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DeKalb proclaims Earth Day, reaffirms 2050 100% clean-energy goal; CEO to issue solar RFP
Summary
At its April 22 business meeting the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners issued an Earth Day proclamation reaffirming the county's 2021 commitment to reach 100% clean energy and clean transportation by 2050 and directed the administration to solicit solar energy and efficiency proposals.
DeKalb County leaders used the Board of Commissioners’ April 22 business meeting to mark Earth Day and to restate the county’s 2021 commitment to a 100% clean-energy and clean-transportation transition by 2050.
Commissioner Ted Terry presented a proclamation recognizing DeKalb’s efforts and goals, saying the county’s clean-energy pledge creates “opportunities to provide economic opportunity here in DeKalb County to create jobs in an ever emerging green industry.”
Chief Executive Officer Lorraine Cochran Johnson told the board the county will issue a request for proposals (RFP) or request for qualifications (RFQ) for solar energy and efficiency work in about 60 to 90 days. “We will be putting out in the near future…an RFP or an RFQ for solar energy efficiency,” Cochran Johnson said.
Cochran Johnson noted the county’s recent sustainability steps: a gold-level recognition from the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Green Communities program, roughly 6,000 acres of county parkland, and a county fleet that is about 13% powered by alternative fuels. She also cited an ongoing $10 million Embark Youth Farm project and said DeKalb has earmarked almost $6 million in SPLOST (special-purpose local-option sales tax) funding for renewable-energy and sustainability initiatives.
Environmental and operations staff received public recognition during the meeting: Tracy Hutchinson of sanitation for a rain-barrel program; Gordon Kenna (Public Works) for work on electric-vehicle charging infrastructure; and Kathy Reed (sustainability coordinator) for tree-planting and related efforts.
The proclamation — which the clerk read into the record — references DeKalb’s 2021 plan prepared with the Southface Institute and cites an estimate that the county could save nearly $1 million annually in operating costs if it follows its 100% plan. The board passed the proclamation and gathered for an official photo.
What it means: The administration’s near-term step is the RFP/RFQ for solar and energy-efficiency work; the board’s proclamation reaffirms the county’s planning posture and signals procurement and capital priorities that may surface in forthcoming budget and capital-implementation documents.
Remaining questions: The administration did not specify the expected dollar value of the solar solicitation, a timeline for project selection beyond “60 to 90 days,” or how SPLOST and other local funds will be matched with federal or state grants. Those details were not given during the presentation.
