The City Council is scheduled to vote on the following resolution during the Tuesday, October 11 session. Citizen feedback is welcomed. Please direct questions or comments to Councilperson Bruce Johnson at bruceforwinterville@gmail.com.
CITY OF WINTERVILLE 100% CLEAN AND RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, the City of Winterville Government is responsible for promoting the public health and safety of its residents, including access to clean air and water and a livable environment; and
WHEREAS, there is a strong scientific consensus regarding the reality of climate change and the connection of climate change with human activities that create greenhouse gases, and the analysis of current trends confirming that future generations will experience an ever-escalating crisis; and
WHEREAS, the combustion of fossil fuels, through direct emissions and through secondary climate change impacts, poses a threat to human and environmental health globally through increased air and water pollution, sea level rise, climate-driven extreme weather events, and accelerated loss of species and habitats; and
WHEREAS, clean and renewable energy pertains to energy sources that are less detrimental to the environment than fossil fuels, and the switch to clean energy sources will reduce air, water and land pollution and the associated impacts on public health and public spending; and
WHEREAS, the City of Winterville is vulnerable to the effects of climate change on residents, public infrastructure and the local economy, and the development of locally generated renewable sources of energy will increase the resilience of the City of Winterville and reduce the impacts of power loss during natural disasters; and
WHEREAS, people of color, the elderly, and other economically disadvantaged people will disproportionately suffer the economic, environmental, health, and social hardships of climate change, and expend a higher percentage of their income on energy than median households in our community; and
WHEREAS, energy use is a holistic system, with improved energy efficiency being prioritized in order to guarantee that resources are optimized to their fullest potential during the City of Winterville Government’s transition to 100% clean and renewable energy; and
WHEREAS, transitioning to electric vehicles is a key component of the City of Winterville Government’s transition to clean and renewable energy; and
WHEREAS, the work from local utilities has increased energy efficiency and the amount of grid energy provided by renewable sources, which has led to Georgia being one of the leading states for the deployment of solar power, and we further recognize the major role utility providers will play in transitioning our community to clean and renewable energy; and
WHEREAS, the development of the renewable energy sector has already created high-paying jobs in Georgia, with significant growth expected; and WHEREAS, youth and future generations will be impacted more significantly by climate disruption than those currently in positions of power;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED on this 11th day of October 2022 by the Mayor and City Council of Winterville:
Section 1: The City of Winterville Government will obtain 100% of its electricity needs from clean and renewable sources by 2035, and all other energy needs will be met by 100% clean and renewable energy sources by 2050; and
Section 2: The City of Winterville Government will implement policies and programs and lead a comprehensive effort to support this transition; and
Section 3: The City of Winterville Government will allocate funding for energy efficiency improvements and/or clean and renewable energy projects until the goal of 100% clean renewable energy use by the City of Winterville is achieved.