The city of St. Petersburg will become the first city in Florida to completely transition to clean and renewable energy.
The city council voted unanimously on the decision which would generate electricity and power from sustainable sources like wind, water or solar with little to no pollution.
Mayor Rick Kriseman said was happy that his city was the first to do this and hopes other Florida cities do the same.
“It would be nice for us to actually take full advantage of the sunshine, which we are not doing as a state,” he said. “If we can be leaders in helping to move the rest of the state to follow, I think that's great.”
About $800,000 has been allocated to the Integrated Sustainability Action Plan which will serve as a “roadmap” to 100 percent clean energy and net zero energy.
“By assessing the weaknesses and planning investments, St. Pete will be prepared to recover from major natural disasters to strengthen our local economy and to create a more prosperous community for us all,” Kriseman said of the plan. “The ISAP will include analysis of city government and community-wide energy use and set a baseline, milestones and goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”
Emily Gorman is with the Suncoast Sierra Club’s Ready for 100% St. Pete. She called the decision to go green a historic moment for the city.
“We envision a city where families can raise their kids in communities free from toxic pollution, where everyone has the opportunity for a good job and access to healthy, affordable energy,” she said. “The transition to 100 percent clean, renewable energy will ensure a more resilient, sustainable and equitable future for all our residents.”
St. Petersburg joins 19 other cities in the country in creating a long-term plan to rely only on clean energy.
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