DeKalb County Commits to 100% Clean and Renewable Energy

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Jessica Wahl

Former Clean Energy Associate, Environment Georgia

Environment Georgia

Today, DeKalb County Commissioners adopted a resolution committing the County to 100% clean energy and clean transportation by 2050, making DeKalb County the sixth local governing body in Georgia to make such a commitment.

The County’s resolution highlights the importance of replacing fossil fuels with clean energy sources in the context of global climate change and the Biden Administration’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. It also acknowledges the crucial role distributed solar energy and energy storage has to play in disaster resilience and recovery–scenarios that are becoming increasingly frequent and extreme in a climate-changed world.

The County’s Board of Commissioners agenda stated that “Renewable energy represents an enormous economic opportunity for DeKalb County to create jobs in an ever-emerging industry, increase economic security and expand prosperity for local residents, reduce air pollution and associated public health risks, reduce the strain on water resources, and save consumers money.”

The resolution sets interim goals of 50% renewable energy by 2025 and 100% by 2035 for County-run facilities and 100% renewables for DeKalb County community-wide electricity by 2045, with an ultimate goal of 100% “renewable energy in all energy-use sectors, including transportation,” by 2050. The resolution centers energy efficiency, equity and justice, and an inclusive and transparent planning process in its transition clean and renewable energy.

Environment Georgia Clean Energy Associate Jessica Wahl offered this comment:

“We are so excited to see DeKalb County join five other Georgia municipalities with its commitment to 100% renewables,” said Wahl. “Clean energy represents the brightest future for DeKalb and for all of Georgia. By striving towards this bold clean energy commitment we can secure the healthiest and most prosperous future in which our cities and our state become clean energy leaders.”

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