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Sustainability office outlines climate resilience action plan, federal grants and EV buildout
Summary
Chandra Farley, Atlanta’s chief sustainability officer, updated the City Utilities Committee on the office’s climate resilience action plan framework, federal grant awards and applications, electric-vehicle infrastructure, Weatherize ATL pilot delays and efforts to reduce energy burden for the city’s most impacted households.
Chandra Farley, chief sustainability officer and head of the mayor’s Office of Sustainability and Resilience, told the City Utilities Committee on Jan. 28 that the office will produce Atlanta’s first climate resilience action plan and launch a citywide community engagement process in spring 2025.
Farley said the new plan expands beyond the city’s 2019 Clean Energy Plan and will align greenhouse-gas reduction targets with population growth and science-based metrics. "City of Atlanta's energy mix is Georgia Power's energy mix," Farley said, stressing the city’s dependence on the utility for progress toward clean-energy targets.
The update said Atlanta aims to meet an interim target of 30% clean energy by 2025 and that the city has reached roughly 18% toward that goal. Farley also reported nearly doubling municipal solar capacity since Mayor Dickens took office and maintaining “the largest municipal solar program in the state.” She described ongoing efforts to identify larger renewable projects such as landfill solar and to pursue virtual power-plant models during the upcoming Georgia Power integrated resource plan process.
Farley described two federal awards totaling just over $15 million for electric-vehicle projects and said one award recently received authorization paperwork. The Government Center parking deck now includes new charging infrastructure and the administration plans a ribbon-cutting tied to a recent update of the city’s electric-vehicle readiness ordinance.
On equity-focused goals, Farley said the mayor aims to reduce energy burden for 10% of the most overburdened households. The Weatherize ATL home-repair pilot — funded with American Rescue Plan Act dollars — has faced implementation challenges and has not yet drawn on a roughly $500,000 local seed allocation. "I could spend $500,000, like, right here in 10 minutes on a number of projects," Farley said, and explained the office is waiting for pilot results and further clarity from federal programs before deploying those funds.
Farley said Atlanta shares in a $156 million greenhouse-gas reduction fund award for “Solar for All” with partner cities and Capital Good Fund; disbursements have begun but the city has not set an official launch date. She emphasized that federal funding posture remains changeable and that the office is prepared to complete required paperwork quickly when notified to proceed.
Other priorities Farley listed for 2025 include: operationalizing updated goals through a climate budgeting governance process; certifying new municipal construction under the city’s sustainable building ordinance; continuing municipal fleet electrification; and supporting climate-resilient affordable housing through partnerships with Invest Atlanta and others.
Farley closed her presentation by summarizing funding development work with Invest Atlanta and Sustainable Capital Advisors on municipal investment and predevelopment funds, and by noting that the city is monitoring federal and legal developments that could affect grant implementation.
Farley and committee members said staff will return with further detail on interim target timing and a one-page explanation of references to 2035 in presentation slides.
