Athens Clean and Renewable Energy Plan 4 Week Study Group

Description

Why a 4 Week Clean and Renewable Energy Study Group Matters for Athens Athens has already made a bold commitment to its future. In 2022, Athens Clarke County published the Clean and Renewable Energy Plan, a community-driven guidebook for how we move toward a local, equitable clean energy transition while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This plan is the direct result of years of work by 100% Athens and hundreds of residents who showed up, asked hard questions, and demonstrated to the Mayor and Commission why a clean energy transition matters for our health, affordability, and resilience. The groundwork was laid by the 2016 Clean and Renewable Energy Resolution, the 2017 Envision Athens Action Agenda, and the 2018 Athens-Clarke County Comprehensive Plan. The goals are clear and ambitious. By 2035, Athens commits to 100 percent clean and renewable electricity for all municipal properties, government operations, and community-wide buildings. By 2050, the goal is to meet total community electricity demand with 100 percent clean and renewable electricity. This four-week Clean and Renewable Energy Study Group exists to help keep that vision alive. Now in its third year, the study group has become a steady place for residents to build understanding, ask questions, and stay engaged as the work moves from planning into real world decisions. Plans only matter if people continue to understand them, talk about them, and show up when it counts. Participants gain a practical understanding of how local energy decisions are made, how state level processes shape what happens in Athens, and how the Clean and Renewable Energy Plan connects to everyday issues like energy bills, housing quality, public health, and growth. Over four weeks, participants will: Learn the story behind Athens’ clean energy commitments and where the plan stands today Understand the difference between goals, plans, and implementation, and why community engagement remains essential Explore how equity and energy burden sit at the heart of the plan Build confidence to engage thoughtfully in community conversations and public spaces This is not a lecture series. It is a shared learning space that brings the plan off the page and into lived experience, year after year. The Athens-Clarke Clean and Renewable Energy Plan Study Group is facilitated by the Southern Sustainability Institute, a local nonprofit that supports education, understanding, and community action on sustainability in Athens. If you care about where Athens is headed and want to be part of sustaining a community-led vision for clean and renewable energy, this study group offers a meaningful place to plug in. Four weeks. Shared understanding. A vision kept alive. Sign up here: https://bit.ly/4pL5azO Questions are welcome. Please email info@sosuin.org for more information.