The resolution identifies two key milestones:
- 2035: Achieve 100% clean, renewable energy in City Operations
- Operate all City facilities using 100% clean, renewable energy
- Shift City light-duty vehicles to 100% electric
- Shift StarMetro fixed-route buses to 100% electric
- Note: the remainder of the City's vehicle fleet will move to all electric as the technology becomes available for reliable service delivery
- 2050: Achieve 100% clean, renewable energy community-wide
- Shift all public and private uses of energy in Tallahassee to 100% clean, renewable energy sources
- Note: any unavoidable use of non-renewable energy will be balanced by the export of renewable energy to other communities
To provide your input and help shape the City’s 100% Clean Energy Plan, please complete our survey below.
FAQs
This goal continues the City’s shift away from fossil fuels towards cleaner, renewable energy sources like solar power. This transition will involve the types of vehicles and transportation we use, as well. Switching to cleaner energy sources will take place over time, but we need to keep at it to reverse the effects of climate change while creating a strong, more resilient community.
The list of “clean, renewable energy” includes solar, wind, hydroelectric (water flow), geothermal (heat released from the Earth), biomass waste, biogas, energy efficiency and conservation and other technologies still being explored.
The first step towards achieving this goal is developing a plan to get there. That’s where you can help by taking the survey! In the months ahead, we’ll be working with the community to identify the best pathways to achieve an energy transition. You can check this page for updates as we move forward.
This will be determined through the clean energy study and process of developing the plan to transition to 100% clean, renewable energy. We want to reach our energy goals without creating unnecessary financial burden on our residents and businesses. As such, your participation throughout this process is key.
This is precisely what our study will identify, and we’ll be seeking your input along the way. In the meantime, you can get started with a free energy audit from the City and take advantage of any number of rebates, grants and loans measures, including on-bill financing for solar panels, through the City’s Energy Smart PLUS (e+) program at Talgov.com. You can also look into the City’s Tallahassee Solar program.
If you live or work in Tallahassee or close by, we’d like to hear from you. You don’t have to be a customer of the City’s Electric and Gas Utility to provide input. Our clean energy goals will eventually touch everyone who travels into or through our community.
No, the survey is not required but your feedback is highly valuable – and sincerely appreciated! The survey will ensure that your support and concerns are heard as the community works together to map out its 100% clean, renewable energy future.