Last week, the delegation visited the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, which is motivating incredible public-private investment in building performance. Thank you to our hosts in the UK, and to all of the local leaders who made the trip from Ohio!

“By going green we are also giving our students additional work-force options. Working with Highland shows just how well things work when the public and private sectors align.” https://bit.ly/4bJdNWR

Our delegation got an up-close look at electric buses soon rolling out on Liverpool roads, then headed to Everton Stadium for a briefing on advanced clean transportation and transit solutions.
 We’re seeing that when local leaders have the authority to act, progress follows!

Our delegation visited Ellesmere Port to tour hydrogen & carbon capture, utilization, & sequestration facilities key to the UK's industrial strategy. The Cheshire West & Chester Council set the vision for a green industrial strategy and convened stakeholders to make it happen!

The PCFO team has officially landed in London for the Ohio–UK Local Delegation! Alongside Ohio mayors and leaders, we’ll spend the week exchanging best practices in clean energy policy, exploring innovative climate solutions, and strengthening opportunities for collaboration!

Canton City Council has approved their Climate Action and Sustainability Plan! “It can help lower costs for our residents, and it can improve air quality and just our experience with our everchanging climate.” https://bit.ly/4uB3tYx

An exciting development from the City of Dayton and SOPEC! “These sites align with Dayton’s broader goals to expand EV infrastructure, reduce transportation emissions, and increase access to clean mobility options for residents and visitors.” https://bit.ly/3NvXkfd

"Our year started in tumult and uncertainty, but for me, it’s ending in optimism." - Joe Flarida, PCFO Executive Director PCFO's 2025 Annual Report is now available on our website! Thank you to our board, staff, and all of our community partners for making this work possible. https://bit.ly/3NrDGBc

Save the date! We’re excited to host the 2026 Clean Energy Champions Awards on October 8th at Ohio State University. Stay tuned for additional details in the coming weeks, including sponsorship opportunities, ticket information, and more. Hope to see you there!

“More than 13 gigawatts of energy storage was installed across the U.S. last year, per a new report from the Business Council for Sustainable Energy and BloombergNEF. That’s up from the roughly 12 GW installed in 2024.” https://bit.ly/4rzOZGd

“It’s really targeted for organizations that may have had a hard time accessing federal grant opportunities to begin with. So this particular opportunity, I would say, is relatively independent of the federal political climate,” Pritchard said. https://bit.ly/4qOfqqp

The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy is featuring eight Black Americans this month who bettered their communities – and the entire world – by influencing the technologies and policies we rely on to heat and cool our homes and protect our environment. Check it out: https://bit.ly/4cJMdcO

ICYMI: The EPA announced it is rescinding the 2009 finding that greenhouse gases endanger public health, a determination that has underpinned federal climate regulations for more than a decade. https://bit.ly/3OydJjv

Power a Clean Future Ohio condemns the EPA’s decision to repeal the endangerment finding. This decision disregards settled law to benefit major polluters while shifting the financial burden onto communities that can least afford it. Our statement: https://bit.ly/4awxWOb

Need a backup generator? If you own an electric vehicle, you might already have one! More than 600,000 EVs across the country can serve as an emergency power source. https://bloom.bg/4qri7hH

Congratulations to the City of Fairfield for launching an interactive sustainability dashboard to track their progress and increase transparency! Explore the dashboard: https://sustainability.fairfield-city.org/

“Based on market trends, the city estimates it will lead to $42 million in savings for program customers…” https://bit.ly/4aK8qpJ

"Solar panels on the roof allow the all-electric homes to produce more energy than they use, keeping utility bills low." https://bit.ly/4tjmT3b

“By improving our energy policies to reflect business desires, companies seeking clean, affordable power will invest, expand and innovate in Ohio.” https://bit.ly/4awpJdN

PCFO’s Maggie Heiser and Nat Ziegler had a great time at the MEEA Midwest Energy Solutions Conference in Chicago this week! A big congratulations to Anand Natarajan, Assistant Director for the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability in Cleveland, who was honored with the Champion of Energy Equity Award!

"Solar growth was essential in helping to meet fast-rising electricity demand in 2025." https://bit.ly/3LVvatw

Thank you to all of the PCFO communities, including Akron, Cleveland, Columbus, Gahanna, and Lima, for opposing this effort to scale back Ohio’s net-metering system. Regulators were right to stop AEP from rolling it back. https://bit.ly/4k8msF1

Exciting update from Montgomery County and the City of Dayton! "A multi-million dollar northwestern Dayton solar farm that could power more than 13,000 homes in Montgomery County is expected to be operational by 2026." https://bit.ly/49xut2r

“Beginning this summer, Fairfield’s electric cost to run its wastewater treatment plant is expected to drop dramatically. That’s when a field containing an array of 3,000 solar panels is expected to go online.” https://bit.ly/4qvyZo1

Check it out: the City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County were recognized on the '2025 CDP Cities A List' for demonstrating leadership in environmental transparency. https://cdp.net/en/data/scores#cities-a-list

Congratulations to the City of Lancaster for winning a grant to "install LED lighting, update boilers, and complete building envelope upgrades with annual utility savings of 18.3%"! https://bit.ly/49n5Vcs

“More generation on the grid will help limit the amount of price increases we’re seeing,” Flarida explained. ​“Certainly, if we can encourage more distributed energy, that would offset the amount of added power we need on the grid.” https://bit.ly/3LpFMAn

"As more residents see the financial and environmental benefits of going solar, the program will continue to expand, making clean energy more accessible and affordable for residents." https://bit.ly/4jqDgGN

“You’re looking at a twenty-percent savings on your energy bill over twenty-five years,” Ronayne explained. “So, for us, this is a bottom line ‘good for our climate’ and ‘good for the homeowner.’” https://bit.ly/4qvTUqS

"For us, this is a bottom-line good for our climate and good for our homeowners," Ronayne said. "This is all about affordable green energy here in Cuyahoga County, and the partnership with Solar United, & Yellow Light, & most importantly, our homeowners." https://bit.ly/3L9Nvm8

As 2025 comes to a close, we want to take a moment to thank all of you for being a part of this work! This year, we were thrilled to grow our network with the additions of Springfield, Fairfield, Maumee, and Bowling Green, bringing the total number of PCFO Communities to 54. (1/4)

The City of Bowling Green has officially joined PCFO as our 54th member community! “Joining Power a Clean Future Ohio enhances our ability to embrace sustainable solutions that make sense for Bowling Green,” said Rachel Sizer, City of Bowling Green Sustainability Coordinator. https://bit.ly/48HUxWO

Athens Mayor Steve Patterson was in Brazil for the COP30 Local Leaders Conference, where he talked about how cities, towns, and villages are stepping up and leading on sustainability. 
 Thanks for giving PCFO a shoutout on the big stage, Mayor!

"Cincinnati is now halfway through its five-year implementation cycle, and city officials say early progress shows what’s possible when residents, nonprofits, businesses and government collaborate." https://bit.ly/3XhYb4F

“This isn’t blue versus red. This isn’t farmer versus city resident. This is all of us, right? And that’s how change happens, when we start getting together.” – Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne https://bit.ly/3KgLQL1

At the first-ever Ashtabula County Sustainability Summit, local leaders joined community members and students at Kent State University to workshop practical solutions for a more sustainable future. Check it out!

Last week, PCFO was proud to join the City of Cincinnati in hosting its first-ever Sustainability Tour! Participants set out on a tour showcasing green infrastructure and community resilience projects across the city.

As costs rise, municipalities need options to reduce their energy costs and ensure resilience for the communities they serve. Green Energy Ohio is hosting an educational series to discuss how microgrids provide a solution. Learn more and RSVP: https://bit.ly/49l578m

At last week’s State of the City Address, Mayor Pureval outlined the steps Cincinnati is taking to address the energy affordability crisis — including the Center Hill Solar Project. This new solar array will turn 65 acres of unused brownfield into enough clean energy to power 1,200 homes each year!

ICYMI: "Although the exact cost savings for each district will depend on system size, Katz estimated the schools could save hundreds of thousands of dollars over the 25-year warranty period of the solar arrays." https://bit.ly/3XplcCF

“The clean energy economy is here to stay,” says Flarida. “Ohioans understand what’s at stake. Together, we’re building a brighter, cleaner future for everyone.” https://bit.ly/3WRIDVa

Time is running out! "You have until the end of the year to take advantage of federal tax credits for clean-energy and energy-efficiency upgrades to your home, whether that’s by installing solar panels, upgrading your windows, or buying a heat pump." https://bit.ly/4oCxSlP

“The challenges that we are facing as a region are not challenges that Columbus can solve by itself.” We sat down with Councilman Wyche to discuss the value of collaboration between local governments, experts, and residents.

"People from Northeast Ohio traveled to Kent State University Ashtabula Friday for the first-ever Ashtabula County Sustainability Summit." https://bit.ly/3Ldk42k

Bold leadership is happening at the local level! Last week, the City of Lima broke ground on a new floating solar array, which will use clean energy to save money for ratepayers and taxpayers.

The first-ever Ashtabula County Sustainability Summit was a big success! Congratulations to everyone involved in the event, and a special thank you to Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne for providing keynote remarks, as well as all the community members, advocates, and leaders who joined us!

"Caprella estimated the savings from the solar array to total $10 million over its lifetime, with around $200,000 in savings coming in its first year of operation." https://bit.ly/4htnB8N

"This project ties directly into the city’s sustainability plan, but more importantly, this is going to help save money for ratepayers and taxpayers,” said Lima Mayor Sharetta Smith. https://bit.ly/4qsxyqS

Congratulations to the City of Lima for officially breaking ground on their floating solar array this morning! PCFO was thrilled to support the planning process, and we can't wait to see the completed project next year!

Time is running out to register for this Friday's Ashtabula County Sustainability Summit! RSVP for free to enjoy a day of insightful discussions, workshops, and networking: bit.ly/ashtabulasummit