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Power Clean Future Ohio outlines free technical assistance for cities to cut costs and emissions
Summary
Alyssa Johnson of Power Clean Future Ohio told Pepper Pike council the group provides free municipal technical assistance—54 member communities statewide—to help cities with energy efficiency, fleet electrification, solar siting, greenhouse‑gas inventories and public‑utility intervention strategies.
Alyssa Johnson, director of programs and partnerships at Power Clean Future Ohio, told the Pepper Pike City Council on Feb. 25 that the nonprofit offers free technical assistance to local governments seeking to lower energy costs, reduce carbon emissions and improve resident quality of life. "We currently have 54 member communities across the state of Ohio representing about 45% of Ohioans," she said, summarizing the coalition’s reach.
Johnson described four policy areas the organization supports: energy efficiency, transportation, renewable energy and land use. She said PCFO provides greenhouse‑gas inventories, scenario planning tools to model fleet electrification or building performance changes, solar‑siting assessments, zoning and ordinance review, and help with grant applications and community engagement. She also said the organization has begun limited public‑utility commission regulatory support to assist communities in intervening in rate cases and holding utilities accountable.
Council members pressed for specifics. Johnson cited municipal examples: Solon (help forming a resident‑led green team and community survey), Fairborn (an energy‑efficiency workshop for municipal operations), Lima (a floating solar array to power a wastewater treatment plant that drew on federal tax credits), and Granville (model solar ordinances balancing historic preservation and expanded solar options).
She described common technical starting points: a municipal or community greenhouse‑gas inventory to identify where emissions are concentrated, vehicle inventory and charging‑infrastructure planning for fleet conversions, and tree‑canopy assessments using the i‑Tree tool. On financing, Johnson said PCFO can guide cities on Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs) and other alternative finance mechanisms and connect local officials with peer municipalities that have implemented similar projects.
Johnson said PCFO is funded primarily by philanthropy and community foundations and provides its services free to member communities. She encouraged councilmembers to contact the organization for a template resolution to formally join and for follow‑up technical assistance. The council agreed to post her slide deck on the city website and asked staff to review potential input on the city’s pending residential solar policy.
The presentation was followed by several detailed technical questions from council about how land‑use recommendations apply across public and private property, and how municipal and residential programs differ; Johnson answered that some tools are municipal‑focused while others (e.g., outreach materials) can be adapted for residents.
