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OES outlines Green Cincinnati progress, Center Hill solar and recycling pressures
Summary
The Office of Environment & Sustainability said it is advancing the Green Cincinnati plan toward a 2050 carbon-neutral goal, reported roughly 80 electric fleet vehicles and new solar procurement including a 10 MW Center Hill project (projected $10M–$15M lifetime savings), and warned that aging recycling carts and federal grant volatility pose service risks.
The Office of Environment & Sustainability (OES) told Cincinnati's Budget & Finance Committee that the city is making measurable progress on clean energy and waste programs but faces near-term operational pressures and funding volatility.
Ollie Kroner summarized OES priorities under the Green Cincinnati plan—energy efficiency and clean-energy procurement, vehicle electrification, waste diversion and urban agriculture—and reported a departmental budget of roughly $7.2 million, the bulk of which supports curbside recycling operations.
Key program numbers: Kroner said the city now operates about 80 fully electric vehicles and has 55 high-speed chargers across municipal facilities; solar installations on more than 30 city facilities generate roughly 2.8 megawatts, and the Highland County municipal array supplies about 100 megawatts attributable to city programs. OES finalized a contract to add 10 megawatts at the Center Hill landfill; Kroner said that project will generate about 10 MW and is expected to produce $10 million to $15 million in savings over its life for city operations.
Energy-affordability work: Kroner described the Warm Up Cincy program, funded through a Duke Energy rate case settlement, which provides energy-efficiency upgrades to low-income households. He said the first quarter helped 27 households and the second quarter reached 109, and that the initiative has helped more than 600 households to date as partnerships and funding have scaled.
Recycling and carts: Kroner warned that the curbside cart fleet is aging—roughly 80,000 carts in service, many beyond expected life—and that the city repaired nearly 5,000 carts last year. Under budget pressure, OES plans to pause new cart deliveries and focus on alternative strategies and external grant opportunities to address fleet replacement.
Program risks and measures: Kroner said federal tax-credit changes and reduced grant support have added volatility to clean-energy financing and that OES will shift some performance metrics toward waste diversion rather than raw participation as packaging weights change. He flagged multifamily engagement as a priority to increase diversion and cited more than 1,000 multifamily units added to the program this year.
Next steps: OES will continue to pursue renewable procurement and external grants, and the committee filed the department's presentation for the budget process.
