Worthington becomes 16th Community to join Power A Clean Future Ohio
(COLUMBUS, OH)— Worthington city council officially passed a resolution to join Power a Clean Future Ohio (PCFO). The first priority is to work together with the city on engaging the community and integrating sustainability and carbon reductions into long-term planning. Power A Clean Future Ohio is a nonpartisan coalition and campaign that is dedicated to working with local communities to develop equitable clean energy solutions to benefit the well-being of residents, the environment, and the economy. During Monday’s city council meeting, Worthington City Council voted unanimously to adopt the resolution.
Joe Flarida, Executive Director of Power a Clean Future Ohio said, “Worthington has really established itself as a leader in this space and our entire coalition of advocates and experts are excited to work together with the community to take the next steps in building a clean energy future for residents. The city has already taken many steps to work towards a more environmentally sustainable future, including adopting community choice aggregation on the ballot to procure clean energy for all residents. City Council’s leadership will help propel the city forward to embrace an emerging 21st Century economy powered by clean energy and clean transportation. We look forward to starting the dialogue and learning how our coalition’s unique technical expertise and support can ultimately save the city and taxpayers money, while preserving the environment and fostering new job opportunities.”
Councilman Pete Bucher sponsored the resolution to join PCFO. Councilman Bucher said, “I’m proud that our city became the 16th PCFO Community in the state. Worthington has become a leading city in central Ohio on sustainability by embracing clean energy and prioritizing climate action. We have an opportunity through PCFO and its partners to work collaboratively with other central Ohio communities and leaders across the state. It will benefit not just our community, but our entire region and we can be an example for the rest of Ohio. I’m excited to further engage the community in this conversation and hear about the opportunities they are most excited about.”
In 2019, 114,000 people were employed in clean energy jobs throughout the state, and Ohio auto manufacturers are planning major investments to build more electric vehicles in Ohio in the coming years. In addition, 39 companies that are either headquartered in Ohio or are among the state’s 100 largest employers have dedicated plans to be powered by 100% renewable energy by a specific date.
Local communities like Worthington are joining with these employers in making a commitment to spur the economic growth and development that results from embracing clean technologies and advanced transportation. The jobs of the future are in clean energy and clean transportation.
Utilizing clean energy sources also improves air quality, a significant issue for the state. Ohio ranks 46th in the nation in asthma rates for children ages 0-17. Poor air quality is a major contributor to asthma rates, particularly in disproportionately impacted communities, which is the leading reason for hospital ER visits in this age group. Developing innovative solutions to harmful air pollution will also serve to protect the health of all Worthington residents.
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