The following is a press release issued by the Grassroots Institute:
The Grassroots Institute announced its support for a proposal by Mendocino County Supervisor Chair, Dan Gjerde to dedicate $2 million in federal funds toward transitioning the county to 100% carbon emission free renewable energy.
The proposal which Supervisor Gjerde will present to the full Board of Supervisors on August 3rd, directs county staff to present a report identifying county buildings which could be converted to add solar electric systems to reduce county dependence on grid power and cut county electricity costs.
In addition, County Planning & Building staff are directed to develop a simplified permit process for PhotoVoltaic and battery backup systems in Mendocino county.
Going forward, the proposal commits county government to purchase 100% carbon free power whenever feasible.
The Grassroots Institute has been working with public officials for months on strategies to promote the use of solar electricity on public buildings, expand the availability of electric vehicle chargers, and transition the Mendocino Transit Authority to electric buses.
In May of this year, the Institute sent an open letter to the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors asking they set aside money in the budget to convert county government to a clean green energy future. It also called upon the City of Fort Bragg to take similar steps to become energy independent of fossil fuel and promote clean renewable energy use.
The Grassroots Institute has circulated a petition in the county that has been signed by over 600 residents and endorsed by over 40 local businesses and civic groups that support local government investing in clean renewable solar power generation and expanding electric vehicle use.
Carrie Durkee, the co-chair of the Grassroots Institute’s Climate Crisis Workgroup, stated: “We thank Supervisor Gjerde for leadership and encourage all the Supervisors to support his proposed resolution. We can’t afford to wait for someone else to fix our
climate crisis, its time we and our local government work together to achieve a sustainable healthy environment and economic future for Mendocino County.”
The Grassroots Institute is a local organization of Mendocino County residents who educate themselves on the challenges confronting our community and advocating for common sense progressive solutions that benefit the entire county. It encourages people to visit its climate crisis action page at: <tinyurl.com/ydm6z2ua>
or <http://www.grassroots-institute.org/climate-crisis-action-page.html>
