Floridians featured in project highlighting “Voices for 100% Renewable Energy”

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Environment Florida

For more information: Anna Hofmann – (202) 461-2453

Today, Environment Florida announced two Florida residents as leading voices for clean energy. The Floridians are profiled in a national project, Voices for 100% Renewable Energy, featuring photos, testimonials, and videos from a wide array of individuals from across America – from academics, to mayors and other public officials, to community leaders, to business and non-profit leaders – embracing a massive transition to clean energy.

Floridians featured in the project include Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and St. Petersburg City Council Chair Darden Rice.

“We’re inspired by people like Mayor Buddy Dyer and City Council Chair Darden Rice who know we can, and must, shift to 100 percent renewable energy,” said Rob Sargent, Energy Program Director with Environment America. “We’re thrilled to share some of their stories through this project.  Our hope is that it will motivate the many folks who know we need a swift, steady, and complete transition from dirty to clean energy to lean into the effort.”  

The people featured in the project cited a range of environmental, economic, equity, social, and health benefits from the transition to 100 percent renewable energy. Most focused on the urgent need to eliminate climate-altering carbon pollution. Others simply believe that it’s common sense and good economics to save energy and to harness unlimited, pollution-free energy sources.   

St. Petersburg committed in 2016 to transition to 100% renewable energy. City Council Chair Darden Rice says, “With rising seas and heavier storms already overwhelming our city’s aging sewer system, the solutions to fossil fuels are cheaper than the problems.”

Orlando joined the effort in 2017, pledging to source 100% of the city’s electricity from renewable sources by 2050. Mayor Buddy Dyer says, “I am proud to support a vision of transitioning entirely to 100 percent clean and renewable energy in our City. Cities are the front lines where this transformation can happen and by leading an effort like this, we can not only help to improve the health of our residents but also help preserve natural resources, ensure environmental protection, create new jobs in the growing clean energy industry, and drive even more economic growth to our region.”

“For years, we’ve been told that pollution from dirty fuels was the price we had to pay for progress,” said Anna Hofmann, a clean energy associate working with Environment Florida. “Those days are over.  My confidence that we can make the shift to clean renewable energy has been boosted by the conversations I’ve had with so many people we’ve profiled in the Voices for 100% Renewable project”

To view Voices for 100% Renewable Energy, go to www.100percentrenewable.org.